Transcript Highlights:

• Consecutive school weeks.
• schools.
• Schools are not...
• Schools are not...
• in school, and she told them to stop, and then the school didn't stop.

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Education approved the minutes from February 18 and March 4, 2026, then took up several bills. HCR 2003, the “Protect Girls in Sports in Arizona Act,” drew extensive testimony. Supporters, including Superintendent Tom Horne, argued it would protect fairness, safety, and privacy in girls’ sports and locker rooms by requiring teams to be designated male, female, or co-ed and by limiting access to sex-designated private spaces. Opponents, including ACLU and transgender advocates, said the measure was discriminatory, would function as a bathroom ban, and could force schools to police students’ bodies and identities. The committee voted 4-3 to give HCR 2003 a due pass recommendation. The committee then advanced HB 2020, which lowers certain student threats or disruptions at educational institutions from a Class 6 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor, and HB 2032, which changes the statewide testing window so assessments begin later in the spring and scores are returned later, with supporters saying it would better reflect a full year of instruction. HB 2033, allowing school districts or charter schools to choose paper-and-pencil administration of statewide assessments by governing board vote, also received support from educators who said it would reduce technology barriers for younger students. HB 2318, as amended, would impose term limits on school district governing board members after eight consecutive years; school board groups opposed it as harmful to rural districts, but the committee adopted an amendment and gave the bill a due pass recommendation. The committee also approved HB 2378, which changes eligibility rules for School Facilities Oversight Board members who are architects or engineers so their businesses may not include school construction. HB 2313, which prohibits teacher strikes or organized work stoppages and ties funding penalties to districts or charters that violate the ban, advanced despite testimony that it duplicates existing law and could chill educators’ speech and worsen staffing shortages. Finally, HB 2249, a major expansion of the Parents’ Bill of Rights, passed after heated testimony. Supporters said it would prevent schools from socially transitioning minors without written parental consent and stop staff from encouraging children to hide information from parents; opponents warned it was vague, punitive, and would expose teachers and schools to massive liability and litigation. The committee adopted amendments on HB 2318 and HB 2249 and reported all of the listed bills out with due pass recommendations, with recorded split votes on several measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Middle school, 529. High school, 955.
• public school.
• One of the school systems I represent... school districts. Uh, maybe they're down school districts.
• </c> public school system. public school system.
• This is public school to public school.

Committee: Joint Education

Keywords: Education - Room 216, January 6, 2026; 12:45 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> school district? school district?
• school be a charter school, every public school be a charter school, then<01:37:00.239><c> all</c><01
• . school. school.
• schools in their school district.
• </c> school spending, more school spending. school spending, more school spending.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:18:02.960><c> I</c> School meals while working in schools I School meals while working in schools
• District</c> 20 School option or School District 20 School option or School District options<03:20:46.359
• </c> schools but the vast majority of schools schools but the vast majority of schools in<04:02:15.239
• <04:09:18.680><c> of</c> school the middle schools in the back of school the middle schools in the back
• </c> school that I work with the 40 schools school that I work with the 40 schools they<04:15:07.880>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up HB 651, a school-funding bill that would raise the base cost of an adequate education and increase differentiated aid for students in poverty, English language learners, and special education. The chair opened with housekeeping notices about parking and eating in committee spaces, and noted a revised fiscal note would be distributed. Representative David Luneau presented the bill as part of a broader package of public school funding measures, explaining that HB 651 builds on HB 550 and is intended to respond to court rulings and the ongoing school-funding litigation by adjusting both the base adequacy amount and equity-based funding factors. Luneau said the bill would raise the state’s adequacy grant from about $4,100 to $7,351 per student and increase differentiated aid, while also updating statutory language so future recalculations include the court-identified resource elements. He argued the measure is about fairness and shifting more of the burden from local property taxpayers to the state, not about increasing overall education spending. He reviewed fiscal-note figures indicating the bill would add roughly $576 million to the state share of school funding, bringing the total state share to about $1.65 billion, and said the note also mentions possible effects on charter schools and vouchers. Committee members asked about the evidence supporting higher costs for low-income and English learner students, how long ESL funding should continue, why free-and-reduced-lunch aid remains higher than special education aid, whether the formula is based on enrollment or average daily membership, and whether the bill is truly equitable across districts of different sizes and needs. Luneau and later witness Zach Shen of the New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project said the bill is supported by research and court findings, that the current formula relies heavily on local property taxes, and that shifting more funding to the state would reduce property-tax pressure and help address disparities among districts. Shen also cited broad public support for the related HB 550 testimony and said HB 651 is intended as a step toward a more equitable funding system. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, for high school.
• A lot of it could be middle school or high school.
• , some schools do and some schools don’t.
• I don't believe that the school resource officer law that authorizes schools to have school resource
• schools.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first took up HB 987, which would move the Louisiana Geological Survey under the LSU Energy Institute to streamline energy-related programs. The author and members described it as an efficiency measure, and the committee reported the bill favorably without objection. Members then heard HB 513 on name, image, and likeness rules for intercollegiate and interscholastic athletes. The bill was presented as a product of a task force and was supported by the Attorney General’s office, coaches, and a student athlete, who emphasized the need for guardrails, education, and protections against exploitation by agents or third parties. Questions focused on high school enforcement, parental consent, and what students may legally do; the committee ultimately reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered HCR 26, which asks BESE to incorporate the science of human growth and development, including prenatal development, into science or health standards and to provide instructional materials. Supporters said it would improve science education and show fetal development more clearly, while opponents raised concerns about medical accuracy, political influence, and lack of safeguards. An amendment requiring parental consent for instruction was offered but failed on a roll call vote, and the resolution was then reported favorably. Later, the committee reported HB 608 favorably as amended to protect confidentiality of documents tied to intercollegiate athletics revenue-sharing, while preserving public disclosure of overall institutional spending. It also advanced HB 380, creating a pilot program to expand CDL workforce training through a community college and school partnership, and HB 392, which would require suicide hotline information on school websites, student ID cards, and, through amendment, visible signs in schools. The committee then reported HB 476 as amended, requiring Safe Haven law flyers in school restrooms, and began discussion of HB 682 to authorize veterans as school resource officers, with amendments addressing qualifications and training.

