Transcript Highlights:

• could just point out that The chart you're looking at with the under two, you have to remember the pool
• So you have to realize the pool increased.
• This is a chart about who was eligible and who was served, but eligibility levels changed, the pool grew

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As you can see in that image, the large door there was a pool hall.
• I lived right next to a pool hall with very thin walls.
• I used to sneak into the bathroom to listen to the conversations going on next door in that pool hall

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, next items on the<00:06:34.560> pool<00:06:34.800> list<00:06:35.120> are<00
• :06:35.280> with<00:06:35.600> facilities<00:06:35.919> and the pool list are with
• facilities and the pool list are with facilities and support<00:06:36.479> services.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved contracts 98, 99, and 100, then heard from the Kentucky Department of Tourism on a contract with the United Kingdom and other European markets. Tourism officials said the state has had similar international marketing contracts since 2013, that international visitors spend about six times more per day than domestic travelers, and that the work includes marketing, public relations, familiarization trips, and media outreach. After questions about costs and effectiveness, the contract was approved by roll call. Members then reviewed Finance Cabinet facilities contracts 29 and 48 for engineering and architectural services tied to project design, including a specialized lab expansion project. The chair raised concerns that the fees seemed high for services that do not include construction, while the agency explained the work covers design for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and architectural planning, and that the lab project’s specialized pathogen-related work limits the pool of firms. The committee voted to approve the contracts. The Attorney General’s office then presented an opioid abatement agreement. Senator Meredith asked how the commission coordinates with other state behavioral health efforts, and staff explained that the commission allocates settlement funds based on applications and includes related agency representation to help avoid duplication. The contract was approved. The committee also approved a behavioral health contract for 988 chat and text services, which will expand Kentucky-based crisis response coverage to 24/7 and move more of the state’s calls, chats, and texts from a national center to local specialists. A related amendment for the Voices of Hope overdose response contract was approved after staff said the increase simply extends services into the next fiscal year. Finally, the committee approved a DCBS contract for the Building Bridges Initiative, which provides training and peer mentoring for residential child care providers, and then approved three contracts for the Council on Developmental Disabilities. Those contracts were explained as necessary because the council is the designated state agency for federal DD Act funding, and one questioned item involving an advocacy and sexuality initiative was described as part of the council’s five-year plan focused on self-advocacy, systems change, and capacity building. The committee also discussed a food insecurity survey contract with a Kentucky nonprofit, with staff saying the organization was chosen for its statewide network and ability to gather raw data, while members raised concerns about whether the study should distinguish between lack of food and poor diet. All of the reviewed contracts were approved by roll call.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current EOC and the new EOC are managed by DMS and are both a part of the Florida facilities pool

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee was called to order and a roll call established a quorum. Chair Lopez noted Vice Chair Mager was excused, and members present were recorded before the meeting proceeded. The chair explained that, unlike the committee’s usual budget work, the subcommittee would conduct a site visit to the new State Emergency Operations Center. The purpose was to see how taxpayer funding is being used and to compare the current and new facilities. The chair said both the current and new EOC are managed by the Department of Management Services and are part of the Florida facilities pool. The chair also summarized the funding history for the project, stating the Legislature appropriated $100 million for construction in fiscal year 2021-2022 and $80 million in fiscal year 2022-2023, with additional funding for technology infrastructure, bringing the total appropriated amount to just over $200 million. Members were instructed to begin the tour by visiting the current EOC, then travel to the new EOC for a tour and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are some pretty amazing details: spacious classrooms, a therapeutic pool, a rooftop playground
• They don’t have the resources to purchase the materials.
• They don't have the resources to purchase the materials.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on several bills centered on school accountability, receivership, graduation requirements, charter school access, community schools, school libraries, and student voting rights. Much of the discussion focused on the Thrive Act, S. 374, which would end state receivership and change the state’s accountability approach. Supporters, including educators, parents, advocacy groups, and students, argued that receivership has not improved outcomes in districts such as Lawrence, Holyoke, Southbridge, Boston, and the Dever, and that local communities should have more control, with greater emphasis on community schools, wraparound services, and broader measures of school quality. They also supported related bills on community schools and school library standards, and several witnesses backed a bill to expand student representative voting rights on school committees. Opponents of S. 374, especially charter school leaders, parents, students, and some education advocates, focused on Section 4 of the bill, which would change the charter school net school spending cap in the lowest-performing districts. They argued that the provision would reduce access to charter seats in communities where families are seeking more options, and that schools such as Roxbury Prep, Excel Academy, Brook, Veritas Prep, and Libertas Academy have produced strong results for students, including students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs. Several witnesses said the section would force schools to shrink or close and would remove opportunities for families in districts with long waitlists. Committee members questioned witnesses on both the effectiveness of receivership and the charter school cap language. Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon emphasized the need for a better accountability system and noted concerns about whether current measures, including MCAS-based designations, accurately reflect school quality. Some witnesses said they had discussed the possibility of removing Section 4 from the Thrive Act and suggested it might be addressed in separate charter reform legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing; testimony was received and the committee later closed testimony on S. 374 and several related bills before moving on to the student voting rights bill, S. 367.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nearby is a tasteful power switch to enable the purchaser to switch it on and off.
• for technical assistance to apply for federal and... ...other funding to plan, design, construct, purchase
• It just depends on what the pool looks like for the folks that are applying at that time.

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:19:11.440> donated<00:19:11.919> funds<00:19:12.320> to<00:19:12.559> purchase
• displays and donated funds to purchase displays and donated funds to purchase the<00:19:13.120><
• To fund the displays free of charge, a local board of education may accept donated funds to purchase
• To fund the displays free of charge, a local board of education may accept donated funds to purchase
• the displays or may accept purchase the displays or may accept donated<01:04:59.520> displays.

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The meeting included a Senate recognition ceremony honoring the Winona High School boys basketball team for winning the 2026 Alabama High School Athletic Association 5A state championship. A resolution was read commending the team for its 101-40 victory over Silicag, noting the team’s record-setting performance, Brendan Davis’s MVP honor, the contributions of other players, and Coach Cedric Lane’s leadership. Senators and the lieutenant governor praised the players’ sportsmanship, the school community, and the team’s historic season, and copies of the resolution were presented to the team, coaches, and administrators. Several guests and school representatives also spoke briefly, including the coach and principal, who thanked the Senate and noted the team’s success and the principal’s retirement after 35 years. After the recognition, the Senate returned to session and adopted the Committee on Rules report setting the special order calendar. The calendar included Senate Bill 99 on the Ten Commandments, Senate Bill 298 on Class 3 municipalities, House Bill 381 on camp safety, Senate Bill 370 on tax increment districts, Senate Bill 363 on the Department of Economic and Community Affairs, House Bill 466 on firefighters, House Bill 95 on elections, House Bill 259 on stablecoin, and Senate Bill 342 on education. The chamber then took up SB 99, sponsored by Senators Kelly and Sessions. Senator Kelly described the bill as requiring local school boards to display the Ten Commandments, together with founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Alabama Constitution preamble, in certain history classrooms and common areas for grades five through 12, using donated displays and funds when available. He said the bill was intended as a historical and educational measure, not religious instruction, and emphasized the inclusion of a disclaimer stating Alabama is not establishing a religion. After extended debate and a petition to close debate from the Rules Committee, the Senate voted on the bill by long roll and passed SB 99, with the recorded vote announced as 30 yeas and 4 nays.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, when COVID hit, we had a purchase and sale and they backed out.
• It's a small pool that's out there, and Newington refuses to lower our standards for hiring.
• It's a small pool that's out there, and Newington refuses to lower our standards for hiring.
• >> We were going to purchase a new cruiser next year anyways, ma'am.
• We've usually done that with every other purchase that we've ever done.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• LPNs enabled to practice at a level that's clearly beyond their training, won't that dilute the wage pool
• that<00:13:31.280> dilute<00:13:31.880> the<00:13:32.000> wage<00:13:32.480> pool
• 00:13:33.160> and<00:13:33.840> the<00:13:33.960> number that dilute the wage pool
• and the number that dilute the wage pool and the number of<00:13:34.960> higher<00:13:35.400>
• editions of the building code, mechanical code, plumbing code, residential code, and the swimming pool

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are people that are very active in that, but it also narrows the pool that you can hire from because
• but it also are very active in that but it also Narrows<00:35:27.480> the<00:35:27.800> pool
• > you<00:35:28.320> can<00:35:28.560> hire<00:35:28.920> from Narrows the pool
• that you can hire from Narrows the pool that you can hire from because<00:35:29.880> of<00:35
• don't have staff in the center, we won't have the center, and you won't have the child care and the pool

Bills: HF1247, HF628

Keywords: child care, aides, supervision, child care centers, staffing regulations, childcare, day care, licensed child care center, early childhood education, child care licensing, director qualifications, staff ratios, group size, staff-to-child ratio, substitutes, volunteers, assistant teacher, teacher qualifications, infant care, toddler age

