Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, HB4, HB1, HB3, HB20, HB22, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, HB4, SB2, SB5

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments

Transcript Highlights:

• traffic expected and that there will probably uh the the business prosperity and expansion and developing
• chair lays out House Bill 4473, and we're going to pull it from Subcommittee on Transportation and funding
• It makes a ship channel fund a separate account, um, improvement fund, uh, separate from the state highway
• fund instead of general revenue.
• It keeps the scurf in the general revenue Fund and exempts it in the government code. OK.

Bills: HCR 114, HB 137, HB 283, HB 1398, HB 1960, HB 2153, HB 2431, HB 2638, HB 2699, HB 2999, HB 3208, HB 3389, HB 3413, HB 3510, HB 3642, HB 3859, HB 3974, HB 3986, HB 4142, HB 4173, HB 4174, HB 4542, HB 4605, HB 4663, HB 4731, HB 5064, HB 5216, HB 5218, HB 5332, HB 5453, HB 5577

Keywords: memorial, pedestrian bridge, Houston, Sergio Ivan Rodriguez, city council, oversize vehicles, transportation permits, Hidalgo County, port authority, highway routes, healthcare, insurance, mental health, treatment access, state funding, transportation, axle weight, aggregates, regulations, Texas law

Transcript Highlights:

• He explained that there is an incredible gap between students and teachers and that the workforce is
• We're working right now with about 10% of the workforce.
• Oh, no, thank you for that, but I think this actually adds to the quality of the workforce that we're
• And this, from another teacher: Professional development for teachers is essential.
• We are simply looking to have access to these funds as the district sees fit.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its 13th hearing, chaired by Senator Jason Lewis and Representative Gordon, and heard testimony on a large slate of bills covering personnel and miscellaneous education issues. The first major topic was House Bill 711 and Senate Bill 327, the “So All Students Thrive” proposal, which would change reduction-in-force rules so districts could consider teacher effectiveness, student impact, staffing needs, and diversity-related factors alongside seniority. Supporters from Educators for Excellence, including teachers and a former school committee chair, argued that current seniority-based layoff rules can push out effective early-career educators and harm efforts to build a more diverse workforce. Committee members raised questions about tenure, union involvement, and how the bill would interact with the Educator Diversity Act and local contract negotiations; members generally said they shared the goal of diversifying the educator workforce and encouraged continued collaboration and feedback. The committee then heard testimony on House Bill 658, which would require educator training on gifted and advanced learners. Parents, teachers, researchers, and advocates said Massachusetts lacks required preservice or professional development on gifted education, leaving many advanced students unchallenged and underserved. Witnesses described students who are bored, under-identified, or even discouraged in school, and argued that training would help teachers recognize and support gifted students, including students of color, multilingual learners, low-income students, and students with disabilities. Testimony also supported related prior bills on advanced learners and emphasized that the state should act on a 2019 DESE report recommending such training. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 736 and Senate Bill 435, which would establish de-escalation training for school transportation. The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council said the measure would improve safety for students and bus operators, fill a gap in current school bus driver certification requirements, and better support students with disabilities. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4720, concerning the Athol-Royalston Regional School District’s state bailout-related reserve requirements; the superintendent said the district has long maintained fiscal stability but is still forced to leave over half a million dollars unspent each year, limiting resources for a high-poverty student population. After testimony concluded, the chairs read the full list of bills on the agenda, thanked the committee and staff, and the hearing was adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• , growing our workforce, child care must be part of that strategy. ...about economic development and
• At the end of the day, this is an economic development bill. This is a workforce development bill.
• This is a workforce development bill.
• Fund.
• Fund.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Estimated funding needs are $757 million committed by the state through the Texas Water Development Board
• And if the state can have consistent funding guaranteed, entities like the Water Development Board can
• Um, second, you know, as we look at different funding sources, whether it is Water Development Board
• As you've heard today, demand for water development board programs far exceeds available funding and
• Texas Water Development Board is the Clean Water SRF or Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• workforce development fund. workforce development fund.
• Um, this also puts the fund from the violations in the workforce development fund.
• Um, this also puts the fund from the violations in the workforce development fund.
• Um, this also puts the fund from the violations in the workforce development fund.
• Um, also workforce development fund.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think about the workforce education innovation funds that you granted.
• So as far as the undergraduate degrees, it's the ones on the Workforce Development Council's list of
• From general fund. fund. That's with the 7,000 placeholder.
• Chairman, if Alex, if workforce development deleted a program on here, and there was a high demand still
• Chairman, if Alex, if workforce development deleted a program on here, and there was a high demand still

