Transcript Highlights:

• In fiscal year 2024, KDE received $11.2 million in IDEA B preschool funding.
• B preschool funding. million in idea B preschool funding.
• These are IDEA B preschool federal dollars.
• These are IDEA B preschool federal dollars.
• Uh Senator Dean, idea. All right.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call: 00:22 Office of Education Accountability Report: Early Childhood Regional Training Centers (RTCs): 01:22 Approval of July 14, 2025 Minutes 31:21 Office of Education Accountability: 2025 Study Agenda 32:35 Adjournment: 39:12, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard an Office of Education Accountability report on Kentucky’s early childhood regional training centers (RTCs). OEA said the centers provide valuable training, consultation, technical assistance, and materials for preschool personnel, especially for children with disabilities and at-risk students, and that the services align with state and federal requirements. However, the report found uneven student and teacher populations across regions, wide variation in per-student funding, some staffing data inaccuracies, and several fiscal oversight concerns, including inconsistent indirect cost rates, a building rental charge that may have been duplicative, and host districts recording RTC expenditures in a way that could blur them with district finances. OEA also said some documentation of progress toward goals was incomplete and that the technology lending library appeared underused. The report recommended stronger KDE oversight, uniform coding and accounting practices, review of budgets and expenditures, and an evaluation of whether the current five-center model remains the most efficient structure; OEA also suggested the General Assembly may wish to revisit KRS 157.318. Members asked about KDE’s response, whether the centers are required by federal law, how the centers operate, and whether changing the model would affect federal funding. OEA said KDE had only discussed the findings informally and had not issued a formal response, the centers are required by state law but not federal law, and changing the model would not jeopardize IDEA preschool funds. The committee accepted the report by motion. The subcommittee then approved the minutes from its July 14, 2025 meeting after initially delaying action because quorum was not yet present. After that, members turned to the Office of Education Accountability’s proposed 2026 study agenda. OEA said the three proposed topics are the annual district data profiles, facilities funding, and implementation of early literacy statutes. The district profiles would add an appendix showing the number and percentage of students moving to private school or homeschool by district and another appendix noting data-quality issues that affect comparability. OEA explained that district staffing data can undercount contract staff because those employees are not always entered into the system, and members expressed interest in tracking whether prior recommendations were implemented. One senator also raised a separate interest in reviewing whether KDE created and implemented regulations related to KFIX. The discussion remained informational, with no final vote on the study agenda shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think this is a fair sort of... ...a fair sort of marriage of the two ideas that gives flexibility
• And, and, and I think this is a, uh, a, a fair sort of 93 marriage of the two ideas, um, that, that gives
• The rubric has two dimensions: conventions, and the topic or ideas of the student.
• I’m sorry—ideas, I think, the topic or ideas of the student, and conventions like grammar, syntax, and
• So you grade ideas; if the item is off-topic, or the essay, paragraph, or sentence is off-topic, then

Bills: HB8

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Summary: The House Committee on Public Education met to hear House Bill 8, which would replace STAAR with a new assessment and accountability system beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The chair described the bill as reducing testing time, limiting benchmark tests, adding beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments, requiring faster score turnaround, involving Texas teachers in test development, and tightening accountability timelines and transparency rules. Members also discussed provisions on A-F ratings, cut scores, CCMR, local accountability plans, and TEA reporting requirements. Committee members and invited witnesses split sharply on the bill’s approach. Supporters, including the chair, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, and Ed Trust’s Nicholas Munyon Penny, argued the bill would reduce high-stakes pressure, provide quicker and more actionable data, limit over-testing, and better align assessments to Texas standards while preserving criterion-referenced accountability. They said the new system would help teachers and parents intervene sooner and would improve transparency, including parent access to student responses and automatic rescoring in some writing cases. Opponents, including Rep. Hinojosa and student witness Ella Moran, argued the bill still increases testing and replaces one high-stakes test with multiple TEA-created tests. Moran testified that STAAR creates anxiety, disrupts instruction, and does not reflect real learning, while Hinojosa said the House had previously passed a better bill based on a nationally norm-referenced model and criticized the new proposal as a concession to the Senate. Questions also focused on AI scoring of writing, rescoring rates, and whether the bill’s new accountability rules would be reliable and fair. The committee did not take a final vote during the portion provided, but the chair said a vote on HB 8 would be called after public testimony later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just to give you an idea of how we're spending the funding.
• I don't have any idea if any of that money is going to come to the states or anything like that.
• So I'd like, if we could, Madam Chair, to get an idea of exactly what those unfunded mandates are.
• That is a grant through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• So we can bring that idea to the Legislative Finance Committee or even to the subcommittee.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we'll also be bringing local experts together, the people who have the real ideas, the people who
• And the idea with that is we hope to get people into the Minnesota Care program with that.
• , the people who deal with this ideas, the people who deal with this stuff<00:12:05.440> every
• <00:16:25.120> And<00:16:25.279> the<00:16:25.440> idea<00:16:25.680> with
• And the idea with that year to 60 days.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a great idea.
• This is a great idea.
• This is a great idea.
• This is a great idea.
• This is a great idea.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a lot of props to our glorious administration, you know, they, I say, I have a project, I have an idea
• What other things, what other ideas can we get?
• Federal law under IDEA requires schools to provide ancillary services for students with disabilities.
• If you get a group of some of us superintendents that are here, we can help give you ideas of how we
• We got some good ideas. We really do.

