Transcript Highlights:

• pencil sharpeners to food for students pencil sharpeners to food for students who<00:02:53.959><
• Thank you for your time. supplies for their students by the supplies for their students by the middle
• <00:03:56.200> with Statewide providing all students with Statewide providing all students
• <00:04:29.720> students<00:04:30.560> many supplies for student students many supplies
• /c><00:11:00.480> and<00:11:00.600> I'm students for all students um and I'm students for

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• public school students?
• My name is Raymond Munoz, and I am an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) student attending Emerald Cove
• All the ESC students that we have in our classroom, and I have in my binder a portion of all the students
• and divergent students, and it is all of our responsibility to make sure that Every student is recognized
• , every student is heard, every student is educated in the state of Florida, and we will continue to

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:29.000> nursing<00:07:29.280> student I'm a kctcs student nursing student I'm
• a kctcs student nursing student student<00:07:30.080> interested<00:07:30.400> in<00:07
• :30.560> transferring<00:07:31.080> into student interested in transferring into student
• <00:12:17.399> and I'm mainly looking at student demand and I'm mainly looking at student
• more is from high school students.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 305, which would clarify and expand a healthcare workforce bill to explicitly include physician assistants and dietitians in efforts to address shortages, especially in rural areas. Rep. Fleming said the change was intended to help with Medicaid-related needs such as diabetes care and noted a decline in dietitian internship applications. Rep. Roarx supported the bill, emphasizing the value of dietitians in helping patients make practical nutrition changes. The bill received a unanimous favorable expression, 14-0, and was reported to the House floor. The committee then considered House Bill 427, which would create statewide 60-credit-hour transfer pathways for high-demand bachelor’s degree programs under the Council on Postsecondary Education. Rep. Grossl explained the bill is meant to prevent students from losing major credit when transferring between KCTCS and four-year institutions, using nursing as an example. Questions focused on rigor, dual credit, how high-demand programs would be selected, and the July 1, 2026 implementation date; the sponsor said CPE and faculty would map curricula and align standards. The Kentucky Student Rights Coalition testified in support, saying the bill would help students complete degrees faster and make credits count toward majors. HB 427 also passed unanimously, 14-0, with favorable expression. The committee then took up House Bill 424, as amended by a committee substitute. Rep. Tipton said the substitute removed language allowing up to six-year contracts and instead set up a process for four-year contracts and periodic performance reviews for faculty, including presidents, at public postsecondary institutions. He said the bill is intended to give universities clearer authority to remove underperforming employees and be more efficient with taxpayer dollars. Several faculty witnesses opposed the bill, arguing it would erode tenure protections, create arbitrary performance standards, and harm recruitment, retention, and academic freedom. The committee adopted the substitute and heard testimony, but no final vote on HB 424 is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are preparing students for careers that matter.
• Yet, because state funding does not follow the student, our per-student funding declined.
• I believe in its mission and its students.
• We've also worked with a lot of transfer students. We've gotten a lot of transfer students in.
• I was a student at Daytona State College.