Transcript Highlights:

• . schools. schools.
• </c> schools themselves? schools themselves?
• </c> school students, middle school students. school students, middle school students.
• </c> just schools, individual schools. just schools, individual schools.
• . school. school.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But secondarily because it seems to think the charter schools are not public schools, and charter schools
• charter schools are public schools using public dollars.
• It's the school voucher scam, the private school voucher scam, robbing funds.
• money from schools, but only district schools.
• If a school district...

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hobbs High School is the largest high school in the state of New Mexico.
• Large schools.
• our schools.
• We have a very beautiful elementary school, a very beautiful middle school, and a very nice high school
• schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• :07.440><c> our</c><01:44:07.679><c> school</c> school student new to our school school student new to
• I'm the head of school at Ley Monasuri School in Winona.
• I'm the head of school at Ley Monasuri School in Winona.
• Schools.
• Our public school charter schools.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've heard from a school nurse.
• So the students have access when school starts at that beginning of the school year.
• We also work closely with school districts and charter schools to strengthen family-school partnerships
• in the virtual school.
• She was moved within the same school district, Caldwell School District.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 531, which updates Idaho school code language on epinephrine delivery systems so schools are not limited to referencing only auto-injectors like EpiPens. The sponsor and school nurse testimony said the change would allow newer FDA-approved options, such as nasal spray, without creating new staffing, training, reporting, or fiscal requirements. Members confirmed the bill does not require schools or LEAs to keep epinephrine on hand. The committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1288, which creates the Idaho High Needs Student Fund to help reimburse districts and charter schools for unusually high special education costs tied to a student’s IEP. The bill sets a $30,000 threshold, reimburses 100% of costs from $30,000 to $80,000 and 80% above that up to $100,000 per student, and reserves funding between rural and non-rural districts with flexibility to use unused funds where needed. Testimony from school boards, districts, educators, and parent advocates described the bill as a way to stabilize budgets and protect services for students with complex medical, behavioral, and sensory needs. After questions about the funding split and current special education shortfall, the committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 624, which revises rules for virtual education programs and Idaho Home Learning Academy. The bill requires school board approval of contracts with education service providers, verification of Idaho residency, alignment of curricular materials with state standards, conflict-of-interest safeguards, limits on direct payments to parents, clearer rules for eligible supplemental learning expenses, and district/charter control over hiring and evaluation of teachers. Supporters from Idaho Home Learning Academy, school districts, and parents said the changes preserve virtual school choice while adding transparency and accountability. The committee voted to send House Bill 624 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• push-out, school suspensions.
• in dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and in addressing systemic racism in schools.
• School District.
• When I was in middle school, I went to three elementary schools, and then I failed out of middle school
• The middle school and the high school were back to back.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . schools. schools.
• All kids, all schools, single school.
• </c> of our schools, but all of our schools of our schools, but all of our schools deserve<01:40:27.440
• Public schools, tribal schools, charter schools, and yes, non-public schools, no matter what Education
• Public<01:49:45.760><c> schools</c> Public schools Public schools tribal<01:49:47.520><c> schools,</c

