Transcript Highlights:

• We agree that early intervention and screening is important.
• Uh, Bigalow will also be providing testimony and can answer screening is part of the wellchildness screening
• screening for emotional mental health. screening for emotional mental health.
• <00:19:19.200> um well as who performs the screening. um well as who performs the screening
• <00:19:34.240> and student athletes who were screened and student athletes who were screened

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2485, which would require cardiovascular screening for student athletes. The Department of Education and Department of Health said they support the bill’s intent but noted that many screenings are already part of existing school-entry and well-child exams. The Attorney General’s office asked for clarifying language on who performs the screenings, where results go, how “positive findings” are defined, how referrals would work, and whether funding would be appropriated if DOE must hire health professionals. The American Heart Association strongly supported the bill, citing the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes and arguing that sports physicals are an effective opportunity for early detection. No vote was taken, and the committee moved on after testimony. The committee then heard HB 89, concerning a school psychologist working group and possible licensing or credentialing of school psychologists. The Department of Education and Board of Psychology supported the measure. The Hawaii Psychological Association said it supports licensing school psychologists but asked to be included in the working group, arguing it is an important stakeholder. The Hawaii Association of School Psychologists opposed including HPA, saying the issue is between school psychologists and DCCA and that HPA is not part of their organization. Testimony and discussion focused on the long-running disagreement over whether school psychologists should be regulated under the Board of Psychology or another mechanism, and on title protection and scope of practice. No action was reported during this portion. The committee also took up HB 2445, relating to standardized emergency responses for immigration enforcement at or near schools. The Department of Education said it already issued internal law-enforcement guidance and questioned whether the bill was necessary, while also raising concerns about the bill’s 1,000-foot buffer language and the limits of school authority over activity off campus. The Board of Education echoed those concerns and suggested the bill may need clearer definitions. Supporters, including the White Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the Legal Clinic, and an attorney testifying on Know Your Rights training, argued that recent federal changes have increased ICE activity near schools and that a law is needed to ensure clear, public protocols, staff training, and family protections. A student testifier said the measure was a top priority of the state student council. The transcript ends during testimony, with no vote or final committee action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kentucky law enforcement officers must complete extensive screening and training requirements, physical
• <00:04:48.320> and complete extensive screening and complete extensive screening and training
• ,<00:04:51.640> a<00:04:51.760> polygraph, medical screening, a polygraph, medical
• screening, a polygraph, background<00:04:53.240> checks,<00:04:53.960> etc.,<00:04:54.919
• <00:13:04.360> has bill that you see on that screen has bill that you see on that screen has

Bills: HB339

Keywords: Civil Air Patrol, CAP, emergency leave, job protection, employment discrimination, leave of absence, volunteer service, emergency response, Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, state employee leave, military leave, public employees, local government employers, reinstatement rights, seniority protection, unpaid leave, Meeting Start 00:00:03 Roll Call 00:00:14 Discussion of Local Law Enforcement Issues 00:03:08 Discussion of Civil Air Patrol Employment Protections 00:50:46 Adjournment 01:06:07, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment clarifies that the background The amendment clarifies that the background screening of
• The original bill required providers to successfully complete a level 2 background screening.
• It will require providers to successfully complete a level 2 background screening.
• Take up tab 35, CS for SB 1546 on background screening of athletic coaches by Senator Grall.
• SB 1546 amends current law to extend the effective date for requiring a level two background screening

