Transcript Highlights:

• I first learned about Cairo in a credential program through my community.
• I first learned about Cairo's IT training program, which is part of the Gateway to Growth program, and
• ProStart is an educational program, and this year in our classroom, my teammates and I have learned a
• ProStart is an educational program, and this year in our classroom, my teammates and I have learned a
• ProStart is an educational program, and this year in our classroom, my teammates and I have learned a

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program proposals.
• The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program is the state’s primary before- and after-school program.
• CSUs or independents, where are the transitions happening from those two-year programs to four-year?
• or program expansions absent clear out-year funding plans.
• So four years would allow us to get those programs off the ground, admit students into the program.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on three education budget items: the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), differentiated assistance/statewide system of support, and universal school meals plus kitchen infrastructure grants. For ELOP, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to provide $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding and $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended instead fixing the Tier 2 rate at $1,579, and committee members questioned how the rate was determined, how much funding is actually spent, and whether overlapping funding from ELOP, ACEs, and 21st Century programs is being tracked. CDE said ELOP is showing positive attendance and math outcomes, but some requested data will not be available until mid-2027; members also raised concerns about double-funding, transparency, and whether middle and high school students are being equitably served. On differentiated assistance, CCEE outlined the statewide system of support and the various tiers of universal, targeted, supplemental, and intensive assistance. Finance explained the Governor’s proposal to replace the current DA structure with a more stable universal and targeted assistance model, funded at $131.9 million ongoing, with a three-year support cycle aligned to LCAP and ESSA timelines and broader State Board authority to revise eligibility criteria. The LAO objected to considering the proposal before the State Board finalizes the new performance criteria, and committee members expressed concern that moving to a three-year cycle could delay support for LEAs that newly fall into need mid-cycle. There was also discussion about whether the proposal would weaken subgroup-based equity guardrails or give the State Board too much discretion over who qualifies for support. For school meals and kitchen infrastructure, Finance proposed $1.8 billion ongoing for universal meals and an additional $100 million ongoing plus $100 million one-time for a fourth round of kitchen infrastructure and training grants. The LAO recommended rejecting the new kitchen grant round because prior rounds are still being spent and the unmet need is not yet clear. CDE said prior investments have improved meal participation, efficiency, and menu variety, but many schools still lack the facilities for scratch cooking and face construction, electrical, and procurement barriers. Members asked for more data on how prior grants were used, which schools are benefiting, and whether funds could also support lower-cost food access strategies such as pantries, while noting federal restrictions on some meal-service innovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was on the board there for 10 years.
• Yet under this bill, the invaluable liberal arts programs that facilitate this learning and research
• Some of them are 1st year students, some of them are 4th year or 5th year generation Longhorns, but all
• I've been there for 19 years, where 12 out of those 19 years, I've been a member of the Delmar College
• dance program get accreditation.

Bills: SB 37

Keywords: fetal development, education, public health curriculum, middle school, age-appropriate instruction

Transcript Highlights:

• How do we justify, in a tight budget year, a program that...
• How do we justify, in a tight budget year, a program that... ...to support any student achievement.
• The EFA program has no accountability for learning.
• c> learning EFA program has no learning EFA program has no accountability<02:02:38.599> for<02
• I'd like to just add to that: the Arizona program is now costing a billion dollars per year.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Could you explain to me how the three-year phasing program works?
• The following year, it'll affect the high schools, and then the following year, kindergarten.
• And obviously a virtual program would reflect those nuances associated with a child learning at home.
• They aren't just learning to drive with skill. They're learning how to do life.
• This was many years ago, obviously.

Bills: SB23, SB73, SB210, SB234, SB243, SB244, SM16

Keywords: student use, wireless devices, public schools, policy implementation, education technology funding, driver education, driver's ed, driving school, motorcycle safety, traffic safety, vulnerable road users, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, cyclist, bike lane, micromobility, scooter, moped, motorcycle training, DWI prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• to six staff over the last several years, that the program is operating without a director, that workers
• We do have a program that we started several years ago, and I think I've talked about it here before,
• Glad you're earlier in the program than you were last year. Yes, it is early. It's great, though.
• What we learned, and this is really through the years of looking at the data and talking to the families
• What we learned, and this is really through the years of looking at the data and talking to the families

