Transcript Highlights:

• The bill before you is House Bill 2540 concerning emergency medical technician recertification.
• Current rules require an EMT to renew their license every three years.
• What this bill does is simply change that recertification time frame: once someone has been an EMT for
• 10 years, that recertification period shifts from three years to six years.
• This would simply streamline the administrative aspects of the recertification process.

Bills: HB2540, HB2113

Keywords: emergency medical services, EMT recertification, healthcare, first responders, public health, radiologic technologists, diagnostic imaging, healthcare regulation, professional supervision, state licensing, 904, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held public hearings on several House bills and took executive action on three measures. The committee heard Substitute House Bill 2577 on hospital inspections, which would require the Department of Health to inspect hospitals at least every 18 months rather than on average, allow limited pauses during emergencies, and clarify when CMS or accrediting-body surveys may substitute for state inspections. Representative Nicole Macri and DOH testified in support, citing a JLARC audit and the need to reduce late inspections; testimony sign-in was heavily opposed, but no vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee also heard Second Substitute House Bill 2384 on continuing care retirement communities, which would require actuarial analysis review by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner for certain life care contracts. The sponsor and supporters said it would improve transparency and protect residents’ life savings, while LeadingAge Washington opposed the added cost and fees; testimony was mixed, with many sign-ins in support. House Bill 2113 on radiologic technologist supervision was heard as well, with supporters saying it would codify existing practice by allowing virtual direct supervision for IV contrast procedures and preserve access in rural hospitals; the bill drew strong support and no opposition in testimony. The committee also heard Substitute House Bill 2363 on music therapy licensure, which would allow recent applicants to practice under supervision for up to six months while exam results are pending; proponents described it as a workforce fix, and testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. House Bill 2339 on nursing regulation was heard, with the Board of Nursing and ARNP groups backing technical changes to titles, transcripts, interim permits, and CRNA prescriptive authority. House Bill 2540 on EMT recertification was heard last, with firefighters supporting a longer recertification interval for experienced EMTs to reduce administrative burden while keeping training requirements unchanged. The committee also heard Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1187 on delaying ambulance debt collection after motor vehicle accidents; the hearing was closed after staff noted there were no testifiers, with sign-in showing five pro and six con. In executive session, the committee advanced Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2242, Substitute House Bill 2152, and Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2168. HB 2242 and HB 2152 were sent to the Rules Committee with do-pass recommendations, and HB 2168 was sent to Ways and Means with a do-pass recommendation. The committee then returned to public hearing testimony on the remaining bills and adjourned after closing the hearing on HB 2540.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next bill before you is House Bill 2540 concerning emergency medical technician recertification.
• We have House Bill 2540 concerning emergency medical technician recertification before us.

Bills: HB2340, HB2540, HB2113

Keywords: HB 2340, nursing assistants, nurse aide, substance use disorder monitoring program, monitoring program, credentialing, licensure, disciplinary records, enforcement action, public disclosure, privacy, third-party website, stipend program, financial assistance, treatment costs, drug testing, peer support, recovery, rehabilitation, board-approved program

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held its final regularly scheduled meeting of the 2026 session and moved into executive session to consider a slate of bills. Staff briefed members on measures dealing with the dietician licensure compact, ambulance transport staffing, substance use disorder monitoring for nursing assistants, hospital inspections, music therapy licensure exemptions, nursing regulation, EMT recertification, radiologic technologist supervision, continuing care retirement communities, and veterinarian-client-patient relationships. Several amendments were discussed, including changes to ambulance transport coordination requirements, clarifications to billing statements for motor vehicle accident ambulance bills, oversight language for continuing care retirement communities, and a striking amendment limiting commercial breeding language to livestock and clarifying veterinary prescription drug use. The committee adopted the amendments it considered and voted to give due pass recommendations to the bills before it. Bills advanced included Substitute House Bill 2088, Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2110 as amended, House Bill 2340, Substitute House Bill 2577, Substitute House Bill 2363, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1187 as amended, Substitute House Bill 2339, House Bill 2540, House Bill 2113, Second Substitute House Bill 2384 as amended, and Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2247 as amended. Each bill was sent to the Rules Committee, and the committee reported the measures as passed subject to signatures. The chair also briefly explained the livestock-related intent of the amendment to the veterinary bill in response to a question about puppy mills. At the end of the meeting, the chair thanked committee staff and members for their work during the session, noted that interim work would begin in a few weeks, and moved to adjourn. The committee then adjourned.

