Transcript Highlights:

• Mike Lodewigan, on behalf of the Missouri Council School Ministers.
• The voters are supporting their local schools.
• Yeah, that's why we have dollar value modifiers, hold harmless in our school districts.
• We have dollar value modifiers, hold harmless in our school districts. Representative Davis.
• You know, 85% of expenditures that schools use goes to salaries and benefits.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and<00:43:44.800> to<00:43:45.079> go<00:43:45.240> to<00:43:45.400> school
• c><00:43:45.800> and<00:43:45.920> to<00:43:46.040> go same day and to go to school
• and to go same day and to go to school and to go to<00:43:46.319> work<00:43:46.599> and
• <00:48:19.480> of and his collection of his own library of and his collection of his own library
• off because my kids were out of school off because my kids were out of school for<01:16:15.639><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee on the Children and Family Law Committee met organizationally to continue work on family court issues, building on a prior special committee’s report and taking a collaborative approach with the Judiciary. The chair said the group would focus on solutions rather than rehashing public complaints, and identified three main topics for early study: specialization and training of family court judges, the extent to which judges should be bound by the rules of evidence, and whether mediation in family cases should be mandatory or voluntary and what qualifications mediators should have. A fourth concern was also raised about overlap between superior court domestic violence cases and family court custody/support matters, and whether one judge should hear both. Members discussed whether to divide into smaller subcommittees, but the prevailing view was to work as a committee of the whole at first. Most members agreed that additional public testimony was unlikely to add much, though recent concerns could still be emailed to the committee. The committee then heard from Attorney Erin Krian, general counsel for the judicial branch, and Judge Michael Mace. Krian said the judicial branch could provide additional witnesses on mediation and judicial training, including Judge Kissinger, and noted the branch was preparing materials on how other states handle the issues. Mace described the history of the Family Division and said he had reviewed older reports going back to the 1990s. He also outlined current judicial branch efforts, including expanded shadowing for new judges, monthly family-law trainings, and a year-long focus on family law topics. He reported that court rules had been updated to clarify notice requirements for minor guardianship changes, and that the branch had received positive feedback on the family access motion, which provides a statutory timeline and listed remedies for parenting-time disputes. Members also discussed prior committee work on rules of evidence and family court procedures. One member recalled recommending quiet review of any judges who appeared to apply evidence rules inconsistently, and Krian said the administrative judge can review complaints even if they come from a single person. The committee also received a status update on prior initiatives, including a federal grant for guardian ad litem services for indigent litigants in four locations, testing of redesigned court forms, and continued training improvements. The chair scheduled the next subcommittee meeting for April 1 and the full Children and Family Law Committee for April 8, with further documents from committee research and NCSL to be circulated.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our paraprofessionals in our public school system do incredible work to support our teachers in being
• able to meet the needs of our public school students.
• School teachers, public safety professionals, and essential town services should not be cut because of
• A couple of months ago, I met with a group of teachers from Rochester Middle School who informed me that
• four full-time teachers were at risk of being laid off due to a constrained school budget.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate met on the FY27 budget and began with several ceremonial introductions and brief amendment withdrawals. Senator Collins withdrew amendments related to restoring DCF social worker funding and educator pay. The chamber then ruled a package of tax-related amendments offered by Senator Tarr out of order on constitutional grounds, finding they would create money-bill provisions that must originate in the House; the Senate upheld that ruling by a vote of 35-4. Senator Tarr later offered amendments on a gas tax suspension and related tax relief themes, but those were not adopted. The Senate considered and rejected several other amendments, including proposals on commemorating Commonwealth history, naming a bridge, repeat offenders, and no-cost calls. One amendment by Senator Fattman to extend domestic violence leave protections to contract employees was adopted unanimously, with 39 votes in favor and none opposed. The chamber also adopted an amendment creating a special commission to study the adequacy, reliability, and distribution of unrestricted general government aid (UGA), after extended debate about inequities in municipal aid and local budget pressures. Members from across the chamber supported the commission, while some emphasized that adequacy of funding, not just redistribution, remains a concern. The Senate then took up Chapter 90, passing the municipal roads and bridges bill to be engrossed. It also adopted a community programming amendment and a Senate Ways and Means amendment, then adopted the Ways and Means budget amendment as amended and ordered the underlying FY27 appropriations bill to a third reading. After lengthy closing remarks from the Ways and Means chair, minority leader, and the Senate President praising the budget process and highlighting investments in local aid, education, public safety, and other priorities, the Senate voted 40-0 to pass the FY27 budget bill to be engrossed. The chamber then adopted an order to reconvene the following Tuesday at 11 a.m. and adjourned in memory of Trooper Kevin Thomas Traynor.

