Transcript Highlights:

• <00:01:39.840> Probably public safety and educators.
• Probably public safety and educators.
• Um, on<00:03:07.360> the<00:03:07.519> educator<00:03:08.000> side,<00:03:08.239
• side, TRA has a board on the educator side, TRA has a board meeting<00:03:09.519> today<00:03
• significant career rule for educators. significant career rule for educators.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our first and only bill on this hearing notice is SP 894 SD3, relating to education.
• The first testifier on the agenda today is the Hawaii Department of Education.
• Dinu, Deputy Superintendent with the Department of Education.
• <00:18:38.919> with pursuing my postsecondary education with pursuing my postsecondary education
• We're going straight to decision-making for SB 894 SD3 relating to education.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Cheer Lady school education programs. Cheer Lady school education programs.
• Privatizing education. Yes. Public education. We are we are Public education.
• public education. making public education the best that it can public education the best that it can
• But we are not educational model. But we are not educational model.
• special education? special education?

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• appropriate for an educational setting. appropriate for an educational setting.
• well educated and able to navigate this. well educated and able to navigate this.
• by the Department of Education.
• Trust our educators. Trust our SB96. Trust our educators.
• directly bypasses right to the educator. directly bypasses right to the educator.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 34, which would require parental consent for each new service provided to a student through the Medicaid to Schools program and require reports to legislative policy committees. Senator Ruth Ward said the bill was intended to increase transparency, protect parental involvement, and ensure continuity of care, especially for students with disabilities. She also noted a proposed amendment she received shortly before the hearing that would change the bill’s focus from a “new service” to a “new care plan.” Representatives from the New Hampshire Primary Care Association and Amoscake Health testified that they opposed the bill as written but would support it with the amendment. They explained that tying consent to individual diagnosis codes or services could be burdensome, could delay care, and could create compliance problems if a diagnosis changes during a visit. They said the amendment would better align consent with the overall care plan and avoid interrupting treatment mid-appointment. Committee members raised questions about how the bill would interact with IEPs, individualized health plans, homebound services, telehealth, billing, and whether the amendment would still require parental involvement after a care plan changes. The deputy Medicaid director from the Department of Health and Human Services testified that the amendment was more operationally feasible because Medicaid billing involves many ICD-10 codes that can change or overlap, and consent should be tied to the care plan rather than to each code. He said the current law already requires parental consent for participation in the Medicaid to Schools program and annual consent for billing, but the bill would make explicit consent for care-plan changes. No vote was taken during the portion of the hearing provided, and the committee appeared to continue discussion with DHHS after the testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, when we're moving away from educational educational educational um<02:05:22.080> you<02:05
• <02:06:43.360> This education this education committee.
• This education this education committee.
• the outside of education. the outside of education.
• education out of a sex education education out of a sex education program?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• trust about education or the education trust about education or the education trust fund<00:16:43.360
• shows the education trust fund dollars. shows the education trust fund dollars.
• dollars in the department of education. dollars in the department of education.
• . education. education.
• > education

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• approved by the Department of Education approved by the Department of Education um um um again<00
• wait time uh for a driver's education wait time uh for a driver's education class<00:06:37.319><
• the New Hampshire driver education the New Hampshire driver education Teachers<00:17:28.280>
• of New Hampshire's driver education of New Hampshire's driver education program<00:37:24.760>
• uh in driver education monthly better uh in driver education monthly meetings<00:37:32.319> the

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to education policy. It's good to have all of you here today.
• Thank Mark Dixon and A+ for presenting and trying to catch up education policy to the Education Ways
• Representative Hy, welcome to education policy. Thank you. I appreciate that, Chairman Collins.
• They'll prepare and distribute to local education agencies guidelines for the implementation.
• two levels of higher education to ... ...the two levels of higher education to collaborate and come up

Bills: HB9, HB102, HB9

Keywords: three-cueing system, reading instruction, K-12 education, structured literacy, scientific strategies, dual enrollment, high school, community college, university, educational access, high school credit, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we want pro- education bill as well.
• Um, as the education finance chair, we were tasked with funding K-12 education across the state, and
• Um as the education such a good job.
• there are already other education there are already other education credits<00:15:07.040> that
• <00:16:03.839> credit, could claim our K12 education credit, could claim our K12 education

