Transcript Highlights:

• care providers in the ESA program.
• TLCCA represents thousands of licensed child care programs, licensed home care providers, owners, directors
• Prior to 2019, in the passage of House Bill 3, licensed child care programs and home care providers around
• Prior to 2019, in the passage of House Bill 3, licensed child care programs and home care providers around
• And during that time, I was associated with the team for the child care program.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Several senators emphasized support for public education, teacher pay and safety, parental choice, and the combined K-16 jurisdiction of the committee. The chair also reviewed hearing procedures, including public testimony registration and time limits. The main item was Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, laid out by Chairman Creighton. He described the bill as an education savings account program intended to expand school choice, with a $200 million universal eligibility pool and an additional $800 million targeted to students with disabilities and lower-income families. He said the bill includes anti-fraud safeguards, criminal background checks for vendors, reporting requirements, data protections, and annual testing for participating students, while not imposing STAAR on private schools or homeschoolers. He also said the bill removes a prior hold-harmless provision for public schools and is separate from public school funding and teacher pay legislation. Members questioned the bill’s income threshold, lottery and priority structure, treatment of homeschoolers, microschools, charter schools, religious freedom protections, citizenship/lawful presence language, cybersecurity, open records, and disability-related issues, including whether 504 students and foster children should be included. Creighton said the bill is designed to prioritize former public school students with disabilities or lower incomes, while also allowing universal eligibility within the program’s first funding tier, and that the Comptroller would oversee vendor screening and cybersecurity rules. He said the bill does not direct curriculum or interfere with religious beliefs and that amendments may be offered later on citizenship and other issues. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, starting with EdChoice representative Robert Inlow, who testified in support of SB 2 and cited national growth in school choice programs and studies he said show positive effects for students and public schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• AND SUNSHINE HEALTH CHILD WELFARE AND UNITED CARE.
• HEALTH, INCLUDING TIMELINESS OF PRENATAL CARE, POSTPARTUM CARE, WELL CARE VISITS AND CHILD AND ADOLESCENT
• IN THE AREA OF LONG-TERM CARE.
• LOOKING BACK AT THE INDIVIDUAL PLAN PERFORMANCE SUCH AS THE TIMELINESS THE PRENATAL CARE AND CHILD WELFARE
• WHEN YOU WENT OVER THE PRENATAL CARE, POSTPARTUM CARE, AND A LOT OF THE PLANTS WERE BELOW AVERAGE.

Transcript Highlights:

• care for free to families or low cost and will pay child care workers and child care programs at the
• care for free to families or low cost and will pay child care workers and child care programs at the
• care for free to families or low cost and will pay child care workers and child care programs at the
• care for free to families or low cost and will pay child care workers and child care programs at the
• Family child care, public schools, private programs — anyone can apply.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee began with introductions of student guests, including an FCCLA national officer who spoke in support of career and technical education. She emphasized that CTE connects classroom learning to real careers, builds leadership and employability skills, and deserves continued state supplemental funding to keep programs current, expand offerings, and support student organizations. Members thanked her for her remarks and for representing FCCLA students. The committee then considered House Bill 67, a cleanup bill to address unintended consequences from last session’s Senate Bill 181 on traceable communication in schools. Rep. Josh Calloway explained that the substitute clarified definitions of family members, coaches, volunteers, certified/classified/contract employees, and virtual instruction; exempted group messaging, public social media posts, translation services, parent-provided phone numbers, emergency communications, and field trip/work-based learning contacts; and allowed teachers to disclose outside commercial or nonprofit involvement so they can communicate with students for those purposes. He said the bill was developed with input from school boards, administrators, KDE, school HR groups, Kentucky League of Cities, and Farm Bureau. The committee approved the substitute and passed HB 67 favorably. Next, the committee heard House Bill 759, which KDE described as a consistency bill for teacher certification pathways. The bill renames and standardizes alternative certification routes, clarifies content mastery requirements, allows teachers to add certifications more consistently, and lets educators extend certification into lower grade bands if they already hold higher-level certification and pedagogical knowledge. Members asked about chemistry majors, CTE occupational pathways, the veterans pathway, and grade-band “bandwidth”; KDE said the bill preserves the veterans route, does not create a new pathway but reorganizes existing ones, and will help make certification options easier to understand. HB 759 also passed favorably. Finally, Rep. Shane Baker presented House Bill 654, a follow-up to last year’s effort to reduce administrative burdens on schools. He said the bill would eliminate additional reporting requirements, bar KDE from requiring components of a comprehensive improvement plan not expressly required by statute or federal law, and allow EARS to temporarily authorize reports when the legislature is not in session while preserving necessary reporting tied to SEEK funding and school operations. The committee took up the substitute and began discussion of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's the RISE program, like you cannot miss so many days before the child care provider is not
• . daycares and other child care operations.
• It deals with the child care.
• And is it the RISE program where, I forgot the name of it, but child care providers can apply to be a
• So when somebody wants to have a child care facility, because we have a shortage of child care facilities

