Transcript Highlights:

• > Provider</c> Parent and Education Service Provider Parent and Education Service Provider Advisory<01
• Parents don't lose their rights when they say, "Okay, please educate my child."
• Parents don't lose their rights when they say, "Okay, please educate my child."
• Parents don't lose their rights when they say, "Okay, please educate my child."
• The child, the parent, the education.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is focused on parents.
• Chair and members, Senator, Senate Bill 1756 makes great strides to ensure Florida parents can make educated
• right to an education, and the right of Florida's parents to make decisions they believe are best for
• When you talk about the requirement to educate parents on the vaccines and the timing of vaccines, if
• Is the doctor provided with information or have any requirement to educate the parents on why vaccines

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a parent.
• Equity in education. Equity in education for all. Alina McLean.
• and special education.
• We still remember the fear in the education community when an undocumented parent was arrested right
• that parents continue to have access to high quality educational options through our charter public

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• local education agency.
• local education agency.
• Education.
• How engaged are parents in that website?
• But with education, this is a priority.

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:

• Act, the Black Education Act, and the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act.
• Multicultural Education Act, and the Black Education Act.
• Education Act and the Black Education Act.
• We will help parents with these issues. We will train teachers in special education.
• It is a universal income pilot bill for, it's really an early childhood education bill for parenting,

Summary: The committee first heard a detailed staff presentation on the LESC FY27 public school support recommendation. Staff reviewed the budget structure and explained that, despite a downward revision in state revenue estimates, the recommendation still relied on recurring and non-recurring revenue to support educator compensation, insurance, transportation, literacy, math, special education, and other school programs. Major recurring items included a 3% compensation increase, funding for an 80-20 health insurance cost share, insurance premium growth, and transportation adequacy funding. Staff also flagged a possible supplemental need of up to $35 million for virtual education tied to rapid enrollment growth in Chama and Santa Rosa, and members raised concerns about the quality, accountability, and funding model for virtual programs. Members asked questions about transportation for rural districts, the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit fees, the treatment of enrollment declines in the school funding formula, and whether the word “average” in salary language should remain in the budget. Staff explained that the SEG should remain whole, that the insurance and transportation recommendations applied to all public school employees but not contractors, and that the budget included multiple math-related investments spread across several lines rather than one single appropriation. There was also discussion of out-of-school learning grants, school meals, literacy center operations, special education training, and the Public Education Reform Fund, including the use of multi-year, evaluation-based appropriations for high-impact tutoring and community schools. After discussion, the committee adopted the LESC budget recommendation. The committee then moved to endorsed legislation proposals. It endorsed a bill allowing the secretary to suspend an individual school board member, with notice and appeal procedures clarified, and a bill creating an 80-20 health insurance cost-share requirement for public school employees, along with a study of the sustainability of public school insurance programs. It also endorsed a bill on attendance provisions for students with severe medical conditions, which would keep those students from being classified as excessively absent. Finally, the committee discussed a teacher residency bill that would raise stipend levels, allow residents to complete service anywhere in New Mexico, and remove the requirement that sponsoring schools must hire them, though the bill did not include an appropriation. Members also raised questions about bilingual, Hispanic, and Black education funding, cultural and linguistic supports in teacher preparation, and where various programs should be placed in the budget or PERF framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• Somehow, this pure parental rights change to the Constitution in the education portion was said to have
• I'll just also point out that this This does not give the right of any parent not to educate their child
• What we're doing here is changing the Constitution to match our code with the parental rights in education
• Because I believe that the parents have the inherent right to direct the education of their children.
• Our founding fathers understood the necessity of parental involvement in education.

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think the parents understand. And the parents are happy.
• We're requiring the parents to pay this up front.
• As a parent, I hear As a parent, I hear the parents in my heart truly goes out to what they've experienced
• I believe we will see more parents, students, and education institutions...
• I believe we will see more parents, students, and educators work harder than ever to ensure that these