Summary: The Higher Ed Funding Committee met to review how North Dakota might identify and address low-producing academic programs and to discuss draft funding formulas for the university system. Lisa Johnson of the NDUS explained that the State Board of Higher Education is already developing a system-wide policy, using models from other states such as Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, and Connecticut. She described how low-producing programs are typically flagged by multi-year enrollment or completion thresholds, then reviewed for workforce demand, mission fit, cost, accreditation, and regional need before any action is taken. Committee members asked about what counts as a program, how costs are analyzed, whether certificates are included, how exemptions work for mission-critical or high-demand fields, and whether the board or legislature should set the rules. Johnson said the board is the appropriate body to lead the process, but legislators could use funding leverage if they wanted to encourage action; the chair asked the board to bring a detailed proposal to the June meeting. The committee then heard a Legislative Council presentation on a draft formula for UND and NDSU. The proposal uses fall census FTE enrollment, with a placeholder undergraduate rate of $7,000 per FTE and a graduate/professional rate of $10,500, plus incentives for completions in in-demand fields and research productivity. Alex from Legislative Council walked through the projected funding effects, noting that the model would increase funding for NDSU and reduce it for UND in the current biennium, with different results in the next biennium as enrollment changes are recognized. Members questioned the use of the placeholder rates, the definition of in-demand programs, the treatment of research funding, and the exclusion of state-appropriated dollars from the external grants calculation. The chair emphasized that the numbers were illustrative and that appropriators would set the actual dollar amounts later. A second draft formula for the other nine institutions was also reviewed. That model uses fall census FTE without a weighted economic factor, applies a higher undergraduate rate, and adds completion incentives for in-demand credentials and all other completions. Members noted that the formula would benefit some institutions, such as Bismarck State College, while reducing funding for others, such as Mayville State, and discussed whether the nine institutions should be treated more uniformly or split into smaller groups because of their different missions and sizes. Committee members and staff repeatedly stressed that the formulas are still being refined and that some institutions would likely need hold-harmless adjustments or other transition measures. The meeting ended with the chair directing the committee to continue the discussion later and to expect further work on both the low-producing program policy and the funding formulas.

Transcript Highlights:

• Call the Career and Workforce Subcommittee to order. And again, please call the roll.
• May be matched by the fund.
• Currently, in-kind or non-monetary contributions do not qualify for matching funds under the line fund
• Internship, pre-apprenticeship, or on-the-job workforce training.
• The insurance workforce.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're a launchpad for innovation, health care economic growth, and workforce development.
• We're a launchpad for innovation, health care economic growth, and workforce development.
• Healthcare economic growth and Workforce Healthcare economic growth and Workforce Development<00
• . utilize the Workforce Development utilize the Workforce Development scholarships<00:42:19.640> to
• <00:45:30.119> St<00:45:30.359> Cloud Workforce need was funding for St Cloud Workforce

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our Workforce Development Division knew it would transform lives, and it has brought stability and possibility
• Our Workforce Development Division knew it would transform lives, and it has brought stability and possibility
• c> uh Workforce Development uh efforts uh Workforce Development uh efforts uh again<00:10:19.720>
• education and workforce development, but also so we can answer questions that we don't know to ask yet
• education and workforce development, but also so we can answer questions that we don't know to ask yet