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 331, as amended by the A1 amendment, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill. The bill would permanently exempt school supplies from the sales tax, which the author described as a pro-family, pro-affordability, and pro-education measure intended to put money back into families’ pockets and avoid the burden of a temporary sales tax holiday. A representative from We Make Minnesota testified in opposition, arguing the exemption would provide only modest savings to most families while reducing revenue for public services. He said Minnesota already offers more targeted relief through the K-12 education subtraction/credit, noted that similar exemptions in other states are usually temporary, and estimated the bill would cost tens of millions of dollars annually while saving the average family only a small amount per child. He also said the bill was broad enough to cover many office supplies and could benefit higher-spending purchasers disproportionately. Committee members debated the bill’s scope and cost. Supporters said the exemption would help families immediately and noted that many eligible families do not claim existing credits because they must save receipts and file for reimbursement. Opponents argued the same money could be better used for K-12 formula increases or expanded targeted credits, and one member said the bill would narrow the sales tax base and was not well targeted. The author said he was open to working on limits to make the bill more targeted, but emphasized that the goal was direct tax relief for families.

Transcript Highlights:

• When education funding falls short, it's not just a budget issue.
• Investing in education, at its core, is an investment in the dignity and future of our children.
• childhood education in Arkansas.
• Better health care, better K-12 education, reducing childhood hunger, and reducing poverty.
• Number one, we are committed to public education in the state of Arkansas.

Summary: The Senate Revenue and Tax Committee met to consider Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senator Jonathan Dismang, which continues the state’s long-running effort to reduce Arkansas income tax rates. Dismang said the bill would lower the personal income tax rate retroactive to January 1, 2026 and delay the corporate income tax change until the following January, bringing the rate down from 7% to 3.7%. He also said the bill would use existing surplus funds and estimated that a person making $65,000 would see their effective tax burden reduced by about 45% compared with earlier rates. The committee heard several witnesses in opposition, including a United Methodist pastor/social worker, a parent describing her son’s disability and need for supported living services, representatives from Arkansas Appleseed and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and a Marshallese community advocate. They argued that Arkansas should preserve revenue for public schools, health care, food assistance, housing, rural hospitals, early childhood education, and disability services, and said the tax cuts would disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers while providing little relief to working families. Several speakers cited low state spending relative to national averages and warned that further cuts would worsen existing service gaps. In closing, Dismang and other supporters said the state can be both compassionate and competitive, that no essential services would be cut by the bill, and that Arkansas has continued to grow revenue despite prior tax reductions. Members emphasized balancing service funding with economic competitiveness and noted the legislature’s focus on lower-income tax brackets in earlier reforms. The committee then voted to do pass SB1, and the bill was approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• That list would be available for the higher education department, public post-secondary educational institutions
• Right now, the state of New Mexico requires the state to provide public education to a student up to
• I think it was brought up in a different way in education.
• As you know, their public schools are looking to expand their career and technical education and they
• You know, a commercialized way of introducing education and educational institutes to my children has

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas higher education must work to strengthen tenure, fund minority serving institutions, and expand
• We call it a unity summit for higher education.
• The right to learn is so important, particularly in educational institutions.
• There has never been a statewide grassroots coalition for higher education.
• I didn't say on education. I said for higher education. Texas needs this now more than ever.

Transcript Highlights:

• Required services include prenatal education.
• Health care providers should learn from education, an education that extends more than just a paragraph
• Today, I will convey the importance of education. As we all know, education overrides ignorance.
• Education leads to faster care. Education leads to better outcomes.
• Education leads to better outcomes. Education protects lives.

