Transcript Highlights:

• It establishes a three-year teacher contract and a ten-year professional certification, expands eligibility
• Another area that we do like is relating to the three-year contracts.
• We do like the concept of a teacher contract.
• is going to be a great win for teachers who many of them now are just working on an annual contract,
• instead of a one-year contract.

Committee: Senate Education Pre-K - 12

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 296, as amended by strike-all, on middle and high school start times. Senator Bradley explained that the amendment would repeal the statewide mandate for later start times and return scheduling decisions to local school boards, while still requiring districts to inform the community about the health, safety, and academic effects of sleep deprivation and to consider later start times when setting transportation schedules. Testimony and debate were largely in support, with several school district and education group representatives waiving in support, and members citing transportation, staffing, family logistics, and cost concerns under the existing mandate. The strike-all was adopted, and SB 296 was reported favorably by roll call vote, with Senators Berman, Osgood, and Chair Calatayud voting yes and Senator Gaetz voting no; other members were absent or not recorded in the excerpt. The committee then heard Senate Bill 356, which would designate January 27 as Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida. Senator Berman said the date matches the UN’s Holocaust Remembrance Day and would require the governor to annually proclaim it, while allowing public observance and instruction about the Holocaust’s harms and its impact on the Jewish community and humanity. There was no substantive opposition in the excerpt, and the bill was reported favorably by roll call vote with yes votes from Senators Berman, Gaetz, and Chair Calatayud. Finally, the committee considered Senate Bill 166 on administrative efficiency in public schools. Senator Simon described a broad deregulation package affecting student assessments, grade promotion, teacher evaluations, contracts and certification, school board operations, instructional materials timelines, internal audits, facilities planning, cost-per-student-station limits, emergency make-up days, federal fund timing, and VPK oversight. Testimony was mixed: school district and education organization representatives generally supported the flexibility, while some groups opposed or urged changes to the grade 4 promotion and graduation-related provisions, arguing they could weaken academic standards. After debate focused especially on third-grade promotion and testing requirements, the bill was reported favorably by roll call vote. At the end of the meeting, members recorded their votes on SB 296 and SB 356, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a shared contract for that.
• This means that we have to base our contract on 100 percent ridership when, in fact, only 68 percent
• If they come back in the next contract and say three years, 50 percent, we don't have any recourse.
• left on that contract.
• Both the regularly contracted rate and self-conducted contracted costs are more reasonable for us as

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The hearing focused primarily on H. 517/S. 314, a bill to provide a sustainable future for rural schools, and H. 697, a bill to require full funding of regional school transportation. Witnesses from rural districts, school committees, superintendents, students, and local officials described chronic underfunding, declining enrollment, high fixed costs, special education and transportation burdens, and the loss of programs, staff, and extracurriculars. Several speakers argued that rural aid should be funded at $60 million annually and made non-discretionary, while others emphasized that transportation reimbursement for regional districts has repeatedly fallen short of the state’s promise and is driving budget crises and overrides. A number of students testified in support of rural aid, describing cuts to classes, counselors, and activities, and the impact on their schools and communities. Committee members also discussed whether transportation policy should be revisited to address underlying cost drivers, including bus bidding practices and whether regional districts should have more flexibility in transportation requirements. The committee also heard H. 515, concerning Hancock Elementary School and a school choice-related exemption from a state requirement that has created a large financial burden for the district. Hancock’s superintendent and Rep. John Barrett explained that a decades-old regulation, recently enforced by DESE, would require Hancock to pay tuition for choice-in students through high school graduation even though the district only serves pre-K through grade 6 and sends its own students elsewhere for middle and high school. They said the rule creates a significant per-student shortfall and has forced Hancock to opt out of school choice. Committee members asked for clarification about how the arrangement works and how the costs fall on Hancock. Additional testimony supported related transportation bills for non-regional districts, especially Plymouth/Carver and North Middlesex, describing high and rising bus costs, special education and McKinney-Vento transportation expenses, and the strain on local budgets. Speakers repeatedly said that state reimbursement has not matched actual costs and that communities are being forced to choose between transportation and classroom services. No votes or final actions were taken in the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed the hearing on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a suite of contractors based on a region already under contract.
• If quantities don't change, we stick with that original contract and that little price, and we get to
• In the world of contracting, Seymour is another tool in the toolbox.
• Contracting Seymour is another tool in the toolbox.
• That doesn't include the annual service contract.