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several measures. Senate Bill 327, relating to internships, drew broad support from the Department of Education, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, University of Hawaiʻi, DBEDT, P20, HFIA, Hawaiʻi Electric, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and the Chamber of Commerce, with suggested amendments to clarify the internship purpose, limit some responsibilities to the state executive branch, and address staffing and reporting details. The committee later recommended passing SB 327 with amendments, including changes to the internship language, private-sector references, work-hour limits, reporting requirements, and a deferred effective date for further discussion. Senate Bill 716, relating to the Hawaii Employment Security Law, received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations as a step toward modernizing unemployment insurance, and the committee recommended passage with housekeeping and technical amendments. Senate Bill 717, relating to collective bargaining, would allow certain exempt employees to grieve suspensions or discharges. The City and County of Honolulu and the Department of Human Resources Development said the issue should remain a collective bargaining matter, while HGEA and United Public Workers supported the bill. DHRD opposed changing the statute and pointed to existing internal complaint procedures. The committee nevertheless recommended passing SB 717 with amendments and deferred the date for further discussion. Senate Bill 742, relating to data sharing, would create a data sharing and governance working group within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and include appropriations. OETS, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaiʻi, DOE, Hawaiʻi Kids Can, Hawaiʻi P-20, and others supported the measure, with OETS estimating a total cost of about $2.64 million, including software, consulting, and six FTE. The committee recommended passage with amendments and a deferred effective date, and noted the budget request in the committee report. The final measure, Senate Bill 855, relating to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act, would shift the program from opt-in to opt-out and appropriate startup funds; former Senator Brian Taniguchi and AARP supported it, while Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi and the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi opposed it over costs and burdens on small businesses and concerns about adding mandates before the program is implemented. The committee recessed briefly on a proposed AARP amendment, then returned and indicated support for the opt-out language before taking the bill up for decision-making.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:04:26.960> readiness fund and sustain our workforce readiness fund and sustain our workforce
• development positions workforce development positions previously<01:40:14.000> supported<01:40
• , and professional funding, artists, and professional development<02:03:02.400> initiatives<02
• development populations facing workforce development populations facing barriers<02:09:31.920> to
• :28.000> program<03:04:28.720> that and workforce development program that and workforce

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing focused on Act 310 grants and aid, with committee members hearing one-minute testimony from organizations first in person and then by Zoom. At the outset, the chairs explained there would be no Q&A during the briefing and asked testifiers to focus on how federal cuts were affecting their work. The meeting was organized by registration number and included both neighbor island and Oʻahu applicants. Testimony centered on organizations seeking state support to offset federal funding losses or anticipated reductions. Health and social service providers described impacts from Medicaid, SNAP, ACA subsidy, Title X, and other federal changes, including Aloha Care, Community Clinic of Maui, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center, Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center, Hawaiʻi Youth Services Network, Alcoholic Rehabilitation Services of Hawaiʻi, and Kokua Kalihi Valley. Other groups highlighted losses affecting food security, housing, disaster preparedness, and climate resilience, including the Kohala Center, Feeding Hawaiʻi Together, Hawaiian Lending and Investments, Dynamic Community Solutions, and the Pacific Tsunami Museum. Several arts, youth, and education organizations also testified, including Hawaiʻi Literacy, Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony, Honolulu Theatre for the Youth, Sounding Joy Music Therapy, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaiʻi, Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi, Kids Hurt Too Hawaiʻi, and US Vets, each requesting funding to preserve programs and staffing. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing. The only action was procedural: the chairs moved through the applicant list, limited testimony time, and then transitioned from neighbor island in-person testimony to Oʻahu and later Zoom participants.

Transcript Highlights:

• On page 7, just the terms of those fund capitalization for the commercial development was at $100 million
• The purpose of tourism development is to support funding and provide technical assistance to communities
• Right now, we're trying to provide the funding that will empower communities to plan and develop and
• Particularly in the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds, how do you allocate those equitably
• , to use the federal WIOA Workforce Investment Funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• IN 2016 WE RECEIVED OUR INITIAL PROGRAM FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE AND ENTREPRENEUR.
• FOR OUR WORKFORCE GRANT.
• I FEEL WE HAVE SHOWN THERE IS VALUE TO WHAT WE DO FOR THE STATE BOTH ECONOMICALLY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
• DEVELOPMENT BOARDS.
• THE PURPLE START WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EMPHASIZES KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE NETWORKS

