Transcript Highlights:

• waivers or whatever it is for students to go outside the district.
• And that was the idea, is that we allowed open enrollment, tuition waivers, or whatever reason to go
• And that was the idea is that we allowed open enrollment tuition waivers or whatever reason to go to
• for tuition for travel and IT expenses, and the IT rates.
• Do you get tuition for... Do you get tuition for them? No.

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to hear and discuss three education bills and related budget items. House Bill 1214 would revise K-12 transportation funding by replacing the current rider-based formula with a new formula tied more closely to district size, square mileage, building counts, and the weighted student payment. Sponsors and DPI said the change would better reflect actual transportation costs, hold districts harmless overall, and likely increase funding by about $4 million beyond current spending; they also said parent-provided transportation and open-enrollment mileage rules would remain largely unchanged. No opposition was heard, and the committee closed discussion without taking final action in the transcript. The committee then reviewed House Bill 1013, the education appropriations bill, and walked through proposed adjustments to program and pass-through grants. The chair proposed keeping or reducing some items, eliminating others, and moving one-time items to the stabilization fund; examples included leaving free meals at $4.5 million for now, keeping the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, reducing some grant lines, and removing several new or one-time grants. DPI also explained that the student information system would remain a flow-through grant for this biennium but would move in-house after July 1, 2026. The committee also discussed adding an FTE for the School for the Blind and making a small equipment swap at the Center for Distance Education. House Bill 1369 was discussed as the main school aid bill, including a proposed 2 percent and 2 percent per-pupil payment increase, higher construction bidding thresholds, elimination of the 12 percent cap, and a transfer of $75 million from Foundation Aid to the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund, with the chair suggesting $100 million instead. DPI explained that the bill also included a policy change returning placement decisions for students with disabilities in congregate care to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with support from the governor’s office. The committee heard testimony from school officials seeking gap funding for Title I losses caused by a switch from free-and-reduced-lunch to census-based allocations, saying districts with many open-enrolled students could lose substantial funding and staff positions. Later, the governor’s office presented a proposed $1.5 million one-time appropriation to help schools buy secure storage for student cell phones if a statewide device policy is adopted; members raised concerns about cost, local control, and whether the money would be enough. The committee also heard student testimony and then recessed without voting on the amendment in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So onto tuition.
• All other tuition.
• All other tuition.
• All other tuition.
• tuition.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We want you to know, though, that graduate tuition waivers are really a standard part of being that R1
• waivers.
• He received both the cultural diversity tuition waiver and a presidential waiver to come here as a freshman
• And our goal really is not necessarily to eliminate tuition waivers completely.
• Because we definitely need those graduate tuition waivers.

Summary: The committee met at NDSU and approved the April 9 minutes. The main purpose of the meeting was an informational presentation from NDSU President David Stewart and university leaders on the university’s priorities, including enrollment, student success, research, commercialization, and use of New Horizons funding. Stewart emphasized a “One NDSU” approach, thanked legislators for past support, and said the university will focus on recruitment and retention, a new strategic plan, and growing research and tech transfer while serving North Dakota’s workforce needs. University leaders said NDSU is using tuition waivers more strategically and will work to reduce them over time through scholarship optimization. Provost Sherry Vale described academic portfolio reviews, program closures or consolidations, strategic hiring, and workload policies aimed at aligning resources with demand. They also highlighted student outcomes, including high completion rates, strong employment placement, and NDSU’s role in producing a large share of the state’s engineers, nurses, and agriculture graduates. Several students testified about how NDSU’s mentoring, internships, research, and support services helped them succeed. The committee also heard from partners on New Horizons-related collaborations: Gateway to Science described K-12 STEM outreach in rural and tribal areas, and Sanford Research discussed joint research efforts, including COBRE-related work, obesity and GLP-1 studies, and a joint biostatistics hire. Later speakers highlighted Governor’s School and NDSU’s research and commercialization efforts, including growth in research expenditures and invention disclosures. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:15:49.079><c> Trust</c><00:15:49.440><c> Fund</c> Prepaid Tuition Trust Fund Prepaid Tuition
• For Community Living Waiver slots, we add 150 over the biennium.
• P. waiver slots in we add 75 Michelle P. waiver slots in the<00:17:42.720><c> first</c><00:17:43.040
• ><c> slots,</c><00:17:47.960><c> we</c> For Community Living Waiver slots, we For Community Living Waiver
• ,</c><00:17:52.600><c> we</c> For Home and Community-Based Waiver, we For Home and Community-Based Waiver