Bills: HB403, HB224

Keywords: criminal enterprise, database, law enforcement, data privacy, criminal justice, HB224, Alabama, obstructing governmental operations, first responder, emergency responder, police, firefighter, EMT, paramedic, public safety, harassment, interference with emergency personnel, crime, Class A misdemeanor, emergency scene

Bills: HF4446, HF4066, HF1082

Keywords: public safety officer, survivor benefits, line of duty death, occupational cancer, firefighter, police officer, paramedic, EMT, correctional officer, first responder, workers' compensation, death benefits, occupational exposure, carcinogen, cancer presumption, mesothelioma, leukemia, lung cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD

Transcript Highlights:

• Frequent recertification leads to preventable gaps in food access.
• Twenty-nine other states have extended those recertifications to 24 months.
• recertifications to 24 months.<01:44:51.680><c> And</c><01:44:51.800><c> that's</c><01:44:51.960><c>
• Every recertification means more paperwork, more time off work, more stress, and more opportunities for
• Reducing the frequency of recertifications would ease the administrative workload.

Bills: SB709, SB2089, SB2090, SB2108, SB2211, SB2250, SB2325, SB2803, SB2866, SB3245

Keywords: mental health, crisis intervention, assisted community treatment, treatment orders, law enforcement training, public safety, court-ordered treatment, Medicaid, healthcare access, unlicensed professionals, supervised services, workforce development, mental health equity, child custody, evaluations, licensed counselors, family court, juvenile justice, waiver of jurisdiction, transfer to adult court

Summary: The committee heard SB 709 SD2, which would require the Department of Health to respond to reports involving persons with severe mental illness, assess eligibility for assisted community treatment, and coordinate treatment when appropriate. Testimony from the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health supported the measure, with DOH saying it generally supported the bill but had comments on one section it viewed as unnecessary. The Department of Law Enforcement later explained that the bill would shift certification and standards for crisis intervention officer training from DOH to DLE, while still involving DOH in the training process. Opposition came from the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and an individual testifier, both of whom argued the bill expands state authority over people with mental illness and could worsen forced treatment practices. The Disability Rights Center also raised procedural concerns, saying the bill was effectively moved from a prior administration measure that had not been heard this session, and questioned whether the bill’s changes to assisted community treatment, blood tests, urinalysis, and living arrangements went beyond current law. The individual testifier argued the bill would further entrench harmful psychiatric drugging and urged the committee to defer it. Committee members questioned the administration about the bill’s process, the role of the Attorney General in treatment-over-objection proceedings, and the practical effects of moving CIT certification to DLE. The Attorney General’s office said the bill was intended to fill a gap by allowing it to assist with treatment proceedings, while public defenders would continue to represent respondents and due process protections would remain in place. DLE and DOH said the change would better align certification with law enforcement training needs, improve speed in crisis response, and still keep DOH involved; members also discussed whether WAM counted as a hearing and whether the bill should more explicitly preserve DOH’s role. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Bills: HB62, HB124, HB182, HB193, HB198, HB203, HB223, HB237, HB469, HB486, HB574, HB779, HB796, HB919, SCR2, SB4, SB36, SB38, SB109, SB152, SB168, SB195, SB216, SB221, SB236, SB404

Keywords: Louisiana Women's Policy, gender equality, policy research, commission membership, women's representation, Domestic Violence, judicial experience, legislation, criminal law, family law, HB182, sexual assault, rape kit, forensic examination, forensic medical exam, sexual assault survivor, sexual assault nurse examiner, SANE, emergency department, hospital staffing

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill before you is House Bill 2540 concerning emergency medical technician recertification.
• Current rules require an EMT to renew their license every three years.
• What this bill does is simply change that recertification time frame: once someone has been an EMT for
• 10 years, then that recertification period shifts from three years to six years.
• This would simply streamline the administrative aspects of the recertification process.