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:36.240> care uh that's that school age child care uh that's that school age child care
• <00:09:58.079> Care in those out of school time Child Care in those out of school time Child
• <00:15:06.240> care expansion of the school age child care expansion of the school age child
• <00:15:21.399> care preschool uh wraparound child care preschool uh wraparound child care
• We have Senate File 1461, School Age Care programs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program next session.
• ,<00:07:12.040> I And regarding the internship program, I And regarding the internship program
• up for the intern internship program up for the intern internship program next<00:07:17.920>
• programs, and aerospace education. programs, and aerospace education.
• the program. the program.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional in honor of Earth Day, then referred three Senate bills to money committees under House Rule 35A: S. 173 to Appropriations, and S. 232 and S. 327 to Ways and Means. The chamber also adopted JRS 50, a joint resolution setting weekend adjournment so the House and Senate would reconvene no later than April 28, 2026. Several members then made announcements recognizing guests and interns in the gallery, including a homeschooling eighth grader, UVM interns, a constituent shadowing a member, family members, and a Civil Air Patrol delegation. The House next took up S. 89, expanding survivor benefits, and passed it in concurrence with proposal of amendment. It then considered S. 157 on recovery residence certification. The Human Services Committee described the bill as making permanent a temporary framework for certified recovery residences, placing oversight with the Department of Health, requiring standards, data collection, and annual reporting, and preserving resident protections such as written agreements, notice, grievance procedures, and alternative housing arrangements. The committee also said the bill would modernize definitions and repeal the sunset on the current framework. Human Services voted 9-0-2 to recommend the strike-all amendment, and Ways and Means reported the bill favorable 11-0-0, noting no fiscal impact unless a future fee is proposed and enacted. The House adopted the amendment, ordered third reading, and moved the bill forward. The final major item was S. 239, creating a child abuse and neglect reporting working group. The Human Services Committee said Vermont’s mandated reporting system has not been substantially reviewed in over a decade and that the bill would convene experts to review the law and recommend updates. Committee testimony emphasized that Vermont has a very high reporting rate but relatively low rates of substantiation and referral to supportive services, and members said the working group should examine reporting before, during, and after a report, including alternatives when in a child’s best interests. The committee’s strike-all amendment added findings, narrowed and prioritized the working group membership to people with direct child-serving or mandated-reporting experience, set deadlines for an interim report by April 1, 2027 and final recommendations by October 1, 2027, and required the first meeting by August 15. The committee also heard from a wide range of child welfare, education, law enforcement, and advocacy witnesses.

Transcript Highlights:

• If they cannot afford child care now, being able to deduct their child care costs will not help them.
• If you can afford child care, those who can afford the most expensive child care might get $900 back
• I don't see any direct lines at all, because the child care, child care normally does help with jobs.
• Now people who are paying for child care are apparently wealthy, just by virtue of paying for child care
• Again, child care deduction was attacked.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• child welfare workforce by requiring DCF to run a CPI and case manager recruitment program for individuals
• This bill requires DCF to create a treatment foster care pilot program that will increase family-like
• Treatment foster care, also known as professional foster care, places the child in a family-like setting
• , to apply for funding through the rural access to primary and preventive care grant program created
• , to apply for funding through the rural access to primary and preventive care grant program created

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy met and first considered CS/SB 7012 on child welfare, presented by Senator Graal. The bill addressed three areas: child welfare workforce shortages, higher-acuity children in out-of-home care, and services/data for commercially sexually exploited children. It would create a CPI and case manager recruitment program aimed at former public safety and service workers, convene a workforce work group, establish a four-year treatment foster care pilot in two judicial circuits identified by DCF based on removal and placement data, and require more detailed, extractable child-level data on commercially sexually exploited children along with a bed capacity study and service gap analysis. Two amendments were adopted: one clarified record retention for redacted assessments, and another attached the appropriation. The committee then heard CS/SB 110 on rural communities from Senator Simon. The bill proposed a broad rural development package, including a state office of rural prosperity, a Renaissance grant program for counties with declining populations, increased housing support, major rural road funding, school consortium funding, and additional health care resources for rural facilities and training. A delete-all amendment was adopted that expanded and refined several provisions, including local sales tax trust fund distributions, county connectivity projects, agritourism marketing support, disaster-impacted rural infrastructure eligibility, insurance and provider eligibility changes, and increased funding for critical access hospitals and rural medical education reimbursement. Both bills drew broad support from local government, education, health care, housing, and rural advocacy representatives. Supporters said the rural bill was especially comprehensive and would help small counties, schools, roads, housing, and health care, while one witness cautioned that road expansion should be balanced with protection of agricultural and natural lands. Senator Bradley and Senator Simon emphasized local control and the importance of strengthening rural Florida without imposing mandates. CS/SB 7012 and CS/SB 110 were both reported favorably, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:34:33.839> care nothing to continue the child care nothing to continue the child care
• This program puts child care in reach for working families.
• Investment in child care is a high-return investment on child development, child care businesses, and
• Invest in child care.
• child care centers and learned about uh child care centers and the<05:14:37.760> scope<05:14:

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that we administer for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, child care, all programs. enlightening as it relates to
• The child support support program.
• c> to<00:52:13.599> uh uh in the child support program is to uh uh in the child support program
• be which the child support program may be which the child support program may be may<00:56:20.079
• <00:58:42.640> the is left taking care of the child and the is left taking care of the child

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• care scholarship that the state receives, that it can give out to qualified families to help child care
• Thank you. federal level to calculate the child federal level to calculate the child care<00:33:33.039
• how the average child care cost for uh how the average child care cost for uh for<00:33:56.360><
• to pay for child care.
• to pay for child care.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 112, which would require students in the University and Community College systems to pass the U.S. citizenship civics naturalization test. A motion was made to retain the bill, and the committee voted unanimously to retain it, resulting in no report. HB 510, dealing with due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty in higher education disciplinary proceedings, was passed over for a later meeting so the University and Community College systems could meet with the committee. The committee then discussed HB 659, creating a college graduate retention incentive program, but retained it without further debate after noting the prime sponsor was unavailable. HB 770, concerning tuition credits for community service, was also held for later in the day because an amendment was expected. The most extensive discussion centered on HB 583, which would have the state participate in Medicaid direct certification for free and reduced-price school meals. Supporters argued it would identify more eligible students, reduce paperwork, improve accuracy in school funding formulas, and bring in additional federal child care scholarship money; opponents argued it would significantly affect school funding calculations and should be delayed. The committee rejected the amendment by a 10-8 vote and then voted 10-8 to retain the bill, with a majority report and minority report to follow. HB 646, requiring school districts to establish an online application for free and reduced-price meal participation, was also debated. One member said many districts already do this voluntarily and that the bill was unnecessary; another proposed an amendment to convert the mandate into a grant program to offset startup costs, but the committee proceeded on the underlying motion and voted 10-8 to retain the bill, with a majority report and a minority OTP report. HB 665, concerning eligibility for the free school meals program, was then retained by an 11-3 vote. Finally, the committee began work on HB 703, which would prohibit school districts from denying meals to students with unpaid balances and appropriate funds for that purpose. An amendment was explained that would remove state payment of district meal debt and instead require district policies against shaming or bullying students and allow voluntary donations to reduce debt. After discussion, a motion was made to ITL the bill, with the sponsor saying constituents opposed subsidizing the program and wanted districts to retain collection tools; further debate was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Program, refer to the Committee on Human Services.
• provided by certain hospitals and parental palliative care grant program and a parental palliative care
• relationship for taking possession of a child and for certain hearings in a suit affecting the parent-child
• AP 2320 by GERA relating to specialist referrals of primary care providers for certain care managed health
• HB 2395 by Dutton relating to the grant program to provide a public-school pre-kindergarten programs

Transcript Highlights:

• of care um and uh accessibility of care of care um and uh accessibility of care is<01:35:01.040>
• ...and medical care.
• <02:47:13.880> voluntary program so these programs are voluntary program so these programs
• care they possibly can.
• in Child Care Facilities located in Child Care Facilities located in buildings<03:45:47.040><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• abuse in Vermont by training adults on the perils of child abuse, investing in programs that strengthen
• , child care staff, and many community-based organizations across the state, like Prevent Child Abuse
• Simple acts like checking on a stressed parent, offering a hand with child care, or helping a family
• Simple acts like checking on a stressed parent, offering a hand with child care, or helping a family
• We must also invest in those programs that strengthen families: accessible mental health care, substance

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional and a series of lighthearted remarks, then welcomed Representative Kumulia Case Long of Milton, who had taken the oath of office earlier that morning. The chair announced Long’s seating in seat 114 and appointment to the Committee on Education. The chamber also received and first-read several bills: H. 953 on the Panton town charter amendment, H. 954 on the Stowe town charter amendment, S. 64 on optometrists’ scope of practice, and S. 278 on cannabis. The House also noted favorable committee reports on H. 952 (capital construction/bonding budget adjustment) and S. 218 (reducing chloride contamination in state waters), with referrals made under House Rule 35A. The House adopted JRS. 47, a joint resolution setting weekend adjournment for April 3, 2026, and then read two concurrent resolutions that had already been adopted on the consent calendar: HCR 217 congratulating McNeel and Rei of Rutland on 70 years in business, and HCR 230 recognizing April 2026 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month and honoring Prevent Child Abuse Vermont for its 50th anniversary. Members offered remarks celebrating McNeel and Rei’s history and the work of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, including testimony about the organization’s prevention and family-support efforts. The House then took up H. 657, relating to services for unaccompanied homeless youth without parental consent. A Judiciary amendment, supported by Human Services on a 9-2 straw poll, revised immunity language so providers may rely in good faith on certification forms and clarified shelter-provider exceptions in existing law. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed third reading. The House also passed H. 941, on municipal regulation of agriculture. Finally, the House considered S. 210 on access to autopsy reports; Human Services recommended an amendment shifting decision-making authority to the court, adding a factor on interference with criminal investigations, and allowing refiling if circumstances materially change. The committee reported the bill favorably 10-1, the House agreed to propose the amendment to the Senate, and third reading was ordered.

