Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:49.000> in opportunities for public education in opportunities for public education
• <00:10:26.519> investing high quality Early Education investing high quality Early Education
• expanded also focusing on our Educators expanded also focusing on our Educators who<00:12:04.200
• <00:13:35.680> Foundation receive a strong Educational Foundation receive a strong Educational
• Resuming the Committee on Education.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So first time being on this education committee this year.
• and what we do to help education.
• I'm the committee secretary for the Education Committee.
• I represent the Arizona Education Association.
• We represent over 23 Arizona educators across the state.

Bills: SB1009

Keywords: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, AED training, high school curriculum, public school, safety training, emergency response, 1182, all

Summary: The committee meeting began with member and staff introductions, followed by consideration of SB 1009, which would expand Arizona high school emergency response training to include instruction on using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) alongside CPR. The sponsor, Senator Kavanaugh, argued the bill would improve school safety, cost schools nothing because it would be folded into existing CPR instruction, and would help students and staff respond to sudden cardiac arrest. Supporters included the American Heart Association and student witnesses, who emphasized that AED and CPR training can save lives and should be available in schools. The Arizona Education Association opposed the bill, saying it adds an unfunded mandate, could take instructional time away from core subjects, and may require staff time and resources that schools do not have. The Arizona School Boards Association was neutral but raised concerns about funding and implementation, especially for rural districts. During questions, senators debated whether AED instruction is already included in existing CPR standards and whether the bill would create new costs. Senator Kavanaugh said many programs already include AED training and that the bill simply ensures it is part of all school CPR instruction. Opponents questioned the lack of a fiscal note and the reliance on tax credit funding. After discussion, the committee voted on SB 1009 and passed it with a due pass recommendation by a 5-2 vote. Senators Diaz and Brown voted no, while Senators Dunn, Mesnard, Miranda, Werner, and Angius voted yes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, we'll come to order on the Senate Committee on Education K-16.
• SB 1322 supports Texas's higher education institutions by establishing a Texas Higher Education Accreditation
• Higher education institutions found noncompliant with accreditation would Higher education institutions
• I'm the higher education policy analyst at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
• The bill amends the Texas Education Code by establishing the Texas Higher Education Accrediting Commission

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard several bills and took no final votes, leaving each measure pending. The first major item, SB 1322 by Senator Hagenbuch, would create a Texas Higher Education Accrediting Commission to evaluate and approve accrediting agencies for public colleges and universities using outcome-based metrics such as retention, graduation, employment, debt, and repayment. Supporters, including Kate Byerley of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, argued the bill would add competition and align accreditation with Texas workforce needs; Senator Menendez questioned the need for a new bureaucracy and noted the $3.6 million fiscal note, suggesting existing reporting and oversight structures could serve the same purpose. The committee then heard SB 1998, which would establish a pediatric subspecialty preceptorship program to encourage medical students to enter pediatric subspecialties. Dr. Lauren Gamble testified in strong support, saying the program would help address shortages and improve access for children, especially in rural and underserved areas. SB 2788, authored by Senator Menendez, would add the PSAT as an accepted assessment for dual credit and Texas Success Initiative purposes; Priscilla Camacho of Alamo Colleges supported the bill, citing strong student outcomes and widespread use of the PSAT as a readiness indicator. Senator Creighton laid out SB 2076, which would remove or modify certain Capitol view corridor restrictions affecting the UT Austin Academic Medical Center project, including the planned specialty hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center expansion. He said the existing corridors are outdated and limit development. The committee also heard SB 1418, a cleanup bill replacing outdated references to ACT Plan with Pre-ACT and removing obsolete SAT subject test language. After brief testimony and no opposition on the later bills, the committee closed public testimony and left SB 1322, SB 1998, SB 2788, SB 2076, and SB 1418 pending before recessing for the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• The education pathway is part of that.
• We're just giving a kid an education.
• We're just given a kid an education.
• The, I would never say that education is just education.
• Even for them, and our math educators or any of our high school educators are the ones that have a higher

