Video & Transcript Research : 'forensic evaluation'
Page 107 of 368
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Expanding accessibility by encouraging autonomous vehicle adoption in MN | Senator John Jasinski Apr 10th, 2026
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Your bipartisan bill, Senate File 75, allows the Department of Transportation to research and evaluate
- Your bipartisan bill, Senate File 75, allows the Department of Transportation to research and evaluate
- Your bipartisan bill, Senate File 75, allows the Department of Transportation to research and evaluate
- Your bipartisan bill, Senate File 75, allows the Department of Transportation to research and evaluate
- And evaluate autonomous mower technology. How did that idea come about for you?
Summary:
The discussion focused on Minnesota legislation for autonomous vehicles, with Sen. John Jasinski arguing the state should create a clear statewide regulatory framework that welcomes driverless ride-share services without imposing so many rules that companies avoid investing here. He said autonomous vehicles are already testing and mapping in the Twin Cities area, and that the main benefits would be improved accessibility and independence for people who cannot drive because of disabilities or medical conditions, as well as broader transportation options for work and travel.
Jasinski described his bill, Senate File 4010, as a public-safety framework that would rely on existing MnDOT and governor’s connected automated vehicle task force structures rather than creating a new, more restrictive process through DPS. He contrasted that approach with Sen. Dibble’s bill, which he said would be much more restrictive and could amount to "death by regulation." He also said he supports some guardrails, such as geomapping around downtown events, safe loading and unloading zones, and procedures for human takeover if a problem occurs, but wants to avoid a patchwork of city-by-city rules.
He said the legislature is considering several autonomous-vehicle bills this session and that the timing reflects years of study by the state task force. Jasinski also discussed his earlier bipartisan Senate File 75, which authorized MnDOT to research autonomous mower technology after he noticed traffic delays caused by ditch mowing along highways. He said that pilot is still in testing at an MDOT facility, but he sees potential for the technology to reduce traffic disruption, improve worker safety, and lower costs. No votes or formal committee actions were described in the interview.
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- As you know, S-Farhana is going live in July, and the current performance evaluation system will not
- This will help us evaluate all..." "This is kind of the final act of the pay plan.
- This will help us evaluate all our employees on an electronic basis.
- we need to have this in place in January of '27 so that we can use it for the 2027 performance evaluation
- "Well, the first evaluation will take place probably in May of '27, so we can see what those results
Summary:
The ALC-Review Subcommittee reviewed seven methods of finance, including university projects at ASU Jonesboro and Mountain Home, Black River Technical College deferred maintenance, UA Batesville’s Farm Project Gateway Center, UAMS PET cyclotron equipment, a new allied health building at UAPB funded by a federal grant, and UCA’s multi-purpose arena design work. The committee also approved an alternative delivery construction project for UAPB’s Allied Health and Sciences Building, with East Harding Construction selected and AMR Architects as designer.
Members then approved discretionary grants from the Department of Health and DHS, including support for a heart attack center designation, community health worker training, homeless services funding corrections, behavioral health transition support, and an enabling technology pilot. In the contracts section, the committee reviewed RFQs, construction-related contracts, intergovernmental contracts, and a large slate of out-of-state and in-state contracts covering topics such as seatbelt survey data collection, Medicaid and DHS systems, state hospital staffing and services, veterans’ services, education assessments, and state IT and procurement projects.
Several contracts drew extended questioning. Senators and representatives pressed DHS and the Department of Veterans Affairs about heavy reliance on contract nursing and staffing costs, and officials said they were using pay incentives and recruitment efforts to increase state employee staffing. Members also questioned AEDC’s lithium supply chain study and the Department of Education’s security contract, with concerns about projected costs and repeated amendments. The committee held three in-state contracts—Department of Education security services and two DHS staffing contracts—until Friday, then adopted the remaining contracts and received informational reports on contract amendments, executed contracts, and emergency procurements before adjourning.
AL
Alabama 2026 1st Special Session
Alabama House Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee Feb 25th, 2026
Ethics and Campaign Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- And evaluate that. All right?
- And evaluate that. All right?
- And evaluate that. All right?
