Transcript Highlights:

• First thing up on the agenda is a presentation by DPI on math and science, math and reading scores.
• So we'll have the math and science, and then, excuse me, math and reading.
• So you're looking here at math. So we have one side for math, one slide for ELA. This one's math.
• It's not like 3 through 8 where you're just doing 5th-grade math, 6th-grade math, 7th-grade math, right
• For math, it's just three credits of math.

Keywords: 908, all

Bills: SB137, SB1216, SB1226, SB1238, SB1255, SB1256, SB1258, SB1325, SB1460, SB1543, SB1730, SB1733, SB1921

Keywords: electronic monitoring, Department of Corrections, criminal justice, rehabilitation, public safety, SB 1216, drug court, drug courts, Oklahoma drug court, eligibility, substance abuse treatment, addiction, diversion program, criminal justice reform, probation violation, revocation, intermediate revocation facility, plea agreement, speedy trial waiver, preliminary hearing waiver

Transcript Highlights:

• Because many individuals who undergo these interventions as minors do not fully grasp or experience regret
• The quick back-of-the-math numbers we ran is that the highway fund would lose approximately $28 million
• Additionally, any person who is to offer expert testimony or a report related to therapeutic intervention
• The court-appointed behavioral intervention, which, by the way, thank you for putting a fine point on
• The court-appointed behavioral intervention, which, by the way, thank you for putting a fine point on

Bills: SB1015, SB1049, SB1066, SB1081, SB1092, SB1133, SB1134, SB1139, SB1147, SB1148, SB1168, SB1189, SCR1001, SCR1002, SCR1005, SCR1010

Keywords: gender transition, detransition, healthcare liability, medical malpractice, youth protection, legal action, Arizona law, spousal maintenance, court guidelines, self-sufficiency, financial support, marriage dissolution, child safety, dependency cases, attorney regulation, foster care, legal representation, probation, dangerous crimes, children

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee heard several bills and took action on multiple measures. SB 1066 would create civil liability for knowingly or recklessly publishing fraudulent scientific research, allowing the Attorney General, county attorneys, and injured parties to sue; the sponsor and supporters argued it would deter research fraud and protect the public, while opponents warned it would chill research and speech. After debate over peer review, fraud standards, and the bill’s scope, the committee voted 4-3 to give SB 1066 a do-pass recommendation. SB 1015 would impose strict personal liability on providers who perform gender transition procedures on minors, including liability for later detransition costs and injuries; supporters framed it as accountability for irreversible treatment on children, while opponents called it discriminatory and likely to function as a backdoor ban. After testimony from the sponsor, medical professionals, detransitioners, and civil liberties advocates, the committee also passed SB 1015 on a 4-3 vote. The committee then considered SB 1049, which would limit spousal maintenance awards to four years and change the factors courts use in setting support. The sponsor said the bill was intended to curb long-term maintenance and align support with self-sufficiency, while judicial and family-law witnesses explained the existing guideline system, the 2022-2025 court study, and concerns that a hard cap could ignore case-specific circumstances such as disability or housing instability. The committee adopted an amendment setting the duration cap at four years and approved the bill as amended by a 4-2 vote. SB 1189, allowing campaign funds to be used for personal security for candidates and family members, passed unanimously after supporters cited threats against public officials and personal experiences with harassment. The committee also passed SB 1081, which would prevent a Department of Child Safety attorney from appearing before a judge they had appeared before in the prior five DCS cases; the sponsor said it was meant to reduce familiarity between attorneys and judges, while opponents raised concerns about rural court access and arbitrary limits. SB 1133, which would eliminate the need for a candidate to file a second financial disclosure statement if one had already been filed that year, was amended to add an emergency clause and passed unanimously. The committee then moved to SCR 1001, a referral measure to end early voting at 7 p.m. on the Friday before the general election and require affirmative request for a mail ballot by voters who have provided proof of citizenship; the transcript cuts off as that measure was being introduced.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of those is Unbound Now's early intervention program.
• In my experience, early recognition can lead to timely interventions, which are essential to stopping
• In my experience, early recognition can lead to timely interventions, which are essential to stopping
• One of those is Unbound Now's early intervention program.
• In my experience, early recognition can lead to timely interventions, which are essential to stopping

