Transcript Highlights:

• in programs.
• So, thank you. particular service or program, um, it's particular service or program, um, it's many,<
• <00:53:33.040> Maybe certificates of participation. Maybe certificates of participation.
• grant program. Is that an AP request? grant program. Is that an AP request?
• That program is now up up running and That program is now up up running and humming.<00:59:31.440>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• participate in our state uh financial aid programs.
• participate in our state uh financial aid programs.
• participate in our state uh financial aid programs.
• participate in our state uh financial aid programs.
• participate in our state uh financial aid programs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• short-term programs...
• Engineering students must participate in a summer transition program called STEP.
• California has launched program after program, but these programs are often too disconnected and operating
• in these programs.
• So our bill would create a pilot program to correct the imbalance in participation and access to this

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this bill aligns with our residency requirements throughout our programs.
• Our work focuses on building that system, not as a single program.
• This is going to add to our navigator program.
• This is going to add to her navigator program are right now.
• To participate as well.

Bills: HF3727, HF3684, HF3467

Keywords: veterans property tax, homestead exclusion, disabled veteran, totally and permanently disabled, service-connected disability, property tax relief, market value exclusion, surviving spouse, family caregiver, county veterans service officer, Minnesota property tax, assessment year 2027, homestead tax benefit, veterans tax exemption, DD214, VA disability rating, veterans, veterans affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs, grant standards

Transcript Highlights:

• Member from Burlington. producer responsibility program for producer responsibility program for beverage
• extended producer responsibility program extended producer responsibility program for<00:07:46.560
• <00:21:08.880> has years provided that participant has years provided that participant has
• the adult court diversion program. the adult court diversion program.
• Participants in that program could have been charged a fee of up to $300, but House Judiciary recommended

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional led by Rep. Bram Kleppner, who spoke about ethics, the virtues of kindness, wisdom, and courage, and offered an atheist’s prayer focused on those themes for legislative work. After the devotional, the chamber handled first readings of four bills: H.913 on prohibiting certain prediction markets securities, H.914 on compensating the city of Barre for an education property tax overpayment, H.915 on an extended producer responsibility program for beverage containers, and H.916 on education fund expenditures review. H.913 was referred to Government Operations and Military Affairs, H.914 to Ways and Means, H.915 to Ways and Means under House Rule 35A because it affects state revenue, and H.916 to Education. Members also made several announcements recognizing outside groups and events, including a Universal Health Care Caucus meeting, the organization Lond, visiting Vermont NEA educators for “Stand Up for Students Day,” a Federation of Sportsmen mixer, a Vermont State Employees Association reception and dinner, a Council of State Governments East reception, a mental health first aid class reminder, and State House apparel sales. The House then took up orders of the day, first postponing action on H.205, an act relating to agreements not to compete, for one legislative day. The chamber passed H.639 on genetic data privacy, H.694 on amendments to the Bennington town charter concerning the town manager, and H.907 on legislative review of reporting requirements. It then considered H.566 on sealing postcharge court diversion records upon successful completion. The Judiciary Committee explained the bill would replace expungement with sealing for juvenile and adult diversion records, add a limited Burlington Community Justice Center pilot for certain municipal ordinance violations, and align the law with prior record-clearance reforms; Judiciary reported it favorably 10-1. Ways and Means said removal of a proposed fee eliminated any fiscal impact and reported the bill ought to pass 11-0. The House agreed to the Judiciary amendment and ordered third reading. Finally, the House postponed H.635, which would eliminate Department of Correction supervisory fees, for one legislative day, heard additional announcements, and adjourned until Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 3:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was doing inside programming and re-entry for a program called "What Life Is About."
• These practices not only cause harm but also discourage participation in critical rehabilitation programs
• So the TDCJ does have sex offender rehabilitation programming.
• And they have a 4, 9, and 18-month program.
• Their program actually dovetails into our program so that the individuals who are civilly committed are

Bills: HB1826, HB1969, HB2708, HB2729, HB3618, HB4515, HB4764, SB1021, SB1610

Keywords: mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, inmate release, identification certificate, Texas Department of Corrections, personal identification, driver's license, state law, reentry services, nondisclosure, criminal history, criminal defendants, community supervision, misdemeanors, felonies, rehabilitation, hearsay

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• The McKinley Academy program is an early college program.
• college program.
• But it was across the state of New Mexico of students that participated in that program.
• We aim to encourage students to participate in those programs and prepare them to become educators.