- And evaluate that. All right?
- And evaluate that. All right?
Keywords:
juvenile justice, detention, age of majority, jurisdiction, child welfare, K-12 education, wireless communication devices, digital safety, social media education, classroom distraction, agriculture authority, eminent domain, property rights, tax exemption, agriculture center, SNAP, nutrition assistance, benefits theft, state reimbursement, food security
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Government, Elections And Indian Affairs Feb 9th, 2026 at 08:35 am
House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- My first question was about the evaluation language on page 11 of the bill, and I'm looking at the amendments
- I know we shifted it around a little bit, and I'm just wondering if that changes what the evaluation
- I'm looking at the maintaining of an evaluation program of the system that monitors implementation...
- ...of an evaluation program of the system that monitors implementation and impact of special education
- And so this monitoring program, the evaluation program, is what that is referencing.
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- This is an original contract for medical consultant examinations, reviews, and evaluations.
- This is for evaluation and optimization of their existing and future property and assets.
- This is an original contract for medical consultant, examinations, reviews, and evaluations.
- And this is for evaluation and optimization of their existing in future property and assets.
- This is an original contract for medical consultant examinations, reviews, and evaluations for medical
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences Aug 6th, 2025
Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences
Transcript Highlights:
- But there are three key differences from other J-LARC evaluations.
- First, the legislature requires a recurring review... ...evaluations.
- review the 0.9% preferential rate and add an objective and performance metrics to allow us to better evaluate
- self-reported spending amounts were divided by total revenue to arrive at the percentage used to evaluate
- does seem like the reporting process seems a bit complicated and maybe impacting the ability to evaluate
Summary:
The Citizens Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on August 6, 2025, with five commissioners present and a quorum. The commission approved the May 7, 2025 meeting minutes and welcomed new commissioner Scott Edwards, who introduced himself. Staff also confirmed the September meeting date had been changed to September 22, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. to accommodate his schedule, and noted that testimony questions for the public hearing would be used at that meeting.
JLARC staff then presented preliminary 2025 tax preference performance reviews covering nine preferences. For natural gas used as a transportation fuel, staff said the preferences reduce fuel costs but do not meet emissions-reduction goals, and recommended continuing the public utility tax and natural gas use tax exemptions while modifying reporting requirements; they also recommended continuing the marine-use LNG sales tax exemption and considering the Department of Revenue work group’s findings. For travel agents and tour operators, staff said the small-beneficiary rate appears to support smaller firms, while the larger-beneficiary rate should be reviewed and both should have clearer objectives and metrics. For nonprofit low-income housing development, staff said the preference is helping produce housing but the current metric does not align well with the objective, data/reporting problems remain, and the legislature should decide whether to continue and possibly modify the exemption, including considering annual renewal.
Staff also reviewed the multipurpose senior citizen centers exemption, concluding it meets its objective and recommending continuation, with possible consideration of making it permanent. For disabled veteran adapted housing, staff said the preference has very low uptake despite eligible veterans and recommended continuing it but modifying it in consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve use. For trade convention attendance, staff said the preference aligns Washington with other states and recommended continuation. For agricultural fertilizer and seed wholesaling, staff said the exemption reduces tax layering and recommended continuation, with clarification on whether it is exempt from expiration/performance-statement requirements. For agricultural crop protection products, staff said the preference met its revenue-growth metric and recommended extending it while considering better metrics or recategorizing it as tax relief. Finally, for energy sales to a silicon smelter, staff said the preferences were unused because the facility was never built and recommended allowing them to expire. The meeting ended with reminders about written testimony and the September public testimony session.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Mar 12th, 2025
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- They are to assist the governor and the legislature with strategic planning and evaluation of the Texas
- work products include the strategic plan for the Texas Workforce Development. system, an annual evaluation
- Each year, the council submits an evaluation report on system performance. of the workforce system plan
- The evaluation fulfills the council's duty to monitor the operation of the state's workforce development
- Here you see longitudinal data from the 2024. evaluation on key performance outcomes of workforce programs
Bills:
HB406
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government Jan 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Some of the most 2 decades we need to evaluate.
