Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also seeks to prevent manufacturers from bypassing the Florida dealer franchise laws through
• exclusive or highly concentrated distribution models.

Bills: S0888, S1516, S1562

Keywords: professional services, design professionals, contracting parties, indemnification, public policy, caller identification, telecommunications, fraud prevention, STIR/SHAKEN, telecom regulations, call blocking, consumer protection, motor vehicle, franchise, dealership, distribution, licensee, successor, franchise agreement

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee met with all members present and took up three bills. On Senate Bill 1562, as amended by a strike-all, Senator Trumbull explained that the measure would apply only to new vehicle brands and would limit any one dealer or dealer group to no more than one-third of statewide sales after a brand reaches 1,000 vehicles in Florida, with the stated goal of promoting competition and preventing manufacturers from concentrating sales through a single dealer. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably. Senator Smith later asked to be recorded in the negative on this bill, and Senator Yarbrough asked to be recorded in the affirmative on SB 1562 and SB 888. The committee then heard Senate Bill 888 by Senator Martin, which would limit professional services contracts for architects, engineers, surveyors, and landscape architects so they are liable only for their own negligence or that of those under their supervision, extend those protections from public to private contracts, void broader indemnity clauses, require a professional standard of care, and prohibit additional-insured requirements. There was no debate or opposition, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, Senator Garcia presented Senate Bill 1516 on caller identification information, citing the volume of robocalls and fraud losses among older adults. The bill would prohibit misleading caller ID practices, require telecommunications companies to provide accurate originating number and location information, create penalties for violations, and require STIR/SHAKEN authentication or a comparable framework. Two appearance forms were filed in support from the Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar and AARP, and Senator Smith voiced support during debate. The committee reported the bill favorably. The meeting concluded with closing remarks and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• As early as kindergarten, my kids have come home with stories of alienation and exclusion because of
• As early as kindergarten, my kids have come home with stories of alienation and exclusion because of
• As early as kindergarten, my kids have come home with stories of alienation and exclusion because of

Bills: SB271, HB511

Keywords: SB271, Alabama, municipalities, city fees, town fees, franchise fees, utility franchise, natural gas, manufactured gas, gas utility, public streets, public places, right-of-way, municipal consent, gross receipts tax, license tax, privilege tax, Public Service Commission, PSC, utility regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• The must franchise fee issue and any comments from the committee? Mr.

Bills: HB323, SB271, SB295

Keywords: electric utility, transportation, oversize vehicles, transport permits, state highway system, SB271, Alabama, municipalities, city fees, town fees, franchise fees, utility franchise, natural gas, manufactured gas, gas utility, public streets, public places, right-of-way, municipal consent, gross receipts tax

Transcript Highlights:

• One of those is, you know, what is the franchise fee?
• Counties do not have franchise fees, just cities.
• The franchise fee aspect of it is what varies.
• They currently have a franchise agreement that runs to 2038. franchise agreement that runs to 2038.
• If they can't put a franchise fee until 2038, what... uh put a franchise fee until 2038, what if we talked

Bills: SB271, SB295, SB309

Keywords: SB271, Alabama, municipalities, city fees, town fees, franchise fees, utility franchise, natural gas, manufactured gas, gas utility, public streets, public places, right-of-way, municipal consent, gross receipts tax, license tax, privilege tax, Public Service Commission, PSC, utility regulation

Bills: HB304

Keywords: franchise tax credit, food desert, grocery store, healthy corner store, nutrition assistance, economic development, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• franchise dealers.
• Dealer-owned new vehicle franchises will not vanish.
• I'm a franchise owner in Santa Fe, My name is Nicholas Rose.
• Franchise dealers are not just retail outlets.
• Greenberg, it would be fair to say that franchisers bring significant value... ...franchisers bring significant

Bills: SB22, SB310

Keywords: motor vehicle manufacturers, licensing, dealers, franchise agreements, consumer protection, water supply, sewage improvements, environment, funding, Mora County, 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative, there are 27 bills regarding franchise fees and police jurisdiction. It's like 3%.
• Now, a couple of things: the exclusion is counties and cities.

Bills: HB606, SB271

Keywords: HB606, Alabama, Department of Transportation, DOT, public highways, utility relocation, right-of-way, state right-of-way, road construction, bridge, tunnel, toll road, interstate highway, defense highway, utility facilities, broadband, telecommunications, cable, electricity, gas

Transcript Highlights:

• And particularly in Texas, sometimes they put them in the MLS, but lots of those land guys just exclusively

Bills: SB1361, SB2105, SB2690, SB2713, SCR38, SB2637, SB2881

Keywords: SB 1361, Texas disaster recovery loan, small business loan, micro-business loan, community development financial institution, CDFI, economic disaster assistance, post-disaster financing, business recovery fund, Texas Economic Development Bank, zero-interest loan, working capital, payroll support, health benefits, job retention, declared disaster, small business relief, microenterprise, franchise exclusion, private equity-backed business