Transcript Highlights:

• in intercollegiate athletic programs at certain institutions of higher education.
• care costs in the state employees group benefits program.
• care costs in the state employees group benefits program.
• Electronic Verification of Employment Authorization Program or E-Verify program and authorizing the
• HB 1327, by Harless, relating to the continuation of a health care provider participation program by

Summary: The House met to read a large slate of newly filed bills and resolutions and refer them to committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including health care and insurance, public education, elections, criminal justice, public safety, taxes, transportation, agriculture, environmental regulation, higher education, housing, and local government. Several proposals focused on abortion and reproductive health, firearms, voter registration and ballot access, school curriculum and accountability, property tax and homestead issues, and state contracting and agency oversight. A number of constitutional amendments were also filed, including proposals on initiative and referendum, veto override authority, vaccination refusal, parental rights in education, gun rights, Medicaid expansion, and various tax exemptions. No substantive debate, testimony, or votes occurred during this portion of the meeting; the clerk simply read the bills and resolutions and announced their committee referrals. The list included both general legislation and joint resolutions, with many items sent to standing committees and several to subcommittees. The House then adjourned without objection until 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the program.
• If they land in a diversion program, that diversion program will be funded by the DSH program, the DSH
• Diversion program.
• It was a pilot program investment. I don't think it's a pilot program. It was investment.
• The four counties that have been approved to participate in this mental health IMD program are Riverside

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of State Hospitals (DSH), the Commission for Behavioral Health, and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on budget proposals and implementation updates. DSH outlined its proposed 2026-27 budget, including funding for patient operating expenses, IST solutions savings, conditional release program costs, LPS bed allocation changes, electrical infrastructure projects at Napa and Patton, SB 380 transitional housing feasibility work, and expanded dental services at Metropolitan and Patton. DSH also reported that it has met court-ordered IST treatment benchmarks in the Stiavedi v. Clinton case, with average time to initiate treatment down to about five days and pending placements reduced to roughly 250, while noting that Proposition 36 could increase referrals and SB 1323 may divert some individuals earlier into community-based treatment. Members asked about rising outside hospitalization costs, Medicare enrollment, the timing and structure of capital projects, and whether IST solution funds are being fully used; DSH said the savings reflect slower-than-expected ramp-up of community programs and that the Central California FACT replacement program is still on track for January 2027 activation. The Commission for Behavioral Health described its role under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), including data, evaluation, grantmaking, technical assistance, and transparency work. It highlighted the new statewide Innovation Partnership Fund, a five-year, $20 million-per-year program with small and large grant categories; the first RFA drew strong interest, with more than 400 questions and over 1,000 bidders’ conference participants. The Commission also discussed a proposed extension to spend down about $4.1 million remaining for the Alcove Youth Drop-in Center grants so sites can finish implementation and Stanford can complete the final evaluation. Members asked about grant duration, whether projects can be renewed, what qualifies as innovation, and whether the fund could support service delivery rather than awareness campaigns or training; the Commission said awards are expected to be three-year contracts and that proposals must be new or meaningfully expanded approaches that support BHSA priority populations. DHCS reviewed major behavioral health changes under CalAIM and BH Connect, including peer support, mobile crisis, contingency management, traditional health care practices for tribal members, updated specialty mental health access criteria, and new substance use treatment standards based on ASAM’s fourth edition. DHCS reported strong contingency management results, with more than 13,000 members served and 95% testing negative for stimulant use during treatment, and said 21 Indian health care providers have been approved to offer traditional health care practices. It also described BH Connect initiatives such as the $1.9 billion access reform and outcomes incentive program, workforce investments, evidence-based practice expansion, IMD participation by four counties, and transitional rent services. On BHSA implementation, DHCS said it is not tracking individual county contract cuts but is monitoring county plans and statewide outcomes, while stakeholders raised concerns about local prevention and service gaps. DHCS also outlined its H.R. 1 implementation strategy, including outreach, streamlined renewals, exemptions for disabled, substance use, and medically frail individuals, and proposed clinic navigator and outreach funding; it said it has not yet produced a focused estimate of H.R. 1 impacts on behavioral health populations. The discussion ended with DHCS noting that B-CHIP bond funding has supported 437 infrastructure projects, creating 546 new or expanded facilities and more than 9,500 residential beds across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• customers who are unable to participate customers who are unable to participate in<04:34:18.920>
• :20.799> whether in the net metering program whether in the net metering program whether that's
• metering program, and they would also now under this be allowed to participate in group net metering
• metering program metering program and<04:35:42.359> they<04:35:42.520> would<04:35
• rigorous program n not program but rigorous program n not program but programs<05:26:55.400>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some see program what which is what we now call the last several iterations of our managed care program
• The LTC program also uses he this information to inform us of the quality of the program, but they are
• So lots we have the dental program. Again, he does is So lots we have the dental program.
• program components, a data-driven goals for the programs and reporting for the plans.
• And when I talked about the evolution of our quality program and kind of learning from past programs