- Trainings help our staff evaluate the likelihood that a species will cause harm to Florida.
- And to date, we have conducted risk evaluations on 246 species.
- This structure combined with a robust risk evaluation process is intended to identify and prevent the
- reporting platform is coordinated across multiple entities and when a report is received is verified evaluated
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Financial Services Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- When we see you for the psoriasis aspect of that visit, that gets an evaluation and management code,
- Yes, I evaluated that spot.
- After evaluating this patient, I spent significant time explaining to her the nature of her condition
- LaChance mentioned, in short, in insurance and medical coding jargon, this is known as an evaluation
- Several days later, he was evaluated in the ambulatory clinic, where biomarker testing was conducted.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a lengthy public hearing with testimony on a wide range of health insurance and access-to-care bills. Early testimony focused on prescription drug pricing and pharmacy reimbursement, with supporters of H. 1326 arguing that pharmacy benefit managers and MassHealth managed care arrangements reimburse independent pharmacies too little, contributing to pharmacy closures and “pharmacy deserts.” The committee also heard repeated support for H. 1151/S. 742 on cognitive rehabilitation for acquired brain injury, H. 1288/S. 716 on telehealth parity for nutrition counseling, H. 1309/S. 761 on full-spectrum pregnancy care without cost-sharing, H. 1312 on insurance coverage for doula services, H. 309 on prompt access to health care by removing deductibles for certain services, H. 809/H. 1227 on biomarker testing, H. 1162/S. 810 on reducing inequities in access to medical procedures by limiting insurer cuts tied to Modifier 25, and S. 726 on insurance coverage for mobile integrated health.
Testifiers included legislators, physicians, pharmacists, dietitians, emergency and rehabilitation clinicians, and patients and family members. Supporters of the brain injury bill said cognitive rehabilitation is medically necessary, improves long-term outcomes, and can reduce institutional care and public costs; they noted the bill has been heard repeatedly and has support from the Brain Injury Commission and prior favorable committee action. Supporters of the pregnancy care and doula bills described out-of-pocket costs as a barrier to maternal health and shared personal stories of high bills and unmet support needs. Biomarker testing advocates and cancer patients said coverage gaps deny patients access to precision treatment, can lead to avoidable suffering, and should be standardized across insurers; several speakers said insurers often deny claims despite clinical benefit. Dermatology witnesses said insurers’ use of Modifier 25 cuts reimbursement for same-day evaluation and procedure visits, forcing separate appointments and increasing patient burden. Mobile integrated health supporters described home-based care as a way to reduce emergency department use and hospital readmissions, especially for patients with transportation or mobility barriers. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing itself.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee May 5th, 2026
Utilities and Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- Understanding that difference in how we're actually evaluating that, I think would be really important
- of whether E15 use would result in significant impact on public health... ...scientific evaluation of
- process of finalizing that evaluation and will be proposing regulatory changes later this year to the
- It also included an ask for the evaluation of a Westwide gasoline specification.
- That strategy, it's not just a standalone evaluation of the air quality benefits of CARB OB.
Summary:
The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on California’s petroleum supply and price volatility amid the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Committee members and administration witnesses focused first on short-term supply conditions: the California Energy Commission said crude and refined-product imports were still arriving at healthy levels, West Coast inventories were generally adequate, and there was no expected near-term supply shortfall, though diesel inventories were tighter than gasoline or jet fuel. Officials said California’s reliance on imports has grown as in-state refining capacity has declined, and they described ongoing work to track import flows, inventories, refinery outages, and pricing.
The Division of Petroleum Market Oversight said the conflict was driving real price increases, but also highlighted California’s persistent branded-gasoline premium and unusually wide station-to-station price dispersion. DPMO reported that some major-brand stations were charging far above the statewide average, that several outlier stations reduced prices after contact from the division, and that investigations and subpoenas were ongoing. Professor Severin Borenstein argued that while crude oil is a global price driver, much of California’s higher retail price gap is a downstream “mystery gasoline surcharge,” not explained by crude costs alone, and he said the state should focus on imports, port and storage capacity, and competition rather than expecting refinery subsidies or an E15 blend to solve the problem.
