Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:50.919> but<00:04:51.039> if Al the next quarterly allocation but if Al the
• FHPAP, but it can cost up to $45,000 to help the same family recover once they lose their home.
• But it can cost up to $45,000 to help the same family recover once they lose their home.
• public safety, and dramatic changes to property insurance costs and coverage.
• can keep up with ongoing operating costs can keep up with ongoing operating costs the<00:45:51.440

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1001 by Blanco, relating to the allocation of certain constitutional transfers of money to
• Senate Bill 1015 by Zaffirini, relating to excess contributions and fees allocated to statutory probate
• Senate Bill 1022 by Kolkhorst et al., relating to the recovery of vegetation management costs caused
• by Middleton, relating to credit against required recapture payments for school districts for the cost
• by Middleton relating to accredit against required recapture payments for school districts for the cost

Summary: The Senate met briefly and referred a large number of first-reading bills and resolutions to standing committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including hemp regulation, dementia research funding, parental rights and public education, municipal library funding, tax and local government issues, criminal justice, health care, education, transportation, natural resources, and election law. Several constitutional resolutions were also referred, including proposals related to the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and a severance tax revenue fund. Most of the transcript consists of the reading of bill captions and committee referrals, with no substantive debate or testimony recorded. The listed measures included proposals on school uniforms, charter schools, Medicaid fraud remedies, insurance practices, occupational licensing for people with criminal convictions, water and sewer utility cybersecurity, agricultural protections, public meeting broadcasting, and various local and state governance matters. No votes were taken on the bills in this segment. The only formal action reflected was referral of the bills and resolutions to the appropriate committees, followed by adjournment of the Senate until the next scheduled meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in the appropriations bill, it fixes the base student allocation, $5,376, $72.
• It's the weighted times the base student allocation, couple differentials.
• Driven the cost of the property values up.
• The Save Our Homes—how much did that cost the state property tax value?
• cost to replace that particular property given today's cost.

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for an educational session focused on how Florida funds public schools and how property taxes are assessed and levied. Dr. Jim Zengali of the Department of Revenue explained the FEFP school funding formula, noting that it is built on weighted student counts, a base student allocation, and programmatic add-ons such as transportation, exceptional student education, school safety, and mental health. He said school funding is roughly split between state general revenue and local property taxes through required local effort, with additional discretionary and capital outlay millages contributing to total school funding. He also described the Department of Revenue’s role in certifying property rolls at fair market value and reviewing them for substantial compliance, including the so-called “nuclear option” if a roll is not approved. Members asked about trends in millage rates, county-by-county funding differences, the effect of growth and enrollment changes, and how property appraisals are reviewed. Zengali said aggregate millage for school funding has declined over the last decade while revenues have still increased, and he agreed to provide additional data on county trends, parcel strata, student growth, and enrollment impacts. He also clarified that school funding is equalized so students receive similar resources regardless of county wealth, and that federal funding plays only a small role in the FEFP. Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research then discussed existing homestead benefits. She said about half of Florida’s parcels are homestead properties, most fall in the $250,000 to $500,000 value range, and many seniors without mortgages pay property taxes in lump sums rather than through escrow. Baker explained that Florida’s homestead tax burden is middle-of-the-pack nationally and that the main benefits are Save Our Homes and portability on the differential side, plus the $25,000 homestead exemption and related exemptions on the exemption side. She said these benefits reduce taxable value substantially, with homestead properties receiving a large share of the reductions, and noted that the committee requested follow-up data on exemption usage, portability timing, senior exemptions, and county-level patterns. The final presentation, by Lizette Kelly of the Department of Revenue, covered millage rates and the TRIM process. She reviewed the history of truth-in-millage notices, required taxpayer mailings, public hearing notices, and later changes that tied local millage resets to rollback and majority-vote rates. Kelly explained the difference between proposed and adopted millage, the rollback rate, and the majority-vote rate, and described how taxing authorities include counties, cities, special districts, and MSTUs. She also outlined how county taxable value is calculated from just value through assessment differentials and exemptions, and how certain exemptions, such as the additional senior exemption, apply only to the taxing authority that adopted them. No votes were taken during the meeting, but members requested several follow-up data reports for later discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Here you use the term "fixed costs."
• Obviously, an increased allocation would be good there.
• It's a good time for us to look at the allotment for basic costs by categorizing the costs last year
• Only 81% of our budget is allocated to personnel.
• High implementation costs for districts.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our cost for software licensing continues to go up, and we'd like to be able to cover those costs.
• Our health insurance costs went up.
• And so we should have cost savings in there.
• When you start talking about the cost of a roof, it's a cost of a roof.
• and other costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• That 100% there's no cost share.
• Other needs assistance we have a 25% cost share.
• For operating costs, yes.
• Those monies that are allocated are not allocated to the military department.
• So there will be additional costs.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He wondered if we are such a veteran-friendly state, then why does he have to incur more costs as a 100%
• VA hospital, wondering if we are such a veteran-friendly state, then why does he have to incur more costs
• law and potentially injured somebody to have insurance, I think this is actually going to lower the cost
• And last year, there was some language that we all worked together on related to administrative costs
• of our transit systems, and all of them are now giving much more detail on their administrative costs