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Summary: The Education and Employment Committee met with a quorum and took up seven bills, all of which were reported favorably. First, HB 1367 on school attendance was presented as a response to rising chronic absenteeism; it would standardize attendance definitions and reporting statewide, and it passed 18-0 after supportive testimony from education and business groups. HB 949 would prohibit student use of wireless devices during the school day, while allowing district policies for designated use areas and existing medical/disability exceptions; members discussed classroom disruption, bullying, public safety, and accommodations, and the bill passed favorably. The committee also approved PCS for CS for HB 1135, requiring ECGs for student athletes in grades 9-12, with exemptions for religious objections and provisions on cost, liability, and medical clearance; the bill drew extensive emotional testimony from parents and advocates who described children lost to sudden cardiac arrest and was reported favorably after unanimous support. Members then approved CS for CS for HB 597 on diabetes management in schools, which would allow schools to keep glucagon pens and authorize trained personnel to administer them in emergencies; an amendment clarified charter schools are included as public schools. HB 1309 on reading interventions and instruction would expand reading support and training for grades 4-12 and require district reading plans to include evidence-based interventions; it also passed without opposition. CS for HB 981 on athlete representation and compensation would cap certain NIL agent fees, allow some high school athletes to earn NIL compensation, and create a framework for registered advisors; members raised concerns about predatory practices and coach involvement, but the bill passed favorably after amendment. Finally, HB 1111 would eliminate the certificate of completion option for students who do not meet graduation requirements, with the sponsor arguing it would better motivate students to earn a standard diploma and improve postsecondary and workforce opportunities. Members discussed the need for stronger supports to help students meet graduation standards, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee adjourned after completing all agenda items.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is an education without walls.
• , so juvenile justice alternative education placement, or a disciplinary alternative education education
• And so, Leaving virtual learning as a modality based on the parents' choice, based on the parents' choice
• Formed in 1978, the Texas Association for Gifted and Talented connects and empowers educators and parents
• It is an educational need.

Bills: HB117

Committee: House S/C on Academic & Career-Oriented Education

Keywords: county regulation, impervious cover, land use, unincorporated areas, environmental management

Transcript Highlights:

• ." parent." parent."
• For the record, Emery Banfield, parent advocate focused on excellence in education.
• So having an outside, or, you know, going to the state board of education, it allows parents to argue
• , education, education, it<01:15:57.760><c> allows</c><01:15:58.320><c> that</c><01:15:58.560><c> parents
• and the parents page with the parents and the parents laugh.<01:18:32.960><c> They're</c><01:18:33.120

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of us are parents here too.
• Some of us are parents here too.
• You see, you do research and graduate education, and undergraduate education all the way down the line
• And as a parent myself, I am the parent of a kindergartner who received, to my knowledge, an authorization
• And as a parent myself, I am the parent of a kindergartner who received, to my knowledge, an authorization