Bills: HB136, HB451, SB425, SB466, SB905, SB1986, SB2311, SB2450, SB2805, SB2826, SB2919, SB3001

Keywords: Medicaid, lactation, healthcare, consultation, reimbursement, maternal health, infant care, commercial sexual exploitation, child sex trafficking, human trafficking, child welfare, foster care, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, juvenile probation, risk assessment, needs assessment, trauma screening, child abuse prevention, exploitation screening

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and announced it would vote on pending bills at 10:30, with public testimony limited to two minutes. It first took up Senate Bill 905, a TDLR cleanup bill on licensing regulation of speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Senator Zafferini said the committee substitute would streamline advisory board consultation, remove obsolete provisional licenses, and allow any licensed physician to authorize hearing instruments for minors; the substitute was adopted and the bill left pending. The committee then heard House Bill 451, which would require universal screening for commercial sexual exploitation risk for children in DFPS conservatorship and youth under TJJD jurisdiction. The author and witnesses from Children at Risk, the Fort Bend Anti-Trafficking Collective, and Texas CASA supported the bill as a prevention tool with existing infrastructure and training; the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending. The committee next considered Senate Bill 466, which would clarify that families may request a fetal death certificate at any gestational age, while keeping existing filing requirements for physicians. A constituent father testified about losing his 11-week-old daughter and being told he could not obtain a certificate, which he said prevented funeral arrangements; the substitute was adopted and the bill left pending. Senate Bill 2311 followed, requiring residential treatment centers to have a written agreement with the school that will educate resident children before becoming operational. The author cited a local dispute where an RTC and school district lacked communication, and witnesses from Texas CASA and Disability Rights Texas supported clearer educational planning while suggesting the Education Code may need conforming changes; the bill was left pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2826, known as Alyssa’s Law, which would create a statewide education program on medical child abuse for medical students, health care professionals, and CPS caseworkers. The author and Sheriff Bill Weyburn described Alyssa’s case as involving repeated unnecessary surgeries and argued the bill would improve awareness and early identification, while several witnesses and members raised concerns about false accusations, impacts on medically fragile children, and the need for scientific, peer-reviewed training and safeguards. After extensive discussion, the chair left the bill pending. The committee also heard House Bill 136, which would add certified lactation consultants as Medicaid providers to expand breastfeeding support; witnesses from lactation and nutrition fields said the bill would improve access, maternal and infant health, and long-term savings, and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 2805, a surprise-billing/arbitration measure that would clarify provider identifiers and shift arbitration costs to the losing party. The author said the substitute was a legislative counsel draft with no substantive difference, and witnesses from the Texas Medical Association, Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, and U.S. Anesthesia Partners supported the bill as a modest improvement that would reduce administrative confusion and make arbitration fairer without weakening patient protections. Members discussed how arbitration costs affect settlement behavior and how to define the “winner” in close cases. The bill was heard but not voted out during this segment.

Transcript Highlights:

• that percentage is over 14%, I want you to shake their hand and say, "I'm sorry, but my eighth grade math
• families. staff if the employees of the facility have undergone and adhered to crisis prevention and intervention
• And so I think, I do think sometimes it gets to a certain point where intervention sooner would be helpful
• And I just have to ask because I'm not always... understanding on math.