Bills: S0036, S0864, S0268, S0844, S0514, S1404, S0914, S1758

Keywords: nursing title, advanced practice registered nurse, advertising, professional standards, disciplinary action, uterine fibroids, public records, health privacy, epidemiology, medical information, emergency department, physicians, privacy, personal information, sickle cell disease, sickle cell anemia, pain management, controlled substances, prescribing education, continuing medical education

Summary: The committee first considered SB 268, a public records exemption for emergency physicians. Senator Rodriguez’s strike-all amendment narrowed and clarified the exemption, and testimony from an emergency physician described threats, harassment, and safety concerns tied to mandatory reporting and patient encounters. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. Members then heard SB 514, creating the Dula Support for Healthy Births Pilot Program in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties for pregnant and postpartum women affected by substance use disorder. Senator Osgood explained the pilot would provide non-medical doula support and data collection, and an amendment changed the funding source to specific appropriations in the General Appropriations Act. Supporters said doula care can improve maternal and infant outcomes and complement medical providers. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also approved SB 36 on use of professional nursing titles after extensive debate over whether nurses with doctoral degrees should be allowed to use “doctor” in clinical settings, with concerns raised about patient confusion and the need for clearer identification. The bill was amended to align with the House version and then reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee next approved SB 864, a public records exemption for uterine fibroid research data, after a technical amendment setting a July 1, 2026 effective date; Senator Sharif said the exemption is needed so the Department of Health can collect sensitive data for the related research bill. SB 844, requiring continuing education on sickle cell disease care management for certain licensed physicians and nurses, was also reported favorably after emotional testimony from patients and advocates describing delayed care and bias. Later, the committee approved SB 1404 on memory care, after a strike-all amendment creating a new memory care specialty license for assisted living facilities that advertise or provide specialized memory care services, while allowing optional supportive services without the new license. Supporters from the senior living industry backed the clarification. The committee then passed SB 914, which clarifies that licensed occupational therapists may perform dry needling, after an amendment adjusting supervision and continuing education language. Finally, the committee took up SB 1758, a broad Medicaid and SNAP reform bill that would strengthen fraud enforcement, impose Medicaid work requirements for certain able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services, modernize drug purchasing and prior authorization, and require SNAP fraud-reduction measures. Several amendments were adopted, and members questioned the work requirement, implementation costs, EBT card photo identification, and due process concerns; debate continued as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:53:53.000> team individualized uh Education team individualized uh Education team plans
• > establishing<01:38:04.520> education commission and establishing education commission
• expenses and the approval of Education expenses and the approval of Education service<01:41:52.080
• um Education for their new service um Education Service Service Service options<01:44:15.880> um
• c> we has on Educators the Educators that we has on Educators the Educators that we have<04:20:38.479

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with House Bill 184, which would create a committee to study changing school start times. Members discussed Amendment 0394, which made the study committee’s duties more investigative and adjusted reporting recipients, including the Governor. Several members raised questions about whether the committee should review evidence-based studies, local district decisions, and existing district reports; supporters said the amendment would better allow the committee to gather information and recognize local control. The amendment passed 17-0, and the bill as amended also passed 17-0. Representative Litchfield noted that no one had testified in opposition and encouraged the future study committee to review an Oyster River School District report on school start times. The committee then took up House Bill 394, concerning cooperative school district budget committees and board member representatives. Amendment 0476 was adopted 17-0 after discussion that it clarified the bill’s language and reflected work with the School Boards Association. The committee then voted OTPA on the bill, which also passed 17-0. House Bill 738, requiring background checks for employees and volunteers at certain non-public schools or education service providers receiving public funds, was moved inexpedient to legislate. Supporters said the bill would create practical and legal problems for private citizens and homeschooling families, and the motion passed 15-2 with no minority report, placing the bill on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 235, which would amend the educator code of ethics and conduct to add responsibilities to parents. Supporters argued parents should be explicitly included in the code, while opponents said parents were already covered in existing ethics language and statute. The bill passed narrowly, 9-8. The committee then returned to House Bill 532 on alternate dispute resolution and individualized education plan team meeting facilitation. Amendment 0480H clarified that different rules would apply separately to neutral conference, mediation, and IEP facilitation; it passed 17-0, and the bill as amended also passed 17-0. Finally, the committee moved to House Bill 564, concerning adoption of school administrative unit budgets, and voted to retain the bill for further review because members said there was still confusion about how it would apply to single-district and multi-district SAUs.

