Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education.
• She is also a proud product of Florida's higher education system.
• afford to go out of state or out of city for their education.
• The role is to help Florida families pay for the cost of higher education.
• Eighty-one percent of our graduates are employed or are continuing their higher education.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to hear confirmations for 19 appointees and reappointees to university and state college boards, with most of the agenda focused on the University of Florida, Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Central Florida, Florida State University, Florida Polytechnic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Pensacola State College, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, North Florida College, South Florida State College, and the Florida Prepaid College Board. Testimony from the nominees generally emphasized their educational backgrounds, professional experience, and priorities such as student success, workforce development, financial sustainability, research growth, housing, and maintaining or improving institutional rankings. Several UF trustees highlighted the university’s “One UF” vision, institutional neutrality, and goals of reaching top-three or top-one national status. Other nominees stressed the role of state colleges in workforce pipelines, and Florida Poly witnesses focused on STEM growth, housing, and strong graduate outcomes. One in-person public testimony came from Elijah Hooks, who spoke in opposition to the current FAMU administration and described his expulsion, arrest, and trespass from campus after protesting the appointment of President Marva Johnson. For FAMU, Jocelyn Dobson Rodriguez testified in support of her appointment, emphasizing her legal background, alumni ties, and goals of strengthening leadership, alumni engagement, and the connection between the main campus and the College of Law in Orlando. For Florida Atlantic University, Tina Vidal-Duart was questioned closely about her prior service on the Hope Florida Foundation board and about CDR Health’s involvement in state contracts; she said she was not aware of the foundation’s governance problems at the time and that CDR’s state contract was a flat daily rate. The committee then voted to report all appointees favorably except for Tina Vidal-Duart, whose confirmation was held for a separate vote at the request of Senator Bracy Davis. After discussion, the committee voted 5-1 to report her confirmation favorably as well. The meeting concluded with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Did the Board of Higher Education, Mr.
• SIF funding for nursing education consortium. Mr.
• Higher education funding formula.
• Never was designed to be an education building, but it was a gift, and it worked, and it's been a education
• Never was designed to be a education building, but it was a gift, and it worked, and it's been a education

Bills: SB2003

Committee: House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Summary: The committee met to work through the higher education budget, beginning with a conflict-of-interest request from Representative Martinson, who was excused from voting because of a partnership that leases office space to Bismarck State College. Members then reviewed the higher education institution budget sheets, covering ongoing and one-time funding items for campuses and system projects such as BSC housing, Lake Region roof repairs, UND’s STEM and National Security Crossroads projects, the UND allied health facility, NDSU projects including New Horizons, DSU deferred maintenance and campus security, Mayville’s Old Main, Minot projects, and the regional health institutes. Members also discussed student financial assistance, the professional student exchange program, IT security funding, and workforce/education innovation grants. Several amendments and policy questions were debated. The committee adopted an amendment to make workforce education innovation grants competitive rather than automatically distributed, and then voted to remove language prohibiting those funds from being used to duplicate academic programs. Members also removed similar anti-duplication language from the New Horizons section. They agreed to extend the UND hyperbaric chamber transfer authority to 2027 and clarified language around UND land-sale proceeds. A proposed amendment to add $5.6 million for the Wahpeton State School of Science building purchase failed for lack of a second, and a proposal to restore fetal alcohol spectrum disorder funding to UND was left for conference. The committee also discussed, but did not add, a tuition cap change, a study on the Praxis exam, and several governance-related provisions. The committee spent significant time on broader higher education policy items, including a $3 million enterprise resource planning request for the university system, a $2 million grant program for students who are pregnant, recently gave birth, or are caring for young children, and a $1.1 million request for library age-verification software tied to the Odin system. Members also discussed dual-credit authority for UND and NDSU, a goal for the UND medical school to increase North Dakota resident enrollment, and intent language regarding the commissioner/chancellor model and presidential search authority. At the end of the meeting, the committee approved the amendments and then gave the higher education budget a do-pass recommendation as amended, with Representative Sanford designated as the carrier. The Forest Service budget was also approved, including two additional FTEs, and the committee adjourned after noting it would continue with other budgets the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:34.879><c> month</c> is career and technical education month is career and technical education
• </c> strengthen financial literacy education. strengthen financial literacy education.
• </c><00:07:35.199><c> care</c> teach future educators, health care teach future educators, health care
• </c> an act relating to education. an act relating to education.
• I have taught at five educator.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> investment in improving our education. investment in improving our education.
• </c> comparison with general education comparison with general education revenue. revenue. revenue.
• </c> across Minnesota educate our students. across Minnesota educate our students.
• </c> child's education. child's education.
• </c> instability in education more broadly. instability in education more broadly.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to welcome everyone to the Senate Education Committee meeting today.
• and being an educator.
• This is where I'm really known for: Holocaust education, genocide education.
• Kids willing to take an entire trimester in in-depth studies on Holocaust education.
• Idaho take at least one career technical education class.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> intended scale of educational intended scale of educational instruction<01:38:55.280><c> under</
• </c><01:39:05.920><c> business</c> tuitionbased educational business tuitionbased educational business
• because they are just simply putting education as, um, in the zone and saying if it’s education it’s
• And they without educated populace.
• </c><01:59:28.320><c> options</c> like other home education options like other home education options

Committee: House Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion is do pass and will be referred to the Committee on Higher Education. McKinner? Aye.
• Everyone across the country wants these in place so that we can keep our education system functioning
• Everyone across the country wants these in place so that we can keep our education system functioning
• The motion is do pass and re-refer to the Committee on Higher Education. Burner. Aye. Burner, aye.
• On Higher Education. Burner. Aye. Burner, aye. That bill is out 5 to 0. Item number 4, SJR 2.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several retirement and school employment measures. SB 301 by Sen. Grayson would prevent CERL-covered cities and districts from amending retirement contracts to exclude certain employee groups, closing a loophole similar to one previously addressed for CalPERS. The bill was supported by California Professional Firefighters and received no opposition. SB 443 by Sen. Rubio would clarify that employees transferring into a joint powers authority can retain CalPERS classic status even when the JPA expands later; the city of La Verne, a flood management agency, and AFSCME supported the bill, and it also drew no opposition. Both bills were moved out of committee on unanimous votes and sent to Appropriations, with the consent calendar items SB 521, SB 581, and SB 853 also approved. The committee then heard SB 494 by Sen. Cortese, which would give classified school employees the right to have disciplinary appeals heard by an administrative law judge rather than by the school board. Supporters, including CSEA, AFSCME, and CFT, argued the bill would create parity with teachers and community college faculty and provide a fairer appeal process. Opponents, including the California School Boards Association, county superintendents, school business officials, and community college groups, argued it would remove local control, impose a one-size-fits-all process, and shift costs to districts. The bill was passed out of committee and referred to the Committee on Higher Education. The committee also considered SJR 2 by Sen. Cortese, a resolution urging Congress and the President to enact federal protections for classified school employees, including better wages, benefits, safety, and workplace rights. Support came from CFT, CSEA, and other labor groups, with no opposition. The resolution was adopted and moved forward. At the end of the hearing, the committee reopened the roll to add votes, and all listed measures ultimately passed unanimously or near-unanimously before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• going to cut educ uh funding education.<01:04:31.599><c> Well,</c><01:04:31.839><c> no</c><01:04:32.000
• So ne not in education, needs.
• I move Senate Bill 170, the Education and the Appropriation Committee reports. >> Uh, to the Education
• &gt;&gt; uh to the education report. &gt;&gt; uh to the education report.
• </c><01:41:54.880><c> committee</c> discussion on the education committee discussion on the education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> um swept the state wide education um swept the state wide education property<00:06:01.039><c> tax
• </c> it recognizes the additional educational it recognizes the additional educational cost<00:06:09.919
• </c> still be greater than special education still be greater than special education as<00:17:48.960>
• <00:32:53.039><c> among</c> Education among Education among districts<00:32:55.240><c> yeah</c><00:32
• </c> Matters and by I believe the education Matters and by I believe the education Law<00:36:35.680><

Summary: The committee took up HB 651, a school-funding bill that would raise the base cost of an adequate education and increase differentiated aid for students in poverty, English language learners, and special education. The chair opened with housekeeping notices about parking and eating in committee spaces, and noted a revised fiscal note would be distributed. Representative David Luneau presented the bill as part of a broader package of public school funding measures, explaining that HB 651 builds on HB 550 and is intended to respond to court rulings and the ongoing school-funding litigation by adjusting both the base adequacy amount and equity-based funding factors. Luneau said the bill would raise the state’s adequacy grant from about $4,100 to $7,351 per student and increase differentiated aid, while also updating statutory language so future recalculations include the court-identified resource elements. He argued the measure is about fairness and shifting more of the burden from local property taxpayers to the state, not about increasing overall education spending. He reviewed fiscal-note figures indicating the bill would add roughly $576 million to the state share of school funding, bringing the total state share to about $1.65 billion, and said the note also mentions possible effects on charter schools and vouchers. Committee members asked about the evidence supporting higher costs for low-income and English learner students, how long ESL funding should continue, why free-and-reduced-lunch aid remains higher than special education aid, whether the formula is based on enrollment or average daily membership, and whether the bill is truly equitable across districts of different sizes and needs. Luneau and later witness Zach Shen of the New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project said the bill is supported by research and court findings, that the current formula relies heavily on local property taxes, and that shifting more funding to the state would reduce property-tax pressure and help address disparities among districts. Shen also cited broad public support for the related HB 550 testimony and said HB 651 is intended as a step toward a more equitable funding system. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We provide education. ...any type of needs that they may have, we provide education, we train them, we're
• The biggest indicator would be the mother's educational attainment.
• Higher education.
• Right now is: is higher education really worth it, right?
• Our goal of educating 70% of our student population by 2030.

Summary: The Select Committee on Latina Inequities met at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, hosted by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez and joined by Assemblymember Mia Bonta. Rodriguez opened by framing the committee’s work around the economic status of Latinas and the effects of federal policies on the economy and social safety net, while the college president welcomed the committee and described campus services for undocumented and housing-insecure students. Rodriguez also emphasized the local impact of immigration enforcement in the San Fernando Valley and said the hearing would focus on Latinas’ economic conditions, immigration enforcement impacts on the workforce and safety, and H.R. 1’s effects on the safety net. The first panel featured HOPE’s Maria Morales and Dr. Elsa Macias, who presented findings from HOPE’s National Economic Status of Latinas report. They said Latinas are a major and growing part of California’s population and workforce, but face persistent inequities, including a large wage gap, higher unemployment, high uninsured rates, student debt, and affordability pressures around child care, housing, and education. They also discussed entrepreneurship, noting both the growth of Latina-owned businesses and barriers such as limited access to capital, technical assistance, and retirement and health coverage. In response to committee questions, they said higher education can still offer a strong return on investment, but only if students can complete degrees without being overwhelmed by debt and care costs; they also pointed to policy solutions such as SB 642, mentorship, financial literacy, CalSavers access, and support for community development financial institutions. The second panel focused on immigration enforcement and Latina safety in the workforce. Luis Nolasco of the ACLU described arrests tied to apparent ethnicity and Spanish-speaking, the chilling effect on families, and the loss of wages, school attendance, and mobility. Dr. Amada Armenta said immigration enforcement harms California’s economy, public health, and mixed-status families, and noted that undocumented workers are concentrated in agriculture, construction, and child care. SEIU’s Jen Baca Beltran said raids and school-based enforcement traumatize children and families and highlighted the need for Know Your Rights trainings. Megan Ortiz of IDEPSCA described repeated Border Patrol raids on day labor centers, injuries to staff, and the need to protect worker centers, domestic workers, and street vendors. Inclusive Action’s Shannon Camacho said raids have forced many informal workers to stop working, prompted emergency cash assistance and rent relief efforts, and strengthened advocacy for vendor protections and CDFI support. CHIRLA’s Jeanette Zanipatine said the rapid response network has expanded, documented widespread arrests and detention conditions, and is providing direct support and legal referrals; committee members asked about detention, maternal health, and what the state can do, and panelists urged stronger oversight, more legal representation, and protections for pregnant and detained people.

Transcript Highlights:

• She says, Dear Senators and Education Committee, my name is Dr.
• That we have consistency in education, regardless of how that education looks.
• I didn't realize that private schools were part of the definition of educational entity.
• So, because it is all education related. Did you, you want, okay, yeah.
• disclosure statements from applicants and all educational employers or educational contractors with the

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Lewis to ensure adequate and equitable funding for public education.
• To ensure adequate and equitable funding for public education.
• We have made great strides in this Senate in funding higher education and pay rates for early educators
• We have made great strides in this Senate in funding higher education and pay rates for early educators
• , and we passed the Student Opportunity Act. higher education and pay rates for early educators, and

Summary: The Senate took up a long series of FY26 budget amendments during debate on the Ways and Means budget bill. Early on, an amendment on debt service and the Debt Affordability Committee was rejected. A major education amendment offered by Senator Lewis and supported by Senator Comerford was then adopted; it directs DESE to begin a public process, with $200,000 in funding, to review and recommend updates to the Chapter 70 municipal contribution formula and related school funding structures as the Student Opportunity Act nears full implementation. Senators argued that school districts across the Commonwealth are under severe fiscal strain, citing rising special education, transportation, health insurance, and Proposition 2 1/2 pressures, and that the current formulas are increasingly out of alignment with local needs. The chamber also considered and voted on many other amendments, with several adopted and several rejected. Adopted amendments included measures on public payroll transparency, regional EMS, a small business group purchasing cooperative pilot, simplifying Medicaid eligibility determinations, and early education background checks. Rejected amendments included proposals on first-time homebuyer savings accounts, population change studies, competitiveness studies, emergency contract reform, natural gas cost containment, a $200 per pupil aid increase, regional school reimbursement increases, a Foundation Budget Review Commission-related study, special education service studies, welfare benefit audits, short-term capital gains, and an MBTA sustainability plan. Senator Durant also spoke in support of Amendment 766, which would create a crumbling concrete assistance fund for homeowners affected by pyrrhotite, with tax-exempt aid, federal funding applications, audits, and a stakeholder working group. Near the end of debate, Senator D. DiDomenico praised the Shannon Grant program for gang violence prevention, and the Senate adopted a final corrective amendment containing technical fixes and local earmarks. The bill was then ordered to a third reading and, after a roll call on engrossment, passed to be engrossed by a vote of 38-2. The Senate also approved a motion to adjourn to the following Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and recessed in memory of Yaron Lashinsky, Sarah Lynn Milgram, and Leslie A. Feeney.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next category of bills is about education and training.
• The next category of bills is about education and training.
• Those guidelines have to be posted on the Department of Education website.
• This is an education and training bill. This is an education and training bill.
• The last bill we have in the education and training category is SB 309.

Transcript Highlights:

• It references the Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and related correctional education
• of Education, the State Board of Education, and correctional education services.
• From the Department of Education, the education service program, except to the extent necessary to provide
• that the education service education program...
• the education service education program may meet any applicable education requirements.

Bills: LB737 , LB753 , LB788 , LB913 , LB1055 , LB1195 , LB1216 , LB1256 , LB429 , LB721 , LB722 , LB727 , LB743 , LB745 , LB749 , LB778 , LB787 , LB365A , LB823 , LB900 , LB903 , LB940 , LB954 , LB1127 , LB1127A , LB1205 , LB1240 , LR293 , LR296 , LR422 , LR505 , LR507

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this is guidelines for educators and leaders.
• That is a fancy title for special education director.
• Special education students are general education students first.
• Special education students are general education students first.
• That trauma plays out across a child's education and into adulthood.

Bills: HB1795

Committee: House Education

Keywords: restraint, isolation, public schools, educational programs, student rights

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> current</c> education acknowledge that current education acknowledge that current methods<00:17:
• </c> members of uh the Senate Education members of uh the Senate Education Committee.<00:40:24.320><c
• </c> actions to enforce special education actions to enforce special education rights.<00:51:45.040><
• </c> may have in the special education may have in the special education process<00:53:24.319><c> and
• It says a summary of the... about special education services and the about special education services

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• courses, driver's education, and CPR lessons.
• Special education funding. Thank you for that. It moved us forward.
• I have earned a B.A. and a master's in early childhood education.
• Cutting education funding under these circumstances is indefensible.
• Cutting education funding under these circumstances is indefensible.