Summary: The Rules Committee took up a large agenda of bills, with many measures reported favorably after brief explanations, amendments, and testimony. Early bills included CS/SB 658 on lien waivers and releases, which was amended to preserve enforceability despite form differences and then passed; CS/CS/SB 736 on brownfields redevelopment, which drew support from business and redevelopment interests and passed; and CS/SB 1002 on utility service restrictions, which was amended to bar certain building or fire code provisions affecting fuel-source choices and then passed despite opposition from environmental advocates. The committee also advanced CS/CS/SB 1132 on right-to-repair for certain equipment, where manufacturers, dealer representatives, and industry groups warned the bill could undermine dealer networks and existing repair programs, while supporters argued it would improve consumer access and help farmers and equipment owners. The bill still passed. Other measures reported favorably included CS/SB 1378 on restitution for leaving the scene of property-damage crashes, CS/CS/SB 768 on foreign-country controlling interests in health care licensing, CS/SB 772 on school access to glucagon for diabetes emergencies, CS/SB 1400 on removal of nonconsensual altered sexual depictions, and CS/SB 1696 on transportation network company impersonation and transit funding. A major portion of the meeting focused on affordable housing. CS/SB 1730, a follow-up to the Live Local Act, made several changes to zoning, height, density, parking, moratorium, and enforcement provisions, with members raising concerns about parking reductions, attorney’s fees, local control, and impacts in the Keys and other sensitive areas. Supporters said the bill closes loopholes and improves workforce housing implementation, while some witnesses urged additional exemptions for areas of critical state concern. The bill was reported favorably after amendment. Later, the committee considered several bills from Senator Leak, including CS/SB 576 on service of process, CS/SB 606 on public lodging and food service establishments, and CS/SB 1164 on electronic delivery of landlord-tenant notices. CS/SB 606 drew substantial debate over whether hotels and extended-stay properties should be able to remove nonpaying guests without treating them like residential tenants; the sponsor said the bill clarifies transient occupancy and removes mandatory arrest provisions, and it passed. CS/SB 1164, which allows email notice delivery by agreement, passed despite concerns from tenant advocates that the bill should include clearer consent and safeguards. The committee also approved CS/SB 1374 on school district reporting of educator arrests and misconduct, CS/SB 940 on third-party restaurant reservation sales, and began hearing CS/SB 1690 on surrendered infants, which would authorize infant safety devices or “baby boxes” as a legal surrender option, with supportive testimony from proponents describing crisis situations and the need for anonymous surrender options.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, what is it that you're looking for that you would want to be screening out here? Mr.
• I mean, what is it that you're looking for that you would want to be screening out here? Mr.
• <00:04:51.440> And<00:04:52.080> could screened out of employment.
• And could screened out of employment.
• you would want to be screening out here? you would want to be screening out here?

Bills: HF2233, HF1524, HF1893, HF1396, HF2456, HF2959, HF2300, HF2412, HF3022, HF2825, HF1862, HF1373, HF1039, HF3070

Keywords: Uniform Special Deposits Act, special deposit, banking law, financial institutions, escrow, escrow account, trust account, security deposit, beneficiary, depositor, creditor process, garnishment, attachment, levy, setoff, recoupment, financial market infrastructure, retirement benefits, compensation, earnest money

Transcript Highlights:

• uh the department's newborn screening uh the department's newborn screening program,<00:20:42.159
• identifiers to ensure timely screening identifiers to ensure timely screening and<00:20:50.559><
• <00:22:40.960> for that the timing lifesaving screening for that the timing lifesaving screening
• I'm going to talk about the newborn screening program here at the state.
• So if an infant has a screen at the hospital shortly after birth, and that screening comes back as a

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At this point, the screen I'm reading is not very large, and I may mispronounce some names and misread
• And stuff is getting shifted on the screen as I'm reading it. Thank you very Very much.
• So six times 365 days, I'm not, my math is not amazing. That's a couple thousand people a year.
• Some back of the napkin math tells me that's about 1.9%.

Bills: HB36, HB75, HB76, HB166, HB799, HB 1135, HJR15, HJR16, HB36, HB75, HB76, HB166, HJR15, HJR16

Keywords: family violence, global positioning monitoring system, victim resources, electronic monitoring, protective orders, magistrate, criminal procedure, probable cause, written findings, law enforcement, bail bonds, bail fund, charitable bail fund, nonprofit bail organization, public funds, local government spending, political subdivision, county, city, taxpayer lawsuit

Transcript Highlights:

• counties across Minnesota can do the work they want to do instead of sitting in front of a green screen
• counties across Minnesota can do the work they want to do instead of sitting in front of a green screen
• counties across Minnesota can do the work they want to do instead of sitting in front of a green screen
• counties across Minnesota can do the work they want to do instead of sitting in front of a green screen
• c> do instead of sitting in front of a do instead of sitting in front of a green<00:09:55.360> screen

