Transcript Highlights:

• If confirmed, will you work to ensure that seniors can continue to enroll?
• with Medicare enrollment.
• The answer to me is I am in favor of work requirements and I don't believe we should allow.
• Georgia's onerous work requirements.
• It's different if you're born... born with a defect that requires an operation.

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Keywords: Michael Falkender, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, IRS, taxpayer privacy, nomination process, committee hearing

Summary: The committee convened to discuss critical issues surrounding the nomination of Michael Falkender for the position of Deputy Secretary of the Treasury. This meeting included a series of remarks from committee members who expressed divergent views on Falkender's qualifications and the implications of his appointment. Senator Wyden voiced strong opposition, arguing that Falkender represents harmful policies expected to be perpetuated under the current administration, especially concerning taxpayer privacy and IRS tactics. Meanwhile, other members defended Falkender, noting his extensive experience, including a commitment to transparency in government operations if confirmed.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Louisiana, charter schools authorized by the state are required to be their own LEA.
• It does not require a district to do this. That is correct. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• Actually required the training online.
• What we have now is kids who are eligible, the parents have to enroll their kids.
• them actually complete the enrollment.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The House Education Committee met on March 24, 2026, with a quorum present and announced that HB 690 would not be heard. The committee first advanced HB 350, which would extend the grades served by Ecole Ponashan in Terrebonne Parish from pre-K through 4th grade to 8th grade; members spoke in support of the school’s role in French immersion, Cajun heritage, and local educational access, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. HB 434, which shifts certain probationary employment authority over school bus operators from school boards to superintendents, also received favorable passage without objection, with support from the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents. The committee then considered HB 445 on the Louisiana STEM Advisory Council. The bill would move the STEM Commission from the Board of Regents to Louisiana Works, reduce and reorganize membership, and cut the number of meetings from four to two while keeping funding in place. Supporters said the change would better align the council with workforce needs and economic development, while members asked about the loss of some education representatives and the continued role of employers and K-12 stakeholders. After discussion, the bill was reported favorably. HB 386, which would allow local school districts to let locally authorized charter schools operate as their own local education agency under district rules, was also reported favorably after extensive discussion of charter types, LEA status, federal funding, special education liability, and the difference between local and state authorization. HB 363, which would let students enrolled in virtual schools participate in extracurricular activities and athletics at their zoned public school, drew strong support from members and testimony from students and families. Witnesses described the bill as a fairness measure that would give online students the same opportunity to try out for sports and activities as home study students, subject to the same eligibility rules, and the bill was reported favorably. HB 256, clarifying that school employees are mandatory reporters and subject to existing DCFS training requirements, was also reported favorably, with members emphasizing child protection and the need to simplify reporting obligations. Finally, HB 272, which expands eligibility for the READ literacy program to students in D- and F-rated schools, was supported by the sponsor, Scholastic, and literacy advocates who cited Florida data showing improved reading outcomes and stronger family engagement; members raised questions about the fiscal note, parent literacy, and program overlap, but the bill was reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I understand that there's some compromise here in terms of moving towards a pay on enrollment.
• Some compromise here in terms of moving towards a pay-on-enrollment.
• As somebody that has family involved in this business, it does get us closer to enrollment.
• It's not enrollment, but it does get us closer to enrollment to allow some certainty.
• That's because of federal requirement out there. Split it? We'll change it to $1 million.

Committee: House Conference Committee on Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• We provided an opportunity, especially if we look at enrollment versus water or actual butts in a seat
• I understand that there's Enrollment and move to prospective payment, paying at the beginning of the
• I understand that there's some compromise here in terms of moving towards a pay on enrollment.
• It does get us closer to enrollment.
• It's not enrollment, but it does get us closer to enrollment to allow some certainty.

