Transcript Highlights:

• The current system for re-employment assistance, Were you using AI?
• The current system for re-employment assistance, Were you using AI?
• The current system for re-employment assistance, The current system for re-employment assistance presents
• re-employment assistance.
• If they need help, they assist them from the digital services perspective.

Summary: The subcommittee met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and automation in Florida government. Panelists from Worldwide Technology, OpenAI, the James Madison Institute, and the Florida Digital Service described AI as a tool to improve efficiency, constituent services, fraud detection, translation, HR workflows, public safety, and regulatory review, while emphasizing that AI should supplement rather than replace workers. They also stressed the importance of data readiness, workforce training, governance, and having existing technology systems and policies in place before broader deployment. Members asked about public records concerns, vendor vetting, model integrity, and how to balance innovation with privacy and security. Chief Schoonover said agencies are already using or exploring AI in areas such as Medicaid analysis, environmental data, emergency management, tax forms, and child support, and noted that the Digital Service publishes prohibited vendor and application lists. OpenAI discussed its red teaming, safety evaluations, privacy controls, and government products such as ChatGPT Gov, and said it does not train on personal data or target users with ads. The committee also discussed concrete examples of efficiency gains, including reduced call times, faster translation turnaround, and streamlined HR classification work, as well as concerns about job disruption and constituent access. In closing, members raised data center infrastructure and energy needs, with panelists noting that AI depends on substantial compute, power, cooling, and utility capacity. The chair concluded by encouraging continued dialogue and noting that future AI legislation should be targeted to specific problems rather than overly broad.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you want to provide oral testimony, please fill out a witness card and turn it in to the assistant
• If you want to provide oral testimony, please fill out a witness card and turn it in to the assistant
• Item Seven is the OAG's victim assistance grants.
• Item number seven in the LBB presentation talks about victim assistance grants.
• **Brent Webster**, first assistant. Are you volunteering them? I am right now. He's in.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> healthcare and social assistance, right? healthcare and social assistance, right?
• So now he's a special assistant. &gt;&gt; Okay. So now he's a special assistant.
• </c> your assistant your assistant &gt;&gt; for<02:16:37.760><c> now.
• Not to assist your office, not to assist with the legislation, whatever, but to assist the administrative
• Not to assist your rules officers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, I want to thank your committee staff, Madam Chair, for their assistance throughout the process
• . ...new tier of coverage that uses county-level determinations to provide language assistance services
• This bill would ensure that Californians continue to enjoy the language access assistance provided by
• However, I am very concerned about the bill adds more state language assistance requirements without
• Thank you again, Madam Chair, and Nicole Becker for your assistance on this bill.

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm dropping green cards and assisting, I think even testifying for Ms.
• It’s not a government assistance. It’s not a government-run grocery store.
• It’s not a government assistance. It’s not a government-run grocery store.
• Roger Hauser, Assistant Commissioner in the Division of Administration. Committee, go ahead.
• Roger Hauser, Assistant Commissioner in the Division of Administration.

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The Finance Committee met on May 27, 2026, with six members present and took up a series of House bills, most of them dealing with education funding, criminal justice staffing, transportation, health care access, and economic development. HB 325 was reported favorably after testimony that it would expand TOPS eligibility by allowing dual-enrollment credits to satisfy eligibility criteria and by making part-time students eligible for TOPS Tech, with supporters saying the program has been underused and the change would help working students. HB 719 was amended and reported favorably to increase assistant district attorney positions in various judicial districts; the Louisiana District Attorneys Association said the changes were based on workload data and local input, and members discussed the need to coordinate any expansion with public defender funding. The committee also reported HB 749 favorably, which would move Louisiana’s 529 savings accounts to a more secure online platform after a cyber incident, and HB 1028 favorably, which concerns transportation reimbursement for providers and was described as already subject to appropriation. Several bills focused on food access and local economic development. HB 1222, the Grocery Initiative Act, was reported favorably to let LED use existing grant resources to map food deserts and develop a program, with members noting it could return for funding later if needed. HB 1194 was amended and reported favorably to define food deserts and direct the LSU AgCenter and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to identify and map them, with authors emphasizing it was a study and not a government-run grocery program. HB 755, which would create IDIQ contracting for architects and engineers on smaller state projects, was reported favorably with no fiscal impact. HB 823, a local diversion pilot for Orleans Parish, was also reported favorably after the fiscal note was revised to remove state impact and reflect only local costs. The committee spent substantial time on HB 488, a proposal from Plaquemines Parish to use severance-tax revenue to help buy out a private toll concession on the parish’s bridge. The author and local officials described severe toll burdens, economic harm to local businesses, and what they called an unfair contract, but members noted the bill was not funded and ultimately deferred it without a motion. HB 797, the Bayou Gold/Louisiana Sound Money Act, was amended to make implementation subject to appropriation and then reported favorably. The committee also took up HB 198, which would raise Medicaid reimbursement for ambulatory surgery centers for certain outpatient procedures; after extensive discussion about fiscal notes, access to care, and potential long-term savings, the bill was amended to narrow its scope and make implementation subject to appropriation, then reported favorably as amended. The meeting ended with the chair noting it would be the committee’s last meeting and asking members to spread the word.