Bills: SB205, SB582, SB625, SB1884, SB1903, SB2600, SB2617, SB2751, SB111, SB3061, SB1908

Keywords: fetal development, health curriculum, public schools, middle school health education, grade 7, grade 8, State Board of Education, school health advisory council, Texas Education Code, pregnancy, reproductive health, infertility, birth defects, prenatal development, unborn child, trimester, medically accurate instruction, age-appropriate instruction, drug and alcohol effects, lead exposure

Transcript Highlights:

• The focus of layer 2 interventions is individualized and targeted interventions to support core curriculum
• or math coaches, and finally, the focus of layer three, intensive interventions is to provide students
• Layer 3 intensive interventions may include.
• and intensive interventions.
• Um, what about math then? We don't hold them back because of reading, but what about math?

Transcript Highlights:

• But if I never asked them to do math, they're not going to learn math.
• because I asked them to do math. because I asked them to do math.
• So it runs the gamut. intervention. It's not all I know the intervention.
• extensive interventions. extensive interventions.
• and intensive intervention intervention and intensive intervention in<05:33:08.000> schools<05

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the highest level of intervention. Intervention in terms of designated schools.
• to build in some math interventions as well as our interventions that we Implement throughout the school
• This is our math approach to the science of math for elementary school.
• I know that. with math.
• Focusing on math, helping us think through how we support math instruction and math professional development

Transcript Highlights:

• through our intervention process, as well as through tier one instruction.
• > process<00:21:11.320> as math through our intervention process as math through our intervention
• We know that we have some work to do in our elementary students with the interventions.
• This is above the intervention that the live teachers are doing in live sessions.
• results that other reading intervention results that other reading intervention were<00:26:27.080

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with a quorum and heard first from the Washway Nicotine Youth Advocacy Group, which urged stronger enforcement of Kentucky’s Tobacco 21 law. Youth advocates described the harms of flavored vaping products, argued that nicotine use is targeting children, and called for retailer licensing, annual compliance checks, harsher penalties for illegal sales, and more funding for enforcement. Committee members praised the presentation, and one senator said he had heard a bill on licensed retailers may be coming soon. The committee then heard a lengthy presentation from Cloverport Independent School District and the Kentucky Virtual Academy about the state’s virtual school model. Superintendent Keith Haynes and principals Brandy Fagan and Sally Johnson said KYVA serves about 2,800 students, many of whom are at-risk or have health, safety, behavioral, or family reasons for choosing virtual education. They emphasized that the program uses live synchronous instruction, provides devices and materials, and offers special education and related services. They also said the school had a large wait list and that virtual programs need more flexibility in staffing ratios, scheduling, and testing windows. School leaders acknowledged criticism of KYVA’s proficiency scores and said many students entered far below grade level, with 59% not proficient in English language arts and 79% not proficient in math on recent state testing. They argued the program is too new to judge solely on one year of data and pointed to growth in MAP scores, as well as middle and high school rankings in the top half of Kentucky schools. Fagan and Johnson outlined improvement efforts, including daily interventions, small-group instruction, literacy programs, staff training, and expanded clubs and student activities. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We try to develop an intervention plan. What can we do?
• And it provides tips and interventions for parents, again, all... ...and it provides tips and interventions
• Early warning interventions for our tier two students are the same.
• You do the math of how many kids are missing just 18 days or more.
• They’re not showing up for social studies, math, and English. We know that.