Committee: House Conference Committee on Budget

Summary: The conference committee spent most of the meeting working through House Bill 2, the education budget, with repeated debate over how to close the remaining gap in the foundation formula. Members discussed fund swaps involving the blind pension fund, capital commission fund, lottery proceeds, state school money, and classroom trust funds, with several senators arguing the committee should fully fund the formula if possible and warning against leaving schools with a shortfall. The committee also reviewed child care subsidies, Parents as Teachers language, school safety and assessment-related items, Title I reallocation language, and a compromise on flexibility percentages for certain education lines. Several members raised concerns about language restricting virtual Parents as Teachers visits and about child care subsidy language tied to enrollment-based payment and prospective payment, while others defended the compromise as a way to balance provider concerns and budget limits. House Bill 3, covering higher education, was also reviewed. The committee largely accepted Senate positions on appropriations, with a compromise on the St. Louis Community College nursing program and a new proposal directing the Department of Higher Education to develop a new funding model by December 1, 2026. That language drew concern from some members, who said the timeline was too aggressive and asked for more flexibility, but supporters said prior work on performance funding justified the deadline. The committee then moved through House Bill 2004, transportation, agreeing to a mix of Senate positions and compromises on items such as safety operations, low-volume roads, port funding, and road improvements, including a larger-than-expected appropriation for Clarendon Road tied to a State Fair relocation plan. House Bill 5, general administration and IT, generated the most controversy over new language directing a plan for state IT modernization and cloud migration; several members objected that it was too prescriptive, resembled a resolution, and could favor a specific vendor, but the chair said the goal was accountability and oversight. The committee left some House Bill 5 items open for further negotiation, then later returned to finalize several dollar amounts and a shorter conference proposal on the IT language. The committee also worked through House Bills 7, 8, and 9, mostly adopting Senate positions with a few compromises. House Bill 7 covered economic development and tourism items, including Main Street, Missouri One Start, broadband, Juneteenth, and the Great American State Fair, with some items set aside for later or moved to other bills. House Bill 8 focused on public safety and veterans’ funding, including school safety apps, fentanyl testing, crime lab workload, DNA testing, veterans’ programs, and Highway Patrol fleet and fuel items; members debated whether to keep fleet and fuel funding separated or rolled together, and several items were set at compromise levels. House Bill 9, covering mental health and corrections, was handled more briefly, with most items following Senate positions and a few compromises, including probation and parole funding and a reduction on one appropriation. The committee then recessed and later resumed with House Bill 2010, beginning work on another budget bill with a mix of Senate, House, and compromise positions on early line items, but the transcript cuts off before that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will be going through items that require votes.
• Peace requires more than just support of an idea. It requires action.
• to provide parity with in-home support services overtime pay requirements.
• The in-vehicle shutoff requirements are set to take effect on July 1st.
• It implements federally required provisions of House Resolution HR 1, such as work requirements and more

Summary: The Senate session opened with a roll call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long series of floor recognitions and votes. Members spent substantial time honoring the Los Angeles Dodgers, celebrating their back-to-back World Series championship and highlighting the team’s history, community role, and connections to Jackie Robinson, Fernando Valenzuela, Vin Scully, and Jaime Jarrín. Senators also recognized summer interns and welcomed members of Kappa Alpha Psi’s Kappa League and Guide Right program to the floor. The chamber then took up several measures, beginning with AB 182 on ballot order and proposition numbering for the 2026 statewide ballot, which passed 38-8 after debate over whether placing legislatively referred measures first was fair. SR 113, commemorating the International Day of Peace and honoring Dr. Yongshik Cho’s role in proposing it, passed unanimously after supportive remarks about peace, education, and California’s diversity. The Senate also adopted SJR 16 urging Congress to restore commercial driver’s licenses for affected California truck drivers, and SCR 185 designating Probation Services Week. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to budget trailer bills. The Senate concurred in Assembly amendments to AB 112, AB 150, AB 152, AB 181, and AB 179, covering Medi-Cal, child care, human services, education governance, and housing. It also passed or concurred in SB 168, SB 169, SB 170, SB 171, SB 172, SB 174, SB 177, and SB 180, addressing public resources and energy, transportation, executive branch reorganization, labor, state government, courts, Medi-Cal financing, and taxation. Several of these drew opposition centered on energy costs, transparency, business impacts, or the proposed “fair share” approach to Medi-Cal costs for large corporations, but most measures passed on party-line or near-party-line votes. The Senate also confirmed three California Horse Racing Board appointments and ended with adjournment motions, including a request to adjourn in memory of Francis Lydia Limos of American Canyon.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the cost that Exponential growth in enrollment and the cost somehow got conflated with that and
• And we started— We started in 2024 by codifying new consultation requirements for four different state
• But the bill had eight different mechanisms to improve the quality of or require additional consultations
• It requires notice to the tribes.
• It requires notice to the tribes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Municipal law enforcement officers hired on or after January 1st, 2027 would be enrolled in Group G by
• or three law enforcement officer certification from the Vermont Criminal Justice Council and are required
• </c> would be enrolled in group G by default. would be enrolled in group G by default.
• <00:09:08.560><c> Council</c><00:09:09.440><c> and</c><00:09:09.680><c> are</c><00:09:10.000><c> required
• </c><00:09:10.320><c> to</c> Justice Council and are required to Justice Council and are required to