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House Republican leaders unveiled their “North Star Comeback” budget plan, describing it as a focused effort to make Minnesota more affordable, reduce government waste, and strengthen the economy. They said the package would include a $3.8 billion tax cut proposal with one-time property tax relief, elimination of taxes on tips and overtime, childcare relief, lower car tab fees, and funding for schools through scholarship-granting organizations. They also framed the plan as a response to rising costs for groceries, housing, energy, insurance, and childcare. A major emphasis of the rollout was government accountability, especially a strong Office of Inspector General bill and IT modernization to reduce fraud. Leaders said the OIG proposal had moved out of committee and was now in Ways and Means, with a working group continuing to reconcile House and Senate differences. On IT modernization, Chair Paul Torkelson said the plan would likely use a two-pronged approach, with about $15 million for near-term needs and a longer-term fund for ongoing technology upgrades; he said many such investments could qualify for federal matching dollars. The leaders also highlighted Medicaid conformity, saying Minnesota should align with federal changes to avoid losing funding, and they discussed a property tax rebate proposal as a one-time $1 billion return to taxpayers to offset higher property taxes. In response to questions, they said many of the budget items were still moving through the process and some had not met finance deadlines, while others were already in bills. They repeatedly criticized House Democrats for blocking or delaying Republican proposals and said they wanted bipartisan cooperation to pass the plan this year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, not using a validated risk screening and assessment tool to inform decision-making across
• Similarly, on the front end, a risk screening tool is not necessarily being used to inform them.
• Instead of the juvenile justice system, kids should be referred to this primary point of access to get screened
• Opportunities to, again, use risk-need responsivity and use risk screening and assessment tools, establishing
• To use screening and assessment tools, to better use current funding streams to more effectively target

Transcript Highlights:

• The statewide totals for our budgeting are on this screen.
• But in essence, the circuits listed on your screen are funded right now at less than 55%, and the $17
• Detention screening operations: so it's under probation and community supervision.
• Detention screening, that's when the youth first come in.
• They have to be screened, and the clinical world is called the biopsychosocial assessment.

Summary: The committee met for an interim appropriations presentation hearing focused on justice administration agencies. Members heard budget requests from the State Attorney’s Office, Public Defenders, the Justice Administrative Commission, Regional Conflict Counsel, Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, and the Guardian ad Litem Office, followed by a presentation from the Department of Juvenile Justice and a brief public comment from a nonprofit advocate. The chair noted that presentations from the Department of Law Enforcement and the Commission on Offender Review would be moved to a later meeting. The state attorney requested funding to true up underfunded circuits under the existing formula, staff 14 new criminal judgeships, replace declining VOCA victim-services funding with general revenue, and cover a projected due process shortfall. The public defender asked for a higher starting salary for assistant public defenders, funding to restore balance in circuits where public defenders lag behind state attorneys, and staffing for new criminal judgeships. Regional conflict counsel and capital collateral regional counsel also sought salary adjustments, additional attorneys and case costs, and competitive area differential funding to address recruitment and retention issues. The Justice Administrative Commission requested funding for Florida PALM readiness and implementation and for IT hardware and software replacement; it also relayed a clerks’ request for reimbursement related to injunctions for protection, Baker Act, Marchman Act, and sexually violent predator cases. The Guardian ad Litem Office said it now has a guardian ad litem for every child in Florida and requested salary increases for senior and managing attorneys to reduce turnover. The Department of Juvenile Justice presented a much larger budget request to expand residential and detention capacity, increase per diem rates, renovate and replace aging facilities, fund the Broward detention center rebuild, improve cybersecurity and the juvenile information system, and cover rising lease costs. Members asked questions about staffing, compensation, detention and residential treatment needs, mental health and substance-use services, and the Broward project timeline. A nonprofit advocate then asked for better data collection on protection orders and related court actions to support funding for domestic violence and recovery services. The committee adjourned without taking any formal votes on the budget requests.

Transcript Highlights:

• COME HIMSELF DOWN INTO IT TO A BLUE GRAPH BUT THEY ARE ALSO DOING BECAUSE THEY ARE POPPING UP ON THE SCREEN
• WELL-BEING, MENTAL HEALTH, HEALTH SCREENING, THINGS THAT ARE TYPICAL. WE HAVE OPT OUT LANGUAGE.
• THOSE ARE WELL-BEING, MENTAL HEALTH, HEALTH SCREENING, THOSE KINDS OF STANDARD FORMS AND THAT'S AN OPT
• >> Chair Canady: YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. >> THE OPT OUT OF THE HEALTH SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRES AND SURVEYS
• CONSENT AND WITHOUT THE PARENTS BEING ABLE TO SEE WHAT THEY SAID THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO ACCURATELY SCREEN

Transcript Highlights:

• That they send their kids to schools that don't allow phones or internet or screens.
• Allow screens in the school or phones in the school.
• More and more of our life is spent interacting with screens.
• And I would just note that, you know, I'm someone who favors less screen access in schools.
• I would not send my kid to a school where they had no screen time at all.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:18:05.520> the<01:18:05.679> the<01:18:06.000> whole<01:18:06.239> math
• <01:18:06.880> common get the look, the the whole math common get the look, the the whole
• math common core<01:18:07.920> um<01:18:08.080> I<01:18:08.400> have<01:18:08.480
• home from school was know, bringing math home from school was very<01:18:13.840> different<01
• very different than when I brought math very different than when I brought math home<01:18:15.840

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She is a math whiz and enjoys a variety of sports, math, and science, and has an incredible sense of
• <00:14:33.519> help<00:14:33.759> with<00:14:34.040> her<00:14:34.240> math
• of these courses, for instance welding and manufacturing electronics, have the same platform that a math
• :40.440> take flexibility for kids to use uh to take flexibility for kids to use uh to take math
• classes that they'll actually use math classes that they'll actually use this<01:29:42.800> allows

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I've been doing a little bit of math, um, and so, you know, they were talking about diesel generators
• I appreciate that, Representative Mekeland, and I appreciate the math on it because I also did the math
• > math<01:14:15.239> on<01:14:15.639> on<01:14:16.000> the<01:14:16.120><
• c> number<01:14:16.400> of<01:14:16.800> uh did the math on on the number of uh did
• the math on on the number of uh buildings<01:14:17.239> you<01:14:17.360> would<01:14:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then overall, to do your math, $45 million plus that $73,886,306..."
• could walk out of this room today with the Senator's comments getting to almost $187 million, if my math
• Tell me if my math is wrong, but if we went with the Senate position on the items that the Senate is
• But I don't support fuzzy math. I understand what you're saying. I appreciate the sentiment.
• My total was $3,985,380.5 million is what our math was. 0.470, safety operation, low-volume roads.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean that math seems fine to me. Okay. Yep. So it's about... Depends how bad you're off, right?
• To Brent's point, I tell people, I just do math.
• Like you said before, that's just math. The numbers are what they are. I just do math.
• Determining market value is not a simple math problem, as you know. Every property is unique.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you can see here the matrix lines across the bottom of your screen.
• So the remainder of the matrix lines are there across the bottom of your screen.
• So the remainder of the matrix lines are there across the bottom of your screen.
• And then you can see on the screen some statistics about the districts with lower than 500 students.
• So these are their responses shown here on your screen.

Summary: The House/Joint Education committee continued its adequacy study with a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on resource allocation, focusing first on matrix spending and then non-matrix spending. Staff explained the methodology for mapping APSCN expenditure data to matrix lines, reviewed district and school categories used in the analysis, and highlighted key findings: foundation funding covered a large share of matrix costs but total spending on matrix items exceeded foundation funding, with classroom teachers making up the largest share. Members asked for additional breakdowns on waivers, superintendent survey responses, trend data, and spending by district type, size, and rural/urban status. Staff also noted limitations in tracking two matrix lines—salary enhancement for other employees and all personnel health insurance—because of coding and definition issues. The committee then reviewed non-matrix expenditures, including instructional aides, facilities, school safety, mental health, dyslexia services, gifted and talented, and career and technical education. Staff reported that non-matrix spending remained above $2 billion over the last three years, with most of it coming from other funds rather than foundation funding. Members raised concerns about dyslexia identification and funding, mental health needs, school safety, food service, athletic transportation, and whether some items should be added to the matrix. The Department of Education clarified that the building fund reflects district-held funds for construction and maintenance projects, while the facilities partnership program is a separate state process for approved projects. In the final discussion, staff summarized total spending as more than $15,800 per student in 2025, with about 69% going to matrix resources and 31% to non-matrix resources. The chair explained the adequacy process and the committee’s role in setting future funding recommendations, and members discussed the recommendations worksheet included in the binder. The chair then proposed postponing the remainder of Part Two of the presentation until a May meeting after the fiscal session, along with inviting the Department of Education back for more detailed questions; with no objections, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So you can see here the matrix lines across the bottom of your screen.
• So the remainder of the matrix lines are there across the bottom of your screen.
• And then you can see on the screen some statistics about the districts with lower than 500 students.
• These are their responses shown here on your screen.
• And it's left to that division to screen the applications and then make... ...that division to screen