Transcript Highlights:

• the child is coached.
• Program.
• In 1998, I started as a child protection service worker and investigator, and then became a foster care
• So we're trying to focus on the child, what the child needs, how the child is feeling, even in my own
• So we're trying to focus on the child, what the child needs, how the child is feeling, even in my own

Summary: The committee first approved the May 20 minutes and then advanced HCR 95, which would create a more uniform tax base for future state and local tax exemptions and credits, requiring a two-thirds vote of both chambers to deviate from that uniformity. HB 648 was deferred by the author. HB 1049, dealing with public meeting procedures and notice requirements, was amended after discussion with the Police Jury Association, school boards, and local government groups; the amendments removed a requirement for a lawyer at every meeting and clarified notice and posting language, and the bill was reported with amendments despite opposition from local government associations and the City of Baker. The committee then heard HB 615, which would expand livestreaming and two-year archiving requirements to more public bodies, including non-elected boards and commissions with taxing or rulemaking authority. Supporters framed it as a transparency measure, while local government and association witnesses argued it would impose an unfunded mandate, especially on small volunteer boards, and raised concerns about costs, staffing, record retention, and reliance on social media platforms. The bill was not advanced. HB 1201, as amended, would provide legislators reimbursement for travel and limited out-of-session expenses, including housing and mileage, beginning with the next term; members discussed the need to make public service more financially feasible and to broaden who can afford to serve. The committee reported HB 1201 with amendments. The committee also considered two constitutional convention-related bills. HB 244 would set guardrails for any future convention by capping delegates at 144, specifying delegate selection, requiring a two-thirds delegate vote to send proposals to voters, and requiring both a majority of voters and approval by three-fourths of the parishes for ratification; after debate over whether the parish threshold was too high, the bill was reported favorably on a roll call vote. HB 4, as amended, was narrowed to require the Senate and House Governmental Affairs committees to meet in the off-season to discuss the mechanics of a possible convention, but members viewed it as more of a study resolution than binding legislation, and the committee voted to keep it in committee. The meeting then moved to confirmation hearings. Courtney Myers, nominated for Deputy Secretary for the Office of Juvenile Justice, and Ernest Jacob Reade Jr., nominated as Assistant Secretary, testified about their backgrounds and priorities, emphasizing juvenile rehabilitation, education and vocational programming, mental health services, credible messengers, family contact, and better communication with legislators and families. Nathan McBride, nominated as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality, testified about his engineering and government affairs background and said he would focus on legislative work, waste tire management, permitting modernization, and constituent service.

Transcript Highlights:

• and center-based child care.
• and center-based child care.
• center-based child child care. center-based child child care.
• :55.920> care bringing up to date our child care bringing up to date our child care regulations
• <00:08:57.040> care commissioner within the child care commissioner within the child care

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the director of a runaway homeless youth program, or a continuum of care lead agency.
• identity of any child in the program or identity of any child in the program or not<02:38:33.000
• One, prior to contracting with any program for the care of a child in the department's custody, the department
• for the child of a care for the child of a care in<02:39:05.840> the<02:39:06.000> department's
• Notwithstanding subsection B of this section, a child detained in a secure residential program may be

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It removes from DCF licensure requirements the before and after care programs Representative McFarland
• behavioral health care.
• This child is thriving in her parents' care.
• Flash forward, the child was with his caregiver and the caregiver took the child to the ER for a rash
• the child and they determined there were no findings of abuse to the child.

Transcript Highlights:

• The idea is expanding the availability of child care.
• But again, having child care available... ...having child care available is, again, a greater good than
• I mean, I think long term, what I see in child care is there's a heavy reliance on subsidized child care
• of availability of child care without the state, kids that are not getting child care at all, and so
• But those programs, they don't have to check for whether that child is SNAP or not.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we are teeing up additional child care slots.
• Explicit around how we are maintaining the existing reimbursement rates for our child care programs and
• Bonta's concerns about child care.
• Emergency Child Care Bridge.
• Karina Legge with the Child Care Law Center.

Keywords: 988, house, all