Transcript Highlights:

• Economic engagement, and we have plenty of substantive trade ideas to discuss.
• Chairman, as these countries approach us, the idea is that we've had years and years of non-reciprocal
• Can you kind of give us any idea about that?
• That you have another idea for the jobs that they should engage in? What do I tell them?
• The idea that we are going to whack friend and foe alike.

Keywords: tariffs, Trump administration, economy, public testimony, trade policy, market access, export controls

Summary: The meeting focused on various significant topics concerning the recent tariff policies and their wide-ranging implications on the American economy. Members expressed their concerns regarding the negative impact of increased tariffs as proposed by the Trump administration, with specific emphasis on how families might suffer from higher costs and market access issues. The discussion was lively, with members questioning the clarity of the tariff plan and raising concerns about its potential effects on small businesses and American exports.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I do think it's a great idea to ensure that everyone's working together.
• I had no idea what to do or how to navigate this.
• I had no idea what to do or how to navigate this.
• I think the idea that people should be legal when they're working here is a good idea.
• And that was an idea that came from some people on this committee as well.

Summary: The committee first took up HB 703 on utility relocation, as amended by a strike-all. The sponsor said the bill would require government authorities that order communication service providers to move infrastructure to pay the relocation costs, clarify expedited timelines, and align the House bill with the Senate version. Supporters argued the communication services tax should help cover these costs, while cities and counties warned the bill would shift major unfunded costs to local governments and taxpayers, especially in fiscally constrained counties. After public testimony from local government and industry representatives and debate over fairness, coordination, and the tax’s intended use, the committee adopted the strike-all and then passed the bill favorably on a roll call vote. The committee then heard and passed CS/HB 379, a securities package updating Chapter 517. The bill and conforming amendment made several technical and policy changes, including expanding certain exemptions, updating foreign jurisdiction and exchange considerations, revising merger-and-acquisition broker rules, aligning fingerprinting requirements with FBI standards, and adding protections related to financial exploitation of specified adults. Industry and Office of Financial Regulation witnesses supported the measure, and the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably without opposition. Next, the committee passed CS/HB 867 establishing the Coastal Link Commuter Rail Service Act to create a legal framework for commuter rail operations along Florida’s coastal corridor and to help Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties secure insurance and indemnification for service on the Florida East Coast Railway right-of-way. The Florida Chamber supported the bill, and it was reported favorably without debate. The committee also passed CS/HB 1161, which revises Florida’s deepfake law to require covered platforms to remove altered sexual depictions and copies upon request by the victim; the bill drew emotional testimony from a student victim and broad support from members, and a severability amendment was adopted before the bill passed unanimously. The committee then passed CS/HB 453 on pool and spa contractors, which updates Chapter 489 terminology and scope-of-practice rules and, through amendment, limits certain equipment to commercially available products. Finally, the committee passed HB 955 requiring all private employers to use E-Verify for new hires, removing the small-employer exemption. Supporters framed it as workforce integrity and rule-of-law legislation, while opponents warned about labor shortages, burdens on small businesses, and impacts on immigrant workers. After debate, the bill passed 19-3. The committee then began hearing CS/HB 541 on minimum wage requirements, which would allow voluntary waivers of minimum wage for certain internships, pre-apprenticeships, and on-the-job training; the sponsor presented an amendment limiting the duration and clarifying minor waivers, and the committee heard both support from small business groups and opposition from labor, immigrant, and worker advocates before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• She said that violence in school is far worse than we have any idea.
• worse than<00:01:08.799> we<00:01:09.119> have<00:01:09.280> any<00:01:09.560> idea
• And<00:01:10.799> I<00:01:10.960> have<00:01:11.119> to than we have any idea
• And I have to than we have any idea.
• but that's why we have been speaking with our school boards and superintendent and again hearing the idea