Summary: The committee opened with a public hearing on Senate Bill 5808, a proposal to require nonprofit health carriers with “excess surplus” to pay 10% of that surplus into the state health care affordability account for Cascade Care Savings. Committee staff said the bill could generate about $330 million one time in 2027, while the Office of Insurance Commissioner would have implementation costs. Supporters argued the bill would redirect consumer premium dollars to help people afford coverage, while opponents from health plans said reserves are needed for solvency, claims, and capital needs and warned the bill would destabilize nonprofit insurers. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 2254, which would let the Partnership Access Line assessment cover administrative costs; HCA and Seattle Children’s supported it as a technical fix that saves general fund dollars, and a child psychiatrist asked that savings be reinvested in behavioral health services. House Bill 2385, which extends deadlines for the Medicaid Access Program because of federal restrictions on new provider taxes, also drew support from provider groups seeking future Medicaid rate increases. The committee then heard Substitute Senate Bill 6286, which would increase fines on private detention facilities that deny Department of Health inspections and dedicate the fines to an account for community repair and assistance to harmed individuals and families. Supporters, including Tacoma’s mayor and family members affected by detention, framed the bill as an accountability measure; fiscal staff estimated Department of Health costs of about $395,000 in the 2025-27 biennium. Senate Bill 6006 would exempt food banks from sales tax on certain services enacted last session, with food bank and tribal representatives saying the savings would go directly to food and operations. Senate Bill 6351 would create exemptions from the new sales tax on live presentations for before- and after-school care, arts and cultural nonprofit classes, and K-12 school purchases; school districts, arts groups, and PTA representatives supported it, while asking for clarifying language and broader nonprofit exemptions. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1717 would let cities and counties create local sales tax remittance programs for affordable housing projects, and housing builders, Habitat affiliates, counties, and city officials supported it as a local tool to lower development costs. In executive session, the committee received briefings on several tax and spending bills and then voted to advance multiple measures. It adopted a substitute and passed Senate Bill 5949, which narrows a B&O tax exemption related to insurance premiums; a proposed retroactivity-removing amendment failed. It adopted a substitute and passed Senate Bill 6129 on cigarette, tobacco, and nicotine taxes after rejecting several amendments, including proposals to study the tax policy or replace the bill with illicit-market enforcement language. The committee also passed Senate Bill 6228 repealing a preferential B&O rate for prescription drug resellers, Senate Bill 6231 repealing data center sales tax exemptions, and Second Substitute Senate Bill 5965, which retained a bag-fee approach rather than a full ban after adopting an amendment. The committee then returned to public hearing and began testimony on Senate Bill 6353, a major Working Connections Child Care bill that would keep income eligibility at 60% of state median income, lower the provider rate target from the 85th to the 75th percentile, and make other program changes; the briefing was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's all within the school State Board of Education, or State Department of Education, sorry.
• So last year on the Education Committee, we were Chairman, so last year on the Education Committee we
• And I told him about how complicated education was, that the language inside education is literally Pig
• And then the bureaucracy of education is so complicated that no one in their lifetime who's not an educator
• I'll take the blame as an educator.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bills 656 and 657 were referred to the Education Committee.
• and the Division of Career Technical Education have been reviewed and approved by the House Education
• House Bill 49 by the State Affairs Committee, relating to education.
• It also, with regard to the education service providers, requires that anyone as an education service
• expenses that have been approved by the local education agency and verified by the State Board of Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Good afternoon, and welcome to the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education.
• While many higher education institutions have... Threats to their physical safety.
• with educational institutions for over 20 years.
• have a special mission to educate our citizens and help improve our society.
• So education is very much in my interest.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education heard two bills and then moved through a series of confirmations for university and college boards of trustees. Senate Bill 176, by Senator Polsky, would require public postsecondary institutions to have clear, publicly available safety policies and reporting procedures for threats to students, faculty, staff, and visitors. An amendment clarifying the bill’s scope was adopted without objection, there was no public testimony against it, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Members spoke in support, emphasizing campus safety and the need for clear reporting paths. The committee also heard Senate Bill 116, by Senator Bradley, which would establish the University of Florida Diabetes Institute in statute to advance research, prevention, care, education, collaboration, and outreach on diabetes. Testimony included support from AARP and others, and members praised the institute’s research role and the growing public health importance of diabetes. The bill was reported favorably. The remainder of the meeting focused on confirmations for trustees at FIU, UNF, UCF, USF, and Miami Dade College. Nominees and reappointees described their backgrounds and priorities, including student success, research growth, workforce development, engineering, health care, cybersecurity, and fiscal stewardship. Committee members asked several nominees about nursing NCLEX scores and university performance, and one public commenter raised concerns about campus climate and student safety. The committee then voted to report the confirmations favorably in a block and adjourned.