Transcript Highlights:

• We have up HB 391 relating to faith-based content and batterers intervention program.
• House Bill 391 permits certified batterers intervention programs to incorporate faith-based components
• I understand there's no fiscal impact on the state, but it's my experience that batterer intervention
• For years, our faith-based batterers intervention program transformed lives, teaching accountability
• If faith-based programs are not permitted now in batterers intervention programs, which they're not,

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met with a full agenda and reported all measures favorably. The committee first heard HB 1327, which would codify the Hope Florida program in state law, and HB 1329, the related public-records exemption for Hope Florida participants; both bills drew questions about oversight, duplication of services, staffing, and data privacy, and both passed 17-0 after an amendment to HB 1329. The committee then approved HB 391, allowing certified batterers intervention programs to include optional faith-based content while remaining grounded in required therapeutic models; an amendment clarified that participation in faith-based components must be strictly voluntary. Supporters argued the bill restores choice and access, while opponents raised concerns about church-state separation and uneven availability of secular alternatives; the bill passed 17-0. Members also advanced HB 1065, creating an Alzheimer’s disease awareness initiative through the Department of Elder Affairs, with broad support from members who shared personal experiences and emphasized early detection and public education. HB 1163, dealing with recovery residences, passed 12-5 after debate over local zoning authority, home rule, and whether the bill would help or hinder placement of level four recovery homes near urban cores. Several members said they supported recovery housing in principle but wanted more clarity on task force findings and local impacts before fully backing the measure. The committee next approved HB 969, which shifts evaluation of school district mental health assistance programs to OPAGA and requires reports on outcomes and effectiveness; members stressed the need to know whether substantial mental health funding is improving student outcomes. HB 1191, which decriminalizes allowing children to travel to school, play outdoors, or stay home for reasonable periods and codifies current DCF policy, passed 16-0 with support framed around parental rights and child development. Finally, HB 1207, the Tristan Murphy Act, passed 15-0 and would expand mental health diversion and treatment options, including training for first responders, a forensic hospital diversion pilot, a behavioral health data repository, and additional evaluation requirements before inmate work assignments. The meeting adjourned after all agenda bills were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:44.120> next<00:12:44.320> slide interventions next slide interventions next slide
• Is that one of the interventions you're helping with the nurse line? You are correct.
• <00:28:46.120> you're is that one of the interventions you're is that one of the interventions
• so we didn't do discuss interventions so we didn't do this<00:36:57.079> before<00:36:57.680>
• <01:36:13.239> as resources supports and interventions as resources supports and interventions

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't require that students get certain kinds of interventions... ...using. How do we gauge?
• I think there... ...the multi-level systems of support, which used to be called response intervention
• Assessment results to indicate, you know, why we think they need some help, interventions that will be
• Page 5, we specifically reference positive behavior intervention supports. Mr.
• Chairman, is that it is, PBIS is a packaged strategy of interventions. ...is a packaged strategy of interventions

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Including mechanical, chemical, and prone restraint, and any intervention that restricts breathing or
• And only after less restrictive interventions have been attempted.
• Because as we know, under the current law and under HB 12, restraint and seclusion are interventions,
• emergency interventions of last resort when a student's behavior presents an imminent danger of serious
• Yet we know that these interventions happen far too often.

Bills: HB30, HB120, HJR1, SB210, SB306

Keywords: teacher residency, Teacher Residency Act, public schools, teacher preparation, educator pipeline, teacher recruitment, teacher retention, student teachers, apprenticeship, co-teaching, mentor teachers, residency stipend, teacher salary, level one teacher, charter schools, school districts, New Mexico education, teacher workforce, principal stipend, cohort model

Transcript Highlights:

• And in reading intervention, the initial list of reviewed intervention... ensuring our regional literacy
• > um<00:05:29.840> the And in reading intervention, um the And in reading intervention,
• Uh research-based list of interventions.
• delivering evidence-based interventions delivering evidence-based interventions to<00:19:31.600>
• <00:52:57.080> programming,<00:52:57.720> and intervention programming, and intervention