Transcript Highlights:

• continue on until the child reaches the age of 18, but can continue on further than that if they enroll
• in college until they are 21 years of age, as long as they're enrolled in at least 12 hours.
• if they decide to go to work and they're working a certain amount of hours a week, then they can enroll
• And it would require a DWI conviction for this to occur. That's right.
• And I agree with the bill sponsor's point of view that this is not a requirement that we should have

Committees: House Judiciary , House Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill requires compliance by any virtual currency kiosk with money transmission statutory requirements
• It also requires written paper receipts of transactions and includes receipt content requirements.
• , and other requirements.
• , and other requirements.
• This rule loosens that requirement to only require such certificate if the horse or stable pony has had

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum present, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then considered a series of House bills and committee substitutes. House Bill 5438, dealing with changes to Step 7 of the school aid formula and allowable uses of certain education allocations, was amended to adopt the Education Committee’s changes and then reported to the full Senate. House Bill 4087 creating the West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance was also reported, as was House Bill 4191, which expands child care tax credit eligibility for employer-sponsored facilities and changes subsidy payments from attendance-based to enrollment-based reimbursement; senators emphasized its workforce and economic development benefits. House Bill 5074, which reallocates medical cannabis fund balances and future revenues, was amended to increase the Child Protective Commission pilot funding from $3 million to $5 million and remove proposed ibogaine research funding for Marshall and WVU before being reported. House Bill 5353, regulating virtual currency kiosks and money transmission licensure, and House Bill 5527, creating licensure and oversight for wellness reimbursement program administrators, both received strike-and-insert amendments and were reported. House Bill 5687, which phases down the metallurgical coal severance tax and adds a temporary oil and gas tax reduction with county/municipal revenue adjustments, was amended and reported. House Bill 4418, creating an electronic system for municipal business and occupation tax filing and collection with a 1% administrative fee and a participation threshold, was also reported. The committee then took up House Bill 4245, the Revenue Rules Bundle, which bundles 26 legislative rules from the Department of Revenue and related agencies. The bundle included alcohol, banking, insurance, racing, and tax rules, with several sunset extensions and repeals of outdated rules; the committee adopted a strike-and-insert amendment affecting a lottery consumer protection rule and a pre-need cemetery company rule, then reported the bill. House Bill 5168, providing a $12 million lottery-funded stream for emergency medical services, was amended to clarify the uses of the funds, rename one fund, require a 30% county match for mental health treatment spending, and create two additional county-based EMS funds; senators described it as a needed permanent funding source for EMS, and it was reported. Throughout the meeting, members generally supported the measures, with some discussion on technical details, funding allocations, and the impact of the bills on local services and workforce needs. At the end of the meeting, the chair announced that Senate House Bills 4004, 4006, and 4009 would not be taken up that day, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• She was not required to be present today unless requested by a senator, and no requests were received
• as well as the department's ability to maintain compliance with federal partners and statutory requirements
• include the Hunger Task Force, and it would designate a staff member to assist students in the enrollment
• include the Hunger Task Force, for it to designate a staff member for assisting students in the enrollment
• of the force for it to designate a staff member for assisting students in the enrollment of SNAP benefits