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and heard a series of transportation-related bills, most of which were reported favorably. SB 532 would exempt 100% disabled veterans from paying Florida tolls. SB 1738 would allow certain counties that previously opted out of transportation concurrency to opt back in by maintaining current levels of service, though there were concerns about congestion and future growth. SB 1696 aimed to reduce transportation network company driver impersonation, allow transit authorities to contract with ride-share platforms, and permit those platforms to participate in state-funded paratransit trips. SB 1378, as amended, would allow courts to order restitution in standard leaving-the-scene crashes; the amendment made restitution discretionary and required that the driver caused or contributed to the crash. SB 1210 would increase penalties for red-light and stop-sign crashes and require bodily injury insurance for drivers who cause such crashes. SB 1820, via strike-all amendment, addressed dealer-manufacturer relations by requiring written explanations of performance measures, prohibiting retaliation against dealers asserting statutory rights, and limiting franchise termination or nonrenewal to substantial breaches. SB 1246 created a specialty license plate for safe coastal wildlife, with proceeds going to the Zoo Miami Foundation for conservation work and an amendment allowing up to 10% for administrative and marketing costs. The committee also considered SB 574, which would allow Florida residents with Purple Heart license plates to pass tolls free of charge; the bill was amended to change the plate reference to a specialty plate and was reported favorably. SB 1662, the FDOT department bill, was substantially revised by strike-all amendment covering a wide range of transportation issues, including USF’s role in the Florida Transportation Research Institute Consortium, Florida Transportation Commission provisions, seaport and airport-related changes, strategic space infrastructure, sewer lines in rights of way, small county road assistance, aggregate supply chain programs, and Jacksonville Transportation Authority board appointments. Testimony on SB 1662 included support from USF and the Florida Public Transportation Association, which raised concerns about added oversight and bureaucracy for transit systems. Most bills received support from affected stakeholders, and several were amended before final favorable votes. Roll calls were taken on each measure, and all of the listed bills were reported favorably by the committee. At the end of the meeting, senators requested to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on several bills, and the committee adjourned after a brief personal privilege remark from Chair Collins.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:04:08.680> of sufficient funds to cover the cost of sufficient funds to cover the cost
• look at looking at what are the costs look at looking at what are the costs are<03:37:59.960>
• <03:51:09.560> four education we last year allocated four education we last year allocated
• The costs are going up. How do we fix that? I don't know.
• <04:14:46.560> you allocate allocated time the time you allocate allocated time the time you