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held a Friday morning hearing with several House bills and then took executive action on three measures. In executive session, the committee voted do pass on Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2242, Substitute House Bill 2152, and Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2168, sending the first two to Rules and the overdose-mapping bill to Ways and Means. The committee also waived the five-day notice rule for several bills on the agenda. Public hearings focused on hospital inspections, continuing care retirement communities, radiologic technologist supervision, music therapy licensure, nursing regulation, ambulance billing after motor vehicle accidents, and EMT recertification. Representative Macri presented HB 2577 to require hospital inspections at least every 18 months, allow limited pauses during emergencies, and clarify when CMS or accrediting-body surveys may substitute for state inspections; DOH supported the bill, citing JLARC recommendations, while many people signed in opposed. Macri also presented Second Substitute HB 2384, which would require actuarial analysis review for certain CCRCs; OIC supported the transparency goal, while CCRC representatives opposed the added cost, though residents and association witnesses argued the oversight would protect seniors and their life savings. Representative Engel’s HB 2113 drew strong support from radiology, hospital, and provider groups for allowing virtual direct supervision for IV contrast procedures and aligning state law with CMS practice. Representative Ryu’s HB 1187 would bar ambulance services from sending motor-vehicle-accident medical debt to collections for 120 days; she described a personal experience with an ambulance collection issue, and the hearing was closed after no testifiers appeared. Representative Reed’s HB 2363 would let music therapy applicants practice under supervision for up to six months while exam results are processed; music therapy witnesses said it would prevent workforce gaps. Representative Simmons’ HB 2339 would update nursing title and transcript requirements and allow the board to issue interim permits directly, with the Board of Nursing and ARNP groups calling it a technical cleanup. HB 2540 would extend EMT recertification intervals to six years for long-tenured EMTs, and firefighters supported it as an administrative simplification without changing training requirements.

Bills: HB352, HB366, SB272, SB296

Keywords: HB352, cotton, cotton bale assessment, cotton levy, cotton producers, agriculture, forestry, Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee, per bale fee, commodity assessment, producer referendum, cotton sales tax, Alabama Code 2-8-199, cotton commission, agricultural funding, HB366, Lakyn Canine Act, police dog, K9, K-9

Transcript Highlights:

• It institutes a two-tier voting threshold for the certification, recertification, and decertification
• I have some numbers from elections for various unions and the recertification process.
• Also, our recertification came soon after Senate Bill 256 became law.
• Because, yes, I back the blue, I black EMTs, I back firefighters, but I also back our public.
• I back EMTs, I back firefighters, but I also back our public workers, and this bill flies in the face

Summary: The committee took up several bills and confirmations. It reported favorably SB 332, as amended, on a narrow public-meetings/public-records exemption for legal strategy and settlement communications during the pre-suit period in Burt Harris claims; SB 464, requiring K-12 schools to formally observe Veterans Day; SB 984, clarifying firefighter cancer/death-benefit provisions and related prevention language; SB 576, expanding and codifying the local government cybersecurity protection program under Florida Digital Service; SB 964, revising how certain gifts and honoraria are reported to the Commission on Ethics; SB 1612, requiring local governments to accept electronic payments with exceptions and a delayed effective date; SB 830, creating public-records exemptions for certain local government administrators and their families; SB 1096, clarifying the filing deadline for Florida Civil Rights Act complaints; and SB 1656, designating the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship. The committee also considered a large confirmation package. Jeffrey Aaron’s appointment to the Public Employees Relations Commission was discussed separately after Senator Polsky raised concerns about his political connections and prior work; the committee still recommended him favorably. The remaining appointees on tabs 12 through 30 were also recommended favorably in one vote. The longest and most contentious item was SB 1296, with a committee substitute, on the Public Employees Relations Commission and public-sector unions. The PCS would change union certification/recertification rules, require a recent showing-of-interest form, create different voting thresholds for public safety and non-public safety employee organizations, limit paid union leave for non-public safety unions unless reimbursed, require equal access to certain employer communication spaces, and speed up impasse procedures for legislatively funded salary increases. Senators raised constitutional concerns, especially about the single-subject rule and collective-bargaining rights, and many speakers opposed the bill as union-busting and harmful to teachers, bus drivers, nurses, utility workers, and other public employees. Supporters argued it would improve accountability, ensure genuine member support, and prevent taxpayer-funded union activity. The committee continued debate on SB 1296 after extensive testimony, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• When the union was up for recertification, only 861 votes secured recertification out of nearly 3,000
• For recertification, 44 out of approximately 270 union-eligible teachers voted.
• But this bill carves out EMTs and not the doctors and the nurses. Make it make sense.
• The EMT, the doctor, and the nurse.
• But this bill carves out EMTs and not the doctors and the nurses. Make it make sense.