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's talk and bring your parents. And we did that.
• Education really is the foundation and opportunity for all.
• Does that not include the voucher programs, the family educational— is it family educational program?
• We used to call them vocational education. You had a vote tech center.
• We used to call them vocational education. You had a vote tech center.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met during Budget Week and first considered three member bills. House Bill 1111, by Rep. Valdes, would eliminate the option for students to leave high school with a certificate of completion instead of a standard diploma. Valdes said the bill was inspired by students who met credit requirements but could not pass a required assessment, and argued the certificate does not provide access to college, trade school, or military service. The bill passed unanimously, 15-0. CS for House Bill 127, by Rep. Kendall, would support students with disabilities by using existing Florida Department of Education curriculum to create micro-credentials and coordinating with the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities and OSHA on workplace safety. Goodwill, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Florida PTA, and others supported the bill, which also passed unanimously, 15-0. House Bill 1367, by Rep. Booth, addressed chronic absenteeism by requiring statewide definitions and more uniform attendance reporting, along with rules for excused and unexcused absences and early identification of chronically absent students. Testimony emphasized inconsistent district policies and the need for clearer data and interventions. The bill passed 13-0, with some members noting concerns about implementation details and future rulemaking. The committee then took up PCB-P-PKB-2501, the proposed conforming bill for the fiscal year 2025-2026 Pre-K through 12 budget. The chair said the bill was designed to align statutes with budget and scholarship funding procedures, especially around the Florida Education Finance Program and scholarship payments. The PCB would require Florida student ID numbers for scholarship students, standardize cross-checking against FTE survey data, set quarterly payment dates, and use one data source for both reporting and withholding scholarship-related FFP amounts. It also would reduce certain add-on weights by 50%, remove the budget stabilization program, and repeal the educational enrollment stabilization program. Several members raised concerns that the add-on weight reductions could hurt career and technical education, AICE, IB, and CAPE programs, while the sponsor argued the data showed too much spending in an “other” category and that the reductions were aimed at aligning funding with actual program costs. Public testimony was mixed: some supported tighter accountability and clearer payment rules, while others warned against undermining expensive career-readiness programs. The PCB passed 11-2. After the conforming bill, the chair presented the proposed fiscal year 2025-2026 Pre-K through 12 budget, totaling just under $21 billion, about $400 million below the current year. She said the budget reflects a need to slow spending growth and includes $20 million for New Worlds Scholarship Accounts, $7 million for security grants at Jewish day schools and preschools, $14 million for public school transportation stipends, an overall FEFP increase of about $747.7 million, $100 million for teacher salary increases, and increases in the base student allocation and funds per student. The committee did not vote on the budget recommendation at this meeting; it was distributed for review and will move to the Budget Committee next week.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that parents... ...is something that parents will agree with.
• I think that parents and our family should be educating our kids on things that are controversial like
• Chairman, we have a State Board of Education. We have a Department of Education.
• We have a Department of Education. We have a Department of ...have a State Board of Education.
• They provide education on firearm safety.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, and heard introductions of guests. Members then adopted several procedural motions, including extending the second regular session, suspending the seven-bill limit for Representative Livingston on budget-related measures, and requesting the Senate return SB 1786 on artificial intelligence content verification for reconsideration. The House also moved into Committee of the Whole to consider calendar items. In Committee of the Whole, the House recommended do pass on SB 1057, SB 1171, SB 1424, and SB 1515, while retaining SB 1178 on the calendar. SB 1171, dealing with fingerprinting and fraud prevention in health and human services, was amended and received supportive comments about accountability and Medicaid fraud. SB 1424, concerning firearm safety instruction in schools, drew extensive debate: a proposed Gutierrez amendment modeled on “Christian’s Law” to require secure firearm storage measures was defeated by division vote 23-31, and the bill itself was defended as age-appropriate firearm safety education while opponents argued it was an unfunded mandate, a parents’ rights issue, and an improper burden on schools. SB 1515, creating a public safety parity fund for DPS and corrections bonuses from rainy-day fund interest, was amended and recommended do pass. The House then considered an additional Committee of the Whole for SB 1552, adopted a floor amendment, and recommended the bill do pass as amended. In third reading, SB 1021 failed 22-35, while SB 1215, SB 1345, SB 1456, and SB 1493 all passed, with SB 1345 drawing a floor explanation about an added regulatory requirement for health care facilities. The House also received first readings of several appropriations bills and announced a special Joint Appropriations Committee hearing on the budget the next morning before adjourning until Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under the alliance, a state four-year higher education institution and a state two-year higher education
• I think that God has given parents' authority over the education decisions... ...that God has given parents
• to make education decisions.
• President, moves us away from God-given authority for parents to make education decisions for their children
• authority. ...God-given, sacred parental authority over the education decisions of their children.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And parents should be responsible if they are leaving the And parents should be responsible if they are
• I think that parents... Is something that parents will agree with.
• I think that parents and our family should be educating our kids on things that are controversial like
• Chairman, we have a State Board of Education. We have a Department of Education.
• They provide education on firearm safety.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It talks about parental consent at different points.
• impact on, and it also talks about parental rights in Florida.
• This shreds parents' rights.
• Parents like me are not asking for anything extraordinary.
• They're afraid to come out to their parents.

Bills: S0560 , S0590 , S0778 , S1010

Committee: Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

Keywords: child welfare, psychotropic medication, Department of Children and Families, community-based care, liability insurance, forensic services, defendants, mental health, judicial system, defense, legal definitions, minors, healthcare, parental rights, criminal penalties, civil action, sex-reassignment, investigations, economic damages