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 362, which would grant the Department of Education rulemaking authority related to educator licensure and testing requirements, including passing scores on professional education assessments. Representative Ladd said the bill is intended to preserve New Hampshire’s standards for classroom teachers and CTE instructors, while allowing DOE flexibility through rulemaking. He emphasized maintaining high standards, including for career and technical education, and said he was open to DOE clarifying the language further. Committee members raised concerns that the bill, as written, could remove language recognizing industry-recognized credentials for CTE instructors. Department of Education Director Steven Appy said DOE had drafted an amendment to clarify that the requirement applies to an initial New Hampshire license, to exempt CTE teachers from content exams, and to preserve current administrative practice allowing basic academic skills testing and industry-recognized credentials as substitutes. The committee discussed the distinction between basic academic skills tests and content assessments, and Appy said the amendment was meant to avoid conflating those requirements. The chair said the committee would take up executive session on HB 362 and related bills later. The committee then took up House Bill 90, which narrows and defines the rules for part-time teachers, especially in concurrent enrollment settings. Representative Ladd explained that the bill is meant to allow qualified college faculty or adjuncts from the University System or Community College System to teach high school concurrent-enrollment courses when local schools lack a teacher with the needed master’s-level credentials, particularly in math and STEM subjects. He said the bill is intended to expand student access to college-level coursework, save money, and preserve standards, while still requiring background checks and adherence to ethics and conduct rules. Members began asking questions about how the bill would work in practice, including certification and endorsement issues, but the hearing was not concluded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• the work and the cost that went into it. the work and the cost that went into it.
• And so I think we need into a huge cost.
• Their concern was the cost. We would address the cost in public safety.
• Their concern was the cost. We would address the cost in public safety. Further questions?
• Their concern was the cost. We start. Their concern was the cost.

Bills: HF3418, HF3739, HF3791, HF3356, HF3695, HF3430

Keywords: pedestrian safety, traffic safety, roadway improvements, nonmotorized transportation, crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes, complete streets, Vision Zero, Toward Zero Deaths, MnDOT, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, local road authority, county roads, city streets, tribal transportation, capital improvements, safety design solutions, grant program

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 25, 2026, and the chair noted the absence of Representative Katie Jones due to the birth of her baby. The chair also acknowledged that the committee would be discussing difficult topics related to the June 14 killing of Mark and Melissa Hortman and Gilbert. The main business began with House File 3418, which Chair Tabke moved for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill, and the committee adopted the A1 author’s amendment. The bill was described as a pedestrian safety measure prompted by a fatal Moorhead crash involving a young boy; it would create an opt-in program for communities to use pre-made traffic safety templates, with the state covering 80% of project costs to speed implementation of measures like lane narrowing, rumble strips, and bollards. A Moorhead testifier said the city could have acted faster with such funding, and members generally supported the goal while raising concerns about overlap with existing Safe Routes to School and active transportation programs, the bill’s fiscal note, and how communities would be selected. MDOT testified that it already supports similar community demonstration projects and has funded about 30 such projects since 2019. HF 3418 was laid over. The committee then took up House File 3739, a memorial highway bill for Mark and Melissa Hortman. An A1 amendment to shift funding away from trunk highway funds and toward legislative budgets was moved but not adopted after members argued memorial signage should continue to be paid for with private funds, as in prior memorial highway designations. The bill author explained the memorial was intended to honor Melissa Hortman’s service and connection to Highway 610, and members discussed the length of the proposed memorial stretch and whether it should be narrowed to the area she represented. Several members supported the tribute but expressed concern about using public funds and about setting a precedent for future memorial highways. The committee indicated the bill would move on to Ways and Means with other issues still to be worked out.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are working with OMB on our cost allocation, so that is not cost allocating correctly, which is why
• Where does that number lie in that total allocation? Yes.
• Next is the cost impact. So again, with HR1, there is a cost component to the payment error rate.
• Next is the cost impact. So again, with HR1, there is a cost component to the payment error rate.
• With that total, there are the construction costs, which are being provided by Mortensen, the NDIT costs