Summary: The committee first considered and unanimously recommended confirmation of Melanie Ressler to the Florida Citrus Commission. It then took up SPB 7020, a Department of Agriculture bill to reenact an expiring public records exemption for certain aquaculture production records held by the department. The department supported the measure, and the committee adopted a motion to submit it as a committee bill and reported it favorably. Next, the committee heard SB 534, which would create a Hunger-Free Campus Pilot Program in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Senator Bernard explained that the program would target campuses with high percentages of Pell-eligible students, require a survey and SNAP-related assistance, provide at least one food pantry on participating campuses, and direct a report to the Governor and House Speaker by December 1, 2028. A supporter waived in, there was no debate, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then received a lengthy presentation from Carla Bristol and youth ambassadors from the St. Pete Youth Farm. They described the farm as a youth-led response to local food access problems after grocery store closures, and outlined programs in leadership, financial literacy, career readiness, mental wellness, composting, aquaponics, community education, and food production. Members praised the program and asked about expansion, including a culinary kitchen or food truck, partnerships with schools and colleges, and how the initiative began. Bristol said the farm is funded mainly through local redevelopment dollars and that future plans include a food truck, more youth opportunities, and a possible culinary kitchen. The committee concluded with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• With respect to enrollment, undergraduate enrollment at Minnesota public two-year and public four-year
• <00:58:03.680><c> um</c><00:58:03.839><c> undergraduate</c><00:58:04.440><c> enrollment</c> enrollment
• um undergraduate enrollment enrollment um undergraduate enrollment at<00:58:04.839><c> Minnesota</c>
• </c><00:58:30.160><c> numbers</c> that some of their enrollment numbers that some of their enrollment
• </c><01:08:28.799><c> and</c> helping promote college enrollment and helping promote college enrollment

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill does not mandate new curriculum or required classroom instruction.
• This bill does not mandate new curriculum or required classroom instruction.
• The release time course provider meets outlined requirements, including a requirement to provide religious
• I'm not seeing anything in this bill that requires, that's specific to a certain religion or requiring
• There's a repayment requirement, so accountability is built in.