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:23 HB 503 Discussion 00:01:00 HB 503 Vote 00:02:17 HB 504 Discussion 00:02:53 HB 504 Vote 00:04:48 HB 500 Discussion 00:05:19 HB 500 Vote 00:29:18 HB 900 Discussion 00:32:02 HB 900 Vote 00:33:00, 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 503, the legislative branch budget, adopting a committee substitute and reporting it favorably. The chair said the Senate version fully funds defined calculations, provides 2% raises in each fiscal year for legislative employees, removes a paragraph on operating expense reductions, and includes $1 million in the first year for a judicial branch salary study. House Bill 504, the judicial branch budget, was then amended and reported favorably; changes included 2% annual raises for judicial employees, revised operating expense language, $1 million each year for county current services, retention of Boyle County fit-up language, reporting requirements for smaller capital projects, full funding for nine judges added in 2022, and removal of furlough prohibitions and certain budget implementation language. Both bills passed the committee unanimously with favorable expressions to the floor. The committee then considered House Bill 500, the executive branch budget, adopting a committee substitute before hearing a lengthy summary of major spending and policy changes. The chair described statewide 2% annual employee raises, agency base reductions with many exemptions, increased school safety and 911 funding, veterans and military funding, local government and severance-related changes, attorney general and auditor funding, pension and retirement system support, education funding changes including SEEK, postsecondary and scholarship provisions, public safety and corrections funding, and multiple capital projects. The chair also highlighted Medicaid-related provisions, including added waiver slots, increased state-directed payments, a 2.5% reduction in managed care vendor payments for plan years 2027 and 2028 with savings redirected to fee-for-service rates, and additional funding for behavioral health and public health programs. The bill was reported favorably after members explained their votes, with several noting they had only recently received the full 228-page bill and wanted more time for detailed review. Finally, the committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 900, an appropriation measure for government agencies, and reported it favorably. The chair said the bill remains a work in progress and that one-time funding requests from across the Commonwealth and across party lines would continue to be addressed as the process moves forward. All measures considered during the meeting passed the committee with unanimous or near-unanimous favorable votes, and the meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• times as likely to fill teaching positions with interns and teachers on emergency-style permits or waivers
• Knowing that my tuition was going to be paid made my decision to become a teacher a lot easier—not a
• And waivers that are issued.
• So Taryn did some research, and their finding was that 40% of new teachers hired on permits or waivers
• They had their tuition covered, but $10,000 was what they had left to live on.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the lowest tuition of any state in the entire country.
• For the Department of Military Affairs, we increased funding for tuition assistance for members of the
• Appropriations versus tuitions, grants, and private sources? Thank you very much, Mr. President.
• It maintains from last year the modification that we made on the tuition waiver for programs of strategic
• They must use all the tuition waivers they have and other state and federal assistance they have before

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And for all of the years since early before the year 2020, we were offering tuition waivers for anybody
• We gave them a $100 per credit tuition waiver to fulfill their credentials so they could continue...
• ...$100 per credit tuition waiver to fulfill their credentials so they could continue doing dual credit
• So you take $250 in subsidized tuition.
• We're also pursuing other kinds of federal waivers and flexibility waivers, and we're all doing that