Summary: The committee heard and voted on two higher education bills before moving to a long series of university and college board appointment confirmations. CS/SB 742 would let charter schools directly access the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program for career and technical education programs tied to industry certifications, and would expand the money-back guarantee requirement from three to six programs at career centers and Florida College System institutions. A question was raised about whether the charter school access could reduce district funding or grant availability; the sponsor said it could, depending on available funds. The bill was supported by one appearance form and was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 892, which codifies the Florida State University Election Law Center so it can continue and receive recurring funding. The sponsor and FSU witnesses said the center is nonpartisan and focused on evidence-based research, especially on election administration issues related to natural disasters and public confidence in elections. After testimony and questions, including about the center’s scope and funding, the bill was reported favorably. The remainder of the meeting consisted of testimony from numerous appointees to boards of trustees for state colleges and universities, including Tallahassee State College, Valencia College, New College, Pensacola State College, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of North Florida, St. Johns River State College, Palm Beach State College, Santa Fe College, Daytona State College, and Florida Atlantic University. Most nominees emphasized their personal ties to the institutions, support for workforce education, student success, and local economic development. Several highlighted priorities such as keeping tuition affordable, expanding internships and career pathways, strengthening nursing and other workforce programs, and improving graduation and retention rates. Some appointees also described campus-specific goals, including research growth at FAU and Harbor Branch, community engagement at New College, and continued support for health care workforce partnerships at FGCU. The most notable exchange came during testimony from Dr. Joel Rudman for the Pensacola State College board, where Senator Leek questioned him extensively about prior public comments that appeared to reference threats and drug testing legislators. Rudman said his remarks were aimed at Florida House members and not the Senate, denied any knowledge of illicit drug use by current or former senators, and said he was speaking candidly as a private citizen. Public testimony on his nomination included both support and strong opposition, with one speaker praising his community service and another warning about his alleged disruptive behavior and social media posts. The committee also heard from several supporters and appointees who were not questioned further, and the meeting ended with plans to vote on the appointments after all testimony was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• with our students at the dining hall.
• That our students are taken care of.
• Anytime a student needs anything, they know to go to the Student Success Center, because I always have
• She has built meaningful connections with all our students, both traditional and non-traditional, student
• athletes and non-student athletes.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Not for the EFA students.
• That was just for students who students.
• EFA student to participate. EFA student to participate.
• And our students do that. And our students do that.
• students students and<01:23:49.040> the<01:23:49.120> taxpayers.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are preparing students for careers that matter.
• The student are per student funding decline.
• Receive less than 4,000 in state funding peart per student per full-time student.
• Sorry. per student per full-time student. Sorry. And this is significant.
• We've gotten a lot of transfer students and that's giving us a lot of new students and started new masters

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :04:55.280> also<00:04:55.600> recognize students today, let us also recognize students
• <00:15:20.240> with achievement gap between students with achievement gap between students
• <00:15:30.240> His the students, the school students.
• His the students, the school students.
• school teacher, who with her students school teacher, who with her students came<00:17:42.559>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• DESE and the DESE educators who serve Pappas students remain committed to those student successes.
• Student A has had disrupted attendance at a public school, received his diploma four years early, Student
• Open the school to today's students.
• Open the school today's students.
• Altogether, these students highlight our current quandary: Are our students too medically complex or

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The special legislative commission on the future of Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children held a hybrid public hearing focused on the hospital’s future, admissions, staffing, infrastructure, and whether the facility should be preserved, expanded, or reimagined. Opening remarks from legislators, commissioners, parents, and union representatives emphasized that Pappas provides a unique combination of medical, rehabilitative, educational, and residential services for children with complex needs, and several speakers argued that the hospital is effectively being depopulated through reduced admissions and ongoing discharges despite public assurances that it remains open. Multiple speakers urged the commission to extend its authorization and continue its work before any closure or major change can occur. Testimony from labor leaders, including AFSCME, SEIU Local 509, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, described a “silent closure” in practice, with staff reporting confusion about the hospital’s status, declining census numbers, blocked admissions, and uncertainty about the workforce’s future. They called for immediate action to stop admission denials and unnecessary discharges, and some proposed short-term solutions such as temporary modular structures to address infrastructure barriers and allow admissions to resume. Parents and former patients testified that Pappas provided life-changing independence, specialized therapy, and campus-based supports that they said could not be replicated elsewhere, and they criticized alternative placements as inadequate. Commissioner Robert Goldstein of the Department of Public Health said the administration supports keeping Pappas open and funded while the commission works, but he argued that admissions must comply with hospital-level-of-care rules and that the campus’s deteriorating infrastructure limits the kinds of children who can safely be served there. He said the department is continuing admissions for appropriate patients, working to expand outreach and services, and exploring long-term options, including broader statewide models of care. Commissioners pressed him on whether discharge status or lack of a clear discharge plan had been used as a barrier to admission, and requested de-identified data on patients recommended for admission but denied. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• they are doing. to serve our students.
• Here's an example of a student packet that students would be assigned.
• Non-classroom based student population.
• 53% of current charter school students in the state of California are black and Latino students.
• and students.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and lowering teacher-student ratios.
• We work as a family supporting students, and we want to.
• For these students, earners, young parents, or students who have experienced bullying and trauma.
• They did not initially report those additional students.
• And so we propose business situations to these students.