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of bills, beginning with several measures that were amended and reported favorably, including a strike-all to SB 4 on child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, SB 1570 restoring a statewide missing-persons project for individuals with special needs, and SB 182 creating a teacher training and mentoring program for schools needing improvement. Members also advanced SB 794 on APD background screening and support coordination standards, SB 1168 on background screening for athletic coaches and related entities, and SB 214 to let rural special districts pay verified invoices directly for state- and federally funded work. Supporters emphasized improved child welfare investigations, help for families of vulnerable individuals, teacher retention, and better administrative efficiency; the APD bill drew especially strong testimony from waiver clients and providers about the importance of competent support coordinators and stable services. The committee also favorably reported SB 1376 on grants for genetic counseling education, SB 1574 requiring newborn screening for biliary atresia, SB 1510 as the DEP agency package with environmental, septic, water quality, solar, and permitting changes, and SB 598 updating funeral and cemetery licensing and consumer protections. SB 688, after a delete-all amendment, would create licensure for naturopathic doctors and a board of naturopathic medicine; it drew strong support from naturopathic advocates and sharp opposition from a critic who argued the bill would authorize diagnosis and treatment beyond appropriate limits. SB 1318 made a technical change to scholarship account reversion language, with senators clarifying that remaining funds would return to the scholarship funding organization for future use rather than to the state. Later, the committee approved SB 682 on domestic violence and protective injunctions, SB 130 on workforce training for current and former inmates, and SB 1548, the latest Live Local Act iteration expanding affordable housing options and limiting local barriers. It also reported favorably SB 536 on criminal gang membership criteria after extensive debate about constitutional issues and modern gang activity, SB 762 allowing cross-jurisdiction assignment of capital cases among regional conflict counsel offices, SB 1332 strengthening career offender registration requirements, SB 1742 creating a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a minor, and SB 1750 increasing penalties for serious sex offenses and child sexual abuse material crimes. The most contentious discussion came on SB 1226, which would overhaul Public Employee Relations Commission rules, require majority support for union certification, and impose new limits on union activities and dues-related practices; members debated constitutional concerns, differences between first responders and other public employees, and the bill’s impact on union representation and public-sector labor rights. Most bills were reported favorably by roll call, with SB 536 drawing several no votes and SB 1226 still under active debate at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• It institutes a two-tier voting threshold for the certification, recertification, and decertification
• I have some numbers from elections for various unions and the recertification process.
• Our recertification came soon after Senate Bill 256 became law, because the new process was unfamiliar
• Because, yes, I back the blue, I back EMTs, I back firefighters, but I also back our public workers.
• I back EMTs, I back firefighters, but I also back our public workers.

Bills: S0332, S0464, S0576, S0830, S0964, S0984, S1096, S1296, S1298, S1612, S1656

Keywords: public records, public meetings, property rights, transcripts, settlement negotiations, Veterans Day, K-12 schools, holiday observance, education, Florida statutes, cybersecurity, local government, grant program, data-sharing, Florida Digital Service, ransomware protection, county administrators, city managers, exemption, privacy

