Transcript Highlights:

• ACCURATE FUNDING OF THESE PROGRAMS AS WELL AS THE OVERALL SYSTEM OF PRE K 12 EDUCATION REQUIRES COLLABORATION
• SURVEY TO LEFT ON IN OCTOBER AND SURVEY THREE F WHICH IS TO BE IN A IT WAS THE DEPARTMENT'S PRACTICE
• WE ARE WORKING MUCH MORE COLLABORATIVELY WITH DISTRICTS NOW.
• BUT NOW THAT WE ARE WORKING MUCH MORE COLLABORATIVELY WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WE ARE NO LONGER SURVEYING
• ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE OR DEVELOPED ANY POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS AS BEST PRACTICES

Transcript Highlights:

• collaboration this interagency council on student attendance can build on to be successful from the
• We also recognize we cannot do this work alone, and this council is a practical recommendation to keep
• In the last year, the state has learned that attendance practices may look different depending on what
• Inconsistencies in practice create discrepancies and disparities in how our data is read, collected,
• But I've not seen that historically, and I would like to push our agencies to collaborate and talk.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3585, as amended, which would create an interagency council on student attendance and re-refer the bill to education finance. Representative Keeler moved the bill and an A1 amendment that corrected the council’s placement from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to the Department of Education; the amendment was adopted. Keeler and Representative Bakeberg described the bill as the product of several years of bipartisan work on chronic absenteeism and truancy, emphasizing that attendance problems involve multiple systems and require ongoing coordination rather than a single-agency response. Testimony was strongly supportive. Matt Shaver of Allies cited statewide chronic absenteeism data and argued that schools cannot solve the problem alone because root causes such as housing, transportation, health, and economic instability lie outside school control. Assistant Commissioner Angela Mansfield of MDE said the task force and pilot districts showed coordination gaps and supported the council, while also noting MDE’s Compass staff would need permanent funding to carry out the work. Ashley High Totower of Hennepin County’s BEET program said attendance is a public health, child welfare, transportation, housing, and economic issue, and Kenneth Avon of the Minneapolis Foundation said absenteeism is an ecological problem requiring cross-sector coordination. Student witnesses also supported the bill but urged stronger youth representation. Henry Brick of Catalyst for Systems Change said students understand the causes of absenteeism best and proposed expanding student seats on the council from one to five. Ava Northrup of the Minnesota Youth Council said youth voices should be more than symbolic and suggested two youth representatives, one from the metro and one from greater Minnesota, plus additional youth task forces or panels. In member discussion, Representative Lawrence questioned whether the council duplicated existing MDE work, asked who would coordinate the group, and raised the lack of a sunset; Keeler and Bakeberg said the Department of Education would coordinate and that a sunset could be considered later. Other members asked about fiscal impact, and the chair said a fiscal note had been requested and the bill would move on to education finance.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:16:06.240><c> of</c> see as overregulation on the practice of see as overregulation on the practice
• </c> most lucrative uh healthcare practice most lucrative uh healthcare practice but<00:21:05.840><c>
• </c><00:27:18.720><c> in</c> largest direct primary care practice in largest direct primary care practice
• </c> company for working so collaboratively company for working so collaboratively with<00:37:13.359>
• ,</c><01:25:41.600><c> loan</c> bill, including tipping practices, loan bill, including tipping practices

Bills: HF2400, HF1724, HF3437, HF4333, HF2874, HF4052

Keywords: real estate, appraisers, disciplinary actions, sanction matrix, Minnesota Statutes, direct primary care, healthcare agreements, medical services, patient care, health insurance, mortgage fees, residential loans, commercial loans, finance regulations, investment properties, insurance, supplemental health insurance, short-term care, home health care, nursing care

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2479 is a product of broad, thoughtful collaboration among business representatives, worker
• I do want to start by thanking Representative Ortiz-Self for being so open and collaborative.
• They were very open, collaborative, listened to our side of the conversation, and we felt really listened
• Furthermore, I don't know that we, as lawmakers in Washington State, are settled on this kind of practice
• Furthermore, I don't know that we, as lawmakers in Washington State, are settled on this kind of practice

Bills: HB2479, HB2091, HB2105, HB2107, HB2151, HB2190, HB2191, HB2218, HB2243, HB2303, HB2345

Keywords: unpaid wages, wage theft, wage recovery, labor standards, Department of Labor and Industries, L&I, worker protection, low-wage workers, back pay, interest on wages, civil penalties, retaliation, immigration status coercion, gig workers, transportation network companies, rideshare drivers, app-based drivers, employment law, wage complaint, payroll enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• We just need A little bit more collaboration and some assistance from the other school districts, from
• There's a lot of educational provider work, possibly some funding collaboration.
• Poverty, and how we can use our collaboration and our partners in finding ways to constantly bring it
• How are these practices, healing practices, centered at the very core of the relevance of how we reach