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a crisis intervention team training for our law enforcement. That's so important.
• Our VIP team, our violence intervention team, is a peer-led team.
• So we have our opiate education team, our violence intervention team, our youth violence intervention
• Our VIP team, our violence intervention team is a peer-led team.
• So we have our opiate education team, our violence intervention team, our youth violence intervention

Summary: The Community Safety Committee held an interim work session on crisis response, with members and witnesses discussing how Washington can better integrate 911, 988, mobile crisis, co-response, and alternative response models for behavioral health crises in public spaces. Travis Parker opened with an overview of the Sequential Intercept Model and the crisis care continuum, emphasizing early intervention, 988 access, regional coordination, navigators and peer support, and the need for sustainable braided funding. Several Washington witnesses then described current programs and system gaps, including the growth of co-response teams, the importance of integrating 911 and 988 rather than treating them as competing systems, and the need to reduce unnecessary emergency room use and improve first responder wellness and training. City, fire, and crisis-system representatives described local challenges and reforms. Kim Hendrickson of Poulsbo said most crisis calls still come through 911 and urged better coordination among field-based teams, more behavioral health training for fire/EMS, and more alternatives to ER transport. Laura Pippen, a designated crisis responder, described a strained involuntary treatment system, fewer DCRs statewide, difficulty getting law enforcement support for transports, and limited facility capacity, especially for substance use disorder. Jennifer Stuber and South County Fire’s Keith Sharp highlighted workforce training, a crisis responder certificate program, and first responder wellness efforts. Research witnesses Evan Lauder and James Pine said the evidence is still developing but generally supports on-scene resolution, reduced ED transport and detention in some models, and the importance of clear dispatch protocols, coordination, and ongoing evaluation. Dispatch and program operators then gave examples of how systems are working in practice. Katie Myers of Washington APCO/NENA said 911 remains essential, but needs evidence-based triage protocols, liability protections, and additional funding if it is expected to take on more crisis-response responsibilities. Whatcom County described embedding a “community connector” in the 911 center to coordinate alternative response, while ValleyCom reported that its 988 diversion pilot transferred 2,165 calls with 98% resolved through 988/211 without returning to 911. National examples included Denver’s STAR program, Albuquerque’s Community Safety Department, and Atlanta’s PAD initiative, each showing different ways to route low-acuity or behavioral-health-related calls away from police and toward clinicians, peers, or civilian responders. The session ended with Washington examples continuing, including Whatcom County’s alternative response team, underscoring the committee’s interest in refining and expanding integrated crisis response systems in the next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• can be in changing the intervention can be in changing the trajectory<00:03:24.560> of<00:03:
• This is widely recognized as the gold standard in early intervention.
• <00:08:23.520> And standard in early intervention. And standard in early intervention.
• They need comprehensive<00:09:05.839> early<00:09:06.160> intervention,<00:09:06.640>
• > but comprehensive early intervention, but comprehensive early intervention, but are<00:09:07.120

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• First responder, less restrictive intervention. Definition number six, mechanical restraint.
• A lot of the kids that are subject To these kinds of interventions in school, they may not be verbal.
• prohibits the most dangerous Practices including mechanical, chemical, and prone restraint, and any intervention
• The bill emphasizes de-escalation strategies and less restrictive interventions to prevent crisis situations
• So HB 213 authorizes surgical procedures that carry real risks that require medical interventions that