Industry and labor witnesses took different positions on the causes and solutions. The Western States Petroleum Association said state policy had weakened California’s refining system, making it more dependent on long, fragile supply chains and vulnerable to global shocks, and urged the state to protect remaining refining capacity and reduce regulatory burdens. United Steelworkers Local 675 emphasized that refinery reliability and staffing matter for market stability. Members pressed witnesses on whether California should set fuel-supply targets, how to prepare beyond the next six weeks, whether more import dependence increases risk, and what additional data or authority the state needs. No formal votes or actions were taken during the hearing.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- properly so that maybe they evaluated properly so that maybe they can<00:24:30.240>
be <00:24: - I can attest to you that the program that I worked for previously, there was a third-party evaluator,
- <00:37:18.960>
Marilyn <00:37:19.359>Brown, <00:37:20.000>who evaluator, Dr. - Marilyn Brown, who evaluator, Dr.
- c> participated evaluated individuals who participated evaluated individuals who participated in<
Summary:
The Committee on Public Safety heard several resolutions, including HCR 944/HR 90 to request a gubernatorial proclamation designating Hawaii as a Purple Heart state on August 7, 2025; HCR 205/HR 197 urging Maui County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite a permanent replacement for the Kulani Hakoi Bridge; and HCR 164/HR 159 urging counties to maintain an electronically accessible list of hurricane refuge shelters. No one testified on the first two measures. On the hurricane shelter resolution, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the intent and requested a wording change from “special needs” to “access and functional needs.”
The committee then heard HCR 70, which asks the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to expand personal and professional development programs to include community service programs. Director Tommy Johnson said DCR supports the intent and described existing community service work lines at Kulani, the women’s correctional facility, and Wawa, including tasks such as pothole repair, tree trimming, and school grounds work. In response to questions, he said participation depends on inmate eligibility, volunteer status, and whether the work would interfere with programming; inmates must have no serious misconducts in the prior year and no escape attempts. He also explained that some work lines are tied to security classifications and facility type.
The committee spent the most time on HCR 153/HR 148, which requests DCR to incrementally reduce the number of inmates housed in private out-of-state facilities. The ACLU of Hawaii strongly supported the resolution, arguing that private prisons are unsafe and that Hawaii should bring incarcerated people home. The ACLU cited federal findings and actions against private prison contractors, conditions at the Saguaro facility in Arizona, and the need for in-state rehabilitation and oversight. Director Johnson also supported the measure in principle but said population levels, security classifications, and available in-state facilities limit how quickly people can be returned. He said DCR provides annual reports on inmates eligible to return and suggested more frequent reporting could be considered. Committee members discussed benchmarks, quarterly reporting, parole, and reintegration services, and the ACLU argued that other states have reduced or phased out private prison use through sentencing reform, parole changes, and reintegration programs. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Are the feds evaluate our sped spending both by what our total sped allocation is the sped allotment
- You will begin getting special education. and funding formulas for that child once that evaluation is
- It's required by Rider in our bill pattern to give you an updated actuarial evaluation with where the
- and where the actuarial evaluation states that SB 2 would not have a material impact on the fund do
- . evaluations, studies, and you will see some smaller projects.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
Transcript Highlights:
- Again, this provides municipalities with greater flexibility to apply comparative evaluation criteria
- It's a challenge for conservation commissioners, including in my town, to evaluate the environmental
- They're unable to understand how to evaluate the adverse impacts from chemicals, plastics, heavy metals
- Environmental benefits of synthetic turf continue to be evaluated for use, playability, maintenance,
- Environmental benefits of synthetic turf continue to be evaluated for use, playability, maintenance,
Summary:
The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight heard testimony on several procurement-related bills. Senator Lovely and steel industry witnesses supported S. 2167/H. 3411, which would require preference for U.S. manufacturers on public construction projects using steel and other materials. They argued that Canadian and other foreign fabricators underbid Massachusetts firms because of exchange rates, subsidies, and different labor-cost structures, causing local job losses and economic leakage. Committee members asked about tariffs, market share, and whether the bill should be folded into broader municipal legislation; the witnesses said public work should stay in Massachusetts and that the bill would help preserve local industry and jobs.