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Library school. Is that a specific school or is that just any library school? And what?
• schools.
• </c> with that my school is in an old school. with that my school is in an old school.
• </c><04:02:57.760><c> have</c> school law, it says charter schools have school law, it says charter schools
• </c> schools, not public charter schools. schools, not public charter schools.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard HB 1334, which would remove the Education Freedom Account scholarship organization’s authority to approve “any other educational expense” under the EFA statute. The prime sponsor, Representative Porchelli, said the bill would narrow the law to the specifically listed qualifying expenses, avoid broad interpretation, and shift any questions to the Department of Education or the legislative oversight committee. In response to questions, she said she did not think the open-ended category had been needed and that the statute already clearly lists allowable expenses. A representative of the Children’s Scholarship Fund testified in opposition, saying the category is used rarely but is important for unusual cases, especially students with special needs, and that removing it could create unintended consequences. After testimony, the chair closed the hearing on HB 1334. The committee then heard HB 1513, which would move several EFA reporting and oversight requirements from administrative rules and the contract with the Children’s Scholarship Fund into statute. Representative Porchelli said the bill would consolidate existing requirements on timely responses to oversight requests, publication of expense reports by category and provider, and transmission of eligibility and enrollment data to the Department of Education. She described the bill as mostly a clarification and transparency measure rather than a substantive policy change. Members asked about the meaning of “timely access,” the 45-day deadline, whether the contract already covered these duties, and whether the scholarship organization had ever failed to comply. The Children’s Scholarship Fund said it had generally met the 45-day deadline, had not knowingly refused information requests, and that the quarterly reporting requirement could add cost; the sponsor said the DOE had provided guidance and was neutral. The hearing on HB 1513 was then closed. Finally, the committee heard HB 1256, which would repeal the state librarian’s authority to award scholarships for graduate library school attendance at American Library Association-accredited schools. Representative Drago said the law was unnecessary because the state does not currently have a state librarian, scholarships are not typically granted by statute, and he objected to the ALA accreditation requirement and what he described as the association’s political advocacy. In questions, he clarified that the bill targets the accreditation requirement rather than a specific school and said he did not think the state should direct taxpayer-funded scholarships toward ALA-accredited programs. A member raised First Amendment concerns, but the sponsor said the issue was not speech itself, only the use of taxpayer dollars and state law to support that direction. The transcript cuts off before any vote or final action on HB 1256.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:36.719><c> School</c> control of school districts. School control of school districts.
• </c> school boards in the other 23 school school boards in the other 23 school districts.<00:10:06.000
• </c><00:26:57.039><c> isn't</c> school that the school district isn't school that the school district
• /c><00:28:09.840><c> school</c><00:28:10.080><c> districts</c> away school boards and school districts
• The school district would school year.

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , because charter schools are public schools.
• </c><00:23:27.520><c> school</c><00:23:27.840><c> boards</c> schools can school local school boards schools
• School, middle school English, middle school math, middle school science.
• </c> public school to a private school public school to a private school outside<01:10:41.679><c> the
• in</c><03:01:56.240><c> our</c> school bill school bullying in our school bill school bullying in our