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• CBHCs offer extended 24/7 crisis response, including mobile crisis intervention services, short-term
• It has been showing... ...as the leading evidence-based intervention for first-episode psychosis, and
• And the early intervention leads to the best outcomes.
• We know that when we act early, that early intervention leads to the best outcomes.
• Well, early evidence shows that CBHCs are effective in promoting intervention.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on a large group of behavioral health and insurance-related bills. Topics included expanding access to mental health services by allowing physician assistants to authorize Section 12 emergency holds and be recognized as licensed mental health professionals (H. 1131/S. 773); improving coverage for community behavioral health centers so commercial insurance matches MassHealth’s bundled outpatient and crisis services (H. 1276/S. 703); eliminating cost sharing for certain behavioral health services (S. 718); extending detox and clinical stabilization coverage from 14 to 30 days and adding transitional support services (H. 1319/S. 772); requiring coverage for dual-diagnosis treatment in psychiatric facilities (H. 1277/S. 771); and preserving access to treatment for serious mental illness through coverage of coordinated specialty care and assertive community treatment (H. 1135/S. 709). The committee also heard bills on preventive behavioral health services for children (H. 1228/S. 802) and post-pregnancy mental health care, including postpartum depression and pregnancy loss-related care (H. 1314/S. 823).

Transcript Highlights:

• , including positive behavior interventions and supports, and de-escalation.
• Yet we know these interventions are happening more often than they should.
• Reinforcement and interventions that teach and replace behavior—not merely suppress it—are essential.
• We strongly support the bill's emphasis on de-escalation, positive behavior interventions, and prevention
• Currently, there are requirements to do the crisis prevention intervention training, correct? Mr.

Bills: SB106, SB171, SB179

Keywords: graduate scholarship, higher education funding, New Mexico, appropriation, financial aid, education, documentary, historical figure, Padre Antonio Jose Martinez, Northern New Mexico State School, SB179, Senate Bill 179, UNM, University of New Mexico, medical Spanish, Spanish-language curriculum, health sciences, health professions education, language access, bilingual healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• I am here to strongly oppose any effort to pull back community violence intervention funding.
• Community violence intervention programs save lives.
• Our violence intervention team stepped in and stopped the situation from escalating.
• Community violence intervention, or CVI programs, are crucial.
• Prevention and intervention is to prevent or intervene if a violent altercation is about to happen.

Transcript Highlights:

• target, and supportive interventions. target, and supportive interventions.
• <01:09:41.880> that break is an efficient intervention that break is an efficient intervention
• <01:53:59.040> that under supportive interventions that under supportive interventions that
• We need to interventions effectively.
• with the supportive interventions with the supportive interventions outlined<01:55:38.000> in

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the multi-level systems of support, which used to be called response intervention, as well as
• But there are students who need those interventions in secondary schools.
• K-3rd shall be used in Intervention.
• We specifically reference positive behavior intervention supports, right, Mr. Chairman? And John.
• When we're talking about positive behavior intervention supports.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Crisis intervention is key.
• The more opportunity for intervention.
• , skills, sort of crisis intervention, skills, sort of crisis intervention, deescalation<00:54:56.319
• <01:07:56.960> and we're looking at crisis intervention and we're looking at crisis intervention
• intervention, suicide prevention. intervention, suicide prevention.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These departments encompass everything from prevention and education through crisis intervention.
• We discuss risk mitigation, interventions for individual students, and then evaluate community impacts
• We report... ...intervention with these collaborative efforts and accountability.
• Some of those funds going to pay for co-pays for medicine and therapeutic intervention.
• We also have our suicide intervention program.