Transcript Highlights:

• It would also allow for some data collection and collaboration on things like municipal courts that we
• Um, creating a more formal opportunity for workforce agencies and employers to collaborate and meet on
• That can help kind of get the message out, cultivate new relationships, and promote best practices. relationships
• , and promote best practices for hiring individuals with a record.
• In this section, there are recommendations for formalizing cross-system collaboration and information

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• OK, practice violations. OK.
• Um, the, the, the most, uh, the larger percentage involve practice issues or, um, fitness to practice
• Of those, 4,899 are active and practicing in Texas.
• I practice in San Antonio.
• It's still a very favorable place to practice medicine.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's very much a collaborative process that you all built in to Senate Bill 201, Mr. Chair.
• They really don't know what is the best practice, and you can also have other situations arise.
• So include evidence-based practices for biliteracy, such as bilingual.
• It talks about instructional materials and how they should be aligned to those best practices.
• Educational provisions do nothing to change the practice that is currently happening.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, as a gay man, people seem to think they know what I believe about podiatry scope of practice
• So when I think about that next practice that I've seen in her...
• So when I think about that next practice that I've seen in her, it's skillfulness and competitiveness
• We had softball practice, and standards... It was interesting.
• We had softball practice, and Senator Limón came out to practice.

Summary: The Senate held a special ceremonial session to swear in Monique Limón as the 50th President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate and the first Latina to hold the position. The proceedings included a roll call establishing quorum, a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a land acknowledgement, musical performances, and remarks from numerous senators and invited leaders. Speakers repeatedly highlighted the historic nature of the moment, Limón’s background as the daughter of immigrants and a former school board member and higher-education advocate, and her leadership on issues such as education, child care, labor, wildfire response, environmental protection, and immigrant rights. Several senators, including Mike McGuire, Caroline Menjivar, Sasha Renée Pérez, Steve Cabaldon, Catherine Blakespear, and Scott Wiener, praised Limón as a unifier, coalition-builder, and effective legislator. They emphasized her preparation, calm demeanor, and ability to work across differences, while also noting the broader significance of women’s leadership and gender parity in the Senate. Some remarks referenced current political and fiscal challenges facing California, including attacks on immigrants, reproductive freedom, health care, and the state budget. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero administered the oath of office, after which Limón was formally introduced as the new pro tem. In her acceptance remarks, Limón thanked her predecessor, Governor Newsom, legislative leaders, her family, and the many guests in attendance. She spoke about her immigrant family, her Central Coast district, her work in education and higher education, and her commitment to protecting Californians, especially immigrants, children, working families, and communities facing economic and environmental hardship. The session concluded with an announcement that the Senate would recess and reconvene on January 8, 2026, after a reception in the Capitol Rotunda.

Transcript Highlights:

• And because there's no practical mechanism for the legislature to respond when they believe that there
• But it also, I think, strengthens the collaboration.
• But it also, I think, strengthens the collaboration between the branches to restore the balance and reinforce
• But it also, I think it strengthens the collaboration between the branches to restore the balance and

Summary: The House Judiciary and Rules Committee met to approve prior minutes and hear two introduction requests plus four bills. The committee introduced RS 33067, which would give prosecutors up to 180 days to find a more stable placement for defendants with neurocognitive disabilities or mental illness, and RS 33197, which would clarify that maliciously and willfully disturbing a religious worship service is disturbing the peace while removing language that raised First Amendment concerns. Members asked about the scope of the language and possible overlap with other statutes, but both RS measures were introduced. The committee then heard House Bill 520, which updates notice requirements for contested case hearings under the Administrative Procedures Act so agencies clearly inform parties of their hearing rights. The Office of Administrative Hearings said the bill standardizes notices across agencies and is not retroactive. HB 520 received a due pass recommendation to the floor. House Bill 579 was a narrow change to the justifiable homicide statute, replacing a list of specific family or household relationships with the broader term “another person” to avoid omissions; it also received a due pass recommendation. House Bill 580 repeals several outdated criminal code provisions related to anti-camcorder piracy and motion picture fair bidding, with the sponsor saying the conduct is already covered by federal law and the statutes are no longer used. House Bill 581 would create a process for the Legislature to formally notify the Idaho Supreme Court by resolution when it believes a court rule may conflict with statute or substantive rights, while preserving judicial rulemaking authority. Both bills were sent to the floor with due pass recommendations, and the meeting adjourned after unanimous or near-unanimous votes on the measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are grateful for the collaboration between House and Senate leadership last session to refine the
• We are grateful for the collaboration between House and Senate leadership last session to refine the
• We are grateful for the collaboration between House and Senate leadership last session to refine the
• Um, since then we have instilled a lot of different practices.
• Um, since then we have instilled a lot of different practices.