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs considered four bills. SB 590, by Sen. Bradley, would toll the statute of limitations for failure to report suspected child abuse by mandatory reporters until the offense is known to law enforcement; an amendment clarified retroactive application for offenses not already time-barred by the bill’s effective date. Sen. Bradley said the bill is intended to ensure accountability in institutional abuse cases and not to change the reasonable-suspicion reporting standard. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 778, by Sen. Simon, which would update the definition of forensic client so certain individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism whose charges were dismissed for incompetency can be housed with other Chapter 916 residents, reducing duplicative staffing and space needs at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Barney Bishop appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably without amendment. SB 560, by Sen. Garcia, would streamline procedures for psychotropic medication prescriptions for children in DCF custody, reduce duplicative background checks and reporting, and simplify consent documentation. Amendments removed language allowing licensed clinical social workers and marriage and family therapists to serve as evaluators and narrowed changes to the Road to Independence Program’s postsecondary education services and supports, extending eligibility ages from 18 to 26 while keeping the five-year cap. Senators discussed the fiscal impact and funding blend for the education stipend. The committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably. The committee then took up SB 1010, by Sen. Yarbrough, which adds criminal and civil enforcement for violations involving sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures for minors and related parental-rights provisions. An amendment clarified that the civil action authority applies to minors and that damages benefit the affected minor. Public testimony was heavily divided, with supporters saying the bill enforces existing protections and opponents warning it would chill care, counseling, and school-based support for transgender youth. Senators Harrell, Sharief, and Rouson raised concerns about vagueness, standing, and impacts on teachers and health professionals; Sharief voted no, while the bill was still reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would like to see education.
• parent organizations.
• Many parents have lost children twice. Many parents have lost children three times.
• parents.
• We must educate these youths before they are going out into society where they don't have parental guidance

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2901 in executive session. After a brief explanation from the bill sponsor, the committee adopted a House Committee amendment ending in 0.07 that set a five-year expiration date and clarified where reports must be filed. The committee then rolled the amendment into a substitute and voted the House Committee substitute do pass by a roll call of 13 ayes and 0 noes. The committee then heard House Bill 3000, which would fix the signature threshold for petition-driven audits by tying the required number of signatures to the gubernatorial election in effect when the petition process begins, rather than when signatures are submitted. The sponsor and the State Auditor’s office said the change would prevent the required number from shifting during the petition period and provide consistency. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. House Bill 313 was then heard, a fentanyl-poisoning response bill that would require naloxone in public buildings, designate October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month, require fentanyl education for students in grades 6 through 12, and require training and investigation procedures for law enforcement in drug-related deaths. The sponsor and multiple family members who lost loved ones to fentanyl strongly supported the bill, emphasizing prevention, access to Narcan, and more thorough death investigations. Committee members generally expressed support, raised questions about the definition of public buildings, school implementation, and funding, and testimony suggested opioid settlement money as a possible source. No committee action was taken on HB 313 in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• PARENT IS KEPT OUT OF TREATMENT OPTIONS THE PARENT IS NOT INFORMED THAT STD THE PARENT IS KEPT OUT OF
• I KEEP HEARING ABOUT PARENTS AND BAD PARENTS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PARENTS ARE GOOD PARENTS.
• NOT ALL PARENTS ARE BAD PARENTS BUT THAT PARENTS ARE OUT THERE AND EVEN WELL-INTENTIONED PARENTS AREN'T
• HAS WHEN I HEARD THE TERM SUPPORTIVE PARENTS, NOT ANYBODY HAS SAY PARENTS, NOT EVERYBODY HAS A PARENTAL
• WHEN YOU ARE A PARENT, LIKE SOMEHOW YOUR PARENTS OUT THERE YOU TEND TO THINK EVERY PARENT THINKS LIKE

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Aileen Blakowski, and I represent the parent advocates of Texas Education 911.
• My name is Aileen Blakowski, and I represent the parent advocates of Texas Education 911.
• Texas Education 911.
• Parents deserve to know that your children are safe, and educators who violate that trust should face
• I'm also a career educator with over 30 years in education. My master's is in bilingual education.

Committee: Senate Education K-16

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:

• </c> safely and we appreciate as education safely and we appreciate as education policy<00:01:09.799>
• Well, no parent is going to do that, and very few, if any, parents ever did.
• engaging education in Minnesota.
• engaging education in Minnesota.
• </c><01:43:37.960><c> and</c><01:43:38.119><c> the</c> Broken between the parent and the Special Education

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance and the Assembly Education Committee will
• Education.
• In that role, I got to work directly with students, parents, and fellow educators.
• And now students continue to use the library to further their education, parents have a place to go and
• Parents and students sit at the table with educators and administrators to redesign our schools together

Keywords: 988, house, all