Transcript Highlights:

• It was a co-ed sport, and they had no problem providing a pool facility for us to practice at.
• It was a co-ed sport, and they had no problem providing a pool facility for us to practice at.
• 00:40:11.920> problem<00:40:12.800> providing<00:40:13.240> a<00:40:13.520> pool
• <00:40:13.920> a they had no problem providing a pool a they had no problem providing a pool

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Education met on February 6 at 2:00 p.m. and heard testimony on a series of education-related bills. HB 1200, which would codify teacher ratios in statute, drew support from the Department of Education, the Democratic Party of the Education Caucus, and 11 individuals; no opposition was noted and the committee moved on without questions. HB 1344, concerning mandatory FAFSA completion, received testimony from the Department of Education, Hawaii P20, and a University of Hawaiʻi student who cited unclaimed Pell Grant funds and low FAFSA completion rates as reasons to support the bill. Committee members asked about current outreach efforts, and DOE and P20 described FAFSA tracking data, hotlines, email support, school-based FAFSA nights, and coordination with counselors; members also raised concerns about federal education funding and Pell Grants. The committee then heard HB 1499, which would authorize staff and volunteers to administer certain medications. The Department of Education, Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi nursing leadership, and the Hawaii State Center for Nursing all testified in support, along with several individuals and the Democratic Party Environmental Caucus. The next measure, HB 902 on the Public Safety Power Shutoff program, was supported by DOE, the Public Utilities Commission, and Hawaiian Electric, but it prompted extensive questioning from the Vice Chair about whether taxpayers should fund a study to help schools remain open during shutoffs. Hawaiian Electric said the bill would help DOE assess impacts in wildfire-risk areas and noted its wildfire safety strategy, outreach efforts, and potential community resource centers, while the Vice Chair argued the utility should bear more of the cost. The committee also heard HB 961, a bill on school libraries and a CASS pilot program, with DOE offering comments and HSTA and the Hawaii Library Association strongly supporting it. HSTA argued certified librarians are important for literacy, research, and digital literacy, and said many schools lack them because of cost; the association and 14 individuals testified in support. HB 962, a related bill on DOE libraries and the system, also drew support from DOE, HSTA, and the Hawaii Library Association, with 15 individuals in support. Finally, HB 730, concerning the Civil Rights Compliance Branch, received support from DOE, White Children’s Action Network, AAW of Hawaiʻi, and many individuals. Testifiers said the branch needs more resources and training and handles more than Title IX, including Title VI, Title VII, and ADA matters. A student plaintiff in a Title IX lawsuit described unequal treatment in athletics and facilities, and another supporter said the bill would help ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• the public needs to understand that if you're making $110,000 to $112,000 a year and you want to purchase