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a series of updates on major health-related projects and programs. CHI St. Alexius representatives reported progress on behavioral health buildouts in Bismarck, Williston, and Grand Forks, including demolition and construction milestones, staffing plans, and timelines. The Bismarck project remains on track for completion in June 2027 with about $346,500 spent to date. Williston reported construction underway, a $750,000 unbudgeted air handler replacement, active recruitment for psychiatrists and other staff, and a projected substantial completion in early 2027. Grand Forks reported about 30% completion, weather-tight status expected in August, and continued staffing ramp-up as the facility expands from its current 24-bed operation. The Department of Health and Human Services then reviewed a set of technical line-item transfers, emphasizing that they were administrative corrections with no net change in funding. The department also walked through the Salaries and Wages Block Grant and FTE counts, noting overall staffing remained within appropriated limits and that behavioral health staffing had increased. Members asked about vacancies, consultant use, and the mix of in-state versus out-of-state expertise for the Rural Health Transformation Program. HHS said it had posted 12 funding opportunities, received 422 applications, obligated $8.4 million so far, hired 26 people, and was preparing additional grant rounds and a CMS budget submission. The department said the program is structured around workforce, prevention/healthy living, care closer to home, and technology/data, with ongoing stakeholder engagement and community forums. The committee also heard on the certified community behavioral health clinic implementation plan, SNAP payment error rates, and the state laboratory project. HHS said CCBHC certification is being implemented in four regions—Williston, Minot/North Central, Fargo/Southeast, and Dickinson/Badlands—with care coordination expanding and baseline data still being collected. On SNAP, the department reported a 2025 payment error rate of 9.89%, acknowledged cost impacts under HR1, and said it is using training, system changes, and pre-authorization quality checks to reduce errors toward a 6% target over the next 6 to 12 months. Finally, Public Health reported the state laboratory reached substantial completion on June 12, with total costs at $69.95 million of the $70 million budget, though a service elevator issue will require a new lift to be added using contingency funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, line 40 shows the cost to to PUC.
• All these costs<00:05:05.840> increase<00:05:06.160> costs<00:05:06.479> are<00:
• 05:06.800> assessed<00:05:07.360> back costs increase costs are assessed back costs increase
• So this would only happen if there are actual costs or anticipated costs.
• So this would only happen if there are actual costs or anticipated costs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And also, this goes to the cost-prohibitive nature of the bill in its entirety.
• , can include the cost of sending out the notice as part of that charge.
• Citizens wanting to get something on the ballot now have to pay an additional cost.
• The intent is to explain to the voters what the cost is, potential cost is, of this item you're voting
• And it costs millions of dollars, like tens of millions of dollars.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for Walton County Deputy Will May, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. The Rules and Ethics Committee’s special order report for April 3, 2025 was adopted, and CS/HB 947 was recommitted to the Judiciary Committee. The chamber then moved through a series of bills, mostly reviser and technical measures, with several companion Senate bills substituted and passed: SB 36 (Florida statutes adoption act), SB 42 (general reviser’s bill), SB 40 (deleting inoperative statutory provisions), and SB 38 (renaming references from the Division of Investigative and Forensic Services to the Division of Criminal Investigations). All of those passed unanimously or near-unanimously. The House also passed HB 513 on electronic transmittal of court orders, requiring clerks to electronically send certain petitions, notices, summonses, and orders within six hours, including Baker Act, Marchman Act, and risk protection order documents. Members discussed whether judges needed to direct transmission and whether there were fail-safes if clerks did not comply. HB 615, on electronic delivery of notices between landlords and tenants, was amended to strengthen tenant protections and passed 108-0. HB 655 establishing a regulatory framework for pet insurance, HB 299 on elevator accessibility requirements, and HB 1145 on workforce education also passed, with HB 1145 receiving 100 yeas and 4 nays. HB 649, removing the paper supervised protocol for certified registered nurse anesthetists, passed 77-30 after structured debate. A major portion of the meeting focused on CS/HB 1205, which would significantly revise Florida’s citizen initiative process. The bill adds a $1 million bond requirement after 25% of required signatures are collected, requires petition handlers to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, imposes background checks and training for paid circulators, shortens petition turn-in deadlines to 10 days, increases penalties, adds signature revocation notices, and creates additional criminal penalties and enforcement provisions. Supporters argued the changes were needed to address fraud and protect petition integrity; opponents said the bill would burden First Amendment activity and make citizen-led amendments much harder to qualify. Numerous amendments were offered, including proposals to remove sensitive personal information from petition forms, soften deadlines and penalties, change validation thresholds, and alter the estimating conference process; most failed, though one amendment clarifying who pays for background checks was adopted. The transcript ends during continued debate on an amendment to strike most of the bill and prohibit public funds from being used to advocate for or against constitutional amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• um low cost and no cost accessibility um low cost and no cost accessibility improvements<00:56:31.319
• <00:56:40.839> uh in in an Innovative high cost uh in in an Innovative high cost uh category
• <01:23:56.880> so discount rate to the current cost so discount rate to the current cost so
• but as the cost of living throughout the but as the cost of living throughout the country<01:25:03.760
• c><01:57:51.719> to that that that helped us avoid costs to that that that helped us avoid costs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and now in 2025 it's estimated to cost $1.1 million.
• And the other significant cost driver is the estimated preservation costs, which have increased between
• I'm looking at the cost side of these and the costs that the state kind of imposes.
• Are you looking at what it costs to administer these programs, specifically?
• So there's this resource allocation aspect. We see if the project's working.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I always have the question, why is it costing so much? We're not getting any hard wiring.
• It's the cost of the design for individual projects.
• It's the cost of the design for individual projects.
• It's the cost of the design for individual projects.
• <00:25:22.960> money both cost money both cost money and<00:25:24.720> if<00:25:24.880