Transcript Highlights:

• you think of this, you know, think less trains and less buses because those are largely, if not exclusively

Bills: S0828, S1274, S1310, S1378, S1562

Keywords: sovereign immunity, public transit, contractors, liability, state agents, transportation, traffic signal modernization, seaports, commercial space launch, micromobility, automated license plate recognition, railroad crossing safety, railroad crossings, grade crossing, public railroad-highway grade crossing, rail safety, crossing technology, advanced detection systems, monitoring systems, sensors

Summary: The Transportation Committee took up several measures and adopted amendments on multiple bills. SB 1274, as amended, removed a number of provisions from the original bill and added items including local authority to lower residential street speed limits, clarification on obscured license plates, FDOT funding for certain rural airport aviation projects, limits on yellow-light timing changes tied to red-light cameras, changes to private use of license plate readers, and other transportation-related revisions. After brief questions and supportive testimony, the committee reported the bill favorably. The committee also approved SB 1310, which was converted into a study bill directing FDOT to study advanced detection and monitoring systems at public railroad crossings and report findings and policy options to the governor and legislature. Railroad industry testimony supported the study but raised concerns about interoperability with train safety systems and suggested the study consider additional safety tools such as red-light cameras and wayside horns. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 828, as amended, would extend sovereign immunity protections to private contractors providing public transit services on behalf of governments, with supporters saying it would reduce costs and provide certainty for transit providers, while opponents warned it was an overbroad expansion of sovereign immunity and could conflict with railroad employee protections under federal law. The committee reported that bill favorably as well. The committee then passed SB 1378, which strengthens traffic enforcement by clarifying when vehicles may be treated as abandoned, adding penalties for unlawfully attached plates or stickers, and allowing forfeiture of vehicles used to flee law enforcement even without an immediate arrest. It also approved SB 1562, which aims to prevent manufacturers from concentrating sales of certain vehicle brands through a single dealer group and instead promote competition among independent dealers. In addition, the committee unanimously confirmed a slate of appointees, and members later recorded additional affirmative votes on several bills before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• exempts counties from paying the motor fuel tax if the gas or diesel is sold in the county and used exclusively
• The legislature passed House Bill 800, which created the R&D franchise tax credit and sales tax exemption
• It extends the R&D franchise tax credit program and repeals the insufficient sales tax exemption.
• law, franchise tax, and sales tax.
• There is a federal R&D tax credit, and the bill before you would tie the franchise tax credit directly

Bills: SB214, SB935, SB1030, SB1901, SB2018, SB2020, SB2066, SB2206

Keywords: HVAC, tax exemption, energy efficiency, residential heating, installation services, Energy Star, sales tax, residential, installation, sales tax exemption, Environmental Protection Agency, temporary exemption, motor fuel tax, county exemption, diesel fuel, gasoline tax, transportation funding, SB 1030, Texas Tax Code, use tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• were exceeding some sort of speed or wake zone or even offshore as it related to, you know, whale exclusion
• offshore as it related to, you<00:18:14.080> know,<00:18:14.240> whale<00:18:14.720> exclusion
• <00:18:15.360> zones<00:18:15.760> and you know, whale exclusion zones and you know
• , whale exclusion zones and things<00:18:16.240> like<00:18:16.400> this.

Bills: SB223, SB271, SB223, SB271

Keywords: expungement, nonviolent felony, criminal record, restoration of rights, human trafficking, SB271, Alabama, municipalities, city fees, town fees, franchise fees, utility franchise, natural gas, manufactured gas, gas utility, public streets, public places, right-of-way, municipal consent, gross receipts tax

Bills: HF3127, HF3524, HF3525, HF3754

Keywords: taxation, pass-through entity, qualifying owner, partnership, S corporation, tax return, overtime compensation, tax deduction, income tax, federal regulations, tax reform, tip income, federal tax deduction, Minnesota Statutes, individual income, employer contributions, Trump accounts, federal law, gross income exclusion, 1183

Bills: SB 32, SB 464, SB 996, SB 1163, SB 1173, SB 1277, SB 1452, SB 1453, SB 1548, SB 1882, SB 1883, SB 2016

Keywords: ad valorem taxation, tax exemption, franchise tax credit, income production, personal property, fireworks, retail sales, regulation, public safety, holidays, municipal management, continuation elections, districts, debt management, voter approval, charter amendment, home-rule municipality, local government, petition requirements

Bills: SB 32, SB 464, SB 996, SB 1163, SB 1173, SB 1277, SB 1452, SB 1453, SB 1548, SB 1882, SB 1883, SB 2016

Keywords: ad valorem taxation, tax exemption, franchise tax credit, income production, personal property, fireworks, retail sales, regulation, public safety, holidays, municipal management, continuation elections, districts, debt management, voter approval, charter amendment, home-rule municipality, local government, petition requirements