Transcript Highlights:

• draft recommendations, and next month a company will be sending researchers to the Dior drill core library
• ><00:13:22.000> core researchers to the Dior drill core researchers to the Dior drill core library
• 22.920> Hibbing<00:13:23.560> that<00:13:23.680> will<00:13:23.839> be library
• in Hibbing that will be library in Hibbing that will be ultimately<00:13:24.519> be<00:13:24.839
• I suggest that this was an unintended consequence when school supplies, as a broad category, was placed

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• What we saw in the past is that people went there right out of school and stayed there forever.
• So, tai chi class is going to farms, going to civic groups, going to libraries.
• , and so we end up with our public schools having more IEPs than anyway.
• in the school may be a part of both of those agencies.
• It may be overstepping because I don't know as many parents at my son's school as I wish I did.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And yes, Representative Swanson, when it's in a location, a library that has, you know, another room
• If someone has to deal with picking up children from school, they come back and watch in the afternoon
• They are not influencing school board, city council, bond elections, or other local races where they
• for schools that your child goes to and not somebody else's schools.
• I remember I went to school in Sherman, Texas, and I got involved in city council races and elections

Bills: HB1968, HB2279, HB2739, HB2803, HB3909, HB3918, HB4253, HB4475, HB5115, HB5430

Keywords: election services, contracting, political subdivisions, county elections, election code, voter registration, citizenship status, election law, cancellation, disqualification, Texas Election Code, voter identification, registration, election integrity, identification documents, election, watcher, polling place, removal, Texas Elections Code

Summary: The committee first voted out two previously heard Senate bills without amendment: SB 688, relating to the date of the meeting of presidential electors, and SB 914, relating to authorizing certain cities to change the date of their general election for officers. Both motions passed on 8-0 votes with one member absent. The committee then heard HB 3909, which would change the current prohibition on wireless device use from a 100-foot boundary around a voting station to only inside the room where voting is taking place, with a committee substitute also adding state-prescribed signage. The author and supporters said the change would reduce confusion and make enforcement easier for election workers, while opponents argued the existing 100-foot rule helps prevent electioneering, recording, and possible technical interference with election equipment. The bill was left pending. Members also heard HB 1968, which would repeal a provision that requires counties to provide election services to certain political subdivisions in odd-numbered years but not even-numbered years, making county-provided election services consistent across years. Supporters said it would improve consistency for smaller cities and school districts, while opponents warned it could strain county equipment and staffing during heavy election cycles. The bill was left pending. HB 2279 would require voter registrars to remove a person from the rolls if the person swears under oath during jury service that they are not a U.S. citizen; supporters said this would streamline removal of ineligible voters, while opponents raised concerns about mistaken identity and loss of due process. The bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard HB 2803, which would require a presiding judge to give a poll watcher a signed statement explaining any removal from service. Supporters said this would improve documentation and accountability, and one witness asked for clarification that improper removal would remain a criminal offense; the author said he would consider a floor amendment and further discussion. The committee also heard HB 4253, which would create a more uniform voter-roll maintenance process based on inactivity, sending confirmation notices to voters who have not voted in the prior 25 months and eventually removing those who do not respond after multiple election cycles. Supporters said it would clean up outdated records and help keep voters registered where they actually live, while opponents argued it could wrongly remove eligible voters who simply do not vote regularly. HB 4253 was left pending as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• ages in the school. ages in the school.
• School. School.
• school year. school year.
• to school. to school.
• Like school wasn't a place for school.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school.
• size schools.
• Um school level or a school ADM basis.
• and high school ADM at the school level. and high school ADM at the school level.
• and each<01:31:57.840> school<01:31:58.239> district each school district each school

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you go a mile north of here, you can go visit the LBJ Library, and...
• You can go visit the LBJ Library.
• Right, and if we don't have the money to put in our schools, think about it.
• Well, we got rid of vocational training in schools. It hurt what? Our construction...
• When we got rid of vocational training in schools, it hurt what?