The committee also heard strong support for S. 2107, a bill to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities in state and municipal contracting. Work Inc. testified that a preference for contractors employing people with disabilities would expand competitive employment, reduce reliance on public assistance, and generate net savings for taxpayers. Members asked about the estimated savings and whether recent federal changes to benefits would affect the numbers; the witness said the figures may need updating but that the underlying employment opportunity remains important. Another bill, H. 3339/S. 2187, would prohibit state and municipal contracts for new artificial turf fields containing zinc, plastic, or intentionally added PFAS. Sponsors and supporters cited health risks, heat retention, injuries, and PFAS contamination, while committee members discussed local bans, disposal problems, and whether indoor facilities or alternative materials could be used.
Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro testified in favor of H. 12 and H. 13, which would update Chapter 30B procurement thresholds and allow municipalities to bundle snow hauling and removal with plowing contracts. He said the changes would give local governments more flexibility, reduce confusion between school and municipal procurement rules, and make snow contracts more attractive to vendors. Members questioned whether quasi-public agencies and state entities should also be subject to 30B, and Shapiro said many public entities have their own procedures but that transparency and fairness should apply across the board. The committee also heard support for S. 2150, a software licensing bill aimed at preventing vendor lock-in by ensuring state agencies can run purchased software in the infrastructure that best fits their needs; the witness said restrictive licensing can drive up costs and create cybersecurity and modernization problems, and that similar laws have already passed in several other states.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- They conduct all the evaluations. They employ the specialists.
- But ...evaluations, you name it, et cetera, et cetera.
- They can, but just to give you a point where we end up with an IEP: if a student is evaluated and the
- School systems have a team of professionals with access to status, evaluation, and legal guidance.
- School systems have a team of professional access to status, evaluation, and legal guidance.
Summary:
The Senate Education Committee met to hear several education-related measures. It reported favorably, without objection, on House Bill 1215, which would transfer certain removed historical statues and monuments to the Office of State Parks, prohibit re-erection in the parish where they were removed, and require interpretive signage. The committee also advanced House Bill 682, which creates a school guardian program for honorably discharged veterans employed or contracted by local school systems or charter schools; testimony emphasized that guardians would be unarmed, trained, and used for mentoring and school safety. House Bill 1079, giving enrollment preferences in charter schools to children in early childhood programs, military families, foster children, and children in custody disputes, was also reported favorably, as was House Concurrent Resolution 81, directing the Department of Education to study options for districts facing declining enrollment.
The committee then took up House Bill 1084, which would allow public postsecondary institutions to raise tuition and mandatory fees by up to 15 percent annually, with higher increases requiring Board of Supervisors approval. The bill drew extended debate over affordability, TOPS, student retention, and whether universities should have more autonomy to set prices. Members raised concerns about fee burdens on families and whether the state should first study the issue; supporters argued the bill would increase transparency and let institutions respond to funding needs and market conditions. Senator Mazzell offered an amendment lowering the cap from 15 percent to 10 percent, and the committee adopted the amendment before reporting the bill favorably as amended.
Finally, the committee heard House Bill 342, which would shift the burden of proof in special education due process hearings from parents to local education agencies. The author and parents testified that the current system places an unfair burden on families of children with disabilities, who often lack access to records and legal resources, and that schools already control the documentation and should have to show compliance with IEP obligations. Jefferson Parish school officials opposed the bill, arguing it would increase legal costs, require more staff and attorney time, and potentially lead to more hearings; they also questioned the fiscal note. The Legislative Fiscal Office said the fiscal impact was indeterminable, and the committee continued hearing testimony from parents and school representatives as the transcript ended.
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Finance Apr 27th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Brendan has gone through and evaluated Every economic development tax expenditure over the last year.
- We evaluate all programs.
- We are LFC evaluators.