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 69, which would require local school boards to publicly vote on whether to accept or reject charitable gifts or donations, prompted by a case in which a church offered to pay off school lunch debt but the offer was refused and families were sued instead. Senator Keith Murphy said the bill is intended to force transparency and public accountability in similar situations, while acknowledging that boards may still reject gifts with strings attached or for ethical reasons. Members raised questions about anonymity, privacy, and whether school boards already have authority to address meal debt before litigation. Murphy said the bill was aimed at cases where money is refused and families are sued, and he said he would accept amendments to make the vote requirement apply to both accepted and rejected gifts. The hearing on the bill was then closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 206, which requires public schools to adopt policies limiting student cell phone use during the school day. Trisha Milo, presenting for Senator Rashardi, said the bill is meant to improve focus, reduce distraction and cyberbullying, and create more consistent policies across districts, while still allowing exceptions for medical, disability, language support, and instructional needs. Committee members questioned whether districts would retain flexibility, whether the bill should apply to charter schools and other devices, and whether the annual policy-update requirement and enforcement language were too prescriptive. Milo said districts would still have flexibility in how they write their policies and that she would seek clarification from the senator on several drafting questions. Becky Wilson of the New Hampshire School Boards Association testified in support of the general concept of a cell phone policy, saying many districts already have some form of policy, though not all do, and that existing sample policies are outdated. She said the annual update requirement would likely be burdensome and that the enforcement language seemed intended to ensure administrative involvement rather than teacher discipline, but she suggested the wording may need revision. Members also discussed whether very small districts or districts without schools should be covered and whether the bill should better distinguish between classroom enforcement and student discipline. The chair closed the hearing on Senate Bill 206 after no further testimony, and the committee moved on to the next bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• transferred to the school.
• type of school.
• a radius that includes schools that are not, quote-unquote, low-performing schools.
• but not be a D or F school.
• that are D and F schools and now low-performing schools.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee took up CS for House Bill 1071, a broad education package described by the sponsor as updating transparency, parental rights, student safety, early learning accountability, scholarship oversight, and instructional program rules. The committee adopted two amendments without objection: one clarifying that Title I funds may be used for STEM programs, and another removing a prior provision related to canine dogs on school grounds. Members then questioned the bill’s provisions on student records transfers, instructional materials adoption and removal, educational emergency authority for low-performing schools, health education and a fetal development video, student-led organizations, FHSAA board language, lab schools, and rulemaking authority. The sponsor repeatedly said the bill was intended to improve accountability, keep education dollars focused on students, and give districts flexibility, while also noting that some issues would be addressed through future rulemaking or later amendments. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed. Many speakers argued the bill was an omnibus measure that bundled unrelated policies together, making it hard for families and educators to understand or meaningfully comment on it. Opponents also said it would increase school-law enforcement coordination, chill immigrant and mixed-status families’ participation, restrict DEI-related and student-led organizations, and impose controversial health and embryology content on students. Supporters, including the Christian Family Coalition and Florida Citizens Alliance, backed the fetal development video and the bill’s parental rights and funding restrictions, saying the content should be medically accurate and that schools should not fund political advocacy. Several speakers urged the committee to break the bill into separate measures. In debate, some members praised the sponsor’s responsiveness but said they would vote no because of constituent concerns, especially around DEI, the fetal development video, and local control. Others supported the bill, emphasizing rulemaking, educational emergency flexibility, EpiPen access, early learning changes, and evidence-based math instruction. The sponsor closed by reiterating support for the bill as amended, saying the law enforcement provision had been removed, the embryology content would be opt-out with posted materials, state funds should not support political advocacy, and the bill would help with safety, accountability, and student outcomes. The committee then voted on the bill after debate, with the sponsor indicating support and members stating their positions during closing discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• F rated charter schools.
• as public district schools.
• Schools.
• Our public schools are having to do this. Our school districts are having to report.
• to get rid of the bad charter schools and the bad ISD schools.

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• schools.
• schools.
• schools.
• schools.
• I work in a Title I school. One school.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• virtual school.
• Public school is defined and all of this lives in the public school code.
• dip at middle school.
• And so if a school chooses, there's nothing keeping the school from training your school resource officer
• school.

Transcript Highlights:

• But he lives in another school district, and he struggles to know what food is safe at his high school
• celiac disease can safely participate in school meals and every part of school life.
• Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are already required under federal law to
• Our school district is known for being supportive of Being comfortable eating at school.
• know all about the food at their school, so kids like that they're school, ...and their parents know

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held a hearing on two late-filed bills, H. 5012 and S. 2927, titled An Act Relative to Student Access, Food, and Nutritional Information, also referred to by witnesses as the “Snack Act.” The bills would require schools to make gluten-free and allergen-related meal information easier to find online, including menus, ingredients, food safety procedures, and contact information, so students with celiac disease and other medically necessary dietary restrictions can safely participate in universal school meal programs. Committee leaders explained the hearing process and invited testimony from pre-registered and in-person witnesses. Most testimony came from parents, students, physicians, and advocates who described celiac disease as a serious autoimmune condition requiring a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. Witnesses said many families avoid school meals because information is hard to find or not clearly communicated, and they emphasized that the bill would not create a new system so much as make existing information accessible. Several speakers cited research showing that many children with celiac disease do not participate in school breakfast and lunch programs, and that communication gaps between school administrators, nurses, and food service staff are a major barrier. Witnesses also said the bill could help students with food allergies more broadly and would support equity in the state’s universal school meals program. A number of students with celiac disease gave personal testimony about feeling excluded, managing food anxiety, and relying on clear school communication to stay safe. One parent and clinician described a child’s severe malnutrition before diagnosis and shared a photo to illustrate the seriousness of gluten exposure, while other doctors discussed long-term health risks from uncontrolled celiac disease and the need for better access to safe meals. Committee members praised the witnesses, especially the young students, and asked questions about cross-contamination, school procedures, and whether regulations or agency action might also address the issue. Senator Joan Lovely, the Senate sponsor, briefly endorsed the bill and thanked the panel. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the committee closed the hearing after testimony concluded.