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, offered an invocation and pledges, and received several announcements and recognitions before moving to legislation. Members honored the UTRGV chess team for winning a share of the 2025 President’s Cup, educator Jessica Lopez, the late Jennifer Maddenly, Jeanette Valdez Duran and Mobile Blessings from the Heart, TAMAC’s 50th anniversary, and journalist Bernardine Steptoe’s retirement. The chamber also adopted motions allowing committees to meet, setting a local and consent calendar, and suspending posting rules for a Public Health hearing on SB 2721. The House then considered a long series of Senate and House bills on third reading, with many passing by wide margins. Measures included SB 906 on Ysleta del Sur Pueblo peace officers; SB 1229 designating Veterans Memorial Highway; SB 855 on foster care medical costs; SB 703 on massage therapy licensing and trafficking protections; SB 1025 on tax-increase ballot language; SB 1119 on water park liability; SB 1080 on provisional occupational licenses for people with criminal convictions; SB 929 on lien deadlines; SB 1355 on liquor sales credit disputes; SB 2231 on fee waivers for college applications; SB 1877 on Public Utility Commission data access; SB 1998 on pediatric preceptorships; and several House bills on topics such as bond forfeiture notice, health workforce planning, civil commitment counsel, expunction of contempt records, consumer transactions, nuisance birds, theft venue, military grant applications, AI cancer-detection grants, cybersecurity contract language, military-related tuition, utility recovery mechanisms, psychedelic therapy studies, teacher retirement funding transparency, election procedures, juvenile parole eligibility, and more. Some bills drew notable debate or amendments. HB 200, creating a “second look” parole process for certain juvenile offenders after 20 years, prompted extended discussion about serious offenses and juvenile rehabilitation before passing 102-4. HB 2298 on AI-assisted cancer detection passed 85-62 after the sponsor emphasized “augmented intelligence” and physician oversight. HB 5247 on utility capital recovery saw a failed amendment to require ratepayer credits, then passed. HB 3045, a franchise tax exemption for spaceport operators, initially failed 73-74 but later passed after verification showed a 70-69 result. SB 2420, regulating app stores and mobile software distribution, was postponed for later consideration after substantial debate over age verification responsibilities. Several other measures were postponed, including SB 888, SB 552, SB 17, and SB 2420, while HB 1128 on election judges carrying concealed handguns passed 85-57 after a withdrawn point of order.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:53.199> the<00:12:53.360> third library the third library the third component<00
• Their high school is in pretty dire need, and their school board said, you know, if we’re making improvements
• Milford was actually the backup school should Jeffrey Ringe vote down, unfortunately.
• Milford was actually the backup school should Jeffrey Ringe vote down, unfortunately.
• Milford was actually the backup school should Jeffrey Ringe vote down, unfortunately.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing and work session on House Bill 25A, the capital improvements appropriations bill, which Representative David Mills said was based on Governor Ayotte’s budget and included appropriations for capital improvements and extensions of prior appropriation lapses. The hearing drew testimony on several requested additions to the bill, with the chair noting the unusually large turnout and moving quickly through speakers. No questions were taken on the initial bill presentation, and the public hearing on HB 25A was later closed. The Community College System of New Hampshire asked for an additional $2.6 million, including $800,000 for IT infrastructure, $1.3 million for critical maintenance, and $500,000 for energy management systems. The witness said the money would address cybersecurity and online learning needs, replace failing boilers and a roof at several campuses, and prevent costly damage such as frozen pipes. The New Hampshire Veterans Home requested $1.5 million for ADA compliance and safety improvements, including floor replacement and wider doors, citing an upcoming VA inspection and the importance of preserving federal funding. Testimony also focused on career and technical education and airport funding. Milford CTE sought to keep $9.9 million in the budget for renovations after a local vote fell short, explaining the project had been scaled down from an earlier $60 million concept and that the school board wanted another chance to seek voter approval. On aviation, Concord, the New Hampshire Municipal Association, and Department of Transportation representatives urged restoring state matching funds for FAA airport grants, saying roughly $3.6 million in state money would leverage about $62 million to $65 million in federal funds for safety and infrastructure projects at public airports. Committee members asked about project selection, matching requirements, and the airport priority process, and witnesses said the program is driven by FAA-approved capital improvement plans and safety needs rather than business-return rankings.