Summary: The committee on Pre-K through 12 Education met to discuss chronic absenteeism, district attendance interventions, and related truancy procedures. Chair Simon reviewed Florida’s attendance laws and escalation process, including school-based interventions, child study team meetings, referrals to the Department of Juvenile Justice, truancy petitions, and possible sanctions for parents and driving privileges. The committee heard first from University of Florida professor Dr. Chris Curran, who presented state and national absenteeism data showing chronic absenteeism has risen sharply since the pandemic, with Florida at about 31.4% in 2023-24. He emphasized that absenteeism has multiple causes, including transportation, mental health, housing instability, safety concerns, and family barriers, and said effective responses include early warning systems, multi-tiered supports, mentoring, and community partnerships rather than relying only on punitive measures. Members questioned Dr. Curran about whether absenteeism is a behavior or barrier issue, whether exclusionary discipline is counted, the need for a uniform definition across districts, and whether more punitive truancy enforcement is effective. He said the issue is usually a mix of barriers and choices, that excused and unexcused absences both matter for chronic absenteeism data, and that root-cause analysis and supportive interventions are generally more productive than punishment alone, though consequences can still play a role. The committee then heard from Collier County Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli and district staff, who described a highly structured attendance system built around attendance specialists, social workers, mental health staff, home visits, attendance contracts, multilingual outreach, and frequent parent notifications. They said Collier’s chronic absenteeism rate was about 9% in 2023-24 and credited their success to early contact, community partnerships, and a strong district culture around attendance. Volusia County Schools Executive Director Mike McAuliffe described a newer districtwide attendance initiative that uses automated letters, same-day notifications, data dashboards, MTSS tiers, incentives, and community supports such as bikes, washers and dryers, and faith-based partnerships. He reported Volusia reduced chronic absenteeism from 34% in 2023-24 to a projected 29% and said the district is now seeing about 20% in the first quarter of the current year. No formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the point is that if they're redoing math, what if they're a grade behind in math?
• Because of early intervention, parental intervention. We talked about that. It takes the home.
• Reading interventions for K through third grade—the earlier the intervention, the better.
• Early intervention, not retention.
• Interventions in education ranks retention as the most harmful intervention in education.

Bills: LB878, LB958, LB958A, LB762, LB1187, LB966, LB929, LB962, LB1209, LB937A, LB962A, LB1050, LB1050A, LB965, LB1022, LB753, LB788, LB913, LB1055, LB1195, LB429, LB721, LB722, LB727, LB745, LB749, LB778, LR293, LR296, LR422, LR495, LR496, LR497, LR498, LR499, LR500, LR501, LR502, LR503, LR504

Keywords: paid parental leave, state employees, workplace benefits, family support, economic impact, Medicaid, Medical Assistance Act, home and community-based services waiver, HCBS waiver, waiver participant, assessment tool, clinical interviewing, service tier, retroactive coverage, doula, doula reimbursement, maternal health, prenatal care, pregnancy, birth outcomes

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that kind of the math that you saw from the first page? So, Mr.
• That was targeted interventions to low-income at-risk kids.
• Simple math.
• So doing the direct math.
• and that their math is correct.

Summary: The committee heard first from LFC staff on a brief about New Mexico’s universal child care expansion. Staff said child care assistance has clear benefits for parents and families, but LFC has not found evidence in New Mexico that it improves children’s educational outcomes; they argued pre-K is the better tool for that goal. The brief highlighted four concerns with universal access: an estimated annual cost of about $849.7 million, a sharp decline in registered homes, possible crowding out of lower-income families, and reduced access for children under age two. Staff also suggested possible mitigations such as prioritizing slots for low-income and at-risk families, reinstating sliding-scale co-pays, and tying quality improvements to workforce wages. Members raised questions about the cost estimate, funding sources, provider quality, and whether the data showed actual crowding out. Several lawmakers expressed support for child care generally but concern about the fiscal impact and whether universal access would divert resources from the families most in need. Others emphasized the importance of child care for workforce participation, rural communities, and family stability, and questioned how registered homes are counted and regulated. LFC staff clarified that the cost estimate was for child care assistance only, not the entire ECECD budget, and that the data showed declines in the share of lowest-income children and infants/toddlers served, though not causation. The ECECD secretary then presented the department’s response, saying universal child care is intended to complete a cradle-to-career system and that the department has already seen strong uptake, increased capacity, and rising workforce participation. She said 6,206 families were found eligible in the first month, the share of infants and toddlers served rose, and new provider applications and licensed slots increased after the November rollout. The department also emphasized wage increases, quality improvements, and a new wage scale/career lattice, while projecting a lower near-term cost than LFC’s estimate and requesting additional funding for child care, early pre-K, home visiting, workforce systems, and capacity-building. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided; the discussion was informational and focused on questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two, fifth-grade students are already required to take a type test, a science test, a math test, and
• cursive has become obsolete, so we're asking that we all look back at the priority of reading and math
• They are doing math. They maybe are not getting it at the level that the tests are requiring yet.
• They are doing math. They maybe are not getting it at the level that the tests are requiring yet.
• We are reinforcing a commitment to intervention, prevention, and holistic family support.