Transcript Highlights:

• The network provides free student loan counseling and legal assistance to borrowers all across the state
• The funding will also support election assistance for individuals with disabilities, election auditing
• I'm the associate assistant project director for the CARS project.
• I’m here today in strong support of increasing the CAC’s local assistance grant funding to $50 million
• The $50 million ask is not for local assistance grant funding, not the total agency budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• if both parties consent and do not have minor children, and sets guidelines for appealing an AI-assisted
• Madam Whip, members, House Bill 2698 creates the rental assistance study committee, which examines the
• effectiveness of rental assistance programs in Arizona.
• Katie Hobbs did the first-time homebuyer assistance program, but there was only a six-month requirement
• She did an assistance program. But there was only a six-stop.

Summary: The meeting was a rapid review of a very large bill package, with the chair repeatedly asking staff to keep descriptions high level and many bills placed on third-read consent or consent calendars. A major theme was artificial intelligence: bills would require minors to be told when they are interacting with AI, allow AI-assisted divorce arbitration by consent, create an AI education program, privilege certain AI communications, and require K-12 instruction on ethical and practical AI use. Other education measures addressed school district superintendents, health instruction, anti-Semitism prohibitions, fetal development standards, and school safety, including a bill allowing concealed firearms on school grounds under specified conditions. Several health and public safety bills were also discussed. These included funding and oversight measures for childhood cancer research, nursing care complaint timelines, firefighter cancer data collection, limits on pharmacy penalties, and a bill making it a felony to administer abortion-inducing drugs without consent. Members also heard bills on overtime wage enforcement, domestic violence evidence standards in parenting cases, probation limits for dangerous crimes against children, and a measure expanding manslaughter liability to online encouragement of teen suicide. One sponsor strongly opposed a provisional medical licensing bill for foreign-trained applicants, while other sponsors emphasized rural health access, nurse anesthetist reimbursement parity, and the need for a dental board member who is an oral surgeon. A large portion of the meeting focused on water, land, energy, and state agency oversight. Bills would streamline or change rules for small modular reactors, new power plants, water supply determinations, groundwater transportation fees, water hauling, and state land disposition. Members also considered measures affecting the State Land Department, including audits, oversight boards, continuation, land-use maps for data centers and energy projects, and rules for mineral leases and solar or wind siting. Other topics included wildlife and ranching, Mexican wolf policy, annexation, housing and development incentives, transportation and towing rules, digital driver licenses, and a proposed four-year moratorium on municipal and county fee, tax, and utility-rate increases, which drew questions about stakeholder input and the impact on enterprise funds and local utilities. No recorded roll-call votes were taken in the transcript; most items were simply presented, briefly discussed, and left on consent or calendar status, with one bill noted as held in rules and another pulled for further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 78, Carly Sun Sunset Assisted Living Administration. >> All right. He's not here.
• Sun Sunset Assisted Living Sun Sunset Assisted Living Administration.
• </c><00:09:17.519><c> living</c> examiners of assisted living examiners of assisted living administrators
• </c><00:22:20.720><c> All</c><00:22:21.039><c> lensure</c> support assistant.
• All lensure support assistant.