Bills: SB83, SB106, SB107, SB123, SJR1

Keywords: ecological monitoring, sustainability, tribal engagement, education, research funding, graduate scholarship, higher education funding, New Mexico, appropriation, financial aid, out-of-school programming, education funding, youth programs, affordability, nonprofit organizations, defibrillators, public schools, health and safety, emergency response, school elections

Transcript Highlights:

• I am Leo and an FSU student.
• I DO NOT IMAGINE IT BEING A MUSLIM STUDENT. 214 I do not imagine it being a Muslim student.
• After another student or making another student feel singled out or attacked because of their religious
• The IEP person and the student and the parents will determine if and when each student qualifies and
• THE IEP PERSON AND THE STUDENT AND THE PARENTS WILL DETERMINE IF AND WHEN EACH  STUDENT QUALIFIES

Summary: The Education and Employment Committee met with a quorum and considered four measures. HB 409, which would require K-12 schools to observe Veterans Day, was presented briefly with no public testimony or debate and passed 18-0. The committee then took up HJR 583, a proposed constitutional amendment to codify religious liberty and expression in schools. Supporters argued it would strengthen existing protections and give voters the final say, while opponents from parent, atheist, interfaith, and church groups warned it could privilege dominant faiths, create coercion or confusion in schools, and reduce flexibility for districts. After extended debate, the resolution passed 18-1, with Rep. Harris voting no. The committee next heard CS/HB 453, which would allow students to substitute participation in Special Olympics for a PE credit and marching band for PE and arts credit under certain conditions. The sponsor and supporters said the bill recognizes the physical demands of these activities and would benefit students with disabilities and band students; school district and PTA representatives waived in support. The bill passed unanimously, 19-0. Finally, HB 127, requiring cursive writing instruction in grades 2 through 5, was presented as a literacy and heritage measure. Supporters said it would help students read historical documents and strengthen handwriting skills, while questions focused on grading, retention, and applicability to charter schools. It passed 17-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's $36,000 per student.
• Students are using AI to generate sexually explicit photos of other students, and child predators are
• Students are using AI to generate sexually explicit photos of other students, and child predators are
• An example from Senate District 10: A student used AI to generate nude photos of another student, a 14
• Did the student get caught?

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee heard several bills focused on school finance, transparency, student safety, and educator misconduct. SB 843 by Senator Kolkhorst would create a centralized TEA database for school bond elections, tax rates, and project details; supporters said it would improve transparency for taxpayers, while members discussed the fiscal note and suggested adding charter schools. SB 1224 by Senator Sparks would require superintendents to report alleged romantic, sexual, or abusive conduct between staff and students directly to law enforcement within 48 hours, with penalties for failure to report; testimony from advocates and survivors strongly supported the bill and urged that it also apply to private and charter schools. SB 747 by Senator Paxton on behalf of Senator King would require school district policies addressing AI-generated sexually explicit images of minors as cyberbullying and direct the School Safety Center to develop guidance; the committee heard emotional testimony from a student victim and discussed school authority to discipline off-campus conduct and the role of cell phones. The committee also heard SB 1636 by Senator Hinojosa, which would limit use of interest and sinking tax revenues to debt service for voter-approved capital projects and not deferred maintenance; school finance witnesses raised concerns that the bill’s language could restrict needed facility maintenance spending and asked for a clearer definition of deferred maintenance. SB 2185, also by Senator Hinojosa, would expand access to the bilingual education allotment for dual-language programs; district officials and educators testified in support, saying it would remove barriers to funding and better support bilingual instruction. SB 604 by Senator West would require the Permanent School Fund Corporation to publicly track bonds backed by the state guarantee program that are downgraded to speculative or junk status, with West arguing the information would provide an early warning sign of district financial distress. Across the hearing, much of the testimony centered on student protection and accountability in schools. Multiple witnesses described educator misconduct cases, failures to report abuse, and the need for outside law enforcement involvement rather than internal district investigations. Committee members repeatedly discussed extending reporting and safety requirements to private and charter schools, and several witnesses urged independent oversight. No bills were voted out; each measure heard was left pending, and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• associate vice president for student associate vice president for student affairs<00:02:15.200><
• Uh, he is the student regent, and it's important that the students—this is the students' voice on the
• Uh, he is the student regent, and it's important that the students—this is the students' voice on the
• through student student governments through student caucus.<00:37:08.880> So,<00:37:09.119>
• of like students up for um students of like students actually<00:49:05.760> read<00:49:05.920