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Other areas are federal funds, the contractor recovery fund, and workforce development.
• > Fund<00:14:29.320> and<00:14:29.519> Workforce Recovery Fund and Workforce Recovery
• Fund and Workforce Development<00:14:31.839> next Development next Development next slide<00:
• We are appropriated the money, and the Workforce Development Fund pays for things like youth skills training
• <01:23:54.080> Development standard of Workforce Development standard of Workforce Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee met under a new Senate power-sharing arrangement with co-chairs, began with member and staff introductions, and then received a jurisdiction overview from Senate counsel. The overview explained that the Labor Committee’s jurisdiction has not changed from the previous biennium and covers fair labor standards, minimum wage, workers’ compensation, occupational safety and health, and related agencies and boards such as the Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Mediation Services, PERB, and the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals. It also noted that some topics, including paid leave, fall under other committees, while earned sick and safe time remains within Labor and Industry jurisdiction. Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach and Josiah Moore then gave a detailed Department of Labor and Industry presentation. They reviewed the department’s funding sources, emphasizing that workers’ compensation funds and construction codes/licensing revenues make up most of the budget, while the general fund is a small share. They described the department’s major divisions, including workers’ compensation, construction codes and licensing, labor standards, nursing home workforce standards, and OSHA consultation and compliance, and highlighted practical examples of their work. Examples included return-to-work assistance for an injured worker, compliance training that reduced penalties for self-insurers and claim administrators, and use of the Special Compensation Fund when an employer lacked workers’ compensation insurance. The labor standards section highlighted enforcement actions involving unpaid overtime, pregnancy and parental leave retaliation, wage deductions, and child labor violations, along with totals for 2024 collections and inquiries. The presentation also noted the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board’s adopted rules, the expansion of construction licensing exams statewide, and OSHA consultation programs such as Min-SHARP and MINSTAR, including a Minnesota employer that recently achieved MINSTAR status. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Workforce Support Subcommittee meeting on addressing workforce barriers through apprenticeships.
• Development.
• Melissa Sebeli is the director of workforce development programs at Mass Higher Hampton County Workforce
• So now I would really like to introduce Melissa Chabelli, who is the Director of Workforce Development
• to community colleges and other vendors, is that the workforce system tends to get a lot of funding for

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee met to discuss using registered apprenticeships to help address workforce shortages in disability services, human services, and other high-need fields. Co-chairs and staff introduced the session as a follow-up to earlier discussions with state labor officials and representatives from developmental disability and behavioral health provider associations. The panel focused on how apprenticeships can create paid, structured pathways into jobs while also supporting credentialing and retention. Amara Ramon of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards explained how Massachusetts apprenticeship programs are registered and supported, including the roles of apprenticeship liaison staff, operations, quality assurance, and grant support. She described the core features of apprenticeships—paid on-the-job training, related technical instruction, wage progression, and industry credentials—and contrasted them with internships or co-ops. Melissa Chabelli of the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board described the intermediary role her board plays in designing programs, registering apprentices, coordinating employers, and handling compliance. She emphasized flexibility, employer investment, tax credits, retention benefits, and the importance of mentors and local workforce partnerships. Lisa Morris of UMass Chan/For Health Consulting described a developing apprenticeship for medical interpreters, built from an existing training foundation and designed to address the gap between classroom preparation and work experience. She said the model would combine pre-apprenticeship training, employer interviews, 2,000 hours of apprenticeship, and related technical instruction tied to national certification. Speakers also discussed examples for nursing, early childhood education, CNC machining, and programs serving neurodivergent learners, including Bridgewater State’s Excel program. In response to audience questions, panelists said state agencies can serve as intermediaries, recruitment can come through career centers, youth programs, community colleges, ESL centers, and incumbent workers, and accommodations or modified curricula can support apprentices with disabilities. No votes were taken; the session ended with encouragement for attendees to contact the presenters and Division of Apprenticeship Standards for help developing programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so if we're going to really address this explosion of workforce development and expanding our tax
• <00:42:49.200> uh<00:42:49.359> development explosion of of workforce uh development
• explosion of of workforce uh development and<00:42:50.319> expanding<00:42:50.960> our
• And then, of course, workforce development, professional development.
• And then, of course, workforce development and professional development.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, adoption of the minutes, and brief remarks, including birthday recognition for Representative Maseroni and a moment of reflection for a soldier who died during training at Fort Knox. The committee then heard a presentation from Tony Hatton, commissioner of the Department for Environmental Protection and acting director of the Kentucky Division of Water, with Amanda Lefer, deputy commissioner, on the state’s water and wastewater programs and planning. Hatton described Kentucky’s water resources and the Division of Water’s responsibilities, including watershed and nonpoint source work, KPDES discharge permitting, PFAS response, engineering review of water infrastructure, inspections, public outreach, and sampling. He said Kentucky has 428 public water systems, 263 water treatment plants, about 1.9 million service connections, and nearly 97% of the population has access to municipally treated water. He also noted that the state has 43 systems receiving awards for EPA areawide optimization and emphasized operator training, regionalization, and use of GIS mapping and Kentucky Infrastructure Authority data to support planning and funding decisions. Members raised concerns about aging infrastructure, water loss, staffing shortages, and wastewater problems in local systems. Representative Blandon described severe failures in a city system, including major water loss and sewer backups, and asked whether the state could intervene; Hatton said the division inspects treatment facilities and provides compliance assistance but is not authorized to manage delivery systems, though third-party help and emergency funding can be used in some cases. Senator Smith and others shared similar experiences with line loss and system failures, while Hatton pointed to regionalization and funding support as the main tools available. The discussion also highlighted PFAS as an emerging issue, with Hatton saying the department is working with systems to meet anticipated federal requirements by 2029.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 5265 by Wilson, relating to the Texas Health Care Workforce Education Fund. Chair recognizes Mr.
• Texas Health Care Workforce Education Fund to help fix the health care workforce shortages in our great
• HB 5008 by Bell of Kaufman, relating to the use of the skills development fund by certain entities.
• Members, this bill passed unanimously in the Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development Committee.
• Members, this bill passed unanimously in the Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development Committee.