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several education-related bills. SB 1572, the Return to Civics Instruction Act, would require Freedom Week, civics instruction on the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and a Declaration recitation for grades 3-12; it passed 3-2 after some members argued schools already provide civics instruction and that the legislature should not mandate curriculum. SB 1798, as amended, would require each high school to designate a FAFSA point person, post contact information, and implement a FAFSA awareness strategy; the Arizona Board of Regents supported it, while some members raised concerns about mandates on charter schools and staffing burdens. The committee also passed SB 1711, which directs the State Board of Education to develop and post age-appropriate resources on preventing and recognizing inappropriate contact, with testimony split between support for parent-accessible safety materials and concerns about sex-education compliance issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• These agencies have their own requirements for disclosure, monitoring, and risk-based review.
• 399. ...in the systems that we have in place that we would meet the requirements of SB 399.
• It went up, enrollment went up every year until the pandemic.
• It went up, enrollment went up every year until the pandemic.
• And that resulted in some enrollment drops.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 399 by Senator Bass, which would create the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council to review and potentially block certain gifts, contracts, academic partnerships, and research partnerships involving foreign adversary sources. Bass said the bill is intended to protect university research, intellectual property, and students from foreign influence, and would also require public disclosure of certain foreign-linked arrangements and a plan to eliminate foreign-adversary-linked software. Supporters from State Armor argued Louisiana universities have been vulnerable to Chinese Communist Party influence and intellectual property theft. Representatives from Tulane University and Lenovo raised concerns that the bill could create duplicative review, delay research, raise costs, and sweep in legitimate private or multinational entities; a proposed amendment to exempt entities operating under a CFIUS national security agreement failed 4-8. After debate, the committee moved SB 399 favorably. The committee then considered Senate Bill 310 by Senator Cloud, presented by Representative Carlson, which would require public school and college health centers to display information about pregnancy resources available in Louisiana. Supporters from Louisiana Right to Life said the bill would help connect pregnant students with existing state and private assistance programs, while the ACLU submitted a red card in opposition without speaking. The bill was moved favorably without objection. The committee also advanced House Resolution 171 by Representative Turner, which calls for a study of the workforce-oriented TOPS Tech and M.J. Foster programs, with business and workforce groups supporting the study as a way to measure outcomes and return on investment; it was moved favorably. Next, the committee took up House Bill 1084 by Representative Turner, a tuition autonomy bill for public post-secondary institutions. An amendment was adopted to add a conceptual framework for tuition-setting considerations, but the bill would still remove the existing 10% over two years cap and allow institutions to set tuition more freely. Turner argued universities need more flexibility because state funding has declined and campuses face deferred maintenance and operating pressures. Several members, especially Representative Carlson, warned that higher tuition could reduce access and that the bill did not address broader structural problems in higher education. Despite those concerns, HB 1084 was moved favorably by an 8-3 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 351 by Senator Jackson Andrews, which would let families apply for child care assistance through CCAP once pregnancy is known, rather than waiting until after birth, to help move them up the waiting list. An amendment was adopted to have BESE, rather than the department, handle rulemaking and to allow the House and Senate education committees to approve the implementation process. The bill was then discussed as a way to help parents return to work sooner, and the hearing continued with questions from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• I personally and my team at DSS meet with the doulas quarterly to walk through any enrollment challenges
• meeting with them to try to walk some of those things through, especially around the independent enrollment
• Have agreed to, and we have done recently, is that they now agree to post all enrolled doulas on the
• Doulas are enrolling, they're getting paid.
• And all of those programs have some different requirements in terms of the number of treatment hours

Summary: The meeting focused on maternal health and behavioral health services for pregnant and postpartum people in Connecticut. Dr. Fatmata Williams of DSS gave an update on the Husky maternity payment bundle, explaining that it was created in response to worsening maternal and neonatal outcomes and racial disparities. She said the bundle, launched in 2025, shifts payment away from fee-for-service toward prospective case rates, quality measures, and shared savings, while covering services such as doulas and maintaining access to behavioral health and other non-pregnancy-related care outside the bundle. She noted 26 maternity practices are participating, quarterly quality reports have been distributed, reconciliation is planned for 2026, and DSS is considering refinements such as adding newborns, revisiting shared losses, and possibly expanding to FQHCs after further stakeholder review. Shelly Nolan of DMHAS then described the state’s women’s services and recovery continuum, including pregnant and parenting treatment programs, women’s recovery support programs, community transition support with rent subsidies, the Proud program, REACH navigation, recovery houses, and outpatient services. She emphasized that many programs are under capacity and that DMHAS uses a no-wrong-door approach, real-time bed availability, technical assistance, and training to improve access. She also reviewed initiatives tied to substance-exposed pregnancies and safe sleep, secure storage, naloxone distribution, reproductive health integration, breastfeeding support, and upcoming conferences and trainings. She said the department works closely with DCF and community partners to reduce stigma and improve family-centered care. Beth Garrigan presented on the Access Mental Health and Substance Use for Moms program, a statewide consultation service for providers serving pregnant and postpartum individuals up to 12 months after delivery. She said the program offers real-time psychiatric consultation, referral support, and one-time face-to-face assessments, and has provided more than 4,300 consultations and resource/referral support to over 700 individuals since 2022. Members and legislators praised the service and discussed how it helps providers connect patients to care, follow up on referrals, and address barriers such as fit, stigma, and workflow. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with plans for the next meeting on June 8 and a request for Dr. Williams’ slides to be posted online.