Transcript Highlights:

• These are pilot programs.
• Generally, a treatment court program will accept participants who have substance use and mental health
• They're very intermingled, and those RISE programs provide lots of services for the treatment court participants
• We have participants already enrolled in that program, with some others awaiting confirmation of their
• During the periods that the program was in operation, we had a 79% adherence to Medicaid by the participants

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, we are attempting to have this program removed from statute so that when it's time for this program
• Service requested to have this program Service requested to have this program stopped.<00:10:56.320
• And year to have this program stopped.
• , the failed Democrat fraud program, we're now being asked to rush through another housing spending program
• , the failed Democrat fraud program, we're now being asked to rush through another housing spending program

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• the same issues in the K22 12 programs the same issues in the K22 12 programs where<00:04:44.919
• <00:31:11.960> that<00:31:12.159> way they participate that way they participate that
• participating.
• <00:50:18.599> manager Schools and a program manager Schools and a program manager position
• I believe that it is a great program.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• success and growth of the PSEO program. success and growth of the PSEO program.
• in the program and being able to participate in a lot of higher ed physics courses that weren't offered
• Programs like PSEO expand PSEO.
• I'm a former PSEO student, so I really appreciated participating in this program.
• need in order to access these programs. need in order to access these programs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In most cases, that's the program<00:04:03.640> level. program level. program level.
• call allotment program. call allotment program.
• > or programs.
• It's either programs or programs.
• in the FSPK program.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Budget Process 00:02:28 Allotment Process 00:10:30 School Facilities Construction Commission 00:29:10 Role of KDE in School Facilities Funding 00:47:00 Kentucky School Boards Association 01:13:25 Elementary and Secondary School Construction 01:20:40 Perkins V Funding 01:35:32, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Does the bill make it mandatory for those 60 and over to participate in employment training programs?
• to participants.
• However, no participant may be required to participate in a faith-based activity while in the program
• No minimum participation.
• They have 38% participation, 42% participation, but they're exempt.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including a resolution honoring Bob Graham and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a special-order calendar with multiple bills, many of them paired with House companions and amended before final passage. Early action included adoption of a tax conformity bill tied to federal changes in the Internal Revenue Code, with a 34-0 vote. The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/SB 1758, a Medicaid and SNAP reform bill. The sponsor described provisions to strengthen fraud enforcement, impose work requirements for able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services through a waiver, modernize Medicaid drug purchasing, and require a SNAP fraud-reduction plan and photo ID on EBT cards. Democrats offered amendments to delay work requirements until Medicaid expansion and to add protections for SNAP users such as caregivers, seniors, disabled individuals, and domestic violence survivors; both amendments failed. Senators also questioned implementation details, exemptions, and potential effects on vulnerable populations. After debate, the bill was placed on the calendar for third reading. The Senate also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a public records exemption and related Parkinson’s Disease Registry measures, designation of the SS American Victory as the state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on legal tender recognition for gold and silver, public records protections for financial and digital-asset custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government budget transparency, digital voyeurism, insurance customer representative licensing, and a medical freedom bill with amendments on vaccine-related materials and anti-kickback provisions. Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition, though the public records bill for gold/silver custodians and the legal tender repeal drew a few dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we start these programs as soon as we get the referral and, um, So we start these programs as soon
• Chairman, I'm just curious if this is the same program or an evolution of the same program that LSS,
• And number one, I want to make sure all families have the choice to participate in a home visiting program
• in if it's an opt-in program.
• So just to explain a little bit more of how the program works is if someone's sentenced to this program

Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• The JET Grant Program provides funding for equipment used in career and technical education programs.
• participants.
• participants.
• , early childhood special education, and child care programs participating in TWC's subsidized care system
• types of programs for these athletes.

Bills: HB126, HB121

Keywords: election laws, attorney general, prosecution, criminal offenses, voting integrity, education, property values, school districts, comptroller, funding formula

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met to hear testimony on a full agenda of education-related bills. Several measures were laid out and left pending, including HB 322 to allow JET Grant funds to be used for subscription-based and ongoing technology costs for career and technical education; HB 3062 to require fentanyl and drug-poisoning prevention instruction for entering college students; HB 121 to update school safety laws, including TEA peace officer commissions, annual renewal of certain safety exceptions, new reporting requirements, and special education behavior threat assessment changes; HB 3627 to let the State Board of Education chair employ staff; HB 5515 to curb inflated shipping and handling charges on instructional materials; HB 2674 to prohibit new state regulation of homeschool programs; HB 2310 to require a statewide strategic plan for early learning and inclusion for young children with disabilities; HB 367 to standardize documentation for excused absences due to serious illness; HB 1178 to speed certification for out-of-state educators and military spouses; and HB 1481 to expand cell phone restrictions to the full school day. Testimony was generally supportive on most bills, with some concerns raised on HB 121 about school district police departments investigating misconduct and on HB 2674 about how it would interact with the new ESA program in SB 2. HB 5515 drew support from instructional materials coordinators who described extreme shipping invoices and argued the bill would restore transparency and fiscal responsibility. HB 2310 was supported by disability advocates and early learning groups, who said a coordinated state plan would improve access and inclusion for children with disabilities. HB 367 was presented as a simple clarification to reduce confusion for medically vulnerable students and families, and HB 1178 was described by TEA as a modest pathway that would help bring experienced out-of-state teachers into Texas schools more quickly. HB 126, updating Texas’ NIL law to align with the pending House settlement and allow direct payments and pre-enrollment NIL agreements, received extensive testimony from university counsel and committee questioning about the settlement, recruiting, and future college athletics rules. HB 1481, expanding school cell phone restrictions from instructional time to the entire school day, drew strong support from parents, students, educators, and advocates who linked phones to distraction, cyberbullying, and mental health harms; one teacher asked for flexibility so phones could still be used for limited academic tasks. No bills were voted out; each measure heard was left pending subject to the call of the chair, and the committee then recessed to attend the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we start these programs as soon as we get the referral and, um, So we start these programs as soon
• Chairman, I'm just curious if this is the same program or an evolution of the same program that LSS,
• And number one, I want to make sure all families have the choice to participate in a home visiting program
• in if it's an opt-in program.
• So just to explain a little bit more of how the program works is if someone's sentenced to this program

Keywords: 908, all