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, heard the invocation and pledges, and then took up a series of memorial resolutions and recognitions. Members adopted memorial resolutions honoring former President Jimmy Carter and Dr. Alice Gail Hudgens, with remarks highlighting their public service and community impact, and adopted resolutions recognizing Victoria College’s 100th anniversary and May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month. The chamber also recognized Texas A&M system interns and later granted permission for several committees to meet while the House was in session. The House then moved through a long third-reading calendar, passing a number of bills on wide margins. Measures approved included SB 304 on municipal court jurisdiction over nuisance abatement ordinances, SB 608 on reporting evidence collection kits, SB 2312 creating a Texas Advisory Committee on Geopolitical Conflict, SB 494 creating a petroleum theft task force, SB 530 on postsecondary accreditation, HB 45 giving the Attorney General a role in prosecuting human trafficking cases, HB 35 on peer support for first responders, HB 47 and HB 3073 on sexual assault policy and prosecution, HB 318 and HB 3000 creating rural sheriff and ambulance grant programs, HB 554 on Juneteenth fireworks sales with county opt-in authority restored, HB 705 and HB 932 joining licensure compacts for cosmetology and occupational therapy, HB 849 allowing county park boards to meet by video conference, HB 1119 on mental health bed reporting, HB 3041 on students with nontraditional secondary education, HB 713 on maternal mortality review reporting, HB 3104 on Webb County bailiff appointments, HB 3970 on electricity planning for large loads, HB 4042 on Railroad Commission safety provisions for gas distribution pipelines, HB 4490 protecting next-of-kin information, HB 1731 on the physician assistant compact, HB 2607 on Walker County Hospital District governance, HB 3689 on Texas Windstorm Insurance Association funding, HB 1788 on continuing education for barbers and cosmetologists about abuse and trafficking, HB 1612 on hospital direct payments for uninsured patients, and HB 138 on health impact cost and coverage analysis. Several bills drew extended debate or amendments. HB 353, creating a trespass offense near schools and daycares, prompted questions about constitutional concerns and property rights before passing. HB 3211 on optometrists in managed care plans received a perfecting amendment and a Medicaid-related amendment setting a minimum payment level. HB 1056 on gold and silver specie and a state-based currency prompted detailed questioning about its mechanics and fees, followed by a point of order challenging the caption. The House also adopted or postponed a number of items, including postponing HB 2520 and HB 1359 until later in the calendar before later passing both, and laying several bills on the table subject to call. Many measures passed overwhelmingly, while a few, including HB 3326 on loan forgiveness for adjunct professors and HB 3237 on energy consumption goals, passed with narrower margins.

Transcript Highlights:

• of both affordable and development of both affordable and Workforce<01:11:10.360> housing<01:
• to include affordable or workforce housing units in traditional market-rate developments.
• to include affordable or rate developers to include affordable or Workforce<01:12:38.679> housing
• The developer has now returned $25 million in funding, including some of the state funding that this
• > now federal funding the developer has now federal funding the developer has now returned<01:19:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• . funding. funding.
• The bill also makes a policy change to the program to allow these funds to support workforce housing
• The bill also makes a policy change to the program to allow these funds to support workforce housing
• The Workforce and Affordable Homeownership Development Program in 46 2A.38 applies statewide.
• Workforce and Affordable Homeownership Workforce and Affordable Homeownership Development<00:18:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• -based workforce to make this work.
• We're here to talk about developing New Mexico's geothermal energy as economic development.
• A geothermal roadmap, kind of a cookbook, so to speak, will be developed to help geothermal developers
• The workforce benefits.
• development fund and geothermal project revolving loan fund toward clean energy industrial heat projects