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But how we fund education is just part of the problem.
• Today, we educate roughly 74,000 and 80,000 when you include pre-K.
• <00:34:48.560> outcomes and equal or better education outcomes and equal or better education
• , as I said earlier, education transformation is not optional.
• Because as I said earlier, education Because as I said earlier, education transformation<00:39:36.240

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , higher education, and education for certain health care professionals. education, higher education,
• Here's patient education. Here's patient education. Here's patient nutrition.
• nursing education programs.
• in a clinical education course.
• Yeah, it's national medical education literature as well as higher education literature.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• master's degree in education master's degree in education Administration<00:03:49.560> and
• So they have to get an education.
• So they have to get an education.
• education education and<00:20:00.600> I<00:20:00.799> I<00:20:00.919> get<00:20
• <00:21:25.559> which<00:21:25.840> is education which is education which is important<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Location settings or for the Committee on Public Education HB 3313 by Holt relating to the font and top
• educational environment, including the parental rights relates to that transition and administration
• of the certain student with a criminal or disciplinary history for the Committee on Public Education
• HB 3326 by Alan Ruling said certain duties of a public institution of higher education in relation to
• the Federal Public Service Student loan forgiveness Program for this Committee on Higher Education.

Transcript Highlights:

• education courses with those students. education courses with those students.
• statewide participation in CS education. statewide participation in CS education.
• Uh, and we devoted an entire task force session in July to education, just education.
• necessary for a world-class education. necessary for a world-class education.
• > is education although special education is education although special education is not<01:29

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call - 0:25 Approval of Minutes – 3-50 2025 RS SB 253 – 4:25 Computer Science and AI Literacy – 27:36 Fayette County School District Budget Update – 51:46 Adjournment – 2:09:46, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including roll call, introductions, and approval of the previous meeting minutes by voice vote. It then heard a presentation on SB 253, focused on expanding support for teacher apprenticeship and teaching-and-learning pathways. Senator Hickman and staff from the Kentucky Department of Education and Nelson County Schools described how the program uses dual credit, work-based learning, and registered apprenticeship to help students earn an associate degree in high school and continue toward a teaching degree. They said the goal is to address the teacher shortage by creating a sustainable pipeline into the profession. Witnesses emphasized that the main barrier is cost. Mary Taylor said Kentucky’s youth apprenticeship model has been successful in other fields and that education should be added as an in-demand sector, but an associate degree alone will not solve the teacher shortage because teachers still need a bachelor’s degree and certification. Laura Arnold of Nelson County Schools described the district’s Lead Nelson program, saying the district has invested more than $800,000 since 2021, currently has 37 students in the pathway and seven committed apprentices, and spends about $85,000 per apprentice from freshman year through certification. She said district staffing, planning, and university partnerships are also significant hurdles. Members asked about job guarantees, tenure, and retirement; Arnold said employment is performance-based and retirement issues are being considered. Senator Hickman said the bill would use lottery funds to help cover tuition and dual credit costs so more districts can participate, noting that a prior version died because of a high fiscal note. Representative Payne and Representative Tipton praised the program but stressed the need for funding and noted inconsistencies between statute and budget language on Work Ready Kentucky and dual credit support. Representative Tipton also cautioned that lottery revenue may not keep pace with demand and said the General Assembly may need to make broader funding decisions. After the apprenticeship discussion, the chair moved the committee to the next agenda item on computer science and AI literacy, where Code.org began a presentation on the importance of computer science for all students.