Bills: HF3426, HF3428

Keywords: natural resources, environment, sustainability, conservation, outdoor recreation, land acquisition, real property, trust fund, commissioner approval, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, conservation easement, land purchase, state land, public lands, property acquisition, value assessment, tax assessed value, Metropolitan Council, Board of Water and Soil Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to note that this resolution was written by the Hawaii Youth Food Council in collaboration
• to collaborate and develop a<00:53:35.200><c> strategic</c><00:53:35.680><c> plan</c><00:53:35.920><
• HCR 186 / HR 179, requesting the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Health
• The resolution calls for a study on heat management practices and the use of wet bulb globe temperature
• and the use of wet management practices and the use of wet bulb<00:59:15.040><c> globe</c><00:59:15.440

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint committees on Education and Higher Education first heard HCR 75 and HR 67, which ask the Department of Education and the University of Hawaiʻi to assess criteria for building an educational pipeline and curriculum for advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. The Department of Education said it would stand on its written testimony, and UH supported the measure, noting existing community college and four-year programs related to the topic. Members asked how DOE promotes cybersecurity opportunities and whether it provides funding; DOE said schools usually connect with partners and its office works with them, but it does not have separate funding for such efforts. UH also explained that some advanced manufacturing concepts may overlap with 3D printing, material sciences, and entrepreneurship, and described P20 as a forum for aligning K-12 and higher education pathways. The committees then recessed the joint hearing and moved to the Education Committee agenda. The committee next heard HCR 46 and HR 39, which would make DOE recreational facilities available to the public during non-peak hours and non-school days. DOE said it already uses facilities agreements with insurance, liability waivers, indemnification, and certificates of insurance to protect schools. The Attorney General opposed the resolutions, warning that unrestricted public use without safeguards could create substantial liability and cost risks for the state. The measure’s introducer said the goal was to help underserved communities that lack access to public recreation spaces, and DOE said it would be open to joint-use arrangements with larger organizations but remained concerned about vandalism and liability. The committee also heard HCR 86 and HR 80 on creating an Aloha Civics working group, with DOE offering comments and Common Cause Hawaiʻi strongly supporting the idea. DOE described a civic learning and engagement task force that met with stakeholders, including UH and the PACE Commission, and produced recommendations such as building partnership inventories, integrating civic learning across grade levels, and aligning the work with DOE’s HA framework and learner outcomes. Common Cause said civic education can be implemented effectively and affordably, citing existing school projects such as ranked-choice voting and classroom constitutions. Later, the committee took up HCR 87 and HR 81, urging an annual Climate Week in public schools. DOE again stood on written comments, while the Climate Change and Health Working Group, Climate Future Forum, a student from Kaimuki High School, and other supporters argued that a dedicated week would ensure consistent climate education, build resilience, and connect climate issues to health, food security, and disaster preparedness. Supporters said existing climate-related opportunities are uneven across schools and that a formal Climate Week would create a more equitable approach. The committee then heard HCR 95 and HR 91 on informing students about changes to gun safety and storage laws; DOE asked for clarification on the measure’s intended outcome, and one individual testified in support. Finally, the committee heard HCR 104 and HR 100 on strengthening farm-to-school initiatives. DOE said it is already working to improve menus, emphasize local products, and meet with distributors to increase local procurement, while the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience offered food science, nutrition, and extension support. Climate Future Forum, the Hawaii Youth Food Council, and other supporters said farm-to-school efforts are important for student health, local farmers, and food sovereignty, noting that local food procurement in schools remains far below the state’s 30% by 2030 goal. DOE explained it is trying to provide distributors and farmers with more predictable demand and is meeting with distributors to set up next year’s supply chain.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want you all to utilize this time to practice your two-minute public comment. Practice. Practice.
• Public comment practice: get your stopwatches out and make sure it is timed appropriately.
• That reflects current research and best practices.
• “I hope you’ve been practicing your two minutes, because once you hear two minutes, that’s it.
• And it also helps us improve our business practices and the quality of care that we provide.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It reflects conservative fiscal management practices and spending decisions.
• It was conservative budgeting practices from last time.
• ultimately hindering OCA's ability to provide best practices recommendations.
• ultimately hindering OCA's ability to provide best practices recommendations.
• And I should say that the collaborative efforts have been essential.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 885 would add an additional layer of approval, which in practice will only create significant and
• To the Latino Media Collaborative as a leading sponsor, and to each of you for your consideration.
• Hi, Matt Morris, Latino Media Collaborative.
• Hi, Matt Morris, Latino Media Collaborative, and I stand in support of this measure.
• So I appreciate the chair's collaboration and I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused largely on regulatory oversight, food insecurity, state symbols, immigration-related funding, and ethnic media outreach. SB 885 and SB 986 would require major regulations with estimated economic impacts over $50 million to come back to the Legislature for review; supporters said this would restore accountability and help address affordability, while opponents warned it would delay health, safety, and worker protections. SB 1025 would create an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate food programs across state departments, expand outreach, run a hunger hotline, and analyze service gaps; members generally supported the goal but urged stronger reporting and oversight language. SB 1214 would designate the Western monarch as California’s state butterfly, and SB 1178 would designate the California yellow jacket as the state wasp, with testimony emphasizing conservation, ecology, and agricultural benefits. SB 1286 would recognize the California sea lion as the state pinniped, with supporters citing its role as a sentinel species and conservation success story. SB 1171 would make private entities that contract with ICE ineligible for state-funded grants or loans; supporters framed it as a response to ICE conduct, while opponents raised concerns about unintended impacts on contractors providing essential services and possible federal retaliation. SB 1358 would create the Ethnic and Community Media Equity Act to improve state advertising and outreach to ethnic and community media through a database and contracting requirements, with supporters arguing it would improve effectiveness and reach underserved communities. Several bills were advanced on committee votes, many with roll calls held open for absent members. SB 885, SB 986, SB 1025, SB 1214, SB 1178, SB 1286, and SB 1171 all received motions to do pass, with some members noting support but also urging amendments or guardrails, especially on timing, reporting, and oversight. The committee also took up a consent calendar of multiple items after quorum was established.