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , not specific, but a general idea what parts of the state you should be looking at or not looking at
• <00:02:37.680> not<00:02:38.040> specific give them a general idea not specific give
• them a general idea not specific but<00:02:38.680> general<00:02:39.000> idea<00:02:39.560
• parts<00:02:39.920> of<00:02:40.040> the<00:02:40.159> state but general idea
• what parts of the state but general idea what parts of the state you<00:02:40.480> should<00:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So, similar to what was discussed, everybody is going to have their own idea of this.
• <00:16:32.959> The<00:16:33.040> only have their own idea of this.
• The only have their own idea of this.
• <00:20:16.640> Any<00:20:16.880> other for ideas as you have them.
• Any other for ideas as you have them. Any other questions?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard SR 12/SCR 16, which asks the Department of Health to convene a task force to identify minimum professional standards for community health worker training programs. The Department of Health supported the measure and said it could take on the work with current resources. Testimony from Papa Ola Lokahi, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the Hawaii Community Health Worker Association, and community health workers strongly supported the resolution but urged broader task force representation, including community health workers themselves, Papa Ola Lokahi, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Community Health Worker Alliance, and community-based rural nonprofit organizations. Several testifiers also asked that community health workers make up at least half of the task force. The department indicated it had no objection to adding the requested groups, and members discussed those proposed amendments. The committee then took up SR 141/SCR 172, which requests a Department of Health working group on demolition waste reduction. Energy Justice Network and other supporters urged amendments, including use of the internationally recognized zero-waste definition and hierarchy. The committee also heard SR 165/SCR 205, which would direct the Department of Health to adopt rules setting maximum decibel levels for concerts or events at private venues in primarily residential areas. The department said it was already working on noise issues and wanted a community noise working group to address nuisances beyond current statutory categories, but members questioned the lack of specific standards, the absence of a defined working group membership, and whether the proposal would lead to broader restrictions on events. Testimony and discussion focused on concerns about noise impacts, enforcement, and the balance between community complaints and long-standing local events. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion provided. The hearing then moved on to SR 174/SCR 194, which would ask the Department of Health to reduce the use of disposable surgical equipment and adopt sustainable practices, but discussion of that measure was not included in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• things require a lot of work and a lot of teamwork and a lot of resources, so that was the general idea
• <00:11:07.040> around<00:11:07.480> our<00:11:07.680> concern the general idea
• around our concern the general idea around our concern about<00:11:08.839> de<00:11:09.160>
• We stand on our written comments in strong support of this bill, drawing attention to the idea that the
• that the value proposition to the idea that the value proposition of<00:19:42.559> this<00:19

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several measures. Senate Bill 327, relating to internships, drew broad support from the Department of Education, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, University of Hawaiʻi, DBEDT, P20, HFIA, Hawaiʻi Electric, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and the Chamber of Commerce, with suggested amendments to clarify the internship purpose, limit some responsibilities to the state executive branch, and address staffing and reporting details. The committee later recommended passing SB 327 with amendments, including changes to the internship language, private-sector references, work-hour limits, reporting requirements, and a deferred effective date for further discussion. Senate Bill 716, relating to the Hawaii Employment Security Law, received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations as a step toward modernizing unemployment insurance, and the committee recommended passage with housekeeping and technical amendments. Senate Bill 717, relating to collective bargaining, would allow certain exempt employees to grieve suspensions or discharges. The City and County of Honolulu and the Department of Human Resources Development said the issue should remain a collective bargaining matter, while HGEA and United Public Workers supported the bill. DHRD opposed changing the statute and pointed to existing internal complaint procedures. The committee nevertheless recommended passing SB 717 with amendments and deferred the date for further discussion. Senate Bill 742, relating to data sharing, would create a data sharing and governance working group within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and include appropriations. OETS, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaiʻi, DOE, Hawaiʻi Kids Can, Hawaiʻi P-20, and others supported the measure, with OETS estimating a total cost of about $2.64 million, including software, consulting, and six FTE. The committee recommended passage with amendments and a deferred effective date, and noted the budget request in the committee report. The final measure, Senate Bill 855, relating to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act, would shift the program from opt-in to opt-out and appropriate startup funds; former Senator Brian Taniguchi and AARP supported it, while Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi and the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi opposed it over costs and burdens on small businesses and concerns about adding mandates before the program is implemented. The committee recessed briefly on a proposed AARP amendment, then returned and indicated support for the opt-out language before taking the bill up for decision-making.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, but it's an honor to be here, and I look forward to working with you, and I love this new idea of
• So I think that's a great idea, and I'm honored to be a part of it.
• So I think that's a great idea and I'm honored to be a part of it.
• They invited further discussion and said they would like to hear the member's ideas and thoughts.
• I'd love to hear some of your ideas and thoughts, too. Chair, do you mind if I respond to that?