Bills: HB506 , HB590 , HB647 , HB685 , HB692 , HB839 , HB860 , HB873 , HB887 , HB965 , HB972 , HB982 , HB1072 , HB1157

Committee: House Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1157, which would create a Louisiana State Infrastructure Bank to provide a new funding mechanism for transportation projects, including roads, bridges, rail, ports, and airports. The chairman and DOTD Secretary Glenn LaDoux said the bank would help leverage state, federal, local, and private dollars, modelled in part on programs in Florida and other states, and would be used for gap funding and faster project delivery. Members asked extensive questions about board makeup, oversight, seed funding, application priorities, and how the program would differ from capital outlay and other existing funding tools. Support testimony came from Greater New Orleans, Inc. and other groups, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee then approved several mostly technical or local bills, including HB 860 allowing fillable electronic public bid forms; HB 972 naming a portion of Highway 93 in Lafayette Parish the Desert Shield Desert Storm Memorial Highway; HB 965 naming a portion of Highway 163 for Sergeant William Billy Earl Collins Jr.; HB 692 allowing local governments to use group purchasing organizations, as amended; HB 685 allowing cooperative procurement for public motor vehicles and rolling stock under FAST Act procedures, which passed after a roll call vote with one no vote; HB 982 designating portions of highways in Morehouse Parish, as amended; HB 506 creating specialty license plates, as amended; HB 839 lowering the CMAR threshold for hospital service districts from $2 million to $1 million via substitute bill; HB 647 revising the waterway assistance program and application timelines via substitute bill; and HB 887 revising construction management-at-risk procedures, as amended. Most of these measures were reported favorably or favorably as amended, with little or no opposition. The committee also received an update on the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction from Representative Chesson, who said the office will assume control of about 4,000 miles of roadway and 2,000 bridges and has been moving projects quickly using internal procurement procedures. HB 1072, which reforms the office’s powers and emergency authority, was amended to narrow emergency provisions and clarify funding and reporting language, then reported favorably as amended. The final major item was HB 873, which would fund pursuit-intervention technology and training for law enforcement through a $2 fee on driver’s licenses; the bill was presented alongside emotional testimony from the widow and daughter of Sergeant Grant Candies and from a St. John the Baptist Parish captain, who argued the fee would help agencies buy safer equipment and obtain grant support. The transcript ends during questioning on HB 873, before any final committee action on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We can get executed contracts done a little bit quicker and faster.
• It's different functions six months from now compared to the contract."
• Some of them, like cooperatives, don't want to own; they would just take a service contract.
• There are resources from the nuclear plant in Arizona that are contracted to New Mexico.
• The Contracts Manager position is similar in nature.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• She's working in our contracts administrations group as a contracts analyst. Nice to meet you.
• But Until the contract All right, thank you. That, that drives a question for me, um.
• But again, with a signed contract in place, it will be difficult, so. Mr.
• Thank you. 12 Semiannual contracts. peach. Good afternoon Mr. Chair and members.
• And with that it's done for So these are all the contracts currently in place.

Transcript Highlights:

• About 60% of our work in the agency is through private contracts.
• We contract with the Florida Network for Chapter 984, which is CINS/FINS, which stands for children in
• So we partner and we contract with an organization called Vital Corps.
• By October of last year, we were at a place where we contracted with Florida Virtual School.
• Satisfying work squad contracts and things like that in the past used to be a breeze.

