Transcript Highlights:

• for both our school districts and for our contractors.
• I know in the school district where I was a school board trustee for eight years, we did use it.
• And the overwhelming number of school districts are in school districts... or are in...
• School districts and their partners are able to do so.
• for the school district.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 402, which would increase Cal Grant award amounts for students attending private nonprofit colleges and extend transfer entitlement eligibility to those institutions. The author and supporters argued the bill would improve affordability and access for low- and middle-income, working, military, and transfer students, while some senators emphasized the need to pair any increase with broader Cal Grant reform and funding. The bill drew support from private nonprofit universities, community college districts, and student advocates, and no opposition was presented. It passed on a due pass motion to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. The committee then took up AB 2067, a sunset extension for the competitive lease-lease-back process for TK-12 school construction through July 1, 2032. Supporters from school facilities groups, school districts, and contractors said the method provides flexibility, early contractor involvement, cost control, and legal certainty for school construction projects. Some senators questioned how often the method is used and raised concerns about the bill’s skilled-and-trained workforce provisions, with one senator opposing on the grounds that such requirements limit contractor participation. The bill passed on a due pass motion and was placed on call. Next, AB 1204 proposed changes to the Local Control Funding Formula, including a lower concentration-grant threshold, regional cost adjustments, a minimum annual COLA, and other equity-focused revisions. Supporters said the bill would better reflect regional costs and student need, while opponents—especially several school district leaders—argued it would shift money away from the base grant, widen disparities, and create new fiscal cliffs. Committee members raised concerns about the scale of the rewrite, the lack of a broader funding strategy, and the proposed 4% COLA guarantee, though the author said the bill was intended as a phased update to improve equity. The bill was supported by the chair and several members, then passed on a due pass motion to Appropriations and was placed on call. Finally, the committee heard AB 1235, which would require a skilled-and-trained workforce process for CSU design-build projects. Supporters said it would align CSU with other segments and promote quality training, while opposition from contractor groups argued it would add liability, reduce competition, and increase costs without evidence of better outcomes. Senators again focused on the effect of skilled-and-trained requirements on contractor participation, with one member stating opposition to limiting who can work in California and another noting the bill’s broader policy implications. The transcript ends during committee discussion of AB 1235, without a recorded final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• High School in my district.
• High School in my district.
• High School in my district.
• High School in my district.
• High School in my district.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• the</c> and that school district went to the and that school district went to the bond<00:03:56.440>
• So, where we're sitting today on the schools is we have currently four school districts that are 100%
• So, where we're sitting today on the schools is we have currently four school districts that are 100%
• districts that would be funded at school districts that would be funded at 100%<00:09:31.040><c> of<
• ><c> district</c><00:20:15.840><c> to</c> committee beat our school district to committee beat our school

Bills: HB0034 , HB0035 , HB0036 , HB0106

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• c> allowing</c> the school districts are only allowing the school districts are only allowing them<00
• </c><00:30:36.720><c> don't</c> school districts uh when they don't school districts uh when they don't
• district before middle school.
• Why does one school district or school districts across the state are able to develop commitment and
• Why does one school district or school districts across the state are able to develop commitment and

Bills: SF0035 , SF0090 , SF0072

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• scores of children to leave the school district.
• I have three kids in the Palo Alto School District.
• I have three kids in the public schools, Morland School District and Campbell Union High School District
• And I do think that our schools need tools to do that, our school boards and our school districts need
• School boards ultimately are in charge of what happens in the school district.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee held a special hearing on AB 715, with the authors presenting the bill as a response to rising anti-Semitism in K-12 schools. The authors said the measure is intended to strengthen protections for Jewish students, improve district accountability, expand the uniform complaint process, clarify protections related to religion and nationality, and create a state-level anti-Semitism coordinator. They emphasized that the bill was developed through collaboration with the Black, Latino, AAPI, and Jewish caucuses and argued it is meant to protect all students from hate while preserving legitimate classroom discussion. The hearing included extensive public testimony. Supporters, including students, parents, rabbis, Jewish organizations, and some educators, described harassment, biased curriculum, delayed or ineffective school responses, and fear among Jewish students and families. They urged the committee to act to make schools safer and more responsive. Opponents, including teachers, ethnic studies advocates, civil liberties groups, Palestinian rights advocates, and some Jewish parents, argued the bill was rushed, vague, and could chill academic freedom, censor discussion of Palestine and Israel, and expand complaints against teachers and school districts. Several witnesses said existing complaint and anti-discrimination systems already address these issues. Committee members then questioned the authors and witnesses about implementation, definitions, and possible effects on curriculum and school boards. The authors said the bill is still intent language and that details would be refined in further negotiations with stakeholders. Representatives from the California School Boards Association and California Teachers Association raised concerns about the new language and possible unintended consequences, while ACLU California Action said it had concerns but wanted to keep working on the bill. The transcript does not show a final vote or action taken on AB 715 during this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• that are received from a sending school within the district or a district school not in their district
• School within the district or a uh School within the district or a uh District<03:42:02.120><c> school
• </c> District school not in their district District school not in their district schools<03:42:04.720
• <03:49:35.040><c> by</c><03:49:35.279><c> school</c> districts by school districts by school boards<03
• </c> District because it says each School District because it says each School District<04:14:51.199>

Summary: The committee first heard HB 659, which would establish the New Hampshire College Graduate Retention Incentive Program. A Department of Revenue Administration analyst explained technical issues in the bill, focusing on whether the incentive is intended to operate as a rebate or a tax credit, how it would be administered, and how it would interact with the business enterprise tax and business profits tax. She said the bill’s language was unclear on the administering agency, effective tax years, caps, and carry-forward treatment, and noted that reducing BET can also reduce the BET credit against BPT, though not on a one-for-one basis. Committee members asked follow-up questions about the BET/BPT interaction, administrative costs, and whether the Department of Business and Economic Affairs would need additional staffing. Andrew Horn then testified in support, saying the bill is meant to address the large number of New Hampshire college graduates who leave the state after graduation by encouraging them to stay and by incentivizing businesses to hire them. The chair closed the hearing on HB 659 after no further public testimony. The committee then took up HB 770, a bill to establish a program allowing New Hampshire high school students to earn tuition credits at state higher education institutions through community service. Representative Schultz described the bill as a “triple play” intended to increase volunteerism, expand service and internship opportunities for students, and make college more affordable. Ryan Casey, a junior at Bishop Brady High School, testified that the proposal would help students reduce future loan debt while benefiting communities and encouraging young people to attend college in New Hampshire. Committee members asked about eligibility, including why private and preparatory school students were excluded, whether public school students would qualify, whether mandatory service hours would count, and how the bill’s references to education and business eligibility should be read. Schultz said the exclusion of private and prep schools was intended because public school students are more clearly New Hampshire residents, and she noted that mandatory school service hours had been excluded in revisions. The Department of Education then testified that the program would require significant administration, estimating at least three full-time staff, software or tracking systems, and rulemaking to oversee volunteer sites, schools, student eligibility, and tuition credit distribution. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the hearing remained in testimony phase.

Transcript Highlights:

• the budgets in your school districts.
• The basic program for schools, how we fund every school district in the state, is based primarily on
• and school districts.
• So that's a total of $121.8 million for school districts.
• A lot of school districts and charter schools are already doing what you just described.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• <c> having</c> school districts where they're having school districts where they're having difficulty
• district school.
• district school.
• I work with school<00:39:16.760><c> districts.</c> school districts. school districts.
• </c> from a cooperative school district. from a cooperative school district.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> mandates</c><00:04:17.680><c> that</c> or a school district that mandates that or a school district
• </c><00:20:58.880><c> bell-to-bell</c> our school district to do a bell-to-bell our school district to
• district, charter school, and tribally district, charter school, and tribally controlled<01:01:25.600
• ><c> and</c> district leaders, school leaders, and district leaders, school leaders, and teachers,<01
• Every district and school is different.

Bills: HF3776 , HF3557 , HF3585

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• School District in Gig Harbor.
• School District in Gig Harbor.
• Schools and districts.
• School districts and private schools are also authorized to maintain school-supplied epinephrine under
• district, but who might not be school district employees, but school district contractors, are those

Summary: The House Education Committee heard several bills related to special education records, artificial intelligence in schools, financial aid access, educator preparation, school health, and student mobile device use. Substitute Senate Bill 6268 would require OSPI to keep an online public record of final special education community complaint decisions for 20 years; the sponsor and several parents, attorneys, and open-government advocates said the records help families, schools, and researchers understand past decisions and remedies, while no one testified in opposition. Substitute Senate Bill 5956 would limit school use of automated decision systems, school surveillance technology, biometric data, and facial recognition in student discipline and safety contexts; the sponsor and supporters said it would prevent harmful false positives and discriminatory impacts, while an industry witness warned the bill could unintentionally reduce school safety by limiting emergency facial-recognition uses. Committee discussion focused on the bill’s scope, especially whether it affects classroom grading or only discipline-related decisions, and staff noted the bill does not require teacher training. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5841, which would add financial-aid application data to the High School and Beyond Plan platform and require students to receive information about the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program. The sponsor said the bill would make aid status more transparent and easier to track, especially for families facing language or access barriers, and a student advocate testified in support; a committee member raised concerns about privacy for immigrant and DACA students, and the sponsor said the portal would be opt-in and guided by privacy protections. Senate Bill 6278 would codify and update Professional Educator Standards Board review of teacher and principal preparation programs, including program standards, educator role standards, evidence, and input from P-12 partners, while allowing field placement plans to be submitted on a less frequent schedule; PESB staff said the bill largely reflects current practice and adds flexibility. Substitute Senate Bill 5240 would expand who may administer epinephrine in schools and allow use of any available epinephrine when a student with a prescription on file has anaphylaxis; school nurses supported broader access to stock epinephrine but warned against using one student’s medication for another and raised legal and ethical concerns, while the sponsor emphasized faster response in emergencies. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5346 would direct OSPI to study and report on school mobile-device restrictions and update digital citizenship resources to include research and best practices on student phone use. Staff said OSPI already has some guidance, but the bill would create formal legislative reports and expand the state’s digital citizenship materials. The committee began taking testimony on that bill as the hearing time ran short, and the chair noted there were ten people signed in to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• c> This</c><00:57:30.280><c> is</c> school districts, and defined This is school districts, and defined
• </c> both school districts will have seven. both school districts will have seven.
• </c><01:03:22.320><c> district</c> but JCPS is the only school district but JCPS is the only school district
• c> voters</c><01:04:32.200><c> of</c> school districts, whereas the voters of school districts, whereas
• </c> school districts to enter public-private school districts to enter public-private partnership<01

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><03:09:49.399><c> one</c> school districts one with Vermont one school districts one with Vermont
• and</c><03:09:53.840><c> the</c> and the school district are one and the and the school district are
• ><c> boards</c> the school district manage school boards the school district manage school boards relations
• <c> district</c><03:21:23.160><c> is</c> what how the school district is what how the school district
• as</c><04:58:00.558><c> an</c> NASA School District as well as an NASA School District as well as an

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 362, which would grant the Department of Education rulemaking authority related to educator licensure and testing requirements, including passing scores on professional education assessments. Representative Ladd said the bill is intended to preserve New Hampshire’s standards for classroom teachers and CTE instructors, while allowing DOE flexibility through rulemaking. He emphasized maintaining high standards, including for career and technical education, and said he was open to DOE clarifying the language further. Committee members raised concerns that the bill, as written, could remove language recognizing industry-recognized credentials for CTE instructors. Department of Education Director Steven Appy said DOE had drafted an amendment to clarify that the requirement applies to an initial New Hampshire license, to exempt CTE teachers from content exams, and to preserve current administrative practice allowing basic academic skills testing and industry-recognized credentials as substitutes. The committee discussed the distinction between basic academic skills tests and content assessments, and Appy said the amendment was meant to avoid conflating those requirements. The chair said the committee would take up executive session on HB 362 and related bills later. The committee then took up House Bill 90, which narrows and defines the rules for part-time teachers, especially in concurrent enrollment settings. Representative Ladd explained that the bill is meant to allow qualified college faculty or adjuncts from the University System or Community College System to teach high school concurrent-enrollment courses when local schools lack a teacher with the needed master’s-level credentials, particularly in math and STEM subjects. He said the bill is intended to expand student access to college-level coursework, save money, and preserve standards, while still requiring background checks and adherence to ethics and conduct rules. Members began asking questions about how the bill would work in practice, including certification and endorsement issues, but the hearing was not concluded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• ADDITIONALLY MEMBERS TO ADDRESS THE SHORTFALL TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ADDITIONALLY MEMBERS TO ADDRESS THE
• SHORTFALL TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN 24-25, BUDGET AMENDMENT BE 0354 IN THE AMOUNT OF $47.1 MILLION COMES
• THERE'S A NUMBER OF STEPS IF I MAY TO GET TO THE TIME WHEN WE NOTIFY THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OCTOBER 14
• SOMEHOW THEY SHOWED UP IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL MATCH BUT WE'VE SAID TO THEM AND THE DISTRICTS IF YOU CAN
• SLIDE SIX DEALS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND FPS YOU A PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND SLIDE SEVEN HILLS WITH IMPROVEMENTS

Transcript Highlights:

• I wanted to recognize Lindsay Matthew, Eastn Middle School, and I see my colleague from District 37,
• Next, Assad Farooq from District 33, a student at South River High School.
• Morgan King from Prince George's County, District 24, a student at Charles Herbert Flowers High School
• Uh, Zaria Naki from Montgomery County, District 16, a student at Winston Churchill High School.
• And finally, Tamaya Turner, Baltimore County, District 11, a student at Owings Mills High School.

Transcript Highlights:

• within a district allowing each School within a district to<00:05:04.960><c> make</c><00:05:05.160><
• </c> health information getting to school health information getting to school districts<00:30:23.960
• </c><01:04:25.119><c> districts</c><01:04:25.480><c> by</c> not any blame on the school districts by
• this</c> to rural school districts we see this to rural school districts we see this bill<01:25:59.400
• to other school districts.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• They basically have school districts, and the school district does everything. students, okay, which
• So, Florida, 2.9 million students, only 67 school districts, right? So, huge school districts.
• So, huge school districts, right?
• </c> per county uh per school district. per county uh per school district.
• c> uh,</c> particular school, a district level, uh, particular school, a district level, uh, school<01

Summary: The meeting focused on school governance and a proposed shift in responsibilities related to SAU consolidation, with committee members first discussing how school board members and other local officials would be selected for future testimony. The main presentation came from the New Hampshire Association of School Principals, whose executive director Brady Belair and several principals argued that mandatory statewide administrative consolidation should be approached cautiously and that any consolidation should be voluntary and locally driven. They said anticipated savings may not materialize, citing possible higher personnel, transportation, and technology costs, and warned that forcing changes could create disruption without improving student outcomes. Principals testified that their jobs are already broad and demanding, centered on instructional leadership, student safety, staff supervision, family communication, and day-to-day crisis response. Kathleen Murphy of Amherst described working 60 to 70 hours a week and said principals spend substantial time coaching teachers, handling student issues, and supporting school climate; she said adding more administrative duties would compromise student learning and teacher growth. Adam Osborne of Bow Memorial School similarly described principals as daily problem-solvers who set school-level direction and create conditions for schools to thrive. The witnesses also emphasized that principals, superintendents, school boards, and business administrators have different training and responsibilities, and that specialized tasks such as special education compliance, FERPA/HIPAA issues, and labor matters require appropriate expertise. Committee members questioned the witnesses about overlap between superintendent and principal duties, the completeness of statutory responsibility lists, and whether some functions such as curriculum, discipline, hiring, and evaluation are shared. The principals acknowledged some overlap and collaboration, but said superintendents typically handle broader system-level, legal, and central-office responsibilities while principals focus on building-level leadership and teacher support. One member raised the earlier expectation that districts might move to a principal-plus-business-manager model, but the witnesses said that model did not develop as expected and that district structures vary widely. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have brought my own district here today. I've got Sarasota School District.
• He's the District Athletic Director for Sarasota County Schools.
• He's the district athletic director for Sarasota County Schools.
• Now, for the high school student, they can participate in sports at any school in their school district
• and school districts the ability to amp those up a little bit.

Summary: The Student Academic Success Subcommittee met to discuss Florida’s current “sports choice” rules and high school NIL policy, then heard and passed HB 151. FHSAA officials and Sarasota County Schools staff explained eligibility rules for student-athletes, including GPA, age, semester limits, physicals, insurance, and the different participation options for traditional public, charter, home education, Florida Virtual, and private school students. Members focused on how controlled open enrollment works, whether private school students can play at public schools and vice versa, transfer timing and capacity limits, recruiting restrictions, and the role of local district policies. Sarasota officials said about 400 students in their county participate through non-traditional athletic arrangements, and FHSAA said statewide there are 5,460 non-traditional student-athlete forms on file out of roughly 280,000 student-athletes. The committee then reviewed Florida’s high school NIL framework. FHSAA said students in grades 9-12 may enter NIL deals, with no income cap, but they are barred from agreements involving adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco/vaping, cannabis, controlled substances, gambling, weapons, political or social activism, and NIL collectives. Students must have a written contract and cannot use school logos or uniforms without permission. FHSAA said about 25 students statewide had NIL deals so far, and Sarasota was first to file. Members raised concerns about recruiting, taxes, financial literacy, mental health, and whether students should be treated as employees, while district staff said they provide education and financial literacy resources but do not review contracts. After the discussion, the committee took up HB 151 by Rep. Abbott. The bill allows students at FHSAA-member private schools to participate in sports at another member school when their own school does not offer that sport, and it removes the current 200-student enrollment limit. An amendment clarifying the private-school language was adopted without objection. A public witness from a small private school supported the bill, saying it would let the school join FHSAA without losing local athletic access for its students. Despite some members raising fairness and funding concerns, the bill passed on a 15-0 vote and was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• where we have local control of our separate school districts?
• or school district is then.
• They may be those same districts that it's the same one school that's the school district and the county
• We're seeing some great changes in our menu in our local school districts.
• So in my particular situation, it's a very large school district.

Transcript Highlights:

• to vote to detach from their existing school districts and establish new isolated school districts.
• This will allow the existing school district, which has had students go to the new detaching school district
• The school districts will establish new isolated school districts.
• This will allow the existing school district, which has had students go to the new detaching school district
• The Mountain View School District, the existing school district, will still get their foundation funding

Committee: All ALC-EXECUTIVE SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The Executive Subcommittee met and first approved an emergency rule change from the Department of Education to update consolidation and annexation rules to reflect Acts 919 of 2025 and 157 of the 2026 fiscal session. The rule implements the creation of new isolated school districts after local detachment votes, and officials explained the funding structure for parent districts: they retain foundation funding, declining enrollment funding, and local tax revenue, while 90% of the foundation funding generated by detaching students is forwarded to the new districts. Members discussed the financial impact in detail, and the emergency rule was approved without objection, effective upon adjournment of the Legislative Council meeting on June 19, 2026. The Department of Human Services then presented an emergency rule allowing hospitals to open separate adolescent substance use disorder units and receive payment for residential services provided to adolescents. The rule was approved without objection, and Senator Irvin requested that the topic be placed on a future public health agenda for an update. The committee also approved Whitehall’s waiver request to exceed $1 million through cooperative purchasing for construction services related to a project using a vendor with prior experience and a longer-warranty system. In addition, members voted to keep committee per diem, mileage, and expense allocations unchanged for the new fiscal year. Finally, the committee approved a motion to cancel the July 2026 Legislative Council meeting, allow only subcommittee meetings with imminent matters through July 31, and treat July subcommittee actions as final for reporting at the August 21, 2026 meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And lastly, most school districts, I don't know about Chandler, but most school districts do have policies
• And lastly, most school districts, I don't know about Chandler, but most school districts do have policies
• And lastly, most school districts, I don't know about Chandler, but most school districts do have policies
• or school district.
• or school district.

Committees: House Education , House House Education Committee of Reference