Transcript Highlights:

• Behind that phrase, puppy mills are practices that are as cruel as they are unacceptable.
• If these practices were happening within our state borders, they would be criminal.
• become hubs for adoption, increasing foot traffic for their business while aligning their business practices
• It has evolved through the legislative process because of the collaboration of the distinguished chair
• agreement. and Madam President offered for adoption through a collaborative agreement.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• report on this program: water saved per year, the farms and ranches adopting water conservation practices
• So, working collaboratively with the Navajo Nation and other water users in the San Juan Basin, we can
• The Bureau of Geology, and they have a specific water education component that we're collaborating with
• We collaborated with water utilities, farmers, and ranchers.
• So the idea of these regulations is to protect surface waters of the state using a practical and common

Transcript Highlights:

• centers provide specialized assessments and evaluations, academic and behavioral consultations, collaborate
• Our teams of experts that are to see an F IMC collaborate with school districts.
• We do that through the building of partnerships, working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure
• We invite them to those trainings on those evidence-based literacy practices is that they're getting
• is is a great idea and to collaborate with others who have expertise in can help us beat the need.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We get to practice real-life scenarios in supportive environments, and it's made a huge difference.
• The classrooms are also modern, spacious, and designed for collaborative learning.
• Spacious and designed for collaborative learning.
• That led to today’s work of DCAM to make sure those practices would be stopped.
• Second, we support the section on community college collaboration.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its second public hearing of the 194th General Court on capital investments in higher education, focusing primarily on H.54, the Bright Act, along with H.1426/S.949 on green and healthy public colleges and universities and deferred maintenance, and H.1424 on capital investment in Gateway Cities. Chairs and administration officials framed the hearing as a response to aging campus infrastructure, climate goals, workforce needs, and federal pressures on higher education, and explained that testimony would be taken from pre-registered speakers in person and virtually. University of Massachusetts leaders strongly supported the Bright Act, describing large deferred maintenance backlogs, aging buildings, and the need to decarbonize campuses while modernizing research and teaching facilities. UMass officials said the bill would help keep tuition and fees lower by reducing the need for campuses to finance capital work themselves, and argued that the investments would improve competitiveness, support research, and create construction jobs. Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary of Education Tuttweiler, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Gorzkowicz also backed the bill, saying it would leverage Fair Share surtax revenues for a proposed $2.5 billion in campus investments plus additional targeted grants, and that it would support affordability, economic growth, and climate resilience. Committee members asked about the balance between deferred maintenance and decarbonization, the role of grant programs versus direct spending, the impact on tuition and fees, and how the plan would help campuses respond to federal cuts such as NIH and NSF funding. Administration officials said the proposal was designed to be phased in quickly, with some projects ready to start immediately and others taking longer, and that the grant programs would be structured to include all campuses equitably. They also said the plan would build on an existing financing model similar to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and could help campuses avoid future tuition increases tied to capital costs. Additional testimony came from MassBay Community College, where President David Podell and recent nursing graduate Deanna Cavazos described the benefits of a new Framingham campus building and said community colleges need modern labs, better planning capacity, and deferred maintenance support to serve the enrollment growth from MassReconnect and MassEducate. State university leaders, including President Mary Grant, President Linda Thompson, and President John Keenan, said their campuses face outdated classrooms, insufficient electrical capacity, and aging facilities, and urged passage of the Bright Act as a long-overdue investment in student success and workforce preparation.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a result of this historical practice, California taxes software only if delivered on a physical disk