Summary: The committee met to hear presentations on dual credit programs from North Dakota higher education leaders, a school superintendent, and teachers. Valley City State University described its dual credit model, emphasizing quality control through annual teacher training, syllabus and outcomes alignment, faculty qualification review, school visits, and pathways aimed at the College Studies Certificate. Members asked about teacher employment, course scheduling, revenue, scholarships, and whether a centralized model might improve efficiency; VCSU said most instructors are K-12 employees, online offerings are still small, and centralization could weaken local relationships and choice. Lake Region State College similarly stressed access and partnerships, noting about half of its headcount is still in high school, with both online and face-to-face dual credit options, district reimbursement arrangements, and support for rural schools. Lake Region also said dual credit helps students who might not otherwise see themselves as college-bound, but reduced tuition can still be a barrier for some families. Fargo Public Schools reported continued growth in dual credit, with 50 courses offered in partnership with several NDUS institutions and a 12.61% increase in participation. The superintendent highlighted a growing education pathway, including students completing Introduction to Education and field experience, and said the district is exploring a grow-your-own teacher pipeline. He also raised concerns about inconsistent institutional processes, teacher credentialing requirements, and transfer clarity, arguing for more aligned statewide systems. In response to questions, he said AP and dual credit can coexist, with AP often better for highly selective out-of-state colleges and dual credit better for students targeting North Dakota institutions, and he described some use of Arizona State online courses in earlier rural partnerships but said Fargo is focused on local institutions. Two teachers then testified on the classroom perspective. A West Fargo anatomy and physiology teacher said dual credit has expanded access, lowered costs, and prepared students well, but agreed that foundational science courses may be more effective when taken later in high school to reduce knowledge loss before college. A Drake-Anamoose English teacher, who has taught dual credit for more than 20 years, said the program has supported many students who went on to a wide range of careers and emphasized that small rural schools rely on dual credit to provide opportunities they otherwise could not offer. No formal votes or actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> bonuses, wage increases, tuition bonuses, wage increases, tuition discounts, discounts, discounts
• So in other words,<01:15:06.800><c> tuition</c><01:15:07.440><c> discounts</c> words, tuition discounts
• waivers from grants.
• waivers from grants.
• waivers from grants.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to all public school students, will help get the cell phones out of the classroom, continues the tuition
• been able to freeze tuition for residents.
• My budget continues this tuition freeze because I want to make sure that the community colleges are as
• flat and they've been able to tuitions flat and they've been able to freeze<00:07:52.400><c> tuition
• uh for residents and they freeze tuition uh for residents and they have<00:07:56.479><c> they</c><00

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee heard a briefing from the governor on her recommended fiscal years 2026-2027 budget. She described it as a “recalibration” that reduces general fund spending by about $150 million from the prior budget, avoids tax increases, and aims to protect vulnerable residents while supporting the economy. She said the proposal addresses a projected current-biennium deficit, cites lower-than-expected revenues and off-budget spending, and includes a hiring freeze and other spending reductions. The governor also said the budget is built on current revenue estimates developed with the Department of Revenue Administration and the state’s chief economist. Major policy areas discussed included education, public safety, health and human services, housing, and workforce development. The governor said the budget increases spending on public education and special education, expands Education Freedom Accounts to public school students, funds a cell-phone-free classroom grant program, continues the community college tuition freeze, and supports workforce training. She also highlighted investments in the Group II retirement system for first responders, Northern Border Alliance and drug interdiction efforts, child advocacy and victim services, mental health services, developmental disability services with no wait list, and a streamlined housing permitting process with a 60-day review target. Committee members raised questions about the fiscal assumptions, the impact of possible federal funding changes, the Education Freedom Account expansion, dam infrastructure funding, and workforce issues such as state employee pay and vacant positions. The governor said the budget continues funding for federal programs currently assumed, and that she would advocate for block grants and other federal flexibility. On dams, administration officials said the budget includes about $13 million in capital funding, with possible fee increases under consideration. On staffing, the governor said the budget funds the previously bargained 12% state employee increase, includes eight position reductions tied to program changes, and would allow those employees to be rehired if openings arise. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the lowest tuition of any state in the entire country.
• For the Department of Military Affairs, we increased funding for tuition assistance for members of the
• So with that in mind, how much of New College's budget comes from state appropriations versus tuition
• It maintains from last year the modification that we made on the tuition waiver for programs of strategic
• They must use all the tuition waivers they have and other state and federal assistance they have before