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved contracts 98, 99, and 100 on a roll call vote, with Chairman Douglas voting no but the items still passing. It then took up a Kentucky Department of Tourism contract involving the United Kingdom, France, and Germany/Austria/Switzerland markets. Tourism officials said the state has had similar contracts since 2013, that international visitors spend about six times more per day than domestic travelers, and that the effort supports marketing, public relations, and familiarization trips. The committee approved that contract as well, with Chairman Douglas voting yes after expressing support for tourism promotion. Next, the committee reviewed two Finance Cabinet facilities and support services items involving engineering and architectural services for a specialized lab expansion project. Members discussed why the design work was expensive, and the cabinet explained that the project’s pathogen-related complexity required specialized firms. Chairman Douglas said he believed some architectural and engineering reimbursement rates were too high and should be reexamined, but the committee still approved the items by roll call. The committee then heard from the Attorney General’s office and the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission on an MOA related to substance use disorder funding. Senator Meredith asked how the commission’s work coordinated with behavioral health programs, and staff explained that the commission allocates funds based on applications and includes relevant state officials. The contract was approved. After that, the committee considered behavioral health items: one new 988 chat-and-text contract to expand Kentucky-based crisis response coverage, and a Voices of Hope amendment that doubled funding to continue services into the next fiscal year. Officials said the 988 contract would move more chats and texts in-state, and that the Voices of Hope increase reflected continuation of SAMHSA-funded services; both were approved. Finally, the committee reviewed DCBS contracts, including a food insecurity survey contract with a Kentucky nonprofit and a Building Bridges Initiative training contract. Members questioned whether the food survey group’s advocacy role created a conflict, but DCBS said the organization was chosen for its statewide network and that the cabinet would receive the raw data. For Building Bridges, DCBS said the program began in the fall and provides training and peer mentorship for residential child care providers, with results still too early to assess. Both items were approved. The last set of contracts, under the State Treasurer for the Kentucky Council on Developmental Disabilities, prompted questions about why the funding flowed through the treasurer’s office and about a sexuality-related capacity-building initiative. Staff explained the treasurer serves as the designated state agency for federal DD Act funds, and that the sexuality initiative is part of a broader five-year plan focused on self-advocacy, system change, and capacity building; the committee then moved to approve those contracts as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• This committee has a stake in discussions about things that could increase that cost.
• We see things that move through Labor and Industry that increase the cost.
• We see things that move through the Energy Committee that raise the cost.
• We see things that can move through any committee that can raise the cost of housing.
• This covers all allocating agencies by including sub-allocators such as Minneapolis, St.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cost of healthy food for Californian families.
• Say yes to creating jobs and reducing the cost.
• We have some of the highest electricity costs.
• Insurance costs that are going on right now, right?
• And those costs are passed on to working families.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:06.159> revenue both uh collects and allocates revenue both uh collects and allocates
• So, just a little bit to show you that the fuel costs, even when you factor in the utility costs, are
• ><01:17:29.760> um<01:17:30.080> ICE<01:17:30.480> vehicles costs the fuel costs
• of um ICE vehicles costs the fuel costs of um ICE vehicles versus<01:17:31.679> electric<01:17
• <01:26:06.800> for that have been uh kind of allocated for that have been uh kind of allocated