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The joint education committee continued its adequacy study with a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on resource allocation, covering how Arkansas school spending is mapped to the adequacy matrix and how expenditures are split between foundation funds and other funding sources. Staff explained the methodology, district and school categories used for comparisons, and key findings for matrix spending, including that classroom teachers account for the largest share of matrix expenditures and that districts spend more per student than charter districts in most categories. Members asked for additional breakdowns on waivers, trend data, and more detailed spending by district type, and staff agreed to provide follow-up information. The committee then reviewed non-matrix spending, including instructional aides, facilities, school safety, mental health services, dyslexia support, gifted and talented, career and technical education, and other items not explicitly in the matrix. Staff noted that non-matrix spending exceeded $2 billion and that superintendents consistently identified mental health services, school safety, and dyslexia support as important needs not fully captured in the matrix. Members raised concerns about dyslexia identification and funding, school safety, facilities spending, and whether some items such as food service should be included in adequacy calculations. Staff and Department of Education representatives explained that some expenditures are difficult to isolate because of coding and commingled funds, and that certain items are funded outside the matrix or through separate programs. In the final section, staff summarized total spending across matrix and non-matrix items, noting that districts spent more than the foundation amount per student and that most total spending was on matrix resources. They also highlighted data limitations, including two matrix lines that cannot be fully tracked through current accounting codes. The chair then proposed postponing the second part of the presentation until a May meeting after the fiscal session, with additional time set aside to address questions for both staff and the Department of Education. The committee agreed, and the meeting adjourned without any formal vote on policy changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next speaker began discussing districtwide reading screening and intervention in the primary grades
• reading specialists, selected curriculum, managed intervention models, and been responsible for screening
• >> Districtwide<00:10:08.480> reading<00:10:08.880> screening<00:10:09.360> and
• >> Districtwide reading screening and >> Districtwide reading screening and intervention
• <00:10:25.120> and been responsible for screening and been responsible for screening and reporting

Bills: SF0014, SF0053

Keywords: literacy, education, reading assessment, intervention program, public school funding, department of education, amateur status, high school athletics, student eligibility, sports regulation, monetary compensation, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the child protection teams, the CMS, the early steps, the medical foster care program, the newborn screening
• Reporting medical marijuana thefts and conducting background screenings.
• 65, you're deleting the requirement for officers and board members of MMTCs to pass a background screening
• , or are we requiring them to pass a background screening?
• Pass a background screening. Yes or no? Senator Collins, I have an answer for you, if you'd like.

Summary: The Health Policy Committee met with a quorum and took up a long agenda of health care, Medicaid, and patient-access measures, along with confirmation votes. The committee first reconsidered and amended SB 1606 on patient access to records, clarifying portal obligations, deleting a section affecting nursing home facility records, and setting a January 1, 2026 effective date; the bill then passed favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also recommended confirmation of a block of appointees and separately confirmed Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration after Harris testified about priorities including financial accountability, managed care oversight, transparency, and quality improvement. Senators asked about audit findings and Medicaid managed care performance, and several witnesses and committee members voiced support for her appointment. The committee then advanced a series of bills, most of them with amendments, including claims bills SB 28 and SB 22 for South Broward Hospital District settlements, SB 772 on undesignated glucagon in schools, SB 998 on death certification by physician assistants and APRNs, SB 1412 on home health administration flexibility, SB 1800 creating a Parkinson’s disease research consortium at USF, SB 306 on managed care network access during holidays and after hours, SB 1768 on stem cell therapies by physicians, SB 1602 on pediatric readiness in emergency departments, SB 1156 on the home health aide program for medically fragile children, SB 1490 on Children’s Medical Services and managed care administration, and SB 1182 on Medicaid coverage of continuous glucose monitors. Most of these bills received support from industry, advocacy, or provider groups and were reported favorably as committee substitutes. The most debated measure was SB 1270, a broad strike-all amendment combining provisions on mRNA vaccine documentation, vaccination-status protections in the Patient Bill of Rights, medical marijuana reporting and background-screening definitions, compact language, and volunteer immunity. The committee heard extensive testimony both for and against the vaccine-related provisions, including concerns about discrimination, patient safety, provider discretion, and medical liability. After additional technical amendments and a time-certain motion, the bill passed favorably as a committee substitute, with Senators Davis and Osgood voting no and Senator Harrell expressing a weak yes. At the end of the meeting, senators recorded their votes on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned.