Video & Transcript Research : 'Foundation School Program'
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MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development - 03/24/25
Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development
Transcript Highlights:
- Putting three kids in full-time daycare to work at the part-time ag program that our school could support
- program or many programs animal research program or many programs and<00:21:08.720>
leads <00:21 - Agronomy program.
- education into our school.
- Program.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:10:27.120>
2026 Fairfield High Preparatory School 2026 Fairfield High Preparatory School - So they are evaluating different programs that we fund. Programs that we fund.
- >> uh different programs that we fund. >> uh different programs that we fund.
- , programs, programs, uh, uh, uh, increase teacher pay for the first three years.
- Veterans Memorial Foundation, and finally $400,000 to the U.S. Veterans Memorial Foundation.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- then working at a psychiatric program for children with serious behavioral health needs.
- I believe this place is Program, as well as our quality improvement strategy.
- We also returned the federal share on the $10 million that was paid to the foundation.
- Chair, is a very complicated program. Medicaid, as you stated, Mr.
- And are you still counsel to Hope Florida Foundation? Yes, ma'am, I am.
Summary:
The committee met to consider a large slate of appointments, with the main discussion centered on the confirmation of Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Harris testified about her background in state service and outlined agency priorities including Medicaid financial accountability, transparency, managed care oversight, behavioral health redesign, rural health access, workforce recruitment, and use of technology and AI. Senators questioned her extensively about the Hope Florida/Medicaid settlement controversy, opioid settlement-funded advertising campaigns tied to marijuana prevention and the 2024 Amendment 3 election, public records compliance, abortion reporting and enforcement under the Heartbeat Protection Act, managed care denials, value-based purchasing, and Medicaid funding pressures. After debate, the committee voted to recommend her confirmation, with Senator Polsky voting no.
The committee then considered Anna Ortega and Robert Payne for the Florida Public Service Commission. Ortega, a current PSC commissioner and former staff advisor, discussed utility regulation, data center load issues, ratepayer protections, transparency in PSC decisions, and lessons from other states. Payne, a former legislator and longtime utility co-op employee, emphasized his technical background and the need to balance utility returns with consumer affordability. Both nominees were confirmed by unanimous or near-unanimous votes and recommended favorably to the full Senate.
Next, the committee heard from Jeffrey Aaron for reappointment to the Public Employees Relations Commission. Aaron described PERC’s role in public-sector labor disputes and said his work had been upheld in appellate courts without reversal. Senators questioned him about his law firm’s state contracts, his role as chairman of Attorney General James Uthmeier’s PAC, and his connection to the Hope Florida Foundation matter; he declined to discuss the pending investigation. Public testimony included opposition from Florida Voice for the Unborn. The committee nevertheless recommended his confirmation, with several no votes. Finally, the committee approved the remaining appointees on tabs 5 through 46 in a single vote, postponing Dr. John Littell and DCF Secretary Hatch, and then adjourned.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
December 9, 2025 - 09:30 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- IT IS THE FOUNDATION FOR MORE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND IT IS THE FOUNDATION FOR LONG TERM LONG TERM
- SO PROGRAMS LIKE THIS PROGRAM CAN SERVE THAT DUAL PURPOSE.
- HAVE BEEN HAVING AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM THAT CUTS ACROSS MAJORS AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS AND MICRO
- PROGRAM THAT CUTS ACROSS MAJORS AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS AND MICRO CREDENTIALING UPSCALING OPPORTUNITIES
- IN TERMS OF TRANSFERABLE SKILLS THIS PROGRAM GIVES ME STRONG TECHNICAL FOUNDATIONS IN THINGS LIKE MACHINE
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
01/21/2026 - House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections
Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections
Transcript Highlights:
- The person who went to school in Italy is not the person who came back.
- , to the very foundations of our Constitution, and to the very foundation of the American way of life
- Raising money through the Holy Land Foundation. Okay. Mr. Chair, Mr.
- Márquez noted earlier that we went to school together, but I wish to know we did not go to law school
- West Virginia ran a pilot program years ago on blockchain voting.
Keywords:
campaign contributions, foreign contributions, constitutional amendments, public disclosure, Arizona Revised Statutes, elections, voter registration, provisional ballots, primary election, voter participation, Muslim Brotherhood, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, national security, Islamist extremism, Congress, Arizona, domestic security, CAIR, terrorist organization
VA
Virginia 2026 Regular Session
Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes Jun 3rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- I know that they're out of school, so this is nice that you're here too.
- Yeah, I’m just wondering, does it make sense to reach out to the Virginia Outdoor Foundation or one of
- Chair, I would agree with Commissioner Faulkner that this is one of the foundational bills in regard
- But this, as you heard, is a foundational bill. And we can also talk about new patrons.
- So having a robust consultation program... ...would be great.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2026-02-04 (4:00PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- What if two schools are playing one another, they're both religious schools from different religions?
- If one school does not Schools from different religions.
- If one school does not want to engage in prayer, do they have the right to object to the other school
- Would it be based on the principal of the school?
- In *Santa Fe Independent School District v.
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Washington County administrator Alan Massey, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several gallery recognitions. The chamber adopted the special order report and then took up a series of bills on the special order calendar. Early measures included CS/HB 967 on electronic payments to local governments, which passed 110-0, and HB 127 requiring cursive writing instruction in grades 2-5, which passed 111-0 after members spoke about literacy, signatures, and heritage. CS/HB 453 on high school diploma requirements passed 111-0 and would allow certain students to use Special Olympics participation for PE credit and marching band for PE and arts credit. The House also passed CS/HB 237 on use of professional nursing titles, which requires APRNs using the title doctor to clarify they are APRNs, by 111-0.
The chamber then debated HJR 583, a proposed constitutional amendment on religious expression in public schools. Supporters said it would codify existing statutory protections for student and school personnel religious expression and let voters decide; opponents argued it was unnecessary, could create confusion, and risked constitutional problems involving school-sponsored prayer and the separation of church and state. After structured debate, the resolution passed 93-17. The House next passed CS/HB 363 on dental therapy, which creates a licensed mid-level dental provider and drew sharp debate over access to care versus patient safety; it passed 80-29. HB 375 on autonomous practice by certified registered nurse anesthetists passed 78-28, and HB 301 on psychiatric mental health APRN autonomous practice passed 88-18.
Later, the House passed HB 863 on arbitration for Citizens Property Insurance disputes, giving policyholders a choice between arbitration and court, by 105-3, and HB 1399 on property insurance affiliates, which increases oversight of insurer-affiliate transactions, by 160-3. Members also heard and advanced a local claims bill, HB 6517, for relief of Eribeito and Sanchez Mayan against the City of St. Petersburg, describing severe injuries allegedly caused during an arrest and transport; the bill was rolled over for third reading at the end of the transcript. Throughout the day, members also paused for multiple recognitions of visiting students, local officials, professional groups, and community organizations.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Higher Education Committee Jun 23rd, 2026
Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- This program has worked for K-12 schools. It's worked for our UCs. It's worked for our CSUs.
- This program has worked for K-12 schools. It's worked for our UCs. It's worked for our CSUs.
- workforce need, if UC or CSU offers that program. ...if UC or CSU offers that program.
- And so high schools started to offer 13th and 14th grade adult ed educational programs one by one.
- And so high schools started to offer 13th and 14th grade adult ed educational programs one by one.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- The next witness was Tom Yamachika from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, speaking with comments.
- <00:39:46.560>
with have Hawaii tax foundation with have Hawaii tax foundation with [Music - a matter because we have a grant program a matter because we have a grant program the<00:49:46.960
- :49:48.000>
people the grant program also requires people the grant program also requires people - Next up, we have Land Use Research Foundation in support. We have Hawaii Farm Bureau in support.
Summary:
The committee on Water and Land met on February 13, 2025, and heard testimony on a series of housing, land, and resource bills. Early bills included HB 743 on fiscal sustainability, HB 1318 on affordable housing, and HB 1409 on the Transit-Oriented Development Infrastructure Improvement District Board. Testimony on the housing measures was largely supportive from agencies and advocacy groups such as the Office of Planning, Hawaii Housing Future, Hawaii Appleseed, Catholic Charities, and the County of Kauai, while the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) raised concerns on HB 1318 about public trust duties for ceded lands. On HB 1409, members questioned whether the bill needed updating in light of a separate bill changing the board structure, and witnesses said the measure did not change funding but only the board’s mission and scope.
The committee also heard HB 1410, which would create a supportive housing special fund. Supporters, including Catholic Charities, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Hawaii Appleseed, argued that predictable dedicated funding is needed for supportive housing, social services, and long-term homelessness solutions. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii opposed tax earmarks in general, saying they subvert the constitutional budgeting process. Members asked how the fund would be administered and who could access it; witnesses said HHFDC and the counties would coordinate the process, but DLNR noted the bill did not provide additional administrative capacity and suggested language to address that.
Later bills included HB 528 on residential leaseholds, HB 1359 on flood mitigation, HB 1087 on historic preservation reviews, HB 868 on disabilities, and HB 1323 on transfer of non-agricultural park lands. HB 528 drew limited testimony, with a Catholic Charities/Hawaii Public Housing Authority representative offering a general example of leasehold development but saying the bill’s exemptions had not been discussed in detail. HB 1359 prompted discussion of homeowner and county responsibilities for drainage and flood damage, with DLNR saying private owners are responsible for drainage on private property and counties for county roads. HB 1087 was supported by DHHL, which said historic preservation reviews currently take about 165 days and the bill could improve timeliness, while Hawaii Historic Hawaii Foundation opposed it. HB 868 drew support from the Disability Rights Center and DCAB, with testimony focusing on beach access and the need for clearer legal authority. On HB 1323, DLNR opposed the bill, saying it did not reflect Act 90 and that some agricultural parcels should remain under DLNR for conservation, watershed, recreation, or fire protection reasons; DOA, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council supported the measure, arguing that productive agricultural lands should be transferred to agriculture to protect local food production and family ranches.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- If you look at the RAMI program and the RGV... ...We actually kind of went into the middle schools and
- pay for three summer schools on the ship, is over 42,000 a year for this program.
- In this program, the other schools get funding from their states ranging from about...
- The School of Public Health at Prairie View is one of the fastest-growing programs at our university,
- For year-round schools, we ask for a rider revision that would allow us to expand this program to other
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House public safety committee debate on HF16 - Pt. 1 3/12/25
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:12:47.320>
for <00:12:47.560>law foundation for law foundation for law enforcement< - We have already seen the... catch and revoke program is currently catch and revoke program is currently
- I am a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St.
- I am a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St.
- I am a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St.
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on House File 16, and the chair moved the bill with a recommendation that it be re-referred to Elections Finance and Government Operations. Representative Rymer said the bill would require reporting to ICE when an illegal immigrant is arrested on suspicion of a violent crime, even if the county attorney does not prosecute, and would bar state and local entities from blocking federal immigration enforcement. He described the bill as narrowly focused on serious offenses such as murder, assault, robbery, kidnapping, and criminal sexual conduct, and said it was intended to improve communication with federal authorities about dangerous offenders.
Supporters argued the bill would improve public safety and cooperation with federal law enforcement. David Zimmer, a former local law enforcement official, said cooperation with ICE is consistent with law enforcement practice and helps with information-sharing, warrants, consulate notifications, and locating individuals. Several other supporters, including a crime victim family member and a security officer, said the bill would help identify dangerous criminals and protect communities.
Opponents said the bill would reduce trust in local law enforcement and discourage victims and witnesses from reporting crimes. Testifiers from the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, The Advocates for Human Rights, Violence Free Minnesota, the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs, the Northstar Alliance, the City of Minneapolis, and others said mandatory ICE notification could deter domestic violence and trafficking victims from seeking help, harm due process, and undermine community safety. Some also warned it would interfere with local separation policies, burden local agencies, and have negative economic and civil rights impacts. The committee also heard emotional testimony from individuals describing domestic abuse and immigration-related fears, and from family members of a murder victim who supported the bill.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
Public Higher Education Study Committee (11/12/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- school? school?
- school and high school people in middle school and high school where<00:43:25.839>
post-secary - students middle school and high school students middle school and high school students that<00:46
- and high schools to the middle schools and high schools across<00:46:38.880>
the <00:46:39.200 - about higher education and school about higher education and school systems,<01:08:31.040>
school
Summary:
The committee met to review the annual report on collaboration between the University System of New Hampshire and the Community College System of New Hampshire, and the meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and a gubernatorial proclamation recognizing the community college system’s 80th anniversary. Both chancellors praised the proclamation and described the report as a statutory follow-up to the public higher education task force. They said the two systems have built a close working relationship and that the collaboration is intended to continue, though progress may be limited by resources and staffing changes.
Much of the discussion focused on transfer pathways and new academic models. The chancellors said House Bill 1530 helped drive the creation of more than 100, and possibly about 130, “universal pathways” between the systems, with a reported 30% increase in community college associate-degree graduates transferring to the university system in the last academic year. They also discussed direct-admit outreach for community college graduates, early college and CTE-to-workforce pathways, and the development of three-year bachelor’s programs at Plymouth State and in some health-care fields. Members asked about nursing, allied dental health, and radiologic technology, and the chancellors said they are exploring whether some programs can be streamlined, while noting that nursing’s requirements may limit how short a pathway can be.
Members also raised concerns about whether transfer pathways could affect university enrollment, but the university chancellor said declining enrollment is more likely due to a smaller pool of college-age students and broader competition, not the transfer programs. Another topic was the ERP/technology platform recommendation from the task force: the university system is moving to Workday, while the community college system is working to align business practices and move from an on-premises system to a cloud-based solution. Officials said a shared enterprise system could create efficiencies in the future, but it is not expected in the short term; student-facing tools like Canvas are already shared. The committee also discussed House Bill 112, which would require passing a civics test for graduation, and the chancellors said they support civic education but see implementation challenges. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the report.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Transportation Apr 1st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- to be a public school.
- Are you place a school?
- schools are public schools that I started this committee.
- So I think, you know, obviously charter schools are public schools.
- The foundation provides grants for wild flowers and schools and public places and works with communities
AR
Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session
LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING Jun 5th, 2026
LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING
Transcript Highlights:
- The audit reports from the Conway School District, Magnolia School District, and Westside School District
- “So this program doesn’t. There’s two different programs.
- There’s the ABC program that is taxed out of the public school fund that is state revenues.
- So this program doesn't. There's two different programs.
- There's the ABC program that is taxed out of public school fund that is state revenues.
Summary:
The committee met to adopt prior minutes and reports from its executive and standing committees, including counties and municipalities, educational institutions, and state agencies. Those reports covered routine audit activity, delinquent private water and sewer audits, municipal accounting compliance issues, education audit findings, and several state agency audit items. The committee also reviewed and adopted the State of Arkansas annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal year 2025 and the related single audit report, both presented by Legislative Audit staff.
The state financial report showed unmodified opinions on the state’s financial statements and described total assets of about $41.9 billion and liabilities of about $11.1 billion, along with retirement system assets of $39.9 billion and a net pension liability of $9 billion. Two material weaknesses were identified: insufficient internal controls at the Office of State Technology to monitor threats and unauthorized access, and a Division of Workforce Services methodology change for unemployment-related estimates that was not properly documented or approved. The single audit covered $12.4 billion in federal awards across 469 programs, with 16 major programs reviewed; it resulted in 33 findings, 14 with questioned costs totaling $16.6 million, and qualified opinions for the Summer EBT program, the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, and the Child Care Development Fund cluster.
Members questioned agency officials in detail about the Summer EBT questioned costs, DHS unresolved findings, broadband grant documentation, cyber security controls, workers’ compensation liabilities, and child care funding and reporting. DHS explained that the Summer EBT issue involved drawing federal funds in advance rather than as benefits were redeemed, and said the process has been corrected. Broadband officials said the questioned $6.6 million reflected documentation-detail disagreements across many invoices rather than missing payments. OST officials described new logging, endpoint detection, and phishing-training efforts, and DFA and Education officials addressed specific audit findings and corrective actions. The committee ultimately moved to hold the two large statewide reports over until the August meeting for further review, with discussion continuing on whether to release some agency staff in the meantime.
AR
Arkansas 2026 Regular Session
ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ALC) Jan 16th, 2026
ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ALC)
Transcript Highlights:
- Ford, with the school readiness program. It accomplished a lot.
- Ford, with the school readiness program. It accomplished a lot.
- I think you're asking about students who were in private school before they joined the program.
- That are not in the EFA program. The EFA amount is about 90% of foundation funding.
- Public schools get full foundation funding plus categoricals, plus federal funding.
Summary:
The Arkansas Legislative Council meeting began with approval of the December 2025 minutes and a presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research on the December revenue report. Dr. Carlos Silva said gross collections were about $4.02 billion, up slightly from the prior year, and net available for distribution was also above last year but down modestly from the previous month because of higher-than-expected corporate income tax refunds. Members asked about corporate tax trends, tariffs, and inflation, and Silva said it was too early to call the corporate decline a trend and that tariff effects would likely show up mainly in sales tax collections.
The council then adopted several subcommittee reports, including the Executive Committee Subcommittee, Administrative Rules, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Occupational Licensing Review, PEER, Review, State Insurance Program Oversight, and Personnel. The PEER report drew the most debate because of a Department of Agriculture grant tied to Perry County and Central Arkansas Water; members discussed whether removing the Perry County portion would affect the grant’s competitiveness, and the report was ultimately adopted with the item included. The Review Subcommittee also heard questions about a BDO contract for the rural health transformation program, with DFA explaining that the contractor would manage the program while state agencies would make funding decisions consistent with the state’s application.
A major portion of the meeting focused on the Education Freedom Account appropriation tied to LEARNS. Senators and representatives debated whether the program helps families or diverts money from public schools, with supporters arguing it funds students and choice and opponents arguing it is costly, vulnerable to fraud, and harms public school funding. Department of Education officials said roughly 28,000 private school students and 17,500 homeschool students were participating, that EFA students must submit standardized tests annually, and that the requested $32 million was to cover existing participants. After multiple substitute motions and extended debate, the body rejected a motion to strip out the $32 million and then adopted the report and related motions. The meeting ended after routine approvals of additional agency items and adjournment.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Higher Education Committee Jun 23rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- This program has worked for K-12 schools. It's worked for our UCs. It's worked for our CSUs.
- programs that are bachelor's degree programs that are not typically found at universities.
- programs that are bachelor's degree programs that are not typically found at universities.
- And so high schools started to offer 13th and 14th grade adult ed educational programs one by one.
- And so high schools started to offer 13th and 14th grade adult ed educational programs one by one.
Summary:
The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard several Senate measures focused on community college procurement, higher education access, and student support. SB 1154 by Senator Reyes would allow community college districts to use best-value procurement for public works projects over $1 million. Supporters, including San Bernardino Valley College, the San Bernardino Community College District, labor groups, and several districts, said it would improve delivery of complex facilities and align community colleges with other education systems. Opponents, including the Associated General Contractors, argued the bill’s skilled-and-trained workforce requirements and labor-compliance scoring would narrow the bidder pool and raise costs. The committee passed the bill to the Assembly Floor on a due-pass vote, with some members voting no or not recorded.
SB 1255, also by Senator Reyes, would create a California Hispanic-serving institution designation. Supporters from HACU, the CSU Chancellor’s Office, UC, community colleges, and other education organizations said the designation would recognize campuses that serve large numbers of Latino and low-income students and strengthen accountability and student success. The committee approved the bill as amended and re-referred it to Appropriations, with one no vote. SB 1328, presented on behalf of Senator Cervantes, would require LGBTQ+ points of contact at satellite or branch campuses of CSU and community colleges, either through designated staff or regular office hours. Testimony emphasized gaps in access at remote centers and the need for confidential support; one member raised concerns about staffing, costs, and whether existing systems could meet the need remotely. The bill was passed as amended and sent to Appropriations.
The committee also considered SB 960 by Senator Cabaldon, which would expand the circumstances under which community colleges could offer bachelor’s degrees in response to unmet workforce needs, especially where CSU programs are impacted or not realistically accessible locally. Supporters said the bill would help meet workforce demand and expand access for place-bound and adult learners. CSU and faculty representatives opposed unless amended, urging stronger partnership requirements, clearer workforce-need standards, and safeguards around duplication and Prop 98 funding. Members discussed impaction, regional access, and the role of partnerships; the bill was passed as amended and re-referred to Appropriations. Finally, SB 632 by Senator Otagan would extend the California College Promise fee waiver to part-time community college students enrolled in nine units. Supporters said many students cannot attend full time because of work, caregiving, and living costs, and the bill would better reflect student realities; the transcript ends during testimony on this measure, before any vote is shown.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, April 27, 2026)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- improving program credibility.
- foundation of a child's development. foundation of a child's development.
- This program is one of the most effective federal programs we have.
- We must also protect the program from efforts that would weaken this great program.
- High School with strength and pride. High School with strength and pride.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Thursday, May 1, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- <01:53:47.040>
I talented high school artists. I talented high school artists. - rushed to the scene and for the school rushed to the scene and for the school staff,<02:15:12.800
- They were foundation.
- and economic foundational mothers and economic foundational mothers and fathers<03:12:11.279>
- "Ah, I need more money for the program. "Ah, I need more money for the program.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
HRE DEFER, HRE Public Hearings 02-06-2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Burns School of Medicine to support programs that utilize a team of medical specialists to support primary
- Burns School of Medicine to support programs that utilize a team of medical specialists to support primary
- school of medicine to support programs school of medicine to support programs that<00:19:25.240>
- So would this program or training come under the medical school? Would it?
- The law school is a professional school, so usually they have other employment.
Summary:
The Committee on Higher Education met on February 6 and began with decision-making items. SB 663, concerning additional positions for the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, was deferred again after the chair said the university’s response did not include the requested details on vacant positions, recruitment status, and fill dates. The chair said the committee needed the full information before considering new positions, and the university apologized for treating the request as informal rather than a formal committee inquiry.
The committee then discussed SB 672, relating to capital improvement projects for the Y. Manalo Research Station. University representatives said the project had been identified late because of timing and that they were still developing a broader plan for SEAR research facilities. The chair questioned how the project fit within the university’s existing Board of Regents-approved CIP priorities and whether any current priorities should be displaced. The university said it could not unilaterally reprioritize the budget, and the measure was deferred pending better direction on how it fits into the overall plan.
For SB 557, which would require the John A. Burns School of Medicine to direct a study on physician and dentist recruitment and retention for Maui, the committee heard strong testimony in support from Maui health care providers and community representatives. Supporters described severe shortages of physicians and dentists, long waits for care, and the need for housing, loan repayment, scholarships, transportation, and telehealth support to retain providers. The university said it was willing to help and suggested the work could be done through existing rural health and AHEC efforts. The bill was kept alive for further work, with the chair encouraging the parties to develop a plan.
The committee also heard SB 1107, establishing a medical education position at JABSOM to support ECHO-style mentorship and guidance programs. The university opposed the bill, saying it did not believe the measure addressed a problem that needed fixing and that Hawaiʻi already has five ECHO clinics administered through the Hawaiʻi State Rural Health Association, not JABSOM. The committee then took up SB 1204, concerning integration of the Kakaʻako medical school and cancer center. University leadership asked for time to develop a plan and timeline, possibly with an external consultant, and requested the bill be withdrawn. The chair expressed skepticism, citing long-standing concerns about the cancer center’s finances and planning. Testimony included support from the American Cancer Society and a patient who warned that integration could jeopardize the cancer center’s NCI designation and clinical trials, while a university vice president said the NIH P30 grant does not require the cancer center and medical school to remain separate and that many NCI centers are integrated. No final votes were taken on the measures discussed in the excerpt.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 1/16/25
Higher Education Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And then the Mayo Foundation has two riders related to its medical school and the residency programs
- <00:32:59.840>
that program um so there are programs that program um so there are programs - One is the Melle Medical School, and then the other is the Melle Family and Residency program. here so
- There is the Private Career School Act, which regulates institutions that offer programs at less than
- There is the Private Career School Act, which regulates institutions that offer programs at less than
Summary:
The Higher Ed Finance and Policy Committee met to begin a budget overview for higher education. The chair noted quorum, committee member introductions, and that Democratic members were absent. The chair also said the Office of Higher Education would not be appearing for the planned budget deep dive, so nonpartisan fiscal staff would present instead. Ken Savory, the committee’s nonpartisan fiscal analyst, introduced a presentation on the higher education finance structure and timeline.
Savory explained the state budget cycle, the difference between direct appropriations, statutory appropriations, open appropriations, base funding, tails, and one-time appropriations, and how those concepts apply to higher education. He described the committee’s usual budget areas: the Office of Higher Education, Minnesota State, the University of Minnesota, and the Mayo Foundation. He also reviewed historical spending charts showing higher education’s share of the general fund over time, the 2/3-1/3 funding policy in statute, and how tuition and general fund support have shifted. He noted that the FY 26-27 base for the Office of Higher Education area is about $725 million, including roughly $450 million for the State Grant program and about $99 million for North Star Promise.
Members asked about comparing the current budget to earlier biennia, and staff responded that they would need to calculate the percentage difference. The chair then summarized prior budget growth, saying the previous budget was about $650 million over base and the current budget/tail was about $450 million over base. Staff also reviewed the 2024 omnibus higher education bill, including a roughly $5 million reduction to North Star Promise that was redirected to the Fostering Independence Grant program and a $500,000 appropriation for Minnesota State’s Kids on Campus program. The committee did not take any formal votes or actions during this portion of the meeting.