Summary: The Education and Employment Committee heard and passed HB 921, which adds cursive writing to required instruction for grades 2 through 5 and requires students to demonstrate proficiency by the end of fifth grade. The bill sponsor argued cursive is important for historical literacy, everyday signatures, and possible early identification of learning differences. Opponents and several members supported teaching cursive but objected to the testing/proficiency requirement, saying students and teachers are already overburdened and that reading cursive is not currently part of the standards. Some members also raised concerns about fairness to charter schools and the bill’s application only to public schools. Despite those concerns, the bill passed 21-0 and was reported favorable. The committee then took up PCS for HB 1405, a major rewrite of Florida’s juvenile prevention and truancy statutes in Chapter 984, covering children in need of services/families in need of services. The bill updates definitions and procedures, strengthens truancy intervention, requires earlier and more detailed school reporting, adds parent involvement through child study teams, allows virtual participation, and sets review timelines for shelter placement. Sponsors said the goal is prevention and family support rather than punishment, with court involvement only after school-based intervention. Members asked about school compliance, court capacity, parent accountability, and whether all counties have child study teams; the sponsors said the bill expects CSTs in every school and can escalate cases to court and, if needed, to prosecutors for noncompliant parents. Public testimony on the juvenile justice bill was supportive, including from the Department of Juvenile Justice, youth services groups, and juvenile justice advocates. In debate, members praised the modernization effort and the emphasis on early intervention and family participation, while also noting the bill’s size and suggesting further attention to attendance thresholds. The PCS for HB 1405 was then approved unanimously and reported favorable. The committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next slide shows you trend data with regard to math.
• That's sort of the way math works.
• I mean, I can do your math here, I think, but just...
• The math would probably work that way.
• Basic geography, basic math, basic technology.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this funding will be used for some sort of new interventions to improve math teaching across the
• Chair, Representative, I'll do some quick math.
• I don't know if I did my math right. Math, right?
• all these other areas that help you push math or help the kids understand math.
• So I understand focusing on math, but I think the other ones are almost as important as math.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:17:45.200> and strategic interventions, and strategic interventions, and multi-tiered
• interventions and inclusion models. interventions and inclusion models.
• But as of 2024 English and math.
• level standards in reading and math. level standards in reading and math.
• . intervention. intervention.

Bills: HF3493, HF4114

Keywords: safe schools, charter schools, nonpublic schools, Tribal education, funding increase, special education, funding, education finance, appropriations, budget, cross subsidy

Transcript Highlights:

• staff focused on early intervention staff focused on early intervention prevention<00:15:42.199>
• So our tier one intervention is student attendance teams.
• <00:18:51.240> is less so our tier one um intervention is less so our tier one um intervention
• <00:19:32.159> is outcomes our tier 2 intervention is outcomes our tier 2 intervention is
• The most effective interventions come from the school, and I think the more interventions in the earlier

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that kind of the math that you saw from the first page? So, Mr.
• That was targeted interventions to low-income, at-risk kids.
• That was when we were doing targeted... interventions based on income.
• Introduced a Family Guided Routines Based Intervention.
• Simple, simple math.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, any significant intervention must be approved by the Oversight Board.
• It significantly expands the level of supports and interventions available.
• And then in 584, there were interventions or supports along the tiered system that included some interventions
• Many of the interventions are may, and there's really two, if you're familiar with 584 and 460, the intervention
• There's math on that that some of them have not learned yet.

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not a math person, but I did the math at the time.
• years of math.
• years of math.
• Not everyone is a math person. They can get math in different ways.
• amounts of functional math. amounts of functional math.

Keywords: 1189, house, all