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard HCR 96, which encourages the University of Hawaiʻi to evaluate and expand student mental health services. University of Hawaiʻi Associate Vice President Farah Marie Gomes testified in support and noted the system’s mental health and basic-needs efforts across all 10 campuses. Members discussed staffing and funding constraints, including that the system had 27 adult mental health positions, 21 filled and six vacant, with one vacancy open for about four years. The resolution was adopted unanimously, unamended. The committee then took up several gubernatorial appointments. GM 785 nominated Wendo Hensel to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), and GM 784 nominated Terry George to the same body. Both nominees testified about the value of Hawaiʻi’s participation in WICHE; Hensel emphasized the importance of sharing policy ideas and best practices, while George highlighted Hawaiʻi’s unique higher education needs and the benefits of learning from other western states. Both nominations were supported and moved forward. The committee also considered multiple appointments to the Hawaiʻi Commission for National and Community Service. Kylie Alakard described wanting to serve as a youth voice and role model, and Ray Galas spoke about his prior volunteer board experience and desire to help people connect through service. Sandra Larson said volunteerism and community service were important to her and that she wanted to give back. The committee then heard GM 771 and GM 772 for Ken Kawahara to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi; Kawahara said he would bring business and government experience to help with internal operations, education, and strategic goals, though he acknowledged he was still learning the organization’s details. Members also began hearing GM 624 for Joshua Famuina to the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents, with student caucus testimony in strong support emphasizing his attendance, communication, and engagement with students.

Transcript Highlights:

• student, perhaps even a lot of students. student, perhaps even a lot of students.
• <03:34:41.279> to student, or parents of students to student, or parents of students to declare
• This section gives adults and<03:34:53.840> students and students and students the<03:34:55.840
• Students will be harmed.
• Does discussing the lived experiences of Black students, LGBTQ+ students, religious minorities, or students

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WHO COULD COME TO OUR COLLEGES AND
• ON CAMPUS BECAUSE I WAS A STUDENT AT FSU DURING THAT TIME.
• ELISE CHRISTOPH WITH STUDENT DEMAND ACTION AS AN OPPONENT.
• I STAND HERE TODAY REPRESENTING STUDENTS WHO BELIEVE THE RIGHT TO STUDENT EDUCATION SHOULD NOT BE SUPERSEDED
• PUTS STUDENTS AT RISK AND PUT STUDENTS AND STAFF AND OFFICERS IN GREATER DANGER.