Summary: The Senate took up the 2026-2027 budget package, beginning with an overview of the $115 billion General Appropriations Bill (SB 2500). Appropriations Chair Hooper said the budget reduces overall spending from the prior year, preserves reserves, and includes a 3% pay raise for state employees and 5% raises for law enforcement, firefighters, correctional officers, and park rangers. Committee chairs then highlighted major spending in their areas, including K-12 education, higher education, health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/economic development, and environmental/agricultural programs. Major items discussed included school funding increases, workforce and university investments, Medicaid and child welfare funding, corrections operating deficits, housing and hurricane recovery, Everglades and water quality projects, and state employee compensation. Members asked detailed questions about several budget items. In education, senators discussed teacher salaries, declining enrollment supplements, scholarship funding growth, and charter school capital outlay. In higher education, they asked about Bright Futures, New College funding, and the EASE grant program. In health and human services, senators focused on the iBudget waiver, Medicaid hospital rate reductions, the ADAP HIV drug program, and the use of opioid settlement funds. In criminal justice, questions centered on DOC deficits, inmate health care and food service costs, public defender and state attorney funding, and whether the budget would prevent the need for National Guard support. In environmental and state agency budgets, senators discussed Florida Forever land acquisition, conservation easements, cultural grants, the Emergency Management Trust Fund, and election security funding. After the budget presentations and questions, the Senate substituted House bills for the Senate budget bills and adopted amendments to place Senate language onto the House vehicles for conference. The chamber passed HB 5001, the appropriations bill, by a 36-0 vote and agreed to conference. It also passed the implementing bill, collective bargaining and state employee bills, retirement legislation, fuel tax and SLERS bills, the court trust fund bill, judicial certification bill, K-12 and higher education conforming bills, and other related measures, generally by unanimous votes. Several motions were adopted to request the House to pass the Senate versions or include them in budget conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, WKU's financial stability, fueled by net tuition gains, is one of WKU's most substantial current
• WKU understands the importance of providing tuition assistance to certain populations, but tuition waivers
• I provided you with a handout that illustrates the financial burden tuition waivers have on WKU.
• In fiscal year 25 alone, WKU spent nearly $4.7 million on mandated tuition waivers, a nearly 40% increase
• The postsecondary budget request includes the creation of a $30 million trust fund for the tuition waiver

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met without a quorum, so no minutes were approved. The committee then heard a presentation from Western Kentucky University President Timothy Kabone, who highlighted WKU’s recent gains in graduation rate, retention, degree production, graduate enrollment, research activity, and financial stability. He said WKU’s FY 2026 budget is structurally balanced without one-time reserves, and he tied the university’s growth to its strategic plan and to Senate Bill 77, which created a pathway for WKU’s first PhD program. WKU’s initial PhD offering is planned in data sciences for fall 2027, and Kabone said the university continues to pursue R2 research status. Kabone also outlined WKU’s budget requests, including a 4.5% base appropriation increase for each year of the biennium, a $30 million increase in the performance funding pool, a $30 million trust fund for tuition waiver reimbursement, and $2 million per year for the Gatton Academy. He also requested continued funding for the Kentucky Mesonet, 8.9% of proposed asset preservation funding, and support for a $280 million new Potter College facility. He emphasized inflationary pressures, rising fixed costs, and the burden of mandated tuition waivers, and said the university supports performance funding but wants the model adjusted to better reward student success rather than enrollment growth. Members asked about WKU’s student housing situation and the transition away from the former student life foundation model. Kabone said the foundation structure had run its course, that the university had lacked adequate oversight under the old arrangement, and that WKU is moving to a public-private partnership with Gilbane and the College Housing Foundation. He said the new model would not increase the university’s debt load and would replace older residence halls with a roughly 1,000-bed complex, eliminate community-style bathrooms over time, and expand living-learning communities. Representatives McCool and Tipton praised WKU’s graduation and retention results and asked questions about the housing project and its timeline. The committee then heard from CareerVXR and KCTCS about a proposed career exploration pilot. Company representatives said the platform uses web-based and virtual reality experiences to show students real jobs and workplaces, with the goal of addressing an “awareness gap” in workforce participation. They proposed a $1.8 million, two-year pilot to reach 50,000 to 60,000 students in three regions, including Hazard Community and Technical College, Southeast Community and Technical College, and western Kentucky. Members asked about cost, funding source, and locations, and were told the request would come through the KCTCS budget. The meeting ended with notice that the next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, February 26.

Transcript Highlights:

• OF STATE STUDENTS IN ATTENDANCE BUT WE KNOW OUT OF STATE STUDENTS OFTEN TIMES PAY HIGHER RATES OF TUITION
• WE HAVE ABOUT 34,000 OUT OF STATE STUDENTS IN UNDERGRADUATE AND ABOUT 45 PERCENT OF THOSE ARE ON TUITION
• WAIVER IS MEANING THEY GET IN STATE TUITION.
• IT IS $54 MILLION OF LOST REVENUE IN OUT OF STATE IN STATE TUITION OUT OF A SEVENTEEN AND A HALF BILLION
• WAIVERS.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, the next couple proposals that I'll share with you reduce spending in our disability waiver rate
• Okay, the next couple proposals that I'll share with you reduce spending in our disability waiver rate
• So the first one establishes some parameters to reduce waiver growth, particularly in rate exceptions
• Services rather than customized waivered Services rather than customized living<00:25:57.960><c> um<
• I mean, because you look at a waiver, what are you waiving?