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee met to organize the new term, take roll, and hear introductory presentations from the six agencies under its jurisdiction: the Agency for Health Care Administration, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Families, Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Health, and Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The chair outlined the committee process, including assigning members to review agencies and make budget recommendations. Each agency head gave a high-level overview of their budget, staffing, major programs, and priorities, with recurring themes including Medicaid, long-term care, disability services, child welfare, mental health, aging services, public health, and veterans’ health care. Several agency leaders highlighted recent initiatives and funding priorities. AHCA emphasized Medicaid managed care, provider regulation, Hope Florida, hospital-at-home, and cancer-related efforts; APD discussed iBudget services, Hope Florida, a managed-care pilot, online applications, and forensic care costs; DCF focused on child protection, foster care, adult protective services, food/cash/medical assistance, mental health, and opioid treatment; Elder Affairs highlighted Alzheimer’s services, community-based senior care, guardianship, ombudsman services, and disaster outreach; DOH covered cancer innovation, maternal telehealth, cybersecurity, HIV/hepatitis/syphilis screening, and school nursing; and Veterans Affairs described benefits and health care access for veterans, long-term care, and federal reimbursement. Several speakers also raised concerns about rising costs, provider rates, disaster response, and access to services. The committee heard two public comments from disability advocates about Medicaid redeterminations affecting iBudget waiver recipients and provider payment delays. In response, AHCA and APD said they were coordinating on data sharing, early outreach, escalation processes, and efforts to reduce disenrollments and make recertification smoother. Members then asked questions about provider rates, opioid settlement spending, managed care quality measures, pediatric rare disease grants, group home transparency, senior outreach, ABA services moving into managed care, annual Medicaid recertification, veterans’ service utilization, waiting lists for elder services, and prevention spending. No formal votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• > to<01:49:10.880> help fruitful idea or fruitful ideas to help fruitful idea or fruitful
• Ask them what they think about this idea.
• Ask them what they think about<02:40:56.800> this<02:40:57.439> idea.
• And number eight, there about this idea.
• We can see across the marketplace of ideas there are anti-competitive impacts.