Transcript Highlights:

• to make educational decisions and informed choices with her health care provider.
• , and I serve as an education surrogate for children in foster care also.
• Immediate alerts and weekly updates keep educators informed and ready to respond.
• It expands the scope of... ...updates keep educators informed and ready to respond.
• efforts lead to improved education outcomes for kids.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities held a hybrid hearing focused largely on DDS-related bills, with chairs Kennedy and Livingstone outlining strict time limits, accessibility procedures, and a 5 p.m. stop to preserve ASL and CART services. The committee heard testimony on several measures, including a bill from Sen. Mike Moore to create a centralized electronic education records system for students in out-of-home placements, which supporters said would improve communication, preserve IEP continuity, and reduce missed services. Paul DePaulo also testified in support, describing the educational and justice-system harms that can follow when foster youth do not receive coordinated records and supports. A major portion of the hearing centered on H. 242/S. 149, a bill to enhance standards of care for people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rep. Garballey and many advocates, parents, clinicians, and disability leaders supported the bill, saying it would require provider training, statewide standards, and better emergency department practices to reduce misdiagnosis, trauma, and unnecessary ER boarding. Testimony described sensory and communication barriers in medical settings, lack of provider training, and the need for continuing education and license-related requirements. Related testimony also supported H. 213/S. 111, which would improve access to behavioral health services for children involved with state agencies by requiring better discharge planning, coordination with hospitals and agencies, and more appropriate post-hospital placements. The committee also heard strong support for H. 256/S. 102, requiring universal changing stations in public buildings, from parents, advocates, and the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council. Witnesses said current restroom accommodations often force unsafe or undignified changes on floors, in cars, or in inaccessible spaces, and argued the cost of adding changing stations to new or renovated buildings would be modest compared with the benefits to dignity, safety, and community access. Another major topic was H. 261/S. 155 on supported decision-making agreements for certain adults, which supporters described as a less restrictive alternative to guardianship that preserves autonomy while providing trusted support. Finally, testimony on Tommy’s bill (S. 168/H. 282) described a preventable death after a hospital discharge and urged clearer communication and training requirements for residential staff handling life-sustaining equipment; the bill was presented as a safeguard for people with disabilities relying on such equipment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll achievement, educator recruitment and retention, and student mental health.
• That's five weeks that attorneys are not investigating educator misconduct.
• We sent out information via our Ed Leaders Dispatch newsletter to educators and others in the education
• community while this stuff was ongoing. ...newsletter to educators and others in the education community
• Probably a pretty narrow subset of Wisconsinites versus education policy.

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• K-12 education, providing policy and funding for general education.
• protecting educational choice, as well as leaving the homeschooling language.
• Those are the big changes with the education policy bill.
• We will need to look in every line for funding to save special education.
• that you're the education governor when you forced $420 million cuts on us.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need more education in schools. We need more education with our parents.
• And then second, the education component.
• Prevention, education, and schools.
• About CSA prevention education.
• the education.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Education-based information, science-based education information, to local citizens, if that is part
• Alex, please educate us.”
• Cost of education is another one of those variables that's impacting higher education.
• an education...
• Online education generally, there's been a lot of conversation around online education.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed the 2024-25 tuition waiver report for the North Dakota University System. Staff explained that waivers were reported for degree-seeking students and broken out by residency, institution, and waiver type. Members asked about partial versus full waivers, institutional discretion, athletic waivers, and whether campuses have published guardrails or transparency requirements. Staff said most waivers are set by institutions, with some statutory and board-required categories, and that athletic waivers are a small share of total waiver dollars. The report showed total gross tuition of $354.5 million, tuition waived of $38.9 million, and 11,193 of 42,040 students receiving some waiver. Members also discussed how waivers affect net tuition revenue, housing and food collections, and whether campuses are using waivers strategically compared with scholarships and other funding sources. The committee then heard a presentation on tuition rates by campus and State Board policy. Staff explained the board’s tuition factors for resident, Minnesota reciprocity, contiguous-state/U.S. nonresident, and international students, and noted that campuses often seek exceptions based on program-specific competition and enrollment goals. Members asked whether rates are based on cost or competition, and staff said campuses typically bring forward estimates and market comparisons when requesting special rates. The presentation also reviewed general fund appropriations versus net tuition revenue by campus, and members discussed how local tuition decisions and waivers do not directly affect the state funding formula, though they do affect institutional revenue and reserves. Questions were also raised about the Higher Learning Commission’s financial composite indicator and how it differs from the more intuitive reserve and revenue figures. The committee next received a broad overview of non-higher-education entities affiliated with the State Board of Higher Education, beginning with NDSU agriculture-related units. Dr. Greg Lardy described the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, the NDSU Extension Service, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the branch research centers, emphasizing their statewide role in crop and livestock research, extension education, and county-based outreach. He outlined funding mixes for extension, the experiment station, and branch stations, noting that grants and contracts support both research and education, while the agronomy seed farm is self-funded through seed sales. Members asked about the new and vacant FTE pool, R1 research status, matching requirements for grants, and whether state appropriations count toward research expenditures. Dr. Lardy also highlighted major research impacts, including crop varieties, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, and NDAWN weather data. The Northern Crops Institute and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute also presented. NCI described its role in market development, technical services, and education for regional agriculture, its governance through the Northern Crops Council, and its funding from state appropriations, other states, and earned revenue. Members asked about the source of out-of-state funding, intellectual property, and the institute’s international reach. UGPTI then outlined its transportation research, federal and state funding structure, and work on road and bridge condition assessments, travel demand modeling, and workforce training. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can see why educators are so confused.
• Having general education social workers, special education social workers, counselors and school psychologists
• Uh, these programs can include aerospace and aviation, health sciences, education, early childhood education
• The department has presented 18 times to various groups including educational leaders, Indian Education
• So with career technical education, I agree with you.