• user friendly and hopefully be ready to jump back in when the time is right, so to the federal collaboration
• This proposal is consistent with the state's practice of conforming to most California.
• This proposal is consistent with the state's practice of conforming to most federal tax-advantaged accounts
• We're encouraged by the proactive approach and ask for an intentional, collaborative, and responsible

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision proposals from the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Government Operations Agency, the Department of Technology, and the Franchise Tax Board, with public comment to come later and all items held open. CDFA presented funding for the animal care program implementing Proposition 12, including a one-time $5.2 million General Fund transfer to the Ag Fund and $2.8 million ongoing, and the LAO recommended approval while noting the Legislature should revisit the funding once litigation and federal preemption questions are resolved. CDFA also proposed ending state oversight of industrial hemp and moving to the federal USDA program by January 1, 2028, with an $8.3 million General Fund transfer to cover startup and transition costs; the LAO supported the transition. Additional CDFA items included $204,000 ongoing and one position to preserve agricultural statistics reporting after USDA reorganization, and trailer bill changes to clarify the department’s 5% indirect cost cap; both drew no objections from Finance or LAO. The Government Operations Agency and Cradle to Career items focused on implementing the new federal Workforce Pell program. Finance described trailer bill language establishing state eligibility processes, with the California Student Aid Commission as the authorizing entity in consultation with the Workforce Development Board, and proposed $1.3 million one-time General Fund for Cradle to Career to build data linkages. The LAO urged caution because federal rules were just finalized and said more information was needed on workload, costs, and whether existing data systems could support the work. Senators raised policy concerns about limiting the program to public institutions and about aligning the proposal with broader workforce and labor goals. The committee also briefly discussed SB 53/Cal Compute, with GovOps saying no appropriation had been provided for its consortium work, and Finance saying the administration was not proposing funding at this time. The Department of Technology presented a $30 million operational backstop for the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative, intended to cover any shortfall if expected revenues from the Golden State Net third-party administrator do not materialize in time. The LAO initially recommended rejection over broad spending authority, then suggested amendments with stronger reporting and legislative review; committee members questioned the revenue assumptions, oversight, and whether the request could recur. CDT also sought $1 million for Poppy, the state’s GenAI digital assistant, to expand secure statewide use; the LAO had no concerns, and members asked about data security, model bias, training restrictions, and possible local-government use. Finally, FTB proposed realigning CalFile resources after the federal Direct File program was discontinued, retaining three ongoing positions and returning the rest of the funding and positions to the General Fund; the LAO said the reduced scope was reasonable, and members discussed keeping the free filing system user-friendly and ready for future federal changes. The committee also heard the administration’s digital pre-written software tax proposal, which would extend sales tax to electronically delivered software and SaaS beginning January 1, 2027, generating an estimated $450 million General Fund in 2026-27 and $900 million ongoing, plus local revenue. The LAO supported modernizing the tax base but recommended broadening the proposal to include more digital products while considering a business-use exemption or reduced rate, and flagged a newly added video game exemption as a revenue downside. Senators generally supported the goal of raising revenue and aligning California with other states, but questioned the local revenue distribution and equity effects, and one senator said they would not support expanding the tax to books, music streaming, and similar consumer products. All items were left open without votes.