Transcript Highlights:

• so a lot of schools instead instead of what we were doing before. on schools so a lot of schools instead
• enrolling in a school and not knowing that that school may be in trouble.
• The Bureau—I'm sorry, schools, let me back up. Schools, let me back up.
• Regarding schools, they were very capricious in how they certified schools.
• Capricious in how they certified schools, or approved schools, I should say.

Summary: The joint sunset oversight hearing reviewed five regulatory entities: the Board of Behavioral Sciences, the Board of Psychology, the Physician Assistant Board, the Podiatric Medical Board, and the California Massage Therapy Council. Across the hearing, each entity described recent accomplishments, licensing and enforcement workload, workforce shortages, and efforts to modernize processes. Common themes included streamlining licensure, expanding access to care, addressing telehealth or emerging technology, and balancing consumer protection with workforce needs. For the Board of Behavioral Sciences, members discussed workforce shortages in mental health, supervision barriers, telehealth confidentiality, AI in therapy, interstate compacts, school-based services, and military spouse licensure. The board said it has expanded outreach, improved licensing processes, and created temporary practice authority tracking, while also expressing concern about counseling compacts and emphasizing California-specific law, ethics, and cultural competency. Public commenters supported the board’s work and the possible move to a national MFT exam, while also urging more resources. The Board of Psychology highlighted fee adjustments, streamlined licensure pathways, enforcement process improvements, new CPD requirements, and proposed changes including a psychotherapist-client privilege exception for investigations. Committee members and public witnesses focused heavily on that privilege proposal, with some members opposing it as too broad and privacy-invasive, while the board argued it is needed to obtain records in bias and sexual misconduct cases. The board also discussed workforce shortages, processing improvements, and the use of inactive status for psychological associates. The Physician Assistant Board reported growth in the PA workforce and education programs, SB 697 implementation, and financial pressure from rising enforcement costs. The main policy debate centered on physician-to-PA ratios and practice agreements, with board representatives and many public commenters arguing that current restrictions limit access to care, especially in rural areas, while the California Medical Association defended the need for explicit ratios and agreements. The board also discussed AI, fee increases, and tracking temporary practice authority. The Podiatric Medical Board described licensing and renewal reforms, residency expansion, enforcement support, and budget constraints, while public testimony raised concerns about a proposed fee increase and about reimbursement parity and practice recognition for podiatrists. Finally, the California Massage Therapy Council defended the certification model over licensure, citing lower costs, local government collaboration, anti-trafficking work, and its role in vetting applications and disciplining bad actors; no formal votes or final actions were taken during this portion of the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• , particularly our ISD schools. schools.
• at the school level.
• And so school. And a huge shift in cost. And school districts have cost.
• So charter schools are public schools, but you have sort of ISDs.
• Floyd in a private school. The private school is a mandatory reporter to us.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And, of course, what's in the school library, which we have Senator Paxton addressing through her bill
• to public schools.
• Senate Bill 747 applies to all Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.
• Senate Bill 747 applies to all Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.
• For some context, in Frisco ISD, we have 77 schools. Twelve of those are high schools.

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:

• High Ka, Kapa High School, uh Cao High School,<00:29:30.559> Kauna School, Kauna School, Kauna
• Kao High School. Kihei Charter School. Kohala Middle School. Koa Elementary School.
• La Lehua High School, Le Lihikai Elementary School, Mililani High School, Wanalua Middle School.
• Nanakuli High School, Bajala Elementary School, Hukulani Elementary School, Huhala Elementary School,
• library, creating the school garden, establishing an electives department, and designing a new school

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• different learning environments: public traditional public schools, charter public schools, home schools
• And, you know, I went from public school. I went to public schools. public school.
• To multiple school districts or charter schools that are eligible for a school transformation grant.
• Teacher, a school bus driver, a school food services cook, a school nurse, or a paraprofessional as defined
• That was the teachers, school bus drivers, school food services cooks, school nurses, superintendents