Transcript Highlights:

• safety content in drivers education safety content in drivers education requirements<00:41:49.720
• urgent need for better driver education urgent need for better driver education especially<00:42
• So, is your question specifically to senior drivers education or youth driver education and the manual
• <00:52:44.480> and education or youth driver education and education or youth driver education
• improve Traffic Safety through education improve Traffic Safety through education assist assist

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Education Committee's amendments are purely technical. Questions?
• I will say that this chart was prepared by the Department of Education, and Mr.
• This came to us from the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education.
• As it came through Education, as it came from the House and came through the Education Committee, it
• As it came through Education, as it came from the House and came through the Education Committee, it

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum present and first approved the minutes from the prior meeting. It then reconsidered Committee Substitute for House Bill 5212, noting that an Education Committee amendment had been inadvertently omitted the day before; the vice chairman withdrew the prior motion to report the bill, and the committee returned to the bill with the technical Education Committee amendments pending. The transcript then moved through a long agenda of bills and supplemental appropriations, with the committee generally hearing brief explanations from counsel, occasional member questions, and then voting to adopt amendments and report measures to the full Senate. Among the substantive policy bills, the committee advanced House Bill 4007 on the Industrial Access Road Fund, allowing an additional possible $3 million transfer in a fiscal year, expanding eligible uses, and increasing county/municipal spending limits; House Bill 4765, which raises salaries for state police, teachers, and school service personnel and, via a strike-and-insert amendment, creates a market pay enhancement tied to county and regional income data; House Bill 5162, recodifying tax lien sale procedures and clarifying ownership and government-property tax treatment; House Bill 5382, extending the Neighborhood Investment Tax Credit Program to July 1, 2031; House Bill 5685, authorizing up to $150 million in revenue bonds backed by excess lottery funds for State Culture Center improvements; House Joint Resolution 42, placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot to raise the homestead exemption from $20,000 to $40,000; House Bill 4010, creating an airport hangar grant program and fund; House Bill 4404, increasing from $500 to $5,000 the amount volunteer fire departments may spend on training and fire prevention materials; House Bill 4592, requiring standardized campus safety mapping data for higher education institutions; House Bill 4784, extending and making retroactive a qualified opportunity zone business tax modification; and House Bill 5088, increasing retirement benefits for Division of Natural Resources police officers, with a one-time $4.25 million cash injection. The committee also reported several supplemental appropriations and originating bills, including Senate Bill 842 for the Spay Neuter Assistance Fund, Senate Bill 846 for Culture and History capital repairs, Senate Bill 872 for Natural Resources capital repairs (reduced to $10 million in committee substitute), Senate Bill 876 for Department of Health facilities, Senate Originating Bills 1 through 5 covering Culture and History, road funds, corrections IT and services, tobacco education, and the Adjutant General’s armory board transfer, respectively. Most items were adopted by voice vote; House Bill 4765’s strike-and-insert amendment was adopted after a division vote of 10-6. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:18:55.280> and institutions, providing educational and institutions, providing educational
• public appropriate education.
• ,<01:34:29.520> and access to higher education, and access to higher education, and overall
• > healthier They're better educated and healthier They're better educated and healthier and<02
• stabs at the heart of public education. stabs at the heart of public education.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• educating parents.
• There's no education for these children that are on these devices.
• Again, another way for us to enforce and educate before we enforce.
• The question is education.
• There’s no education. And I’m all about that.

Summary: The committee held a panel discussion on micro-mobility device regulation and enforcement, focusing on e-bikes and e-scooters. Sheriff Robert Hardwick and Chief Jamie Cruz described serious injuries involving children, including crashes at high speeds, and argued that current law is outdated because it folds e-bikes into the bicycle statute. They urged a separate statewide framework with clearer age limits, licensing or training requirements, helmet rules, and penalties for modifying devices to go faster. Both also emphasized that parents should bear responsibility and that enforcement should include education, progressive discipline, and, if needed, civil citations. FDOT District 6 Secretary Daniel Iglesias and DHSMV representative Lonnie Groner said their agencies are prioritizing education, outreach, and better data collection. They noted that micromobility devices are increasingly common, create safety and accessibility issues on sidewalks and shared-use paths, and are difficult to track because crash reports often do not identify them consistently. Members discussed whether motorized devices should be barred from sidewalks, whether riders should be licensed and insured, and how enforcement could be made uniform statewide. The panel also said manufacturers have not been meaningfully engaged and that local approaches vary widely. The committee then heard 2026 legislative priorities from FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue and DHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner. Perdue outlined FDOT’s large five-year work program, ongoing congestion-relief projects, investments in ports, airports, rail, workforce, heavy equipment, facilities, and cybersecurity, and the need to do more with flat revenues. Kerner summarized DHSMV’s agency bill priorities, including requiring a Florida address and proof of residence for vehicle registration, updating identification requirements, aligning tank vehicle and motor carrier rules with federal standards, improving IFTA administration, raising the crash-report damage threshold, and allowing electronic notices. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 will now come to order.
• Jason Crawford, Home Education Foundation, waving against. Scott Darius, waving in support.
• educational plan.
• And I know we've been doing great work on education in the Senate for the past few years.
• Jason Crawford, Home Education Foundation, waves in support. Is there... Waves in support.