Summary: The committee first heard a committee substitute for SB 332, which creates a narrow public meetings and public records exemption for certain pre-suit settlement communications in Bert Harris claims involving local governments and private property rights. The sponsor said the change is intended to allow confidential legal strategy and negotiation during the 90-day pre-suit period while keeping settlements and outcomes public. The strike-all amendment was adopted, supportive testimony was waived in, and the bill was reported favorably. Members then approved several other measures, including SB 464 requiring K-12 schools to formally observe Veterans Day as a school holiday; SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention, which was amended to add a statement of important state interest and reported favorably after testimony from firefighters both supporting the bill and urging a longer benefit window; SB 576 on local government cybersecurity, which was amended to route the program through the Florida Digital Service and strengthen state-local coordination; SB 964 clarifying how certain gift and honoraria disclosures are filed with the Commission on Ethics; SB 1612 requiring local governments to accept electronic payments with a delayed effective date; SB 830 creating public records exemptions for certain local government administrators and their families; SB 1096 clarifying the filing deadline for employment discrimination complaints; and SB 1656 designating the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship. All were reported favorably. The committee also considered a slate of appointments, including a separate vote on Jeffrey Aaron to the Public Employees Relations Commission, which was recommended favorably after Senator Polsky objected to the appointment and cited concerns about political ties and prior work. The remaining appointees on tabs 12 through 30 were also recommended favorably. After a recess, the committee took up SB 1296 on the Public Employees Relations Commission, as substituted by a committee PCS. The PCS would change union certification and recertification rules, require stronger showing-of-interest and voting thresholds, limit paid union leave in some cases, require equal access to employer communication spaces, and speed up impasse procedures for state-funded salary increases. The bill drew extensive testimony, with supporters arguing it would improve accountability, transparency, and taxpayer fairness, and opponents—many of them teachers, bus drivers, and other public employees—saying it would weaken collective bargaining, burden workers, and function as union busting. Members raised constitutional concerns about the single-subject rule and collective bargaining protections, and debate was ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• their educational status so that they have actually completed it and that it has to be by licensed EMT
• </c><00:09:20.399><c> be</c><00:09:20.640><c> by</c><00:09:20.959><c> licensed</c><00:09:21.440><c> EMT
• </c><00:09:22.160><c> basic</c><00:09:22.880><c> or</c> has to be by licensed EMT basic or has to be
• by licensed EMT basic or qualified<00:09:23.839><c> rescue.

Bills: SB79, HB379, SB253, HB278, HB438, HB233, SB79, HB379, SB253, HB278, HB438, HB233

Keywords: sex-based terminology, gender identity, male, female, man, woman, boy, girl, single-sex spaces, women's rights, privacy, safety, fairness, anti-discrimination, vital statistics, birth certificate, intersex, DSD, differences in sex development, transgender

Transcript Highlights:

• Why are EMTs being singled out in this? Are other folks also given this protection?
• It says that if you're an EMT, you're licensed at DHS.
• That's a close cousin to the EMT. If they're licensed by DHS, this is all protected.
• EMTs, paramedics that are under DHS, because I can't keep track.
• Being a certified EMT, that explains all the spam calls I'm getting, so figured it out.

Bills: SB1113, SB1115, SB1122, SB1123, SB1125, SB1165, SB1188, SB1193, SB1243, SB1318, SB1477

Keywords: mental health, involuntary evaluation, service of process, court-ordered treatment, evaluation agencies, AHCCCS, remote work, state agency, employment, public health, healthcare, behavioral health, prior authorization, American Indian health program, medicaid, medical examiner, death investigation, body disposal, autopsy, veteran burial

Transcript Highlights:

• And, um... recertification dates. Senator Martin. Thank you. Thank you for the question.
• When the union was up for recertification, only 861 votes secured recertification out of nearly 3,000
• For recertification, 44 out of approximately 270 union-eligible teachers voted.
• Last time I checked, everybody's trying to save a life: the EMT, the doctor, and the nurse.
• But this bill carves out EMTs and not the doctors and the nurses. Make it make sense.

Bills: S0042, S0688, S0762, S1168, S1296, S1298, S1300, S1318, S1332, S1376, S1548, S1570, S1574, S1632, S1634, S1750

Keywords: child protection, medical records, investigation, abuse, neglect, healthcare, Child Protection Team, diagnosis, criminal defense, legal representation, death penalty, indigent defense, regional counsel, conflict of interest, background screening, athletic coaches, youth sports, criminal history, expungement, Florida statutes