Bills: SB 32, SB 464, SB 996, SB 1163, SB 1173, SB 1277, SB 1452, SB 1453, SB 1548, SB 1882, SB 1883, SB 2016

Keywords: ad valorem taxation, tax exemption, franchise tax credit, income production, personal property, fireworks, retail sales, regulation, public safety, holidays, municipal management, continuation elections, districts, debt management, voter approval, charter amendment, home-rule municipality, local government, petition requirements

Bills: SB 32, SB 464, SB 996, SB 1163, SB 1173, SB 1277, SB 1452, SB 1453, SB 1548, SB 1882, SB 1883, SB 2016

Keywords: ad valorem taxation, tax exemption, franchise tax credit, income production, personal property, fireworks, retail sales, regulation, public safety, holidays, municipal management, continuation elections, districts, debt management, voter approval, charter amendment, home-rule municipality, local government, petition requirements

Bills: SB 32, SB 464, SB 996, SB 1163, SB 1173, SB 1277, SB 1452, SB 1453, SB 1548, SB 1882, SB 1883, SB 2016

Keywords: ad valorem taxation, tax exemption, franchise tax credit, income production, personal property, fireworks, retail sales, regulation, public safety, holidays, municipal management, continuation elections, districts, debt management, voter approval, charter amendment, home-rule municipality, local government, petition requirements

Bills: SB78, SB235, SB22, SB310

Keywords: nuclear energy, renewable energy, sustainability, carbon emissions, energy regulation, microgrid, zero carbon resources, Public Regulation Commission, energy generation, electric utilities, motor vehicle manufacturers, licensing, dealers, franchise agreements, consumer protection, water supply, sewage improvements, environment, funding, Mora County

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 3727 talks about an exclusion for homestead property values for disabled veterans at 200,000
• House File 3727 talks about an exclusion for homestead property values for disabled veterans at 200,000
• amounts and home values under the disabled veterans homestead property tax exclusion.
• amounts and home values under the disabled Veterans, Homestead property tax exclusion.
• We advocate for an increase in the disabled veterans' homestead market value exclusion to honor their

Bills: HF3727, HF3684, HF3467

Keywords: veterans property tax, homestead exclusion, disabled veteran, totally and permanently disabled, service-connected disability, property tax relief, market value exclusion, surviving spouse, family caregiver, county veterans service officer, Minnesota property tax, assessment year 2027, homestead tax benefit, veterans tax exemption, DD214, VA disability rating, veterans, veterans affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs, grant standards

Transcript Highlights:

• The association represents more than 1,400 new franchise car dealerships operating in 290 cities and

Bills: HB12, HB149, SB229, SB1361, SB1749, SB1897, SB2113, SB2566, SB2677, SB1652, SB2327, SB2344, SB2696

Keywords: artificial intelligence, regulation, biometric data, ethical AI, consumer protection, AI governance, automobile sales, finance, retail seller, motor vehicle purchase, motor vehicle sales, pricing restrictions, third-party financing, education, funding, student assessment, accountability, standards, motor vehicle, financing

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce heard testimony on HB 149, the Artificial Intelligence Governance Act. Senator Schwertner described the bill as an outcomes-based AI framework that would require disclosure when people interact with AI, prohibit manipulative or social-scoring systems, address biometric capture, discrimination, and deepfake child exploitation, and give the Attorney General enforcement authority. It would also create an AI Sandbox and AI Council. Witnesses from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a Houston attorney, TechNet, and the Texas Association of Business strongly supported the bill, praising its stakeholder process and pro-innovation approach, while Texas Appleseed suggested regulators should have more examination authority over sandbox participants. The bill was left pending. The committee then heard SB 229, which would prohibit motor vehicle dealers from conditioning a sale on dealer-offered financing or charging more because a buyer uses outside financing or cash. Senator West said the bill is meant to stop forced financing and bait-and-switch pricing, and he noted the bill passed the committee and Senate in the prior session. The Texas Automobile Dealers Association opposed the bill, arguing it would force dealers to accept any third-party lender or cash transaction on terms they cannot control. The Texas Credit Union Association supported the bill, saying consumers should be able to choose outside financing without hidden fees or pressure. After questions about cash purchases and dealer practices, the bill was left pending. The committee also took up SB 2566, which would clarify legislators’ access to information from executive agencies, including confidential information, by setting response deadlines, limiting confidentiality agreements to statutory terms, requiring a standard AG form, and creating a complaint and penalty process for noncompliance. No witnesses testified, and the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 1749, as substituted, would let certain court-related employees and judicial conduct commission personnel keep personal information such as home addresses and phone numbers confidential, with work addresses used in place of home addresses for certain purposes. District clerk and judicial conduct commission witnesses described threats and harassment as the reason for the bill, and a court administration witness answered questions about how the address protections would work with voter registration and precinct records. That bill was also left pending, and the committee recessed without further business.