Summary: The committee spent much of the meeting hearing presentations on student mental health supports at Central Washington University, Washington State University, the University of Washington, and the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. CWU described high levels of student distress, loneliness, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and basic-needs insecurity, along with a campus-wide holistic well-being model that includes behavioral intervention teams, emergency aid, peer outreach, community partnerships, and a collegiate recovery community. WSU emphasized loneliness, common presenting concerns such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and relationship distress, and the role of housing and residence life, resident advisors, living-learning communities, and coordinated crisis response in identifying and supporting students. UW highlighted prevention and support programs through LiveWell, including alcohol and other drug consultations, confidential advocacy, suicide intervention, student needs navigation, peer health educators, and peer wellness coaches. The community and technical college system reported persistent access barriers, especially for students ages 18 to 24 and those facing housing or food insecurity, and said the legislature-funded mental health pilot at four colleges expanded counseling access, telehealth, and referral pathways, while broader system efforts focus on awareness, telehealth, basic-needs supports, and workforce training in behavioral health fields. Members asked each panel how they gather student feedback, and the institutions said they use surveys, evaluations, and ongoing outreach to students in services. Questions also focused on substance-use and recovery resources, Greek life outreach, and whether colleges have enough licensed mental health staff versus academic advisors; the community college board said not all colleges have licensed mental health providers on staff, and some rely on community contracts or telehealth. The committee also discussed whether counseling services are increasing because of post-pandemic effects or because students are more willing to seek help, with presenters saying both factors likely play a role. The committee then shifted to artificial intelligence in higher education. Washington State University, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and the community and technical college system described campus AI task forces, governance structures, and efforts to set policies for students, faculty, and staff. Presenters said institutions are requiring course-level AI use statements, promoting ethical and transparent use, expanding access to approved tools such as Microsoft Copilot, and using AI for teaching, research, advising, and administrative support while guarding privacy, equity, and academic integrity. Members raised concerns about deepfakes, bias, student monitoring, and whether AI should be used to screen applications or evaluate student work; presenters said human review remains essential and that some institutions prohibit AI use in hiring or admissions screening. The final presentation, from OSPI, described the statewide rollout of the School Links high school and beyond plan platform under 2023 legislation, saying it will standardize career and college planning across K-12, provide better data and student guidance, and connect students to postsecondary pathways and employers; OSPI said the rollout is underway but current funding only extends through June 30, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the classroom, but the impact of this monitoring isn't limited to those classroom interventions.
• This bill ensures teachers receive specialized training and students receive early interventions rooted
• Second, proactive targeted intervention.
• Interventions will help students identified as at risk to get caught up by fourth grade.
• Targeted intervention. monitoring and teacher training.

Bills: SB451, SB762, SB1490, SB1262, SB1459, SB1750, SB1962, SB2252, SB2253, SB2365

Keywords: instructional materials, public schools, Education Code, adoption, rejected materials, local funds, open educational resources, Texas Education Code, school districts, open enrollment charter schools, funding restrictions, environmental regulation, business compliance, local authority, economic development, state preemption, local control, open education resources, SB 762, Texas public schools

Transcript Highlights:

• To operate either LEA-level, district-level, or school-level interventions.
• The next item is academic interventions and supports.
• Structured literacy instruction, parent notification, and student interventions.
• We set up all these early interventions, but they're all voluntary.
• that are heavy on phonetic interventions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are for House Bill 231, as it will help us target interventions to reduce hunger in Texas, thereby
• to rolling out our Make Texas Healthy Again agenda so we can demonstrate the impact of our new interventions
• Uh, the Texas Department of Agricultural did a food study, um, covered access, income intervention, low
• income areas, grocery store access, transportation issues, agency interventions and interventions, and
• systemic interventions.

Bills: HB231

Keywords: HB 231, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, permit exemption, dam, reservoir, erosion control, flood control, floodwater control, sediment control, watershed protection, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, local sponsor, water appropriation, small dam, water diversion, maintenance, rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• We have to plan interventions once we get the data, and you have to do things above and beyond what is
• If there's anything that we know, the sooner we can identify and provide intervention, the outcomes of
• They started working with families, they started intervention, they started tutoring.
• In fact, I remember talking to a principal not... ...intervention. They started tutoring.
• So schools, like if a student's taking assessment, they're already doing intervention.

Summary: The committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Department of Education on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, featuring three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central who are also teacher merit pay recipients. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long Zoom-based collaboration with about 23 educators statewide, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about the teachers’ experience, how they share what they learn with their districts, the range of grades represented in the fellowship, and the relationship between the fellowship and merit pay. The teachers emphasized building relationships with students, using data to drive instruction, early intervention, and collaboration across grade levels, while the secretary said the program is intended to identify and elevate high-performing teachers and spread their practices. A major portion of the discussion focused on third-grade reading, retention, and the new ATLAS testing system. Teachers and the secretary said students are screened and progress monitored throughout the year, families are notified early if students are at risk, and schools are using interventions, tutoring, and individualized reading plans. They said ATLAS results are now available much faster than in the past, often within 24 hours or a few days, allowing teachers and parents to respond quickly. Members asked about the impact of poverty, trauma, foster care, DHS involvement, IEPs, and critical shortage areas; teachers said relationship-building, small-group instruction, and coordination with counselors and special education staff are key. The secretary said the fellowship is a small subset of a broader merit pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is trying to build a coherent system with literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and clearer standards rather than teaching to the test. Members also discussed broader policy issues, including the need for more positive public messaging about public education, teacher input in decision-making, and support for early childhood education. Several legislators asked whether the state should expand funding for early learning and whether more literacy or academic coaches are needed in districts that improve and then lose eligibility for state support. The secretary said the state has committed literacy coaches to D and F schools and is still working through how to sustain support as schools improve. He also said the administration would look at data and return on investment before supporting additional funding, and he encouraged legislators to help recruit eligible teachers into future fellowship cohorts. After the teacher panel concluded, the committee moved on to the adequacy resource allocation study, where Bureau of Legislative Research staff began a presentation on state and local education funding sources, categorical funds, and district spending patterns.

Transcript Highlights:

• There were various types of interventions that were funded.
• For example, interventions included partnerships with tribal and superior courts as well as schools.
• For example, interventions included partnerships with tribal and superior courts as well as schools to
• To show the importance of intervention dollars at the tribal government.
• How many tribes were able to partake in those intervention dollars?

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Public Safety heard several items focused on youth safety and law enforcement resources. The committee first took up tribal youth diversion programs, with the Legislative Analyst’s Office describing the Tribal Youth Diversion Grant Program and its two cohorts of grantees funded through the Board of State and Community Corrections. Tribal representatives from the Yurok Tribe and San Pasqual Band of Indians testified that diversion, tribal courts, school partnerships, mentoring, and culturally grounded services helped reduce truancy and justice-system involvement, but that short-term funding interruptions and limited capacity prevented them from serving all youth in need. Committee members discussed the importance of early intervention, tribal-state court collaboration, and possible misidentification of Native youth in the justice system. The committee then heard the California Highway Patrol’s overview of surge operations supporting local crime suppression, including organized retail theft. CHP reported that its surge teams have been used in response to mutual aid requests and cited arrests, stolen vehicle recoveries, and firearm seizures in Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Bernardino. Members asked about demand for these operations and whether CHP could meet requests without affecting other duties; CHP said requests have increased and are accepted when resources allow. The committee also heard CHP’s request for a $5 million General Fund augmentation and 12 positions for its Computer Crimes Investigation Unit to make child sexual abuse material and human trafficking investigations a higher priority. CHP cited rising cybertip volumes, a case involving AI-generated CSAM, and the need for more investigators and forensic capacity. A larger portion of the hearing focused on the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces and a separate $5 million ongoing General Fund proposal for Cal OES to continue the program. Task force commanders from Sacramento, San Diego, Silicon Valley, and Fresno described rapidly growing cybertip volumes, heavy caseloads, forensic backlogs, and the need for training and equipment for affiliate agencies statewide. They emphasized that the ICAC model relies on local partnerships, deconfliction, and subject-matter expertise to identify victims, execute warrants, and rescue children, and they gave examples of cases that led to arrests and child rescues. Members generally supported the work but raised questions about overlap between CHP and ICAC efforts, the need for broader statewide collaboration, and whether more resources should be directed to task forces and victim services. A public commenter also urged expansion of homeless youth exploitation services and the California Youth Crisis Line.