Summary: The committee first took up CS for SB 42 on specific medical diagnosis and child protective investigations. A late-file strike-all amendment was adopted that made only stylistic changes to align with the House version. Supporters said the bill would help DCF and child protective teams better identify rare medical conditions and give parents a chance to defend against mistaken abuse findings. The bill was then reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 1570, which restores a prior program to help locate missing persons with special needs through voluntary tracking devices and coordination with sheriff’s offices and CARD centers, with nonrecurring funding included. Members then advanced several education, disability, and public services measures. CS for CSSB 182 created a teacher training and mentoring program for high-performing current and retired teachers to mentor teachers in D- and F-rated schools, and CS for CSSB 794 required background screening for employees in residential and day training programs for people with developmental disabilities while directing APD to study support coordination quality, workforce issues, and service gaps. Testimony on SB 794 strongly supported better training, lower caseloads, and more consistent support coordination. The committee also favorably reported CS for CS SB 1168 on background screenings, CS for CS SB 214 to allow rural special districts to pay verified invoices directly, CS for SB 1376 to create grants for genetic counseling education, and SB 1574 (Maddie’s Law) to add newborn screening for biliary atresia; the latter drew emotional support and testimony that early screening could save lives and reduce transplant costs. The committee heard and passed a number of other policy bills, including CS for CS for SB 1510, the DEP agency package, after environmental groups warned that one provision could delay basin management protections and allow more septic systems in impaired watersheds; the bill still passed favorably. Members also approved CS for CS for SB 598 on funeral and cemetery regulation, SB 688 to license naturopathic doctors, SB 1318 on scholarship account reversion rules, CS for CS for SB 682 on domestic violence injunctions and penalties, SB 130 on workforce training for current and former inmates, and SB 1548, the latest Live Local affordable housing update. Several bills were briefly postponed or taken up later in the meeting. In the latter portion of the meeting, the committee approved CS for C.S. for SB 536 on criminal gang membership criteria, CS for C.S. SB 762 on assigning conflict capital cases across regional counsel offices, SB 1332 on career offender registration requirements, CS for CS for SB 1742 creating a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a child, and CS for SB 1750 increasing penalties for serious sex offenses and child sexual abuse material crimes. The committee also debated CS for SB 1226 on Public Employee Relations Commission procedures and union certification rules, including a late-file amendment setting a 60% threshold and 25% quorum for recertification; the discussion focused heavily on constitutional concerns, union rights, and differences between first responders and other public employees. The transcript ends while that bill’s debate is still underway, with the committee having already taken numerous favorable votes throughout the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm assuming since then you know who sets those recertification dates. Senator Martin. Thank you.
• When the union was up for recertification, only 861 votes secured recertification out of nearly 3,000
• For recertification, 44 out of approximately 270 union-eligible teachers voted.
• Last time I checked, everybody's trying to save a life: the EMT, the doctor, and the nurse.
• But this bill carves out EMTs and not the doctors and the nurses. Make it make sense.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard and voted on a large number of bills covering child welfare, public safety, education, disability services, health care, housing, environmental regulation, labor relations, and criminal justice. Early actions included favorable reports on a strike-all amendment and CS for CS SB 4-2 regarding child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, SB 1570 restoring a missing-person tracking program for people with special needs, CS for CSSB 182 creating a teacher mentoring program, and CS for CSSB 794 requiring background screening for employees in certain disability services settings and directing a review of waiver support coordination. The committee also approved CS for CS SB 1168 on background screening rules for athletic coaches and related entities, CS for CS SB 214 to let rural special districts pay verified invoices directly, SB 1376 creating grants for genetic counseling education, and SB 1574 (Maddie’s Law) adding newborn screening for biliary atresia. Members then advanced CS for CS SB 1510, the DEP agency package, after adopting an amendment clarifying graywater incentives and hearing opposition from the Florida Springs Council over a 60-day delay before some basin management plans take effect; DEP supported the bill. The committee also reported favorably CS for CS SB 598 updating funeral and cemetery regulation, CS for SB 688 creating licensure for naturopathic doctors after extensive debate over scope of practice and safety, SB 1318 clarifying that unused Florida Tax Credit Scholarship funds revert to the scholarship funding organization rather than the state, CS for CS SB 682 strengthening domestic violence penalties and injunction procedures, SB 130 expanding workforce training for current and former inmates, and SB 1548, another Live Local Act update expanding affordable housing options and limiting local barriers. Later, the committee considered several criminal justice and labor measures. CS for CS SB 536 modernized criteria for determining criminal gang membership but failed on a roll call vote. CS for CS SB 762 would allow regional counsel offices to handle certain capital cases across districts when conflicts arise and was reported favorably. SB 1332 expanded registration requirements and penalties for career offenders, and CS for CS SB 1742 created a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a minor while observing a child. CS for SB 1750 increased penalties and mandatory minimums for serious sex offenses involving children. Finally, CS for SB 1226 on the Public Employees Relations Commission drew substantial debate over union certification thresholds, quorum requirements, dues, and distinctions between public employee groups; an amendment setting a 60% threshold and 25% quorum was adopted, and the bill remained under discussion as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thus, the legislature was free to enact the exception for public safety unions for the recertification
• I appreciate the response, but I wasn't asking about who gets to vote on the recertification.
• How many, how many recertification or decertification votes have happened across the state since the
• There was a recertification vote in Jacksonville with very, very little turnout for the non-teachers.
• bargaining units when, That have lost, sorry, recertification bargaining units when the union dips,

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a brief introduction of the doctor of the day before moving to the special order calendar. The chamber first took up several claims bills, including SB 6/HB 6507 for relief of L.E. through the Department of Children and Families, which was described as compensation for severe injuries after DCF returned the child to unsafe parents; the House bill was substituted and passed 34-0. SB 26 for the estate of Mark Legata, involving catastrophic injuries tied to FDOT negligence, was also substituted with the House version and passed 35-0. SB 42/HB 47 on specific medical diagnoses and child protective investigations passed 34-0 after supporters said it would require child protection teams to consider certain medical conditions that can mimic abuse. Later, SB 1002 on child welfare passed 37-0 after sponsors said it clarifies that parental drug abuse can constitute harm or neglect and allow earlier court intervention and services, while not changing parental rights law. The Senate then considered education and health-related measures. SB 206/HB 851 on students with autism spectrum disorder was amended to the House bill and passed 35-0; the sponsor said it expands teacher preparation, requires autism-related training, creates a loan forgiveness program, and adds salary supplements for teachers with autism endorsements. SB 556/HB 453 on high school diploma requirements passed 36-0 and would allow students with disabilities to use Special Olympics participation to satisfy PE requirements, while also fixing a marching band credit issue. SB 688 on naturopathic medicine passed 33-3, reestablishing licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors. SB 878/HB 1347 on clinical laboratory personnel passed 37-0 to address staffing shortages by aligning Florida more closely with federal CLIA standards. SB 914/HB 867 on dry needling by occupational therapists passed 37-0, clarifying authority for that treatment. SB 530 on state lotteries passed 36-0 with updates to operations, security, and retailer rules. SB 964/HB 6011 on financial disclosures and gifts/honoraria passed 36-0 after an amendment restored a percentage-based reporting option. The chamber also approved several government-administration and public-records measures. SB 326/HB 131 on curators of estates passed 36-0, updating probate rules for temporary court-appointed curators. SB 758/HB 625 on the Justice Administrative Commission passed 37-0 after an amendment broadened the judicial member to a judge or senior judge rather than only a circuit judge. SB 830 on public records passed 31-5, creating exemptions for the personal information of county and city managers and certain family members. The Senate also passed SB 21/HB 218 on land use regulations, which preserves hurricane-recovery restrictions in affected counties while lifting them later for unaffected counties, and the sponsor thanked colleagues for helping address unintended consequences from prior law. SB 354 on Blue Ribbon Projects was debated extensively over concerns about local control, conservation protections, and vague standards; after a late amendment excluding data centers from commercial areas, the bill was temporarily postponed rather than passed. Finally, SB 1632/HB 1471 on ideologies inconsistent with American principles and domestic terrorist designations drew significant debate over references to Sharia law, religious freedom, notice, and due process; one amendment striking Sharia references failed, and a second amendment with broader revisions was under discussion when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• One is by a career firefighter EMT who attended our Aftermath Workshop, where we talked about PTSD and
• 01:51:34.239><c> a</c><01:51:34.400><c> career</c><01:51:34.840><c> firefighter</c><01:51:35.480><c> EMT
• </c><01:51:36.239><c> who</c> one is by a career firefighter EMT who one is by a career firefighter EMT
• much more complicated formula because some firefighters are hired simply as firefighters, some are EMTs
• incidents do firefighters and EMTs and volunteers respond to?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Why did you make that decision that firefighters and cops are in one category and the EMTs and the EMTs
• I appreciate the response, but I wasn't asking about who gets to vote on the recertification.
• There was a recertification vote in Jacksonville with very, very little turnout for the non-teachers.
• bargaining units when— ...that have lost—sorry—recertification bargaining units when the union dips,
• It's still 1,078 need to show up for the recertification vote.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions before taking up a special order calendar of bills. Early measures included a claims bill for relief to L.E. through the Department of Children and Families, which passed 34-0 after substitution from the House version, and a claims bill for the estate of Mark Legata, which passed 35-0 after the amount was reduced in the substitute. The chamber then approved CS for CS for SB 42 on child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, requiring investigators to consider certain medical conditions that can mimic abuse; the sponsor described it as a fix for cases where medical evidence is overlooked, and it passed 34-0. A bill on autism education for teachers was also substituted with the House version, amended to replace the Senate language, and passed 35-0 after supportive remarks from members. The Senate next passed a land-use bill, SB 218, adjusting hurricane-related development restrictions so they continue in storm-damaged counties but expire in unaffected counties in 2026, with debate focused on local control and recovery needs; it passed 36-0. The chamber then approved several other measures with little or no opposition: a probate bill modernizing curators of estates (36-0), a Blue Ribbon Projects bill creating a framework for large planned developments with conservation set-asides, which drew extensive debate over local control, growth management, and the bill’s breadth before being temporarily postponed, a state lotteries update (36-0), a diploma requirements bill allowing Special Olympics participation to substitute for PE and clarifying marching band credit (36-0), and a naturopathic medicine licensure/regulation bill that reestablishes a licensing framework and board, which passed 33-3. The Justice Administrative Commission bill was amended to broaden membership to include a judge or senior judge and passed 37-0. The Senate also passed a public records exemption for certain local administrators and their families (31-5), a clinical laboratory personnel bill easing staffing requirements by aligning more closely with federal CLIA standards (37-0), a dry needling bill clarifying occupational therapists may perform the practice (37-0), a financial disclosures bill revising gift/honoraria reporting and restoring a percentage-based reporting option via amendment (36-0), and a child welfare bill expanding when parental drug abuse can be treated as harm or neglect and allowing earlier court intervention and services (37-0). Later, the chamber took up a bill on ideologies inconsistent with American principles and terrorist organizations. The sponsor said it would prevent enforcement of foreign or religious law over the Constitution, create a due-process process for domestic terrorist designations, and bar public funds from supporting terrorism. Senators raised questions about the lack of a time limit on conduct used for designation and whether conviction is required; an amendment was then offered to remove specific references to Sharia law and the bill’s findings, with the sponsor of the amendment arguing the language stigmatized Muslim constituents and singled out Islam. The transcript cuts off during that amendment debate, so no final action on the bill is shown in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• Certification Program Committee and provides for educational requirements for certification and recertification
• requirements, allowing them to go to a one- or two-day workshop provided by USPAP in order to retain recertification

Bills: HB287, HB340, HB412, HB440, HB514, HB515, HB521, HB543, HB553, HB570, HB961

Keywords: HB 287, Louisiana Tax Commission, ad valorem, property tax, property assessment, assessment fees, fee extension, sunset extension, public service property, utility property, insurance company property, financial institution property, tax administration, R.S. 47:1838, Act 296, reappraisal, ad valorem tax, valuation, Louisiana tax law, homestead exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• Thus, the legislature was free to enact the exception for public safety unions for the recertification
• Thus, the legislature was free to enact the exception for public safety unions for the recertification
• I appreciate the response, but I wasn't asking about who gets to vote on the recertification.
• How many, how many recertification or decertification votes have happened across the state since the
• There was a recertification vote in Jacksonville with very, very little turnout for the non-teachers.

Keywords: 999, senate, all