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was a FY27 budget session on Health and Human Services held in Mattapan, hosted by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Opening remarks from Senator Lydia Edwards, Representative Brandy Fluker-Reed, Representative Russell Holmes, and Boston Public Library President David Leonard emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing in Mattapan, the importance of community access, and the role of libraries as human services institutions. Committee members and attendees introduced themselves before agency testimony began. MassAbility testified first, describing its mission to support people with disabilities through employment, independent living, and disability determination services. The agency highlighted federal funding uncertainty, a modest FY27 budget reduction, and a proposed reworking of its home care program, which it said is outdated and should better target those most in need. Members questioned the home care cut, staffing reductions, and federal coordination. MassAbility also shared a participant story about recovery and community support to illustrate the impact of its services. The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing then presented its FY27 request, focusing on interpreter and captioning access, workforce development, emergency communication, aging-related hearing loss, and transition services for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. Members asked about interpreter shortages, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL education, and community training; the commission said it is expanding mentorship and referral systems but still faces staffing and vendor challenges. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind followed with a $30.8 million request, describing services for nearly 9,000 consumers, peer support groups, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 services, while noting federal funding uncertainty and a 7% budget cut. Members raised concerns about maintaining services with fewer resources, and the commissioner said the agency had trimmed overhead and could manage the proposal. The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the segment, outlining expanded legal, housing, workforce, citizenship, and financial literacy supports for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, legal defense initiatives, and the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative. Members discussed the effects of federal policy changes, the loss of refugee resettlement funding, and the need for state support to fill gaps. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the hearing consisted of agency presentations and committee questioning.

Transcript Highlights:

• 2 years.
• this is something that we've been doing for many years uh throughout the state with all of our programs
• So for our summer reading program, this is our 2nd year, as you know.
• Learning tool called AMIA and this is a program that's been successfully used in numerous states around
• Using our existing programs like our career connected learning programs at PED to make sure that as we

Transcript Highlights:

• The stronger the web we help students build in the early years, the stronger their learning becomes throughout
• Barbara Nimco, with more than 55 years of service to public education, including teaching, program evaluation
• Barbara Nimco, with more than 55 years of service to public education, including teaching, program evaluation
• and apply that learning in hands-on ways.
• SB 1083 builds on the Safe Learning Environments Act, which was enacted into law last year and established

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard a long slate of education bills, beginning with SB 685 on nonpublic schools for students with disabilities. Senator Cortese and the California Department of Education described the bill as a response to the Ninth Circuit’s Laughman decision, removing the obsolete “non-sectarian” requirement while preserving secular use of public funds, nondiscrimination protections, background checks, credentialing, and incident reporting. There was no opposition, and the bill later passed 7-0 to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 1181, a pilot grant program for violence prevention, student wellness, and school safety in Central Valley and other schools. Supporters framed it as a prevention measure, while opponents from EFF, ACLU Cal Action, and community advocates warned it could increase law enforcement involvement, surveillance, and use of fusion centers; despite those concerns, it ultimately passed 5-0 to Appropriations. Members then considered SB 1067, which would create a statewide framework for annual K-2 math assessments starting in 2028-29 to identify students needing early intervention. The author and supporters argued California faces a serious math achievement crisis and that early assessment would help close gaps, while CTA and several educators and administrators sought additional clarity and amendments to ensure alignment with existing diagnostic practices and limits on high-stakes use. The bill drew broad support from educators, parents, and advocacy groups and passed 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 1107, a school shade-structure bill, would expand eligible shade projects and allow bundling through design-build to reduce costs; it received support from LAUSD, school boards, and climate-focused groups and passed 7-0. SB 1128, on take-home devices and screen time for kindergarteners, was presented as a modest first step to give families more flexibility and reduce early screen exposure, with support from early childhood advocates and no opposition, and it passed 7-0. The committee also approved SB 1048, creating a voluntary State Seal of Climate Literacy for students who complete climate coursework and hands-on projects. Supporters, including Ten Strands, students, teachers, and county offices, said it would recognize real-world climate learning and green career readiness; it passed 7-0. SB 1140, sponsored by CFT, would require LEA construction contractors to follow campus security provisions during school projects to reduce unauthorized access; it drew support from labor and gun violence prevention groups and passed 7-0. SB 930, requiring end-to-end encryption for proctoring companies handling K-12 exam data, was presented as a student privacy measure in response to cybersecurity risks and passed 6-0. Finally, SB 1083 was introduced by Senator Perez as a follow-up to last year’s Safe Learning Environments Act, with extensive committee amendments to refine the statewide misconduct data system, disclosure rules, contractor fingerprinting, and access requirements; the transcript cuts off before the bill’s full hearing and vote are shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our programs are clinical psychology... Programs. It's an on-campus program here in Las Vegas.
• They had 19 students over the last year in their program.
• Students come from two-year institutions and then transfer into our programs.
• Beyond participating in the program, the program has grown.
• Through the years, we've learned a lot of things that getting health care educators, particularly nurse

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that this year is a big year for us.
• years.
• important for our youth to learn from our elders and to foster those relationships through programs
• I want to bring up that the average age of a farmer is 58 years old, and that's why this program is important
• the year.