Summary: The Justice Budget Committee heard detailed presentations from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on staffing, services, and budget needs. DJJ Secretary Hall emphasized that the agency’s main public safety strategy is education, along with prevention and recidivism reduction. He described major staffing improvements after pay increases for probation, detention, residential care, and prevention workers, and outlined DJJ’s mental health, aftercare, and education continuum, including the Florida Scholars Academy and Florida Youth College. He said the new statewide education model is showing early gains in progress monitoring, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while also noting ongoing operational issues such as IT connectivity, rural staffing gaps, and the need for geographic pay adjustments for teachers. He also discussed detention center replacement plans in Hillsborough, Broward, and Palm Beach, and said DJJ would transition the Broward JAC to a security contractor after the sheriff’s office pulls sworn officers from the site. Members asked about campus performance differences, teacher pay, detention education quality, and concerns about the rollout and leadership of the Scholars Academy. Hall said some campuses face rural access and infrastructure problems, but the blended learning model provides continuity when internet or staffing issues arise. He defended the superintendent’s qualifications and said early problems with inappropriate online content were addressed. Representative Porras raised concerns about educational quality and the superintendent’s past disciplinary history, while Representative Barrera urged more mentorship and fatherhood-focused programming in juvenile facilities. DOC Secretary Dixon said the prison system is under pressure from rising inmate populations, staffing shortages, and overtime costs. He argued that the system needs funded posts for every functioning housing unit, noting that the department has added housing units without enough staff and now relies heavily on overtime, mobile officer deployments, and shift conversions to keep facilities operating safely. He highlighted that many officers are new, that outside-hospital transports have risen sharply, and that mental health units require additional staffing. DOC’s mental health chief described a large and growing treatment system with outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and court-ordered services, saying about a quarter of the prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Community corrections staff described treatment programs, employment specialists, mobile probation and reentry units, and a new mental health first aid training initiative. Reentry staff reported expanded substance abuse, education, CTE, chaplaincy, and digital learning programs, including Edovo and a forthcoming Work Bay platform. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Meanwhile, other testing companies have not bid on the contract.
• Did you look at the contract requirements and bid qualifications for the testing program as to whether
• We did look at the contract.
• We also kind of looked broadly at the idea of what that contract is able to do for the state.
• So we focused on that reform, and the potential to move away from the Prometric contract.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on the Restoring Quality Home Care Initiative (I-1163), which created home care aide certification requirements, FBI background checks, and an abuse/neglect registry. Auditors said some requirements likely improve safety, especially background checks and training, but the state lacked pre-2011 data to measure outcomes directly. They also found Washington has a long-term care workforce shortage, though its workforce supply ranks better than many states, and that more stringent entry requirements do not appear to reduce workforce participation compared with other states. The audit’s main concern was that the certification process is slow and burdensome. Auditors reported that most applicants never finish certification, that only about one-third of fiscal year 2025 applicants were certified within the 200-day legal deadline, and that the average time to certification was 463 days. They identified delays between training and testing, limited testing access in some areas, and redundant Department of Health verification of FBI background checks as key causes. The audit recommended streamlining the process by accepting applications later in the process, expanding testing within training programs, and eliminating the redundant background-check verification. Department of Health and Department of Social and Health Services staff largely agreed with the audit’s findings and recommendations. They said they have already made improvements, including moving exams into more than 110 training programs, increasing credentialing staff, and reducing barriers through rule changes. DSHS noted testing is offered in 13 languages. Committee members asked about testing contract incentives, language access, and whether the agencies would seek statutory or budget changes to implement the recommendations. No public testimony was offered, and the meeting adjourned without any vote or formal action by the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the same time, Magnolia was contracted, as mentioned.
• I believe that's who was contracted originally with the corrective action plan.
• And then I think Bonton backed out, and then Magnolia took over as a contract.
• There is a contract. We talk about $10 million, up to $10 million, right?
• I don't know anything about the contracts.