- This is a little different from what LFC usually presents, rather than an evaluation of a particular
- Expanding, evaluating, and prioritizing these approaches will likely reduce the number of youth who are
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Feb 14th, 2026 at 10:04 am
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- This is intended to evaluate the strategies to protect consumers and maintain affordable electric and
- Chair, and Representative, hydrogen is certainly in the context of energy sources that would be evaluated
- sector in New Mexico beyond what you might get if we rely on existing entities and bodies who can do evaluations
- those types of customers, it's squarely in the center focus of what this council would be looking to evaluate
- those types of customers, it's squarely in the center focus of what this council would be looking to evaluate
Summary:
During the legislative meeting, House Bill 287 was discussed, which proposes the establishment of a permanent Health and Human Services Committee to oversee the state's $14.4 billion expenditure in this area. An amendment to the bill was adopted, which clarified funding and operational details. Public comments were solicited, but no one spoke in opposition. The committee ultimately voted, with some members expressing concerns about budget implications, but the motion to pass the bill as amended was made and seconded, with several members opposing it.
House Bill 371 was also addressed, which focuses on creating an Acequia Infrastructure Fund to support land grant and Acequia communities. The bill aims to provide a financial mechanism for these communities to access funds for infrastructure projects without relying on capital outlay requests. The committee discussed the bill's implications, potential funding sources, and the need for further amendments regarding representation and oversight. A motion to pass the bill was made, with some opposition noted, particularly regarding the lack of specificity in the bill's provisions.
Lastly, Senate Bill 143 was presented, which seeks to raise the caps on inspection fees under the Egg Grading Act, among other agricultural regulations. Supportive testimony was provided by representatives from agricultural organizations, emphasizing the need for updated fee structures. The committee engaged in discussions about the bill's implications for consumers and the agricultural sector, ultimately moving towards a vote to pass the bill.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine restoring Boeing's status as a great American manufacturer, focusing on safety first. Apr 2nd, 2025 at 09:00 am
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- The FAA has been evaluating key performance indicators, or KPIs, to... track Boeing's progress on key
- plan came from our employees, who generated over 26,000 improvement ideas, which we continue to evaluate
- We're also adding competency evaluations for our employees before they get onto an airplane and start
- the culture of the company. starts with values and behaviors and how we reward people and how we evaluate
- So if it moves from one location to another or one factory to another, re-evaluating the first article
Keywords:
Boeing, aviation safety, safety management system, military aviation, air traffic control, transparency, oversight, accountability
Summary:
The meeting primarily focused on significant safety concerns surrounding Boeing and its compliance with federal aviation standards. Lawmakers expressed frustration over the Army's failure to provide requested operational transparency regarding helicopter operations near Washington, D.C., amid recent incidents indicating a strained air traffic control situation. Several members called for reform in Boeing's oversight, emphasizing the need for a robust safety culture and mandatory safety management systems to prevent future disasters like the 737 MAX crashes. The discussions were passionate, with survivors and families impacted by past accidents present, highlighting the urgency and seriousness of the issues at hand.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- recommend a multidisciplinary threat assessment team, as they produce more thorough and accurate evaluation
- awareness around the school, to be able to see if we have any students diving out the window, self-evaluating
- awareness around the school, to be able to see if we have any students diving out the window, self-evaluating
- this bill would not supersede a district's responsibility to refer a student for special education evaluation
- disaggregate and determine whether a student truly has a disability moving forward that then can be evaluated
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met with a quorum and announced a full agenda, including combined public testimony for two bills related to student personal communication devices. The committee first took up Senate Bill 1262 by Senator Nichols, a school safety cleanup bill following House Bill 3. The bill would allow TEA to commission peace officers for school safety purposes, require annual renewal of good-cause exceptions to armed guard requirements, create a new report based on intruder detection audits and vulnerability assessments, and require behavioral threat assessment teams to include someone with specific knowledge of a special education student’s disability. Committee members asked about the difference between TCOLE licensing and TEA commissioning, the scope of the officers’ authority, and how the good-cause exception would work. The committee substitute was adopted, and public testimony included support from school safety and drone-response advocates, Disability Rights Texas in favor of the special education provisions, and a student witness raising concerns about the mental health impact of repeated lockdowns and the need for immediate, reliable school safety responses. The bill was left pending after testimony, then the committee briefly recessed and later reopened testimony to hear the student witness.