Bills: SB78 , SB103 , SB113 , SB180 , SB78 , SB103 , SB113 , SB180

Committee: House Boards, Agencies and Commissions

Keywords: inhalants, butyl nitrite, nitrous oxide, amyl nitrite, possession, sale, misdemeanor, felony, criminal penalties, public health, public works, sealed bids, bid advertisement, procurement, government contracting, construction bids, municipal bidding, county bidding, state bidding, Department of Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to start with later today with the Department of Corrections which uses AI to assist in all
• What features they used to assist them and no and no work, forest flow, educational and a instruction
• So that's part of what's accounting for that they can see among the judgeships and judicial assistance
• Well, last week I had somebody apply for a job as an assistant state attorney.
• I will say that the chief assistant is doing both jobs. So it's running very smoothly down there.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to let you know that the appointment of our assistant commissioner has ended, and that is the
• It is distinct and separate from the state-funded housing support program that provides rent assistance
• We do that in some statutes, like the personal care assistance statute.
• I hope we have a new assistant commissioner who is as committed to both doing the things that we have
• And before that, I was assistant commissioner, and before that, chief compliance officer. officer.

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Each startup that rents space in the lab is required to involve our students as assistants, interns,
• explore include looking at the California Competes tax credit and the Small Business Technical Assistance
• The first is to streamline and expand technical assistance, fund the one-time budget change proposal
• State eligibility thresholds for assistance programs should reflect San Diego's true cost of living,
• The technical assistance and buying power, I think, being able to mimic some of those bills and implement

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact held an informational hearing in San Diego focused on “Making Sense of California’s Economy: Real Cost Pressures and Household Impacts Facing San Diego.” Chair Salas and Assemblymember Darshana Patel opened by emphasizing affordability, housing, and the importance of bringing state policy discussions into the community. The first panel featured leaders from Cal State San Marcos and the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, who described the region’s innovation ecosystem, the university’s role in social mobility and workforce development, and the importance of partnerships with K-12 schools, community colleges, military installations, and industry. They also highlighted regional strengths in life sciences, aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and venture-backed innovation, while warning that housing costs, federal research cuts, permitting delays, and small-business fragility threaten growth and talent retention. Committee members asked about collaboration among higher education institutions and what state policy changes could help. Panelists said the region’s universities are complementary rather than competitive and stressed the value of public-private partnerships, social innovation, and aligning academic programs with employer needs. On policy, they urged faster permitting, possible regulatory sandboxes, stronger research investment, support for cross-border trade and manufacturing, and more housing affordability to keep workers in the region. The second panel centered on small business and entrepreneurship, with testimony from Hydrostasis founder Dr. Debbie Chen, Amai co-founder Sven Davison, and Asian Business Association San Diego CEO Jason Pagal. Chen described building a hydration-monitoring wearable, the barriers women founders face in accessing capital, and the importance of SBDC, Stella Foundation, and university internship support. Davison described Amai’s edible cup business and how tariffs, supply-chain costs, and financing constraints forced the company to pivot manufacturing plans. Pagal presented survey data showing high relocation intent, difficulty hiring, and low confidence among businesses, and recommended expanded technical assistance, regional cost-of-living adjustments, and small-business affordability zones. During questioning, members discussed targeted procurement and local incentive models, the role of SBDC and other support networks, and how to better tailor state programs to local conditions. Public comment came from the California Southern Small Business Development Corporation, which stressed that access to affordable capital remains a major challenge and noted the volume of loan guarantee requests coming from San Diego. No formal votes were taken; the hearing concluded with closing remarks from both members underscoring the need to use local testimony to shape future state policy and support California’s economy, families, and small businesses.

Transcript Highlights:

• Will Watts, the Assistant Secretary for Engineering and Operations. Mr.
• Will Watts, the Assistant Secretary for Engineering and Operations.
• Again, I'm Will Watts, the Assistant Secretary of Engineering and Operations with FDOT.
• Again, I'm Will Watts, the Assistant Secretary of Engineering and Operations with FDOT.
• As Assistant Secretary Holland referenced, MPOs date back to 1973.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation met to hear presentations from the Florida Department of Transportation on rural arterial roadways and transportation resiliency, followed by a panel discussion on metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). FDOT’s Will Watts described the state’s growing population and travel demand, emphasizing that rural arterials are critical for connectivity, freight movement, evacuation routes, and congestion relief. He outlined FDOT’s project selection factors, noted thousands of identified rural arterial needs with billions in unfunded demand, and explained that the department uses community input and long-range planning to prioritize safety, capacity, and economic development. Watts then discussed resiliency planning for hurricanes and flooding, focusing on structural design, storm readiness, and drainage. He highlighted efforts such as elevated bridges, wave attenuators, coastal armoring, drainage upgrades, and materials testing at FDOT’s research facilities to extend service life and reduce storm damage. Committee members asked about local project selection, materials research, LiDAR use, and legislative support; Watts said local coordination drives project priorities and asked lawmakers to protect the Transportation Trust Fund. The MPO panel, led by FDOT’s Kim Holland, explained that MPOs are federally required in urban areas over 50,000 population and that Florida has 27, the most in the nation. Holland said MPOs identify and prioritize transportation needs through long-range plans and public engagement, and she noted that several regions are exploring consolidation after the 2020 Census, especially in Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida. Representatives from MetroPlan Orlando, Forward Pinellas, Pasco MPO, and Hillsborough discussed their structures and the potential benefits and challenges of merging, including representation, governance, funding, and maintaining local voice. Members generally supported regional collaboration, urged patience as studies continue, and emphasized the need for transparent public engagement, while the committee adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an act relating to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility. >> Senator Shelley
• That allows the department to waive the federal assist test entirely and increase income limit for the
• </c><00:10:44.280><c> test</c> to waive the federal assist test to waive the federal assist test entirely
• , assistance, assistance, not<00:23:14.280><c> enough</c><00:23:14.760><c> to</c><00:23:14.880><c> be
• </c> assistance program. assistance program.

Committee: Senate Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:

• They also have several down payment assistance programs that many folks have accessed. "Mr.
• places have down-payment assistance.
• Now they are able to purchase a home because we are providing this assistance.
• Even with assistance of $50,000, they're still at a $350,000 mortgage payment.
• And there is also MFA down payment assistance, which is for people between 80% AMI and 50% AMI.

Bills: HB111 , HB108 , HB145 , HB164 , HB291 , HJR6 , HR1 , HB63 , HB64 , HB165 , HB184 , HB200 , HB4 , HB7 , HB20 , HB65 , HB66 , HB80 , HB88 , HB96 , HB166 , HB285 , HB295 , HB306 , SB29 , SB37 , HJM2 , HJM3 , HJM1 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM32 , HM13 , HM47 , HM20 , HM51 , HM1 , HM31 , HM35 , HM36 , HM46 , HM53 , HM54 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50

Summary: The House spent much of the meeting on recognitions and tributes, including remarks supporting New Mexico’s dairy industry, honoring Gadsden Independent School District educators and students, recognizing Broadband Day at the Capitol, and celebrating the retirement of Representative Susan Herrera. Members from both parties praised Herrera’s long public-service career, especially her work on water, acequias, land grants, rural communities, modernization, early childhood, and predatory lending reform. Herrera thanked colleagues and said she was leaving to spend more time with family, grandchildren, and personal pursuits. The chamber also received a Senate message on House amendments to Senate Bill 3, with the Senate concurring in most items and asking the House to recede from two provisions. Committee reports were then adopted on a series of bills and resolutions, including House Bills 99, 206, 213, 250, 267, 270, 322, and 323; Senate Bills 17, 48, 55, 104, and 193; House Joint Resolution 5; and House Memorial 39. Most reports were adopted without objection, while some bills were advanced with committee substitutes or referrals to other committees. On third reading, the House passed several measures. House Bill 63, funding New Mexico Finance Authority water projects, passed 66-0; House Bill 64, appropriating about $13.25 million for PPRF-related funds, passed 67-0; House Bill 285, refining the disabled veteran property tax exemption, passed 67-0; House Bill 165, expanding C-PACE economic development uses, passed 67-0; House Bill 184, consolidating legacy fund investment accounts, passed 67-0; and House Bill 200, appropriating $10 million for the New Homes for New Mexico starter-home program, was debated at length and then passed. House Bill 291, the tax cleanup bill, drew a failed floor amendment that was tabled 41-24 before the bill passed 59-8. The debate on HB 200 focused on whether the program would help smaller builders and rural communities, while the HB 291 amendment debate centered on adding broader tax provisions and concerns about fiscal impact and policy scope.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sections 2 through 6 define certain terms relating to assisted reproduction.
• reproduction. to intervene against unlawful restrictions on assisted reproduction.
• SB 217's protections of assisted reproduction help protect all Nevadans.
• SB 217's protections of assisted reproduction help protect all Nevadans.
• Section 9.3 allows for physicians assistance to do follow-up care in industrial care. physician's assistance

Bills: AB52 , AB76 , AB163 , AB388 , AB483

Committee: Assembly Commerce and Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Chairs, vice chairs, members of the committee, Shantima, Assistant Superintendent, testifying on
• We had language in there that said DOE will assist, don't hire an attorney or anything, but assist with
• </c> can do these types of reviews and assist can do these types of reviews and assist the<00:20:17.440
• </c> as this bill speaks out with assistance as this bill speaks out with assistance for<00:24:56.960
• ,</c><00:34:49.919><c> legal</c> organizing, technical assistance, legal organizing, technical assistance

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2693 relating to capital improvement projects for aerospace infrastructure. Members had no questions, and the recommendation to pass the bill with a defective date of July 1, 2050 was adopted unanimously. The committee then deferred decision making on Senate Bill 26980 relating to transportation and Senate Bill 2374 relating to the blue economy until Thursday, February 19, 2026, in Room 229, pending additional information. In the joint hearing on Senate Bill 2816 relating to state enterprise zones, agencies and organizations including DBEDT, HTDC, Taxation, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Oceanit, the Hawaii Medical Association, and the Queen’s Health System testified in support or submitted written comments. One public testifier urged expanding enterprise zones around the Kakaako/Cancer Center area and combining them with the foreign trade zone to reduce taxes and attract business. A senator questioned whether the enterprise zone program had ever been comprehensively evaluated, noting DBEDT said it had not done a full study in recent years and cited annual report figures including about $221 million in company revenues and $460,000 in foregone state revenue in 2022. The discussion focused on whether the bill would subsidize existing activity or support new economic development, and on the broader policy question of whether enterprise zones should be used to revitalize depressed areas or to target strategic sectors like health care technology. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2900 relating to sports officials. The Department of Education supported the measure, saying the Attorney General is best positioned to represent employees in temporary restraining order matters and that elevating intentional bodily injury of a sports official to a class B felony would improve safety. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing it would escalate conduct already covered by existing assault statutes and go beyond other protected classes. The Department of the Attorney General recommended narrowing the bill by inserting “substantial” before bodily injury in the criminal section and deleting a section that would make the AG’s office act like plaintiff’s counsel in civil matters, suggesting instead that departments adopt policies to help employees obtain TROs without creating an open-ended civil representation role. Several sports and school-related organizations testified in support, and members discussed whether the bill should be narrowed or coordinated with other measures before further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additional assistance is needed to help these struggling areas within Brooklyn Park.
• </c><01:17:02.480><c> Those</c> person is that needs assistance.
• Those person is that needs assistance.
• </c> purpose of taxpayer um assistance purpose of taxpayer um assistance programs<01:33:49.360><c> and
• </c><01:37:31.520><c> and</c> the Minnesota taxpayer assistance and the Minnesota taxpayer assistance

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• This chart shows projected medical assistance spending by group and type of service.
• medical assistance spending by group<00:30:50.559><c> and</c><00:30:50.799><c> type</c><00:30:51.000
• is a state level entitlement assistance is a state level entitlement reductions<00:31:21.080><c> in<
• ...so we're paying to medical assistance people.
• So what's the average cost to a medical assistance person we're paying for their weight-loss drugs?

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Applying for disaster assistance can be a frustrating and confusing process.
• Applying for disaster assistance can be a frustrating and confusing process.
• for post-disaster federal assistance.
• website quarterly with information on their disaster assistance programs.
• This is where the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act comes in.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1533, health insurance claims consumer assistance.
• SB 1561, assisted living notice study committee. HHS.
• SB 1603, temporary assistance, child-only case. HHS and ATT.
• SB 1607, consumer assistance health insurance claims. Finance. Energy requirements.
• SB 1607, consumer assistance health insurance claims.