Transcript Highlights:

• Higher education institutions across the state are at risk.
• to integrate arts education into K-12 classrooms.
• At this time, when higher education and education funding is under attack federally, we urge you to prioritize
• Education is a right, but protecting it requires investment.
• All right, the Education Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance is adjourned.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee on Education Case 16 will come to order. The clerk will please call the roll.
• Only a few institutions in the state offer competency-based education, or CBE, programs.
• and the Department of Education.
• They don't have a time limit on when they can get their college education, right?
• I grew up in an environment that did not truly value education.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that brings us to why of education.
• That's how we funded education.
• funding school education. funding school education.
• <00:09:03.600> where form of education that we have where form of education that we have where
• the Department of Education this summer. the Department of Education this summer.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 3900 proposed a Minnesota constitutional amendment to increase the share of permanent school trust fund earnings distributed to school districts, with the stated goal of providing more per-pupil funding without raising income or property taxes. Representative Igo, the bill’s author, described the history of the school trust lands and said the change would raise the payout from about 2.5% to 4.5%, producing additional unrestricted money for schools at no cost to taxpayers. He also read the proposed ballot question into the record, which would ask voters whether to amend the constitution to increase funding from the permanent school fund effective July 1, 2027. The House adopted amendment A7, offered by Representative Long, which he said was a technical change to align the bill with Senate language and provide administrative funding for the State Board of Investment. Representative Igo agreed it was a good technical fix. After the amendment was adopted, the bill was given third reading and debated on the floor. Several members spoke in support, including Representatives O’Driscoll, Scraba, Mueller, Bennett, Jordan, and Bakeberg. Supporters emphasized that the proposal would send more money to schools on a per-pupil basis, provide flexible local funding, and help districts facing budget pressures, staffing cuts, and other mandates. Some speakers also highlighted the historical purpose of school trust lands, the role of the State Board of Investment, and the need for better stewardship and government-to-government relationships with tribal nations where trust lands are located. The transcript ends during floor debate and does not include a final vote on passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• Stephen Profiter, Director of the Early Education Division at the California Department of Education,
• It's time to pay early educators what their work is truly worth.
• When educators live in fear, our workforce weakens.
• In education? We don’t know. Where’s the funding going to be cut in education?
• We became educators. We are educators, but sometimes people forget that we are not babysitters.