Transcript Highlights:

• generator backup for the Special Commitment Center and ADA improvements at state parks that were required
• I am a disabled Gulf War combat veteran, an enrolled member of the Simtian Nation.
• They have strong enrollments there. It's been in design for a couple of years now.
• They have strong enrollments there. It's been in design for a couple of years now.
• Cascadia has seen double-digit enrollment increases for the last three consecutive years, and we are

Bills: HB2295

Committee: House Capital Budget

Keywords: Washington capital budget, supplemental capital budget, capital appropriations, state building construction account, taxable building construction account, climate commitment account, natural climate solutions, housing trust fund, affordable housing, supportive housing, homelessness, manufactured home communities, mobile home parks, school construction, school modernization, school seismic safety, healthy schools, school electrification, SCAP, behavioral health facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• generator backup for the Special Commitment Center and ADA improvements at state parks that were required
• I am a disabled Gulf War combat veteran, an enrolled member of the Simtian Nation.
• They have strong enrollments there. It's been in design for a couple of years now.
• They have strong enrollments there. It's been in design for a couple of years now.
• Cascadia has seen double-digit enrollment increases for the last three consecutive years, and we are

Summary: The House Capital Budget Committee opened its first hearing of the session on HB 2295 and briefly heard a presentation from OFM Senior Budget Advisor Jen Masterson on Governor Ferguson’s proposed supplemental capital budget. She said the proposal uses about $396 million in new appropriations, leaving roughly $5.4 million in remaining bond authority, and includes major investments in housing, urgent state facility needs, climate-related projects, K-12 school safety and modernization, and higher education minor works. The housing package was the largest share, with $225 million for the Housing Trust Fund, plus funding for homeownership, preservation, manufactured housing communities, and flood-impacted home repair. Committee members asked follow-up questions about Rainier School and juvenile rehabilitation projects, and staff said Rainier School was on the plan and that juvenile rehabilitation funding included flexible capacity funding and facility improvements. Public testimony was largely supportive of the governor’s housing, education, climate, and natural resources proposals, while several speakers urged changes. Housing advocates, Habitat for Humanity, community land trusts, and service providers backed the Housing Trust Fund and homeownership funding, including support for manufactured housing preservation and transit-oriented affordable housing. School and college representatives supported small district modernization, seismic safety, lead remediation, and minor works funding, while some asked for additional support for specific projects such as Cascadia College’s new building, Central Washington University’s feeder line replacement, and WSU Spokane health education renovations. Natural resource and tribal witnesses supported salmon recovery and community forest investments, but asked for more funding for RCO community forest and estuary programs. A major recurring concern was the proposed $75 million transfer from the Public Works Assistance Account, which cities, counties, sewer and water districts, and the Public Works Board said would jeopardize low-interest loans already awarded for local infrastructure projects and shift costs onto distressed communities. Other testimony opposed the budget’s omission of certain projects, including the University of Washington’s power plant decarbonization work and a Spokane cultural hub, while some local governments requested funding for wastewater and flood-control projects. No votes were taken; the chair closed the public hearing after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• increased by nearly 25% compared to fall of 2024, and total graduate enrollment rose by more than 8%
• In recent years, the university shifted from measuring enrollment success by total headcount to focusing
• </c><00:04:33.199><c> and</c><00:04:33.440><c> so</c> expenditure requirement and so expenditure requirement
• Every experience includes embedded career facts, employer insights, and skill requirements.
• Each experience can skill requirements.