Bills: HF2411, HF2471, HF1440, HF1393, HF1631, HF1259, HF280, HF1281, HF1459

Keywords: cultural heritage, funding, White Earth Nation, tribal community, construction, Delano, sesquicentennial, community events, fall of Saigon, Saigon anniversary, Vietnam War commemoration, Vietnamese Minnesotans, Cambodian Minnesotans, Lao Minnesotans, Southeast Asian refugees, Asian American heritage, cultural heritage fund, Minnesota Humanities Center, Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, equity funding

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been in New Mexico for about two years now. About two years now.
• At the end of this year, I've been the Chief Financial Officer since the beginning of this year at Rehoboth
• Specific to bureau or program.
• programs.
• In our final Year next year when we're wrapping up and moving into a new administration, one of the goals

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a good program.
• > trying<00:03:17.319> to years so that's 15 years of trying to years so that's 15 years
• <00:08:25.840> 23 year data is available is fiscal year 23 year data is available is fiscal
• This is an equivalent of all of the professional learning in our district over the course of one year
• environment and through those learning environment and through those four<00:48:02.760> years

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we finished the program in November of this last year, 2025, and since then I've become a state and
• PSEO program. PSEO program.
• That totals 98 hours, or more than 4 days, of lost learning per year.
• lost learning per year. lost learning per year.
• This has been going on for years. years. years.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:35.919> for million and $50,000 a year for million and $50,000 a year for technology
• what are we doing for next year?
• what are we doing for next year?
• what are we doing for next year?
• what are we doing for next year?

Bills: HF957, HF877

Keywords: education, mandate relief, school funding, local control, state laws, fund transfers, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Three years of programming for some of the initiatives that we'll discuss later in the presentation.
• On Row 90, we have $20 million for out-of-school learning programs, which you all heard about in October
• Education Reform Fund, where it'll sit in this fund and support three years of programming that you all
• I guess this was a three-year program from '26. I'm assuming $20 million per year.
• In our conversations with PED, they believe they can scale that program up to $10 million a year.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the end of last year, I started the Faces of Arkansas program, which every month tells the story..
• And three years after the LEARNS Act was signed into law, we have an incredible story that we can all
• However, two years ago, because of the EFA program created by LEARNS, Kevin was able to enroll in Cornerstone
• But because of LEARNS, in just three years, this school has gone from an F-rated school to a B, and I
• In just one year, the program that he helps run has become so successful that we're expanding it to help

Summary: The meeting was the opening of the Arkansas General Assembly’s 2026 fiscal session, beginning with quorum calls, prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of guests, including law enforcement officers, a doctor of the day, nurse of the day, constitutional officers, Supreme Court justices, and family and friends of legislators. The House adopted House Resolution 1001 to convene a joint session for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s address, appointed committees to notify the Senate and the Governor, and later received the Senate into the chamber before recessing for the joint session. In the joint session, members observed a moment of silence for former Representative Stan Berry, then heard Governor Sanders’s fiscal session address. Her remarks focused heavily on the proposed budget and her administration’s priorities: fully funding education and the LEARNS Act, supporting teachers and literacy efforts, funding public safety and corrections, expanding the 1033 initiative to move people from crisis to career, and holding down government growth while pursuing further income tax cuts. She also highlighted economic development, low cost of living, and support for veterans, while emphasizing conservative policy themes and thanking several Arkansans whose stories illustrated the administration’s agenda. No substantive legislation was debated or voted on beyond the adoption of House Resolution 1001 and the procedural motions to adjourn the joint session and then adjourn the House until the next day. The House announced that Joint Budget would meet later that afternoon and again the following morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll see that a program has to be in operation already for a year before eligibility.
• And so what went into this year was the funding for what was considered like a Tier 3 program.
• In some cases, a two-year college or a four-year university is a registered apprenticeship program sponsor
• In some cases, a two-year college or a four-year university is a registered apprenticeship program sponsor
• University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, for a number of years, has run their own program.

Summary: The committee first approved the November 3 minutes, then received an extensive update from Arkansas Division of Higher Education and Division of Career and Technical Education officials on LEARNS and ACCESS implementation. Witnesses said the state’s goal is for students to graduate employed, enrolled, or enlisted, and described expanded career pathways, student success plans, merit and distinction diplomas, and school accountability measures tied to pathway completion and tangible credentials. They reported increases in K-12 CTE enrollment and concurrent enrollment, and explained that some secondary career center programs were reduced or eliminated because they no longer aligned with state workforce demand. Members asked detailed questions about how merit/distinction affects school letter grades, how AP, concurrent credit, CTE completers, apprenticeships, and work-based learning fit into the system, and whether homeschool and private school students can access the same opportunities. Officials said multiple pathways can satisfy the requirements, including AP Scholar, concurrent credit, technical certificates, and apprenticeships, and that counselors are being trained to advise students. They also discussed scholarship changes: ACCESS broadened eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge and Governor’s Scholar awards, with diploma of merit or distinction now qualifying students for additional aid, while the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship itself remained unchanged. Questions were raised about whether homeschool and private school students can meet the new diploma-of-distinction criteria; officials said the intent is to make them eligible if they meet the same standards, and that guidance is being finalized. The discussion also covered workforce scholarships and grants. Officials said the Workforce Challenge was expanded to include vocational-technical schools and increased funding, and that the Division is reworking policy around “professional skills training” to support shorter-term, stackable programs. They reviewed the new federal Workforce Pell Grant, noting its narrow hour and duration limits and the need for programs to meet completion, placement, and earnings thresholds. Members also asked about the state lottery scholarship fund balance and whether more aid should be directed to students; officials said the fund remains healthy and that ACCESS has already increased awards and expanded eligibility, with more implementation data still to come. The final presentation came from the Director of Workforce Connections on a $35.8 million U.S. Department of Labor cooperative agreement for the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund. Arkansas will administer the national fund, which is aimed at expanding advanced manufacturing registered apprenticeships across the country through a pay-for-performance model. Officials said the program will support occupations in aerospace, automotive, biotech, maritime, nuclear, semiconductors, supply chain, and automation, and that applications will open soon. Members asked who can apply and how the money will be distributed; the answer was that registered apprenticeship sponsors—sometimes companies, sometimes colleges, sometimes intermediaries—will apply, with Arkansas setting eligibility criteria, vendor requirements, and outreach efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• if necessary. that for nearly the past 30 years, CTE that for nearly the past 30 years, CTE rules<00
• , the adult diploma program.
• In the last year we've made a transition from a previous program that provided for CTE especially among
• <00:16:24.760> Um called the adult diploma program. Um called the adult diploma program.
• <00:16:26.640> made<00:16:26.839> a in the last year we've made a in the last year

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate Bill 313, relating to transforming Vermont’s career technical education system. The Committee on Commerce and Economic Development described the bill as part of a broader effort to integrate CTE more fully into Vermont’s education system, with goals including universal access, more consistent admissions and credit policies, better transportation access, updated rules and procedures, and stronger alignment with workforce needs. The committee emphasized that CTE should be treated as a core part of education, not a stand-alone track, and reported the bill favorably 11-0-0 after hearing from education, labor, workforce, fiscal, and CTE stakeholders. The Committee on Education recommended a few changes, including a typo correction and removal of a legislative working group, explaining that broader education reform work already underway would make a separate working group duplicative. It added a task for the Agency of Education to study how to serve adult diploma students in CTE programs amid federal funding changes, and it supported the bill with an amendment vote of 10-0-1. The Committee on Appropriations said the fiscal impact could not yet be estimated because it depends on future rulemaking, and it recommended the bill ought to pass in concurrence as amended by a vote of 10-0-1. The House adopted the Education Committee amendment, then adopted a further amendment offered by Representative Bartley and others that incorporated language from S. 230 while removing a solicitation provision related to Department of Corrections property. The House then agreed to propose the amended bill to the Senate, ordered third reading, suspended rules to place the bill in all remaining stages of passage, passed S. 313 in concurrence with proposal of amendment, and suspended rules again to message its action to the Senate forthwith. The House then recessed until 1:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• of new things we're learning.
• of new things we're learning.
• We should be learning from that what else we can do.
• So if we could turn back the clock and learn what we've learned from overdose prevention opportunities
• And you alluded to the harm reduction programs and the mobile programs, which are really providing that