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• 05:12.720> land environment and with the rise of land environment and with the rise of land costs
• so um money's still moving out the costs so um money's still moving out the door<00:05:16.320> um
• It's on page 1, line 21, and that is a figure that goes to the cost of issuing bonds, and it doesn't
• , rising rental costs, and operational costs, which equate to 4% for the biennium, or would equate to
• Rising rental costs and operational costs that equate to 4% for the biennium, or would equate to roughly

Bills: HF770, HF857, HF38, HF1500, HF43

Keywords: HF770, Rural Finance Authority, RFA, capital investment, state bonds, general obligation bonds, bonding bill, agricultural loans, farm loans, beginning farmer, new farmer, seller-sponsored loans, loan restructuring, agricultural improvement loans, livestock expansion, modernization loans, rural development, Minnesota agriculture, farm credit, chapter 41B

Transcript Highlights:

• We're leaders in open educational resources and low-cost textbooks and free textbooks.
• Harold chaired the work group on the allocation model, so I just want to shout out an appreciation of
• And we continue to have dramatically increasing operating costs, right?
• And we continue to have dramatically increasing operating costs, right?
• of tuition, $60,000; cost of tuition, $80,000; et cetera.

Summary: The committee held a work session on the state of Washington’s community and technical college system with State Board executive director Nate Humphrey and Tacoma Community College president Ivan Harrell. They described the system’s open-access mission, 34 colleges serving more than 307,000 students, relatively low tuition, enrollment growth over 12 consecutive quarters, and strong outcomes such as more than 46,000 credentials awarded last year. They also highlighted system initiatives including guided pathways, I-BEST, dual enrollment, tribal partnerships, a new program search tool, and six colleges named Aspen Prize finalists. At the same time, they emphasized major challenges: high rates of student food, housing, and homelessness insecurity; sharply rising emergency aid requests; and federal funding disruptions affecting TANF, BFET, adult basic education, Carl Perkins, NOAA-related tribal work, and several federal grants. Members asked about SNAP impacts, declining high school graduates, and how BFET and TANF interact with other aid programs. The presenters also discussed system priorities such as AI, Workforce Pell, capital planning, nursing accreditation alignment, and the Washington College Grant. The committee then heard testimony from AFT Washington and the Washington Association of Higher Education on faculty and staff conditions in the community and technical college system. Jackie Kane and Suzanne Sutherland argued that classified staff, professional staff, and contingent faculty are essential to student success but face low pay, instability, and weak retention, and they urged lawmakers to protect existing funding and avoid further cuts. They said working conditions for faculty and staff are student learning conditions, and that underfunding leads to reduced services, shortened advising, and program instability. Marina Parr of the Workforce Board presented on federal H.R. 1’s new Workforce Pell provisions and the updated Career Bridge website. She explained that Workforce Pell would allow federal aid for short-term training programs of 8 to 15 weeks, with high completion, employment, and earnings thresholds and a requirement that credentials be stackable and portable. She said Washington is well positioned to implement the program because of its existing eligible training provider evaluation system and Career Bridge, which now has a redesigned public portal, digital portfolios, multilingual access, and performance data on programs. Members asked about rulemaking, possible gaps in state services, and how the wage and completion standards would be applied. The Washington Student Achievement Council then briefed the committee on the new Washington Completes FAFSA campaign created by executive order. Staff described an advisory board with statewide representation, a pilot that used microgrants and other supports at 25 priority schools, and a new goal of 46,000 FAFSA or WASFA completions this year. They reported that completion rates were tracking slightly ahead of last year, with 24% of high school seniors having completed a FAFSA by the end of November, and they showcased a public dashboard with subgroup data and a WIAA-based leaderboard. Members asked about outreach to rural and homeschool students, legislative communications, Pierce County representation, and barriers to FAFSA completion, and staff said they would provide toolkits and continue expanding outreach. The committee then began hearing from student presenters about affordability, access, equity, and student experience.