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met without a quorum, so no minutes were approved. The committee then heard a presentation from Western Kentucky University President Timothy Kabone, who highlighted WKU’s recent gains in graduation rate, retention, degree production, graduate enrollment, research activity, and financial stability. He said WKU’s FY 2026 budget is structurally balanced without one-time reserves, and he tied the university’s growth to its strategic plan and to Senate Bill 77, which created a pathway for WKU’s first PhD program. WKU’s initial PhD offering is planned in data sciences for fall 2027, and Kabone said the university continues to pursue R2 research status. Kabone also outlined WKU’s budget requests, including a 4.5% base appropriation increase for each year of the biennium, a $30 million increase in the performance funding pool, a $30 million trust fund for tuition waiver reimbursement, and $2 million per year for the Gatton Academy. He also requested continued funding for the Kentucky Mesonet, 8.9% of proposed asset preservation funding, and support for a $280 million new Potter College facility. He emphasized inflationary pressures, rising fixed costs, and the burden of mandated tuition waivers, and said the university supports performance funding but wants the model adjusted to better reward student success rather than enrollment growth. Members asked about WKU’s student housing situation and the transition away from the former student life foundation model. Kabone said the foundation structure had run its course, that the university had lacked adequate oversight under the old arrangement, and that WKU is moving to a public-private partnership with Gilbane and the College Housing Foundation. He said the new model would not increase the university’s debt load and would replace older residence halls with a roughly 1,000-bed complex, eliminate community-style bathrooms over time, and expand living-learning communities. Representatives McCool and Tipton praised WKU’s graduation and retention results and asked questions about the housing project and its timeline. The committee then heard from CareerVXR and KCTCS about a proposed career exploration pilot. Company representatives said the platform uses web-based and virtual reality experiences to show students real jobs and workplaces, with the goal of addressing an “awareness gap” in workforce participation. They proposed a $1.8 million, two-year pilot to reach 50,000 to 60,000 students in three regions, including Hazard Community and Technical College, Southeast Community and Technical College, and western Kentucky. Members asked about cost, funding source, and locations, and were told the request would come through the KCTCS budget. The meeting ended with notice that the next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, February 26.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we amended it to is instead of saying eligible for, it's enrolled in, so if they're enrolled in
• What we amended it to is instead of saying eligible for, it's enrolled in, so if they're enrolled in
• But is there not an automatic backstop that doesn't require legislative action?
• I mean, if you're—and this requires you to work, requires you to go to school.
• There aren't requirements in terms of wage or anything like that.

Bills: SB241 , SB145 , SB241 , SB145 , HB2

Committees: Senate Senate Finance , Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Transcript Highlights:

• These grants required one-third matching funds and had eligibility requirements. and concluded in 2024
• These grants required one-third matching funds and had eligibility requirements.
• And so the grants required one-third matching funds and had eligibility requirements, I'm sorry to interrupt
• And so the grants required one-third matching funds and had eligibility requirements aligned with student
• The A to G requirements, while important, are not a But the A to G requirements, while important, are

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee of Amendment requires outlines group testing, sorry, home drug testing rules and requirements
• Holly, I'm going to ask you, because you said it requires schools.
• Madam Chair, to be more clear, it requires each school district and charter school to automatically enroll
• Madam Chair, members, House Bill 2912 requires the Corporation Commission to require an electric public
• In committee, there was a verbal amendment to make that requirement permissive rather than required in

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of bills and resolutions, with staff giving brief descriptions and members flagging which items were on consent, had unanimous committee votes, or should be pulled for further discussion. Topics included education, health care, public safety, labor, water, taxation, housing, and elections. Several measures were noted as party-line or mixed votes, while many others were reported as unanimous and placed on third-read or consent calendars. Among the more discussed items were bills on school and labor policy, including a proposal to prohibit teacher strikes, a measure restricting school district bond actions, a bill requiring school safety protocols and assigning felony penalties for noncompliance, and a resolution limiting public money for labor organization activities. Members also raised concerns or requested further review on bills involving pharmacist testing authority, expired opioid antagonists, a county sheriff-related measure, a housing affordability district proposal, and a tobacco/vape regulation bill. Some measures were explicitly pulled from consent, including a Medicaid audit resolution, a budget-related pay-withholding resolution, and several education and public safety bills. The caucus also heard multiple health and human services measures, such as genetic counselor licensing, nursing board and pharmacy board continuations, foster care rights, psychiatry access funding, and free school meals. In addition, there were water and energy bills on Colorado River management, groundwater, transmission-line review, and renewable energy valuation, plus election and campaign-related proposals. The meeting ended with announcements, including an upcoming Colorado River breakfast briefing and an internal award recognizing Representative Brian Garcia, followed by adjournment.