Transcript Highlights:

• public school students currently have. public school students currently have.
• subject to the same student privacy regulations as that of public school students.
• They were etc<01:05:57.359> students. etc students. etc students.
• Those are the questions we... many ET etc students? many ET etc students?
• lives of the students. lives of the students.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for those students.
• students who have been secluded. students who have been secluded.
• um do interventions with our students. um do interventions with our students.
• student voice and um allow students student voice and um allow students speak<01:05:24.880> to
• understanding of the effect on students. understanding of the effect on students.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Standardized students are asking for.
• representation for female students. representation for female students.
• other students struggled.
• <00:45:41.200> are like it's um students are like it's um students are um<00:45:42.680>
• programmatically for the students. programmatically for the students.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SCR 78, which urges the Department of Education to strengthen natural health education and adopt a comprehensive menstrual cycle curriculum. The Department of Education said it supported the intent and had offered technical amendments to scaffold the curriculum by grade level. The Commission on the Status of Women and several advocates, including students and Ma'i Movement Hawaiʻi, testified in support, describing gaps in menstrual health education, stigma, and the need for more inclusive, age-appropriate instruction. No opposition was heard, and the chair moved on after no questions from members. The committee then took up SCR 194, urging the Department of Education to meet the criteria to recognize cheerleading as a Title IX sport. The Department supported the measure, noting recent expansion of girls flag football and surfing as recognized sports and saying cheerleading would create additional opportunities for students. The Commission on the Status of Women also supported the resolution, saying it could improve participation, resource allocation, and representation for female students. No opposition or further action was recorded in the excerpt. Finally, the committee discussed SCR 195, requesting the Board of Education and Department of Education to revise graduation requirements to include a standalone financial literacy course. The Board of Education and Department of Education both supported the intent but cautioned against a one-size-fits-all mandate, emphasizing school-level flexibility, existing stand-alone and online options, and the requirement that the class of 2030 must complete financial literacy before graduation. Hawaii Kids Can supported the resolution while raising questions about equity, access, quality, and how different delivery models compare; it also asked for more information on community survey data. Committee members questioned the department and board about asynchronous versus in-person instruction, standards, and how the requirement would be tracked in the personal transition plan. No vote or final action was taken in the provided portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• While a lot of our students That aren't dependent upon adult ed enrollment, while a lot of our students
• private school students or home education students that participate in dual enrollment.
• , it's about $5,700 per student.
• We have a lot of students taking biology, for example.
• And so we don't always know why a student is in biology, but there are a lot of students who are in biology

Summary: The Appropriations Committee for Higher Education met to review Florida’s workforce and Florida College System funding models as part of budget planning. Chair Harrell opened by emphasizing the state’s growing focus on technical education and workforce pathways, and the committee first heard from Tara Goodman of the Department of Education on district workforce education. Goodman explained the programs funded through district workforce dollars, including career certificates, applied technology diplomas, registered apprenticeship, and adult general education, and described the model’s reliance on lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local tuition offsets, and supplemental factors such as disability services, GED testing, and minimum funding for small rural districts. She also noted federal support through Perkins and WIOA and said the model is used to determine unmet need and guide appropriations. In response to questions, she said health care programs are generally among the higher-cost offerings and may be supplemented by pipeline funds. The committee then heard from Kathy Hebda, Chancellor of the Florida College System, on the college system’s funding model. Hebda described the main funding sources, including the program fund, student success incentive funds, pipeline funds, tuition and fees, and performance-based incentives, and explained that the current model was developed by the 28 college presidents under legislative direction. She said the model uses a three-year average FTE, weights workforce enrollment more heavily than non-workforce enrollment, gives significant weight to completions, includes a small-college factor and regional cost differentials, and also provides targeted funding to bring colleges up to a floor based on per-FTE funding. Senators asked about colleges below the target, cost differences among programs, faculty salaries, and health insurance costs; Hebda said the model is meant to provide flexible operating dollars that colleges can use for those expenses, but specific salary and benefit decisions are left to the institutions. Seminole State College President Georgia Lorenz also testified in support of the college funding model, saying it holds institutions accountable for enrollment and completions, can be adjusted to reflect state priorities like workforce, and addresses differences in size and regional costs. No bills were voted on, and the committee adjourned after brief closing remarks thanking Seminole State College and the presenters.