Bills: HB2118, HB2473

Keywords: business development, arts, cultural affairs, Hawaii, commissions, administrative transfer, funding appropriation, Hawaiian culture, sense of place, land management, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to permitting and economic development. On HB 2603, relating to permits, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development said it supported the measure with comments. Committee discussion focused on the fact that the state’s facilitated permit process appears to have been rarely or never used, the need to identify specific projects that would use it, and whether DBEDT would need dedicated staffing to administer it. DBEDT said it had found no projects under the current process, had no capacity to run the program as structured, and estimated it would need about 7 to 9 FTEs, including permitting, coordination, data, systems, and possibly legal support. The chair suggested exploring a staff assignment and comparing the concept to federal FAST-41-style expedited permitting. On HB 2140, relating to essential permitting positions, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development again supported the bill with comments. Testimony and questioning centered on a pilot program to help counties pay competitively for permitting staff. A DBEDT representative said the issue of competitive pay affected both county and state permitting offices and that the bill was intended as a temporary pilot, though a more permanent solution would be preferable. When asked how counties would fund the salary support, the witness said that was not yet discussed with the counties and agreed to follow up. The committee also noted the bill applies to participating counties. On HB 2598, relating to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, the State Procurement Office and HTDC offered comments, and the Department of the Attorney General raised constitutional concerns. The AG said the bill’s residency-based certification requirements, when tied to procurement, could implicate the dormant Commerce Clause, and that the required 1% contribution tied to state contracts raised unconstitutional-conditions concerns. In questioning, the AG characterized these as legal risks rather than automatic lawsuits. The committee did not take a vote. The committee then heard HB 2141, relating to state enterprise zones. Taxation, DBEDT, HCDA, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, and HTDC testified in support, while the Tax Foundation noted the program was intended to help economically depressed areas create jobs. HTDC said the bill would help preserve the Maui Research and Technology Center’s enterprise-zone status after rezoning. Committee discussion focused on whether the enterprise zone program is being used effectively, how the bill might attract businesses to areas where the state is investing, and whether the program’s labor requirements are too burdensome for new businesses. DBEDT explained that the program requires a 10% workforce increase in the first year, which must be sustained, and said it promotes the program through county coordinators and in-person outreach. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, this is a bad idea. We decided don't do it. I got it. It's a bad idea. Bad idea. Okay.
• Chairman, this is a bad idea. We Mr. Chairman, this is a bad idea.
• It's a bad idea. >> I got it. It's a bad idea. >> Bad<01:21:02.800> idea.
• >> Bad idea. >> Bad idea.
• idea of our salaries compared to theirs. idea of our salaries compared to theirs.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But you know, getting another opinion is not a bad idea.
• But you know, getting another opinion is not a bad idea.
• But you know, getting another opinion is not a bad idea.
• But you know, getting another opinion is not a bad idea.
• But you know, getting another opinion is not a bad idea.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I like the idea of doing this in the registration section, and what I don't think you meant to suggest
• I agree putting them all under one section is not a bad idea.
• I'm just saying I'll work with you on the comprehensive because I think that's a good idea.
• think<00:58:18.320> that's<00:58:18.520> a<00:58:18.600> good<00:58:18.800> idea
• think that's a good idea. think that's a good idea.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Summary: The meeting on SB 460 focused almost entirely on where the bill should be placed in statute and how it would be enforced. One side argued the proposal should be moved out of the loitering section and into the sex offender registration framework, saying loitering is already under constitutional challenge, is vague, and does not fit the conduct at issue. They said the bill is meant to create a clear, advance-notice restriction for registered sex offenders, especially around schools, day care facilities, and similar places, and that this would be easier for police to enforce. The opposing view was that the loitering placement is the better fit and that moving the bill would create broader drafting problems by opening the door to reorganizing many other sex-offender-related restrictions. There was also discussion of whether the bill’s references to schools should use the school-property statute, whether churches should be included, and whether the existing loitering statute’s alarm-based elements are too complicated and potentially unconstitutional. The committee also discussed a pending federal challenge to the loitering law, with one member saying there was no injunction yet but the case was being challenged. No agreement was reached. After a brief break and further debate, members concluded that the Senate and House positions remained unresolved, and the meeting ended without a compromise or vote on the substantive dispute.

Transcript Highlights:

• I brought this bill because it seemed a good idea to have a consistent, statutorily based process for
• I don't have any idea if anyone's even here to speak, if necessary. James Roth, is it necessary?
• I think the idea of why the statutes were written in such a way is to sort of work toward that solution
• I don't like the idea that we continue, as a legislature, we continue to bury our heads in the sand and
• And can you give me any idea of how often it happens that a new building goes up, and then I guess if

Bills: SB1180, SB1215, SB1270, SB1290, SB1292, SB1294, SB1430, SCR1028

Keywords: income tax, conformity, Arizona Revised Statutes, taxpayer, federal regulations, firefighters, occupational disease, workers compensation, cancer presumption, police officers, hazardous duty, SB1270, Arizona retirement system, public safety personnel, defined contribution plan, correctional officers, corrections officers, retirement contributions, supplemental contributions, retention incentive

Transcript Highlights:

• I love that idea. Yes, Senator. Okay. Well, Trent. I am, yes. I'm with you.
• about a lot of transportation issues, and so I would invite the committee members to come with your ideas
• Let me know if you think that's a groovy idea to help pay for your roads.
• And I would challenge each of the members of this committee to step up with your ideas.
• If it's a good idea, I'm going to put it on the agenda. So I just want to throw out that idea.

Bills: SB1063, SB1118, SB1153, SB1154, SB1209, SCM1001

Keywords: appropriation, transportation, safety improvements, Route 70, infrastructure, housing, zoning, middle housing, urban development, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, historic preservation, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, special license plate, special plate, license plate, vanity plate

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm interested in the idea of residencies in these fields because we're seeing—thank you all so much
• I really value that, but I also value the idea of having school psychologists because of that specialized
• Disabilities, how we approach the idea of disabilities, and how we serve more of the students in our
• the surveys are for third through 12th graders, when they're looking at the questions, they have an idea
• So we give them opportunities in small groups during those sessions to work with each other, gain ideas

Keywords: 996, all