Transcript Highlights:

• standards.
• standards.
• standards.
• standards.
• standards.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Roll Call 01:37 HB 398 Discussion 02:18 HB 398 Vote 30:35, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Economic Development and Workforce Investment met for its first 2025 session meeting, took roll, and established a quorum. The committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 398, an act relating to occupational safety and health, before hearing testimony. Sponsor Representative Walker Thomas said the bill is intended to align Kentucky’s occupational safety and health rules more closely with federal standards, provide clearer reference points for employers, and improve consistency and compliance while maintaining worker safety. He also explained that the substitute added and clarified a de minimis citation provision and defined “qualified representative,” and he noted a typo in the substitute would be corrected on the floor. Members asked whether the bill would change Kentucky’s OSHA structure or affect state offices, and Thomas said Kentucky remains a state-plan state with its own offices and enforcement staff, and that the bill would not eliminate those offices. He said the measure is meant to streamline rules and clarify that certain notices would carry no penalty when there is no substantial impact on safety or health. He also said employers must be given an opportunity to be present for inspections, typically with 45 minutes to an hour to arrange representation. Opposition testimony came from Dustin Ryan Stadler of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO and Gerald Atkins of Working Strategies 2 on behalf of the Kentucky State Building and Construction Trades Council. They argued the bill weakens worker protections, reduces accountability, limits who may request inspections, and could prevent family members from seeking inspections after a fatal workplace incident. Stadler described a fatal construction accident he witnessed in 2006 and said OSHA protections exist for a reason. Atkins cited workplace deaths and injuries, said the bill would go beyond prior 2021 changes, and warned that allowing Franklin Circuit Court to award uncapped costs and attorney fees against OSHA could chill enforcement. Several members then questioned whether federal standards are sufficient, with supporters saying the bill simply aligns Kentucky with federal rules and opponents arguing Kentucky should retain the ability to keep stronger protections for certain industries. No final vote on House Bill 398 was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• legal standards and also talk about how those legal standards have developed since 2022 and how they
• is that when the standards conflict, then the standards in tier one prevail over the standards in tier
• standards.
• That's a violation of the standard.
• geographical boundaries standard.

Summary: The Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting met for an informational presentation from outside counsel Andy Bartos on the legal standards governing congressional redistricting. He reviewed federal Equal Protection principles, Florida’s non-diminishment provision, and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, explaining how race can be considered in redistricting but generally cannot be the predominant factor. He also discussed the Florida Constitution’s tiered standards, including the prohibition on intentional political favoritism, compactness, and the requirement to use existing political and geographical boundaries where feasible. Bartos focused on two recent or pending cases: the Florida Supreme Court’s Black Voters Matter decision, which upheld the legislature’s 2022 congressional map and held that the non-diminishment clause does not justify making race predominant absent specific identifiable discrimination, and Louisiana v. Callais, pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, which may further clarify whether race may be used predominantly to comply with the Voting Rights Act or whether Section 2 remains constitutional as applied. He also explained how courts assess compactness and intent, and how data such as the 2020 census, voter registration, turnout, and election results are used for voting-rights analysis. Members asked about what triggers redistricting, whether the legislature must redraw maps now, what data is available in the mapping tool, how intent is measured, and whether public input opportunities will be provided. Bartos said redistricting timing is largely a legislative judgment unless a court requires changes, that the committee can consider whether BVM or the eventual Callais decision warrants revisions, and that the Callais ruling will bind Louisiana directly but serve as precedent for other courts. No votes or legislative actions were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentation and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And street standards and frontage improvements.
• That's an example of what a performance standard is. Light or glare is a performance standard.
• Then you translate that into clear and objective standards.
• They triggered some proportional standards.
• So do you... ...find, so DCYF has its own safety standards and licensing standards.

Summary: The committee held a work session on form-based codes, child care facility siting, and street standards/frontage improvements. On form-based codes, Commerce’s Dave Anderson explained that these codes emphasize building form, orientation, and the public realm more than traditional use and density tables, and that they are typically applied in specific districts rather than citywide or statewide. Lacey’s Vanessa Dolby described the city’s Woodland District code, developed through community charrettes, fiscal and market analysis, and subdistrict-specific standards to create a walkable downtown. She said the approach has helped produce a more desirable built environment and more flexibility in permitted uses, but also noted it can be less user-friendly for applicants and still requires some use restrictions; both presenters said a hybrid approach is often best. The committee then heard from DCYF and multiple providers about barriers to opening child care facilities. DCYF officials said Washington has more than 6,500 licensed providers and that a new pre-licensing support team is helping applicants navigate licensing, but local zoning, building, fire, parking, utility, and occupancy requirements still create delays and confusion. Testifiers described long permitting timelines, inconsistent local interpretations, costly upgrades, and utility hookup delays; one Yakima provider said county requirements, a floodplain-related elevation certificate, and a private well issue stopped her in-home child care proposal, while others described traffic impact fees, parking mandates, and zoning barriers that made projects infeasible. Enterprise Community Partners highlighted examples of successful local reforms, including fee waivers, expedited permitting, and zoning changes in several cities, and DCYF said it is working toward a 2026 action plan and a resource guide for providers. In the final section, planners and developers discussed how street standards and frontage improvement requirements can undermine infill and middle housing. Poulsbo’s planning manager said current standards were designed for greenfield subdivisions and often force costly curb, gutter, sidewalk, stormwater, and utility upgrades on small infill sites, sometimes adding tens of thousands of dollars and causing projects to be abandoned. A Seattle-based developer made similar points about small middle-housing projects being burdened by frontage work, curb ramps, buried standards, and EV-ready parking requirements that can trigger expensive undergrounding. Committee members asked about possible state-level changes, including whether child care should be treated as an essential public facility and whether parking requirements had already been reduced; one senator noted that minimum parking requirements for child care facilities were eliminated in prior legislation, with implementation phased in over the next few years.

Transcript Highlights:

• Along with implementing those best standards, Along with implementing those best standards, the second
• I'm proud to talk about our resiliency education standards.
• I'm proud to talk about our resiliency education standards.
• All state standards are, state education standards are by definition a state issue.
• to rewrite and to develop those standards.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Pre-K through 12 Education received a Department of Education presentation from Deputy Commissioner Juan Copa on Florida’s K-12 assessment system, including FAST progress monitoring, end-of-course exams, science, writing, alternate assessments, English language acquisition testing, and VPK progress monitoring. Copa reported year-over-year gains in ELA and mathematics, noted that end-of-course and science results also improved, and explained how assessment data are used for school grades, third-grade promotion, graduation requirements, and other accountability measures. He also reviewed the independent study required by SB 1048, which recommended keeping PM3 as the primary accountability measure, proceeding cautiously on further test-length reductions and remote testing expansion, and using PM1/PM2 only as supplemental evidence in limited cases. Committee members focused on whether the new system is improving student outcomes enough, what supports teachers and schools need to use the data effectively, and how Florida compares nationally. Chancellor Dr. Burns said the department is emphasizing implementation of the new standards, high-quality instructional materials, coaching, professional learning, collaboration, and school improvement support, and also pointed to resiliency education standards and mental health supports. Copa said Florida’s latest NAEP results remain mixed but still generally outperform the nation in some grades, while members pressed for more information on best practices, other states’ approaches, and how districts are using the data. Several members requested follow-up information, including the independent review report, breakdowns of PM1/PM2/PM3 results by grade and subgroup, details on VPK outcomes by provider type and full-day versus half-day programs, and data on use of the CLT versus SAT/ACT for graduation concordant scores. The committee also discussed third-grade retention outcomes, computer-based testing, district assessment calendars, and whether some districts still administer additional local testing. No votes were taken on legislation, and the meeting adjourned after Senator Davis moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• or labor standards.
• environmental standards or standards environmental standards or labor<00:03:53.640><c> standards</c><
• We rely on strict safety standards, wage and hour standards, and we appreciate strong environmental standards
• We rely on strict safety standards, wage and hour standards, and we appreciate strong environmental standards
• c> hour</c> strict safety standards wage and hour strict safety standards wage and hour standards<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Meeting TCEQ standards or holding reciprocal certifications reduces the overall standard of practice.
• On testing and licensing, or on water standards? Water standards.
• So what happens with our training that HIAL was put on is to have that standard, set that standard, and
• a Texas standard for it currently.
• And where we have equal standards for testing, equal standards for protection, but we've just decided

Bills: HB5208, SB863, SB1243, SB1624, SB1965, SB2660, SB2702, SB2885

Keywords: water filtration, public drinking water, health and safety, well maintenance, water quality, Edwards Aquifer, water conservation, reclaimed water, aquifer storage, environmental protection, public utility agency, dissolution, local government, regulatory framework, municipal authority, Texas Water Bank, Texas Water Trust, water rights, water banking, instream flow

Transcript Highlights:

• If Illinois decided to do standard time, that would force us to have to do standard time as well.
• It would force the state of Missouri to do standard time. St.
• If Illinois decided to do standard time, that would force us to have to do standard time as well.
• That way, if they chose for us to go to standard time, then we would go to standard time.
• There are only two that have done the standard time.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior day’s journal, and a long series of introductions recognizing student groups, interns, FCCLA and FBLA participants, a Missouri Rural Water Association delegation, medical students, family guests, and legislative assistants. Members also highlighted the Tipton Lady Cardinals girls basketball state championship team and several job-shadowing students from across the state. Announcements included committee meetings and a Missouri Department of Conservation Earth Day tree-seedling giveaway in the rotunda. On legislation, the House received committee reports recommending passage of several measures, then took up House substitute for House Committee Substitute for House Bills 3068 and 3049. Members discussed the bill as a vehicle for multiple bipartisan provisions, including public safety, AI, trafficking training, and other topics; opponents raised concerns about anti-trans language and the bill’s breadth, while others defended it as a package of widely supported items. The House passed the measure 117-10 with 17 present. The chamber also truly agreed to and finally passed Senate Bill 914, dealing with soil analysis/perk test issues, by 108-34 with one present, and Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1142, a Secretary of State business filing measure for series LLC certificates of good standing, by 142-0 with one present. The most extended debate was on House Bill 1758, a daylight savings time trigger bill. The sponsor argued Missouri should lock in daylight savings time if the federal government authorizes a nationwide change, to avoid neighboring states forcing Missouri into standard time and to support tourism, safety, and economic activity. Supporters cited health, mental health, family, and business benefits, while opponents argued for standard time, raised concerns about children, circadian rhythms, and prior failed experiments, and questioned the federal-state authority issues. After extensive discussion and a point of order, the House ordered House Bill 1758 perfected and printed. The session ended with announcements and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regardless of whether it is daylight saving time or standard time.
• Thus, only 7% of our members support making Standard Time permanent.
• What would permanent daylight standard time of permanent standard time mean for these communities?
• Yates on standard time versus daylight savings.
• So we want permanent standard Eastern time, not permanent standard Atlantic time, which is the exact

Keywords: daylight saving time, Sunshine Protection Act, health impacts, clock change, legislative discussion

Summary: The committee meeting was dedicated to discussing significant legislative topics, focusing particularly on the implications of daylight saving time (DST). Senator Scott advocated for the Sunshine Protection Act, which aims to eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes and keep daylight saving time year-round. He emphasized the negative health impacts associated with DST, including increased risks of heart attacks and accidents immediately following the time changes. Various witnesses provided personal testimonies and expert opinions, highlighting the confusion and health disruptions caused by the current time change practices.

Transcript Highlights:

• If Illinois decided to do standard time, that would force us to have to do standard time as well.
• If Illinois decided to do standard time, that would force us to have to do standard time as well.
• That way, if they chose for us to go to standard time, then we would go to standard time.
• There are only two that have done the standard time.
• There are only two that have done the standard time.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the previous day’s journal, and a long series of special guest introductions. Guests included the Tipton Lady Cardinals girls basketball state champions, FCCLA and FBLA students from several districts, legislative interns and family members, Missouri Rural Water Association members for Water Advocacy Day, Kansas City University medical students, and legislative assistants, who were formally recognized for their work supporting the chamber. The chamber then took up committee reports and moved several measures. House Substitute for House Committee Substitute for House Bills 3068 and 3049, a broad public-safety vehicle containing multiple provisions, drew debate over its contents, including concerns about anti-trans language and a challenge that it was overly broad, but it passed 117-10 with 17 present. Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 914, dealing with lateral field soil analysis/perk testing, passed 108-34 with one present. Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1142, a Secretary of State business filing measure for series LLCs, passed 142-0. The main floor debate centered on House Bill 1758, a daylight-saving-time trigger bill. Supporters argued it would protect Missouri from neighboring states forcing a switch to permanent standard time, preserve tourism and outdoor recreation, and reduce health and safety problems associated with changing clocks. Opponents argued Missouri should instead adopt permanent standard time, citing research on circadian rhythm, health effects, school bus safety, and the state’s prior 1974 experience with permanent daylight saving time. The discussion was extensive and bipartisan in tone, but the transcript ends before any final vote on HB 1758 is recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• I served on the newly formed American history social studies standards.
• and the adoption of standards and curriculum.
• and the adoption of standards and curriculum.
• I think the social studies standards were 75 pages worth of standards from K through 12.
• I think the social studies standards were 75 pages worth of standards from K through 12.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The House Education Committee heard Senate Bill 1336, a late-session proposal to codify and expand Idaho’s civics, American history, and American government instruction. The bill’s sponsor and Dr. Samuel Lair described it as an America 250 measure focused on core civic knowledge, cardinal virtues, key founding documents, Federalist Papers, and instruction on totalitarian ideologies such as communism and fascism. They said the bill largely aligns with recently adopted social studies standards, adds clarity by placing requirements in statute, and includes local discretion on where documents are taught across history, government, and English language arts courses. Committee members raised concerns about the bill’s breadth, especially the number of “shall” requirements and whether the material could realistically be covered in high school coursework. Several members also objected to a section allowing public charter schools to seek exemptions based on unique missions, asking why similar flexibility was not extended to alternative or district-run schools such as magnet or military-style programs. Department of Education staff said the carve-out was drafted in response to stakeholder feedback from charter schools and that the bill was intended to align with existing standards rather than impose entirely new content, while also noting the exemption would require State Board approval. After debate, Representative Marmon moved to send Senate Bill 1336 as amended to the floor with a do pass recommendation. The motion passed on an 8-6 roll call vote. Representatives Wisniewski, Marmon, Pickett, and Hostetler voted yes; Representatives Nelson, Veile, Mathias, and Galaviz voted no; other votes were not fully recorded in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if everything is just norm-referenced on those standards, when you look at the curriculum, the standards
• , or excuse me, testing the standards.
• Our validity standards, or reliability standards, require that at least 95% of the time the two people
• Um, our, uh, sort of validity standards or reliability standards that are, uh, 291 are required is at
• It is designed to test state standards.