Summary: The hearing focused first on how wildfires and other disasters affect child care providers, families, and early education infrastructure. State officials from the Department of Social Services and Department of Education described disaster response and preparedness efforts, including shelter coordination, licensing outreach, emergency waivers, distribution of supplies, and the statewide child care disaster plan. Testimony from providers and advocates emphasized major gaps in recovery funding, insurance coverage, rebuilding support, mental health services, and coordination with local rebuild plans. Several witnesses urged more dedicated disaster-recovery funding for child care facilities and suggested statutory changes, including allowing greater flexibility for rebuilding costs and requiring early childhood programs to be included in local disaster planning. The second panel addressed immigration enforcement and its impact on child care. Advocates from the Children's Partnership, Every Child California, and CHIRLA said enforcement activity is causing families to keep children home, disrupting continuity of care, reducing enrollment, and creating fear and trauma for children and providers. They argued that immigrant and mixed-status families need clearer protections, privacy safeguards, legal support, trauma-informed guidance, and safe-haven policies for child care settings. Speakers also stressed that the child care workforce is heavily immigrant and that recent state laws such as AB 49 and AB 495 will require funding, training, and technical assistance to implement effectively. Public commenters, including child care providers, described personal experiences with fire damage, displacement, permit delays, lost income, and the emotional toll of serving families during crises. Others described how immigration enforcement has made parents afraid to attend events, drop off children, or remain connected to providers. Committee members repeatedly noted that child care is often overlooked in emergencies and asked state officials how child care systems are being integrated into disaster planning and how local and state agencies can better coordinate. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your history is education access to educational institutions are necessary.
• Your history is education access to educational institutions are necessary.
• Your history is education access to educational institutions are necessary.
• Your history is education access to educational institutions are necessary.
• Your history is education access to educational institutions are necessary.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with a quorum and first considered two concurrent resolutions. SCR 76, sponsored by Sen. Amanda Bledsoe, would create a Kentucky School for the Deaf Governance Task Force to examine the school’s future governance and its relationship with the Kentucky Department of Education. Bledsoe described the school’s long history and said the task force would give the small deaf-school community more voice. The committee adopted the resolution unanimously with favorable expression. The committee then took up SCR 131, sponsored by Sen. Max Wise, to continue the Efficient and Effective Districts Task Force from 2024. Wise said the prior task force met about 10 times and focused on student achievement and district policy, and the new version would continue that work as a legislature-only task force. The resolution passed unanimously with favorable expression. Members next considered HB 240 on primary school promotion. Rep. Truitt explained that the bill would require students who are not ready in kindergarten to repeat kindergarten, while a committee substitute softened the approach by allowing a school to hold a child back in kindergarten but requiring action in first grade. He said the bill aligns with existing reading-screening efforts and is intended to strengthen early literacy foundations. The committee adopted the substitute and passed the bill unanimously with favorable expression; Sen. Williams briefly explained his support as favoring performance-based advancement. The committee also approved HB 298, which would change the identification of schools for comprehensive support and improvement from every three years to annually, require KDE recommendations during management audits, add professional development in reading and math, and require effective instructional resources. The committee substitute also allowed districts with multiple CSI schools to contract for a turnaround vendor. The bill additionally carried employee-misconduct provisions from prior sessions, including disclosure requirements for applicants; the only change discussed was removing the word “investigation” from one disclosure section. HB 298 passed unanimously with favorable expression, and the committee also adopted a title amendment. Finally, the committee heard HB 424 on employment at public postsecondary institutions. Rep. Tipton said the bill would require performance and productivity reviews for faculty at least every four years, clarify appointment and removal authority for presidents at certain institutions, and expand “cause” for dismissal to include failure to meet performance and productivity requirements. Dr. Ray Horton, speaking for faculty groups, proposed a small substitute that would tie any performance measures to existing employment contracts to preserve academic integrity and avoid unintended changes to tenure processes. Members discussed how tenure works at Kentucky universities, and the committee was still in the middle of considering the proposed substitute when the transcript ended.