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So let’s start at I budget waiver waitlist.
• for the various waiver programs that we have in statute.
• So let's start at I budget waiver waitlist.
• And then for 2025–2026, waiver enrollment went up.
• It revises the programs of strategic emphasis, tuition, and fee waiver to cover remaining out-of-pocket

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then moved to the conference report on House Bill 501E, the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026-27. Budget chairs presented the major spending areas, describing a $114.5 billion overall budget that they said was fiscally responsible and below the prior year’s spending. Highlights included pay increases and retirement adjustments for public safety employees, education funding for K-12, higher education, health and human services, criminal justice, transportation, environmental programs, and agriculture/regulatory agencies. Members then questioned chairs on several items. In education, senators discussed K-12 declining enrollment funding, teacher salary set-asides, private school scholarship spending, mental health funding, preeminence funding for universities, the Hamilton Center at UF, and charter school PICO funding. In health and human services, questions focused on the iBudget waiver waitlist, provider rates, ADAP/HIV funding and the return of Biktarvy to the formulary, KidCare, rural health funding, SNAP-related IT and error reduction efforts, and the IDD managed care program. In criminal justice, senators asked about correctional officer pay, prison staffing and infrastructure, air conditioning in prisons, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement recruitment, and court system funding. Environmental and transportation questions covered Florida Forever, water quality, state parks, water projects, housing, elections funding, and emergency management. Several specific actions and explanations were given during debate: the budget includes $8.8 million for state attorney competitive area differentials but no funding for public defender CAD requests; assistant state attorneys will start at $70,000 and assistant public defenders at $65,000; the battery disposal issue was described as a temporary study/preemption approach; and the Senate said the budget does not fund Medicaid expansion, preeminence funding, or the SunBucks Summer EBT state share. Senators also noted that some proposals discussed in committee did not make it into the final budget. The transcript ends with debate statements from members praising the budget process and Chair Hooper, while also expressing concerns about public schools, health care access, affordability, and the lack of funding for certain priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Texas, former foster youth with access to tuition waivers were 3.5 times more likely to graduate with
• Yet our former foster and homeless students don't have full guaranteed tuition waivers or full financial
• aid like this bill dictates. ...don't have full guaranteed tuition waivers or full financial aid like
• In the fiscal note, the University of Washington says that it, quote, would result in a loss of tuition
• Programs, we would lose tuition from students who want or may want to study these disciplines.

Bills: SB6194 , SB5963 , SB5909 , SB5826 , SB5988 , SB5872 , SB5879 , SB5834 , SB5835 , SB5905 , SB5832 , SB6177 , SB5970 , SB5994 , SB6047 , SB5647

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: SB 6194, Washington Medicaid, medical assistance, fee-for-service, managed care, rural hospital, Indian reservation, tribal hospital, federally recognized Indian reservation, Indian Health, hospital reimbursement, Medicaid payments, inpatient services, outpatient services, psychiatric unit, health care access, rural health, tribal health, safety-net hospital, RCW 74.09

Transcript Highlights:

• In Texas, former foster youth with access to tuition waivers were 3.5 times more likely to graduate with
• Yet our former foster and homeless students don't have full guaranteed tuition waivers or full financial
• Don't have full guaranteed tuition waivers or full financial aid like this bill dictates, unlike 31 other
• In the fiscal note, the University of Washington says that it, quote, would result in a loss of tuition
• Programs, we would lose tuition from students who want or may want to study these disciplines.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held public hearings on several bills before moving into executive session. Substitute Senate Bill 6037 would change how single-city fire protection districts are funded by ending the requirement that a city reduce its levy dollar-for-dollar and instead reducing the city’s statutory maximum rate; testimony was generally supportive from cities and firefighters, while public hospital districts opposed it over prorationing concerns and some witnesses sought amendments on governance and accountability. Senate Bill 6194 would allow cost-based Medicaid reimbursement for rural hospitals on federally recognized Indian reservations, with strong support from Toppenish/Astria representatives and the Yakama Nation, who said the bill is needed to address severe funding inequities and preserve services. Senate Bill 5963 would make Passport to Careers students automatically income-eligible for the Washington College Grant; it drew support from student advocates and foster-youth advocates, with staff noting modest estimated costs. Senate Bill 5909 would require public universities to review and report low-enrollment undergraduate programs and potentially discontinue them after repeated low enrollment; Eastern Washington University supported it as an accountability measure, while faculty and student representatives opposed it as unnecessary, costly, and potentially politicized. Senate Bill 5826 would require public postsecondary student health centers to provide access to medication abortion or referrals and related web information; testimony was sharply divided between supporters who framed it as needed student health access and opponents who raised moral, safety, and budget objections. In executive session, staff briefed a series of bills, including measures on opioid treatment accreditation fees, a pre-K donation account, JLARC report elimination, retirement trust fund expense authority, pension lump-sum thresholds, port employee retirement exemptions, lemon law arbitration fees, LEAP website disclosures, limits on corporate ownership of single-family homes, a permanent senior center property tax exemption, timber tax distributions for school districts, capital project administration rules, and a real estate excise tax exemption for affordable housing. The committee then took action on the listed bills. The committee voted to give due pass recommendations to the Rules Committee for Senate Bills 5872, 5879, 5834, 5835, 5905, 5832, 6177, 5496, 5970, 5994, 6047, and 5647. Amendments were adopted on SB 5834, SB 5905, SB 6047, and SB 5647 before those bills were advanced as substitutes. SB 5988 was noted as taking action later, but no vote on it was recorded in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is a tuition autonomy bill for higher ed.
• In this case, that pricing of this product is the actual tuition.
• Let's move on and let's raise tuition. It doesn't mandate anything.
• That's going to allow us finally to apply for some waivers.
• I just look at our programs now as we are going to need waivers.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 399 by Senator Bass, which would create the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council to review and potentially block certain gifts, contracts, academic partnerships, and research partnerships involving foreign adversary sources. Bass said the bill is intended to protect university research, intellectual property, and students from foreign influence, and would also require public disclosure of certain foreign-linked arrangements and a plan to eliminate foreign-adversary-linked software. Supporters from State Armor argued Louisiana universities have been vulnerable to Chinese Communist Party influence and intellectual property theft. Representatives from Tulane University and Lenovo raised concerns that the bill could create duplicative review, delay research, raise costs, and sweep in legitimate private or multinational entities; a proposed amendment to exempt entities operating under a CFIUS national security agreement failed 4-8. After debate, the committee moved SB 399 favorably. The committee then considered Senate Bill 310 by Senator Cloud, presented by Representative Carlson, which would require public school and college health centers to display information about pregnancy resources available in Louisiana. Supporters from Louisiana Right to Life said the bill would help connect pregnant students with existing state and private assistance programs, while the ACLU submitted a red card in opposition without speaking. The bill was moved favorably without objection. The committee also advanced House Resolution 171 by Representative Turner, which calls for a study of the workforce-oriented TOPS Tech and M.J. Foster programs, with business and workforce groups supporting the study as a way to measure outcomes and return on investment; it was moved favorably. Next, the committee took up House Bill 1084 by Representative Turner, a tuition autonomy bill for public post-secondary institutions. An amendment was adopted to add a conceptual framework for tuition-setting considerations, but the bill would still remove the existing 10% over two years cap and allow institutions to set tuition more freely. Turner argued universities need more flexibility because state funding has declined and campuses face deferred maintenance and operating pressures. Several members, especially Representative Carlson, warned that higher tuition could reduce access and that the bill did not address broader structural problems in higher education. Despite those concerns, HB 1084 was moved favorably by an 8-3 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 351 by Senator Jackson Andrews, which would let families apply for child care assistance through CCAP once pregnancy is known, rather than waiting until after birth, to help move them up the waiting list. An amendment was adopted to have BESE, rather than the department, handle rulemaking and to allow the House and Senate education committees to approve the implementation process. The bill was then discussed as a way to help parents return to work sooner, and the hearing continued with questions from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we have the Act 1240 waiver, including School of Innovation waivers and a charter waiver.
• It's going to phase out the 1240 waivers, the School of Innovation waivers, and the emergency teaching
• It's going to phase out the 1240 waivers, the School of Innovation waivers, and the emergency teaching
• We'll start with scholarships, tuition assistance, or loan forgiveness programs.
• I'm sure all of you saw that we submitted our federal waiver recently.