Summary: The Pre-K-12 Education Committee took up a series of education, school safety, health, and student access bills. SB 754 on International Baccalaureate bonus funds was amended to clarify the theory of knowledge course and then reported favorably. SB 370 would allow routine non-invasive school health screenings, such as vision, hearing, and dental checks, to proceed with written notice and an opt-out process rather than active parental consent; supporters said it would improve participation and access, while opponents argued it was too broad and weakened parental rights. After debate over scope, funding, and consent, the bill was reported favorably. The committee also advanced SB 1070, which would require ECG screenings for student athletes under a phased rollout beginning in 2026, with religious and medical opt-outs. The bill was renamed the Second Chance Act in honor of Chance Gainer. Supporters described it as a life-saving measure to detect hidden cardiac conditions, while some members raised cost and implementation concerns. SB 508, the Family Empowerment Scholarship bill, would require private schools to disclose in writing what accommodations and services they will provide to students with IEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans before enrollment; it was supported by parents, advocacy groups, and some school representatives and was reported favorably. School safety measures were also considered. SB 1470 would refine campus locking and supervision rules, create clearer exceptions, expand training and security options for school safety personnel, and allow district-employed law enforcement officers to use canines for threat detection. Witnesses from school safety and Parkland-related advocacy groups supported the bill but urged caution on exemptions and implementation details. SB 1472 would extend a public records exemption to certified school security guards, matching the protection already given to school guardians, and it was reported favorably. Finally, SB 248 would expand participation in FHSAA sports for private school and home education students at public schools when their own schools do not offer the sport, and SB 1618 made broad changes to VPK through grade 12 policy, including reading instruction, financial literacy, school funds restrictions, teacher certification, and advisory council rules; both bills were reported favorably. Several members later recorded votes in support of specific tabs before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that access to post-secondary education, whether it's higher education or something else, does
• We know that access to post-secondary education, whether it's higher education or something else, does
• They're earning this education.
• education that they can use forever.
• Education should never be a barrier.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Parkland shooting victims, quorum call, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Rules and Ethics Committee special order report for February 13, 2025 was adopted, setting the day’s special order calendar and debate times. The chamber then took up immigration-related special order items, beginning with Senate Memorial 6C, which urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. Members debated federal immigration policy and state cooperation with DHS, and the memorial passed 85-27. The House next considered Senate Bill 4C, an immigration bill creating new state offenses related to unlawful entry and reentry into Florida and requiring a mandatory death sentence for an unauthorized alien convicted of a capital felony. Members questioned the bill’s constitutionality, including Supremacy Clause, due process, and Eighth Amendment concerns, and several speakers argued it would create separate classes of people and invite litigation. Multiple amendments were offered to narrow or expand exemptions, including protections for Venezuelans on TPS, certain Haitian TPS and humanitarian parole recipients, undocumented people brought to Florida as children working in critical professions, and a proposal to delay action pending court rulings; all of those amendments were rejected. The bill passed 85-29. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 2C, which would create a State Board of Immigration Enforcement led by the Governor and Cabinet, establish a local law enforcement immigration grant program and advisory council, repeal the undocumented-student fee waiver, and appropriate more than $300 million for immigration enforcement. The sponsor described it as supporting cooperation with federal immigration agencies and ending the in-state tuition incentive for undocumented students. Early questioning focused on the impact on “dreamers” and whether the bill would effectively raise their tuition costs; the sponsor said it removed the incentive of in-state tuition but did not bar attendance. The transcript cuts off during that exchange, before final action on SB 2C is shown.