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• provided we can continue to purchase provided we can continue to purchase through<00:53:34.079><
• <00:53:52.000> the allow us to actually purchase the allow us to actually purchase the vaccine
• <00:57:07.200> something not just purchase something not just purchase something >>
• options including perhaps purchasing options including perhaps purchasing properties<01:03:33.599
• Um but now like you said purchasing.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Department of Health presented its supplemental budget requests and described several sources of uncertainty affecting federal funding, including policy changes, shutdown-related disruptions, and shifting appropriations proposals in Congress. Officials said some federal grants had been terminated and then restored, but the department still faces added administrative burden to access funds. They also said trust in public health institutions has declined, and outlined efforts to respond through community engagement, website cleanup, social media, and transparency dashboards. The department highlighted staffing and operations issues, noting a 29.7% vacancy rate and the success of its hiring pilot under Act 291, which has hired 38 candidates with an average 95-day hiring timeline. On the budget side, officials said the supplemental request includes increases in general, special, and revolving funds, and they walked through the first major general fund item for emergency medical services. After discussion, they said the EMS request was reduced from $8 million to $4.5 million to cover collective bargaining increases and keep contracts whole through August 2027. Behavioral health items included the payment crisis center in Ewa, which has connected more than 2,000 people to services, though roughly one-third remain unconnected or return frequently. Members questioned the quality of follow-up data and whether the program is reducing repeat use. The department also discussed state hospital decompression efforts, including use of the behavioral health crisis center, transfers to community hospitals, neighbor-island placements, and direct discharge to long-term care facilities; officials said the hospital is licensed for 292 beds and has seen census pressures rise again. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on Kalaupapa/Kalawao jurisdiction and preservation after patient care ends. Members pressed the department on the lack of a clear statewide plan, the roles of DOH, DNR, and DHHL, and what happens to land, buildings, and the cemetery after the last patient leaves. DOH said the current law is unclear on an end date, that the proposed bill would change the law, and that the landowners’ agreements with the National Park Service and each other will shape the transition. Officials said they would provide more information at a later hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• of offsite constructed bulk purchase of offsite constructed housing<02:18:48.960> units,<02:18
• <02:21:12.800> of<02:21:12.920> off-site<02:21:13.320> constructed purchasing of
• off-site constructed purchasing of off-site constructed housing.
• This increase in the cash balance can be used for bulk purchasing of off-site construction housing.
• This increase in the cash balance can be used for bulk purchasing of off-site construction housing.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House resumed consideration of H.606 on firearm procedures and first took up Section 3 and its effective dates. A member from Northfield spoke at length in support, arguing the provision is narrowly tailored, based on actual dangerousness rather than mental illness alone, and is more limited than federal law because it applies only to specific court findings and is temporary, with rights restorable upon recovery. The House then approved Section 3 and its effective dates, approved the remainder of the Judiciary Committee report, and ordered third reading. The chamber then moved through third readings and passed H.385 on remedies and protections for victims of coerced debt, H.556 on exceptions to the state minimum wage, H.559 on the parole board, H.723 on posting of land, and H.757 on manufactured homes and limited equity cooperatives. On H.814, relating to neurological rights and AI in health and human services, the House adopted an amendment offered by the member from Burlington that required the advisory council to include proposed definitions for neurotechnology, artificial intelligence, and related terms in its report; the House Health Care Committee reported the amendment favorable 11-0-0, and the bill then passed. H.816, regulating the use of artificial intelligence in the provision of mental health services, also passed, as did H.927, technical corrections for the 2026 session. The House then took up H.930 on chronic absenteeism. The committee member from Manchester described the bill as an AOE proposal responding to high post-pandemic absenteeism rates and their impact on learning, and outlined provisions adding definitions, updating compulsory attendance language, requiring a state model policy, strengthening notification and truancy procedures, and preserving existing penalties. The member said the Education Committee heard from a wide range of education and child welfare witnesses and passed the bill 11-0. After a brief clarification on the absences section, the House proceeded toward third reading of H.930.

Transcript Highlights:

• Perhaps nothing captured that spirit more than his Texas-shaped swimming pool that he... ...built proudly
• The act was created after 18-year-old Deshawn purchased alcohol on prom night in 2022, became intoxicated
• 650 is a needed change because electronic verification systems can better prevent underage alcohol purchases
• substitute for Senate Bill 3 requires electronic verification of consumers' IDs, ensuring that purchasers
• A total ban tells Texans what they can and cannot purchase or possess in a legal market, restricting

Bills: SB31, SB33, SB20, SB217, SB264, SB269, SB650, SB681, SB528, SB502, SB740, SB916, SB995, SB10, SB2581, SB2570, SB3031, SB24, SB379, SB1171, SB1121, SB1120, SB1061, SB1036, SB1019, SB890, SB11, SB868, SB1188, SB1254, SB2778, SB2543, SB2443, SB1333, SB1259, SB1401, SB1404, SB2139, SB2165, SB2237, SB2268, SB1202, SB1198, SB1212, SB1451, SB1470, SB1498, SB965, SB1547, SB1667, SB1818, SB1902, SB2129, SB2078, SB2069, SB1737, SB1589, SB1318, SB387, SB1150, SB1574, SB2127, SB3034, SB860, SB1278, SCR5, SCR32, SB4, SB23, SB1762, SB34, SB60, SB706, SB1814, SB1220, SB523, SB565, SB1253, SB840, SB764, SB2383, SB2155, SB1535, SB1423, SB1566, SB1804, SB1728, SB1816, SB1952, SB75, SB2068, SB1455, SB213, SB627, SB2037, SB670, SB896, SB917, SB1184, SB971, SB1255, SB1261, SB1283, SB991, SB1733, SB21, SB231, SB739, SB1252, SB1371, SB646, SB3, SCR27, SB552, SB1405, SB1948, SB243, SJR1, SB31, SB33, SB20, SB217, SB264, SB269, SB650, SB681, SB528, SB502, SB740, SB916, SB995, SB10, SB2581, SB2570, SB3031, SB24, SB379, SB1171, SB1121, SB1120, SB1061, SB1036, SB1019, SB890, SB11, SB868, SB1188, SB1254, SB2778, SB2543, SB2443, SB1333, SB1259, SB1401, SB1404, SB2139, SB2165, SB2237, SB2268, SB1202, SB1198, SB1212, SB1451, SB1470, SB1498, SB965, SB1547, SB1667, SB1818, SB1902, SB2129, SB2078, SB2069, SB1737, SB1589, SB1318, SB387, SB1150, SB1574, SB2127, SB3034, SB860, SB1278, SCR5, SCR32, SB546, SB647, SB648, SB1493, SB1709, SB2001, HB5669, HB3115, HB5655, HB5675, HB5689, HB5690, HB5653, HB3228, HB2802, HB45, HB1318, HB5560, HB2894, HB4344, HB2775, HB33, HB 12, HB148