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on the City of Tallulah’s water system and a request to appoint a limited fiscal administrator for the water utility. Senator Jackson and state officials described a long-running water crisis, including repeated failing grades from LDH, a public health emergency declaration, joint receivership efforts, and the need to expand the project beyond plant repairs to include the distribution system. They said the total cost is now estimated at about $26 million, with funding expected from USDA loans and grants, water sector funds, possible Delta Regional Authority assistance, and an emergency subfund that becomes available through limited fiscal administration. Chris Province of the Legislative Auditor’s Office explained that the system had received F grades from 2022 through 2025, that the city entered joint receivership in 2024, and that the governor declared a public health emergency in February 2025. He said the city adopted a resolution in April 2026 to enter limited fiscal administration, which was the basis for the committee’s action. Governor’s office staff and the mayor supported the request, saying the state partnership had improved water quality and that the limited administrator would help secure additional funding and move the project toward completion over roughly 24 months. Two residents spoke in opposition. One argued that Tallulah had recently elected a new council and that the committee should wait for new local leadership. Another said the state had mismanaged the project, questioned the use of funds and contracts, and argued that the city should receive the full amount of promised state funding without deductions. Committee members said the legal standard was met by the system’s failing grade and the emergency conditions, and they emphasized that the limited fiscal administrator would control only the water system finances. A motion to appoint a limited fiscal administrator for the Tallulah water system was made, seconded, and passed, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the same time, Magnolia was contracted, as mentioned.
• I believe that's who was contracted originally with the corrective action plan.
• And then I think Bonton backed out, and then Magnolia took over as a contract.
• There is a contract. We talk about $10 million, up to $10 million, right?
• I don't know anything about the contracts.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on the troubled water system in Tallulah and whether to appoint a limited fiscal administrator for the water utility. Senator Jackson described the system’s long-running failures, the need to expand repairs beyond the treatment plant to the distribution network, and the growing project cost, which he said had risen to roughly $26 million. Legislative Auditor’s Office staff explained that the system had received failing grades from LDH for several years, had entered joint receivership in 2024, and was placed under a public health emergency in 2025; they said the city’s adoption of limited fiscal administration in April 2026 made it eligible for additional state funding. Governor’s staff said the state, GOSEP, Magnolia, and the city had worked together to restore service and that the limited fiscal administrator would help unlock an emergency subfund and other financing sources. The mayor of Tallulah supported the appointment, saying the state’s work had improved water quality and that the limited role would focus only on the water system rather than the whole city. She said the city was preparing an RFQ to move the project toward bidding. Two residents spoke in opposition. One argued that the city had recently elected a new council and should wait for new local leadership before proceeding. Another questioned the need for the appointment, criticized past management and contract arrangements, and objected to using emergency funds to pay prior project costs. State officials responded that the F grade and public health concerns justified the action, that the administrator would control water-system finances, and that the distribution system needed repairs to address leaks and water quality issues. After discussion, a committee member moved to appoint a limited fiscal administrator for the Tallulah water system. The motion was seconded and passed without opposition. The committee then moved to public comment and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• if we can analyze perhaps an existing recent easement, where we don't feel it necessary to either contract
• If we contract that appraisal out, that appraisal out, the applicant would then incur the cost of that
• Yes, if it's a time-sensitive item, then typically we'd contract that appraisal out.
• So then if it's contracted out, are there specific people that the department uses, or is this something
• And if it was in Northern Idaho, Eastern Idaho, South, Southern Idaho, we typically contract with someone

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• And begin presenting AB 1156, it's a solar use easement suspension of Williamson Act contracts terms.
• It allows farmers who are losing water to pause a Williamson Act contract.
• Thank you. the landowners to suspend rather than rescind their Ways for Nat contracts.
• These fees are not penalties, they are contract cancellation penal payments that recognize and help recoup
• The speculative withdrawals may increase and landowners may be incentivized to leave contracts early

Committee: House Agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• These organizations county contracts.
• And we'll learn a existing contracts.
• </c> change to adjust government contract change to adjust government contract rates<00:28:47.679><c>
• Um, contracts.
• And I know that our state contracts.

Summary: The House Committee on Human Services held an informational briefing on the impacts of federal funding cuts, inflation, labor shortages, and chronic underfunding on Hawaii’s nonprofit social safety net. Hawaii Community Foundation opened with a story about a federal worker family relying on food pantry support, then described a “perfect storm” facing human services nonprofits: historically high demand, rising costs, staffing challenges, federal cuts, and state and county contracts that do not cover true service costs. The foundation said it has reactivated its Hawaii Resilience Fund, launched strengthened service grants, and is tracking policy changes and data to help nonprofits respond. Trey Gordner of UHERO presented research on the vulnerability of Hawaii’s nonprofit sector, explaining a framework that assessed political, financial, and structural risk. He said about 8,200 501(c)(3) nonprofits are active in Hawaii, but only about 200 receive direct federal funds; 74 grants to 59 organizations were flagged as politically at risk, totaling about $126 million in unpaid obligations. He said about 68 of the direct-funding recipients rely on federal funds for more than 20% of annual revenue, and that human services nonprofits are among the most exposed subsectors because they serve vulnerable populations and depend heavily on federal support. Catholic Charities Hawaii and the Hawaii True Cost Coalition said community-based organizations were already under strain before the current crisis, with most contracts not covering full costs and many groups depending on private philanthropy to fill gaps. They reported that half of surveyed organizations expect to reduce programs, more than a third may decline future contracts, and some are waiting months for reimbursements. Examples included reduced shelter admissions, fewer case management hours, and cutbacks in kūpuna services. The coalition urged higher contract rates, regular inflation and cost-of-living reviews, and timely reimbursement; no votes or formal actions were taken. Partners in Development Foundation described the loss of Native Hawaiian education funding as especially damaging, saying the federal Department of Education has zeroed out support that creates a roughly $46 million gap, including about $20 million for early childhood programs. The speaker shared a family story from the Nā Pono program to illustrate how early learning services support both children and parents, and warned that the organization’s federal funds make up 72% of its budget. The briefing ended with a call for continued emergency funding and longer-term structural changes to sustain nonprofits statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those programs were on hold, but we were able to start moving some of those contracts this last week,
• Those programs were on hold, but we were able to start moving some of those contracts this last week,
• Those programs were on hold, but we were able to start moving some of those contracts this last week,
• </c><00:15:24.120><c> employees</c> employees those are contracted employees employees those are contracted
• It's really valuable to know what I can count on when I sign a contract with the government.

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• It's giving you a service contract. Well, you get in and it's not even a service.
• </c><00:43:58.960><c> that</c> people to read the contracts that people to read the contracts that they're
• , maybe for more than two years after the date of the contract.
• </c> long-term agreement means a contract long-term agreement means a contract agreement<00:44:39.280
• So means a contract Okay. All right.

Summary: The subcommittee took up HB 164, dealing with homeowners and certain service agreements tied to residential real estate. Much of the discussion focused on whether the bill should be framed as prohibiting “service agreements” or more specifically as banning “future right to listing” agreements, and whether the bill should mirror Maine’s newer law. Mike Padmore of AARP New Hampshire presented suggested edits, including clarifying that the agreements are unenforceable, striking a provision at Roman 6C, and adding language making clear that registry of deeds staff are not liable when they record documents they are statutorily required to file. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors said the bill and Maine’s law reach the same result, but he preferred simpler wording and argued the bill should not include a two-year time limit because legitimate listing agreements should not create liens at all. Members and witnesses debated whether the bill should simply make the practice illegal outright, whether the Consumer Protection Act is the right enforcement vehicle, and whether the lien-removal process should be modeled on the recent undischarged mortgage bill. A consumer protection official said the bureau supports the statute and explained that under RSA 358-A, consumers could seek damages and equitable relief to strike a lien, while also noting that the bureau often uses the Consumer Protection Act as an enforcement tool. The committee also discussed narrowing the bill to residential real estate, with the sponsor and witnesses saying the problem has been seen in residential transactions and that commercial property was not the focus. The testimony described the underlying problem as companies, often national rather than New Hampshire-based, using long-term or future listing agreements to impose liens or penalties on homeowners, sometimes in connection with estate transfers or home sales. Witnesses said legitimate real estate listings do not normally place liens on houses, but these arrangements can include hidden or unclear penalties, including a reported 3% charge on home value. No vote was taken in the excerpt, but the committee appeared to be working through possible amendments and whether to adopt Maine-style language or a simpler New Hampshire-specific approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• The problem, as I said, is we're in breach of a contract.
• of a contract.
• of Architects standard-in-the-industry contracts.
• And why do they call them contracts? I don't understand that. Mr.
• The contract sets fees that are deducted from your winnings. Okay.