Summary: The committee first approved the May 18 meeting minutes and then received a Legislative Audit presentation summarizing Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions for fiscal year 2025. Auditors said the department distributed about $4.6 billion in grants overall, including $3.2 billion from the Public School Fund, $1.1 billion in federal funds, and $268 million from other state and miscellaneous sources, across 56 Public School Fund programs, 14 other state programs, and 29 federal programs. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, master principal bonuses, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance funding; audit staff and Department of Education representatives explained that the report was only a distribution summary and not a recipient-level audit. Members also questioned why many districts showed lower funding, and staff said the decline was largely due to reduced federal and one-time COVID-related funds. Senators and representatives also discussed whether some incentive programs, such as master principal and national board bonuses, were tied to student outcomes, and whether Economics Arkansas was the sole entity named in special language for financial literacy funding; department staff said they would follow up on several details. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on consumer price index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global, with discussion of CPI-U and core CPI estimates for future fiscal years. Dr. Carlos Silva explained that the forecasts generally trend toward about 2 percent over time and that recent projections may have understated actual inflation because of recent shocks. Members asked about the accuracy of past projections, and he said he would provide more detail later if needed. The bulk of the meeting focused on the final adequacy report on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. BLR staff reported that Arkansas had about 32,800 teachers and 473,000 students in 2025, with a statewide student-to-teacher ratio of about 14 to 1, average teaching experience of 11.9 years, and a slight increase in National Board Certified teachers. The report found that districts with higher poverty and minority concentrations generally had less experienced teachers, and that teacher shortages remained widespread, especially in special education, math, science, and foreign language. Members asked about licensure exceptions, alternative preparation pathways, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, and the cost and return on investment of traditional versus alternative routes. Staff said some licensure exceptions are being phased out under Act 304 of 2025 and that they would follow up on several requested details. The report also found that teacher retention averaged 87 percent statewide in 2025, with districts retaining teachers at higher rates than charters, and that 30 percent of surveyed teachers were considering leaving the profession. Principals and teachers identified school leadership as the strongest positive factor in recruitment and retention, while workload and salary were the strongest negative factors. On salaries, BLR reported a statewide average teacher salary of $60,254 in 2025, with districts averaging $60,458 and charters $55,724. Arkansas ranked 45th nationally on average teacher salary in 2025, though its cost-adjusted ranking improved to 36th; among SREB states it ranked 12th, and among neighboring states it ranked fourth. Members asked about starting salaries, salary compression, district step increases, and whether the report should be shared more broadly with educators and school leaders. Staff said they would provide follow-up information on several questions, and the committee took no formal action beyond receiving the presentations and asking for additional data.

Transcript Highlights:

• the fee waiver beginning July 1, 2025.
• the fee waiver beginning July 1, 2025.
• However, I could afford to pay for my tuition.
• We've talked about the tuition.
• And she's now taking the stance against providing tuition reimbursement and tuition assistance for illegals

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Parkland shooting victims, quorum call, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Rules and Ethics Committee special order report for February 13, 2025 was adopted, setting the day’s special order calendar and debate times. The chamber then took up immigration-related special order items, beginning with Senate Memorial 6C, which urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. Members debated federal immigration policy and state cooperation with DHS, and the memorial passed 85-27. The House next considered Senate Bill 4C, an immigration bill creating new state offenses related to unlawful entry and reentry into Florida and requiring a mandatory death sentence for an unauthorized alien convicted of a capital felony. Members questioned the bill’s constitutionality, including Supremacy Clause, due process, and Eighth Amendment concerns, and several speakers argued it would create separate classes of people and invite litigation. Multiple amendments were offered to narrow or expand exemptions, including protections for Venezuelans on TPS, certain Haitian TPS and humanitarian parole recipients, undocumented people brought to Florida as children working in critical professions, and a proposal to delay action pending court rulings; all of those amendments were rejected. The bill passed 85-29. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 2C, which would create a State Board of Immigration Enforcement led by the Governor and Cabinet, establish a local law enforcement immigration grant program and advisory council, repeal the undocumented-student fee waiver, and appropriate more than $300 million for immigration enforcement. The sponsor described it as supporting cooperation with federal immigration agencies and ending the in-state tuition incentive for undocumented students. Early questioning focused on the impact on “dreamers” and whether the bill would effectively raise their tuition costs; the sponsor said it removed the incentive of in-state tuition but did not bar attendance. The transcript cuts off during that exchange, before final action on SB 2C is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• waivers.
• He received both the cultural diversity tuition waiver and a presidential waiver to come here as a freshman
• And our goal really is not necessarily to eliminate tuition waivers completely.
• And our goal really is not necessarily to eliminate tuition waivers completely because we definitely
• need those graduate tuition waivers.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee

Keywords: 908, all