Keywords: SB 31, Life of the Mother Act, Texas abortion law, medical emergency, reasonable medical judgment, pregnancy complications, maternal health, life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, unborn child, abortion exception, abortion ban, physician liability, health care liability claim, aiding and abetting, Texas Medical Board, State Bar of Texas, continuing medical education

Transcript Highlights:

• reluctant to sign, but did so, as the job was going to provide a generous income and allow us to finally purchase
• > finally generous income and allow us to finally generous income and allow us to finally purchase
• 46.720> I<00:53:46.839> was<00:53:47.079> terrified<00:53:47.920> as purchase
• a home but I was terrified as purchase a home but I was terrified as my<00:53:48.240> children
• versus the system they just talked about, which includes all workers in Hawaii and makes the insurance pool

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• leave, then we will usually try to come with a rate increase to try to attract them or stabilize the pool
• Those are the kind of, it's a relatively small group of folks and relatively small provider pool, but
• So, we do hope that that pool of providers stabilizes.
• <00:03:50.840> of them or stabilize uh the the pool of them or stabilize uh the the pool of
• um, that pool of providers stabilizes. um, that pool of providers stabilizes.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The mission and the money pool in the same direction.
• <00:07:42.440> and<00:07:42.560> the<00:07:42.640> money<00:07:43.000> pool
• <00:07:43.280> in<00:07:43.320> the The mission and the money pool in the The mission
• and the money pool in the same<00:07:43.640> direction.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Votruba Young Scholars Academy 00:01:55 Taxation of Financial Deposit Institutions 00:36:50, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Since 2002, all providers, Metro Transit and the opt-outs, have drawn from the same state funding pool
• have drawn from the same<00:03:20.920> state<00:03:21.400> funding<00:03:21.800> pool
• same state funding pool. same state funding pool.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• When we get to a point where the cap is not hit for a few years in a row, there shouldn't really be a pool
• shouldn't<00:37:22.079> really<00:37:22.320> be<00:37:22.480> a<00:37:22.720> pool
• <00:37:22.960> of<00:37:23.200> eligible shouldn't really be a pool of eligible shouldn't
• really be a pool of eligible students<00:37:24.320> left<00:37:24.720> to<00:37:25.119

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session on SB 145, which would require sexual assault evidence kits to be delivered to the state forensic lab within seven business days and analyzed more promptly. Pamela Kyle of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence said the bill was developed after survivor concerns and extensive discussions with the Departments of Safety and Justice. She explained that most agencies already deliver kits quickly, but some kits sit for months, and the bill is intended to add structure without penalties while preserving chain of custody. Members discussed the use of common carriers or courier services for transport, the need for clear rules, and whether carriers would know what they were transporting. Representative Papovich offered amendment 2025-2301H to remove the reimbursement program for police shipping costs, arguing it would add administrative overhead and was unnecessary. The amendment was adopted on a roll call vote, and the committee then voted OTPA on SB 145 as amended, with members voting yes on the roll call. The committee then opened a work session on SB 295, and the sponsor presented a replace-all amendment intended to simplify and clarify the Education Freedom Account bill without changing its purpose. The amendment would remove income-cap language, define priority enrollment groups, establish an enrollment cap for the EFA program, and create rolling enrollment rules. It would set a 10,000-student cap for the 2025-2026 school year, allow the cap to increase by 25% if enrollment exceeds 90% of the prior cap, and ensure current participants can remain enrolled. The amendment also provides that certain sections would later be repealed once the Department of Education certifies that applications have not exceeded the cap for two consecutive school years. The sponsor walked through the amendment section by section, explaining that the bill is structured in two phases: one while caps exist and another after they are no longer needed.