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Xylazine convened its second meeting, approved the minutes from its June 23 meeting, and reviewed its timeline and working groups. The co-chairs said the commission’s final report is due to the House and Senate clerks by March 30, 2026, and outlined three working groups focused on regulation/oversight of xylazine, treatment and outreach for exposed patients, and education/training for first responders, clinicians, treatment providers, and people who use substances. Staff will schedule working group meetings, with group presentations planned for December 11, followed by commission meetings in February and March to review and finalize the draft report. Public comment centered on research and practical responses to xylazine contamination in the drug supply. Dr. Tracy Green of Brandeis reviewed recent studies showing severe xylazine-related wounds and amputations in Philadelphia, withdrawal symptoms, the value of wound identification tools, and the usefulness of drug checking in detecting xylazine even when users did not suspect it was present. She urged expanded low-barrier wound care, more access to medications for opioid use disorder, overdose prevention sites, housing, and trauma-informed care, while cautioning that stricter controls could push the market toward other dangerous alpha-2 substances. Commissioners asked about early wound identification, dilution/cutting strategies, supplier engagement, and how to reduce stigma and improve treatment access. Tia Johnson of Boston Medical Center and Boston Health Care for the Homeless testified that xylazine contamination still requires naloxone for overdose response, but sedation can last longer and may require low-dose naloxone, oxygen support, and low-threshold monitoring spaces. She emphasized that xylazine-associated wounds can heal with consistent care, but patients often lose access to services when sent to hospitals unnecessarily. Commissioners discussed reimbursement barriers, especially in MassHealth and behavioral health settings, and the need for wound care to be available within detox and treatment programs rather than requiring transfers. The meeting ended with agreement to continue working group planning and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Multiply that by 13 years.
• And most of these programs, the districts are funding other funds toward them, most of these programs
• Does that not include the voucher programs, the family educational— is it family educational program?
• Between fiscal year 21-22 through fiscal year 23-24, so during that three-year period, CAPE add-on FTE
• and the KATE programs, too.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met during Budget Week and first considered three member bills. House Bill 1111, by Rep. Valdes, would eliminate the option for students to leave high school with a certificate of completion instead of a standard diploma. Valdes said the bill was inspired by students who met credit requirements but could not pass a required assessment, and argued the certificate does not provide access to college, trade school, or military service. The bill passed unanimously, 15-0. CS for House Bill 127, by Rep. Kendall, would support students with disabilities by using existing Florida Department of Education curriculum to create micro-credentials and coordinating with the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities and OSHA on workplace safety. Goodwill, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Florida PTA, and others supported the bill, which also passed unanimously, 15-0. House Bill 1367, by Rep. Booth, addressed chronic absenteeism by requiring statewide definitions and more uniform attendance reporting, along with rules for excused and unexcused absences and early identification of chronically absent students. Testimony emphasized inconsistent district policies and the need for clearer data and interventions. The bill passed 13-0, with some members noting concerns about implementation details and future rulemaking. The committee then took up PCB-P-PKB-2501, the proposed conforming bill for the fiscal year 2025-2026 Pre-K through 12 budget. The chair said the bill was designed to align statutes with budget and scholarship funding procedures, especially around the Florida Education Finance Program and scholarship payments. The PCB would require Florida student ID numbers for scholarship students, standardize cross-checking against FTE survey data, set quarterly payment dates, and use one data source for both reporting and withholding scholarship-related FFP amounts. It also would reduce certain add-on weights by 50%, remove the budget stabilization program, and repeal the educational enrollment stabilization program. Several members raised concerns that the add-on weight reductions could hurt career and technical education, AICE, IB, and CAPE programs, while the sponsor argued the data showed too much spending in an “other” category and that the reductions were aimed at aligning funding with actual program costs. Public testimony was mixed: some supported tighter accountability and clearer payment rules, while others warned against undermining expensive career-readiness programs. The PCB passed 11-2. After the conforming bill, the chair presented the proposed fiscal year 2025-2026 Pre-K through 12 budget, totaling just under $21 billion, about $400 million below the current year. She said the budget reflects a need to slow spending growth and includes $20 million for New Worlds Scholarship Accounts, $7 million for security grants at Jewish day schools and preschools, $14 million for public school transportation stipends, an overall FEFP increase of about $747.7 million, $100 million for teacher salary increases, and increases in the base student allocation and funds per student. The committee did not vote on the budget recommendation at this meeting; it was distributed for review and will move to the Budget Committee next week.