The committee then laid out Senate Bill 2252 by Senator Creighton, a major early literacy and numeracy bill for kindergarten through third grade. Creighton said the bill builds on prior literacy efforts by funding teacher stipends for literacy and math academies, providing free and clearly administered screeners and assessments, expanding screening options, clarifying how results are used, supporting high-quality pre-K, and increasing the early education allotment. He emphasized low reading performance and the need for early intervention. Members discussed how the bill differs from earlier academy models and whether the assessments are diagnostic or high-stakes; Creighton and witnesses said the tools are intended to identify students needing support, not to serve as punitive testing. The committee adopted the substitute.
Witnesses for SB 2252 largely supported the bill. A Uplift Education representative described strong gains from small-group literacy tutoring and said students receiving targeted support can make more than a year of growth in a year. An education specialist explained that the bill aligns general education screening with existing dyslexia and special education practices and helps districts identify students who need intervention before a disability evaluation is required. A Commit Partnership witness cited statewide reading data, the importance of high-quality pre-K, and the need for transparent, consistent progress monitoring and parent engagement. Members asked about the meaning of the growth data, how dyslexia screening works, and how the bill would help identify struggling students earlier. Before finishing all questions, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair after the floor session.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation Mar 26th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Yes, we are evaluating different solutions. Okay, so where does that stand at this point?
- meet some of the statutory requirements because there is a new CEO there's new leadership they're evaluating
- the project ...requirements because there is a new CEO, there's new leadership, they're evaluating the
- understand: because the feds are also, you may or may not know this, the feds are also kind of evaluating
- asking us to fill a $7 billion hole today, but we haven't received the assessment or the project evaluation
Summary:
The committee held an informational hearing on transportation agency budget proposals and did not take any votes. The first major discussion focused on the Motor Vehicle Account shortfall and a proposed one-time $166 million transfer from the Air Pollution Control Fund and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to offset California Air Resources Board mobile source costs. Department of Finance and the LAO described the account’s long-running structural deficit, driven largely by employee compensation growth and REAL ID-related workload, while members criticized the use of Proposition 4, GGRF, and other one-time or redirected funds as backfills and urged a longer-term solution that addresses both revenues and expenditures.
The committee then heard Caltrans’ request for $25 million in General Fund support to create a Clean California Community Cleanup and Employment Pathway Grant Program. Caltrans said the program would build on the prior Clean California effort by funding local litter and graffiti cleanup, community engagement, and workforce pathways for vulnerable populations. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal, arguing that local litter abatement is not a core state responsibility and that one-time funding is unlikely to solve persistent local cleanup needs. Several members echoed those concerns, while public commenters split between support for the cleanup/employment model and calls to instead restore funding to the Active Transportation Program and transit operations.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency requested that California administratively recognize Tahoe’s federally designated population figure for state formula-based transportation funding, which would raise the population count used in formulas from 40,000 to 145,000. The agency said the change would not request new money but would better align state formulas with federal law and support a shared regional funding framework; members appeared generally supportive, though they noted the need to phase in the change to reduce impacts on other regions.
The final presentation was on High-Speed Rail. The LAO reviewed the authority’s project update report, noting that it did not fully meet statutory requirements and that key details are still pending in a supplemental report expected later in the summer. The LAO said the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment still shows an estimated roughly $7 billion funding gap, with no specific plan to close it, and highlighted risks from federal review, inflation, and uncertain GGRF revenues. High-Speed Rail Authority staff said they are conducting a bottom-up review of scope, schedule, ridership, and costs, expect to provide updated information by late summer, and are exploring public-private partnerships and other financing strategies. Members stressed that no further funding commitments should be made until the updated analysis is available.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Mar 18th, 2025
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- And it establishes requirements for the evaluations for the programs in it.
- Resulting in a stronger program of evaluations and a better understanding of the conditions under which
- Representative Garrett mentioned, the fund and the purpose of this bill is really to increase the evaluation
- of these three-year programs to make sure that we're all on the same page in evaluating and monitoring
- So the funds have internal evaluation and markers; the LFC will have them, and the DSA certainly has