Committee: Joint Legislative Management

Transcript Highlights:

• They would contract with us because our rates were higher.
• And so now all of my CBOs that contract with me for mental health services are also mild to moderate
• For BrightLife Kids and Soluna, the cost per active user with the contracts just for BrightLife Kids
• We had a contract actually for many years before the whole 988 mobile crisis thing.
• And like I just mentioned, our advocacy contracts with nine underserved populations.

Transcript Highlights:

• We go to contracts. We enforce contracts.
• We go to contracts. We we what do we do? We go to contracts.
• It's on be a contracted<00:36:33.520><c> thing.</c> contracted thing. contracted thing.
• . contract. contract.
• </c> uh, American Red Cross contract. uh, American Red Cross contract.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe there would still be a contract with each town, and depending on what that contract stated,
• </c><00:32:44.080><c> whether</c> on what that contract stated uh whether on what that contract stated
• </c><04:33:22.199><c> so</c> or enters into a carbon contract so or enters into a carbon contract so
• It's contract by contract.
• </c><04:44:09.840><c> piece</c><04:44:10.080><c> is</c> contract by contract the other piece is contract

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:44:49.760><c> model</c><00:44:50.480><c> to</c> contractor Contracting model to contractor Contracting
• </c> they put out for rfps to contract they put out for rfps to contract private<00:57:09.920><c> pest
• </c> employees we also oversee and contract employees we also oversee and contract for<03:11:40.439><
• We have two contracts with them.
• </c> right now we're funding that contract right now we're funding that contract through<03:19:15.560

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1171 would make any private entity that contracts with the U.S.
• SB 1171 would make any private entity that contracts with the U.S.
• SB 1171 is very simple: it makes any private entity that contracts with ICE ineligible for state-funded
• are the kind of problematic contracts that everyone is focused on, but they do work with ICE.
• Specifically, a state agency may award an advertising or marketing contract of a specified amount to

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused largely on regulatory oversight, food insecurity, state symbols, immigration-related funding, and ethnic media outreach. SB 885 and SB 986 would require major regulations with estimated economic impacts over $50 million to come back to the Legislature for review; supporters said this would restore accountability and help address affordability, while opponents warned it would delay health, safety, and worker protections. SB 1025 would create an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate food programs across state departments, expand outreach, run a hunger hotline, and analyze service gaps; members generally supported the goal but urged stronger reporting and oversight language. SB 1214 would designate the Western monarch as California’s state butterfly, and SB 1178 would designate the California yellow jacket as the state wasp, with testimony emphasizing conservation, ecology, and agricultural benefits. SB 1286 would recognize the California sea lion as the state pinniped, with supporters citing its role as a sentinel species and conservation success story. SB 1171 would make private entities that contract with ICE ineligible for state-funded grants or loans; supporters framed it as a response to ICE conduct, while opponents raised concerns about unintended impacts on contractors providing essential services and possible federal retaliation. SB 1358 would create the Ethnic and Community Media Equity Act to improve state advertising and outreach to ethnic and community media through a database and contracting requirements, with supporters arguing it would improve effectiveness and reach underserved communities. Several bills were advanced on committee votes, many with roll calls held open for absent members. SB 885, SB 986, SB 1025, SB 1214, SB 1178, SB 1286, and SB 1171 all received motions to do pass, with some members noting support but also urging amendments or guardrails, especially on timing, reporting, and oversight. The committee also took up a consent calendar of multiple items after quorum was established.