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:37:02.960> and<00:37:03.200> Health<00:37:03.480> Care workplaces schools
• and Health Care workplaces schools and Health Care Facilities<00:37:05.040> Nema<00:37:05.560
• Joe hadn't even graduated from high school yet, um, and uh he trusted the company.
• Joe hadn't even graduated from high school yet, um, and uh he trusted the company.
• yet um and uh he trusted the high school yet um and uh he trusted the company<01:42:34.159> we

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I you know I understand the The difficulty if we start cutting schools if we start cutting counties,
• So if costs for fire protection Roads and schools increased by more than 1%.
• And when assessed values lag behind reality, revenue for schools, counties, fire departments, libraries
• , public school, two-year school.
• You gotta go to school somewhere in Oklahoma.

Bills: HJR1024, SB1316, SB1491, SB1552, SB1679, SB1877, SB2040, SB2133, SB2153, SB2174, SB2180, SB227, SJR39, SJR47, SJR48

Keywords: Judicial Nominating Commission, congressional districts, terms of office, Oklahoma Constitution, legal qualifications, political party restrictions, family ties, administrative rules, sunset provision, state agencies, regulatory review, legislative oversight, presidential electors, vacancies, oath of office, political party, elections, county home rule charter, home rule, county government

Transcript Highlights:

• We've done it in other schools. We've done it in other schools, school districts around Texas.
• Yes, that's true in public schools.
• Two of my schools in our school district in Bernie ISD.
• I think that schools like to maintain their end... going through an empty school, very different than
• The driving that number is the data on how many times have multiple schools not had a school shooter,

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met with a quorum and announced a full agenda, including combined public testimony for two bills related to student personal communication devices. The committee first took up Senate Bill 1262 by Senator Nichols, a school safety cleanup bill following House Bill 3. The bill would allow TEA to commission peace officers for school safety purposes, require annual renewal of good-cause exceptions to armed guard requirements, create a new report based on intruder detection audits and vulnerability assessments, and require behavioral threat assessment teams to include someone with specific knowledge of a special education student’s disability. Committee members asked about the difference between TCOLE licensing and TEA commissioning, the scope of the officers’ authority, and how the good-cause exception would work. The committee substitute was adopted, and public testimony included support from school safety and drone-response advocates, Disability Rights Texas in favor of the special education provisions, and a student witness raising concerns about the mental health impact of repeated lockdowns and the need for immediate, reliable school safety responses. The bill was left pending after testimony, then the committee briefly recessed and later reopened testimony to hear the student witness. The committee then laid out Senate Bill 2252 by Senator Creighton, a major early literacy and numeracy bill for kindergarten through third grade. Creighton said the bill builds on prior literacy efforts by funding teacher stipends for literacy and math academies, providing free and clearly administered screeners and assessments, expanding screening options, clarifying how results are used, supporting high-quality pre-K, and increasing the early education allotment. He emphasized low reading performance and the need for early intervention. Members discussed how the bill differs from earlier academy models and whether the assessments are diagnostic or high-stakes; Creighton and witnesses said the tools are intended to identify students needing support, not to serve as punitive testing. The committee adopted the substitute. Witnesses for SB 2252 largely supported the bill. A Uplift Education representative described strong gains from small-group literacy tutoring and said students receiving targeted support can make more than a year of growth in a year. An education specialist explained that the bill aligns general education screening with existing dyslexia and special education practices and helps districts identify students who need intervention before a disability evaluation is required. A Commit Partnership witness cited statewide reading data, the importance of high-quality pre-K, and the need for transparent, consistent progress monitoring and parent engagement. Members asked about the meaning of the growth data, how dyslexia screening works, and how the bill would help identify struggling students earlier. Before finishing all questions, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair after the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• . school.
• is a desire to open a law school. school and whether funding is available to do so.
• I work in the border area, so schools along the RGV. educate elementary, middle schools, high schools
• I have a school.
• them while they're in school.

Bills: HB232

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management

Transcript Highlights:

• A UTEP law school is viable and needed.
• The school must meet the same high standards as other Texas law schools, and we explicitly allow partnerships
• Or both could sustain a law school. OK, sir.
• So it could either be UTRGB or any law school and come down and establish a school down there in the
• Educate elementary, middle schools, high schools.

Bills: HB232

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management