Bills: HB8

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Summary: The House Committee on Public Education met to hear House Bill 8, which would replace STAAR with a new assessment and accountability system beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The chair described the bill as reducing testing time, limiting benchmark tests, adding beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments, requiring faster score turnaround, involving Texas teachers in test development, and tightening accountability timelines and transparency rules. Members also discussed provisions on A-F ratings, cut scores, CCMR, local accountability plans, and TEA reporting requirements. Committee members and invited witnesses split sharply on the bill’s approach. Supporters, including the chair, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, and Ed Trust’s Nicholas Munyon Penny, argued the bill would reduce high-stakes pressure, provide quicker and more actionable data, limit over-testing, and better align assessments to Texas standards while preserving criterion-referenced accountability. They said the new system would help teachers and parents intervene sooner and would improve transparency, including parent access to student responses and automatic rescoring in some writing cases. Opponents, including Rep. Hinojosa and student witness Ella Moran, argued the bill still increases testing and replaces one high-stakes test with multiple TEA-created tests. Moran testified that STAAR creates anxiety, disrupts instruction, and does not reflect real learning, while Hinojosa said the House had previously passed a better bill based on a nationally norm-referenced model and criticized the new proposal as a concession to the Senate. Questions also focused on AI scoring of writing, rescoring rates, and whether the bill’s new accountability rules would be reliable and fair. The committee did not take a final vote during the portion provided, but the chair said a vote on HB 8 would be called after public testimony later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• On testing and licensing or on water standards? our standards. Chair calls Michelle Risco.
• standards?
• Um, so what happens with our training that, uh, HOPs put on is to have that standard, set that standard
• So, I mean, is that a situation that we're in where we have equal standards for testing, equal standards
• So the, the test for y'all to meet those standards is not just that it meets the drinking water standard

Bills: HB 5208, SB 863, SB 1243, SB 1624, SB 1965, SB 2660, SB 2702, SB 2885

Keywords: water filtration, public drinking water, health and safety, well maintenance, water quality, Edwards Aquifer, water conservation, reclaimed water, aquifer storage, environmental protection, public utility agency, dissolution, local government, regulatory framework, municipal authority, Texas Water Bank, Texas Water Trust, water rights, water banking, instream flow

Transcript Highlights:

• Those closest know best for their community. in all academic standards not just the in all academic standards
• </c><00:03:59.280><c> that's</c> and and teaching ethnic standards that's and and teaching ethnic standards
• </c><00:04:01.640><c> has</c> already happening um this standard has already happening um this standard
• </c><00:09:41.720><c> and</c> dominant European beauty standards and dominant European beauty standards
• The 2011 social studies standards reflected research and model standards that existed at that time.

Bills: HF29, HF921, HF922, HF1048, HF1049

Keywords: railroad, infrastructure, transportation funding, environmental remediation, capital investment, HF921, tax increment financing, TIF, excess tax increment, school district aid, levy adjustment, property tax levy, education finance, Minnesota education aid, decertification, local government finance, school funding formula, state aid reduction, referendum equalization aid, debt service equalization

Transcript Highlights:

• What are these standards?
• So this bill doesn’t set any new standards. These standards are already established.
• , I do my best to apply the standards.
• , I do my best to apply the standards.
• That’s what these standards address.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on several bills centered on school accountability, receivership, graduation requirements, charter school access, community schools, school libraries, and student voting rights. Much of the discussion focused on the Thrive Act, S. 374, which would end state receivership and change the state’s accountability approach. Supporters, including educators, parents, advocacy groups, and students, argued that receivership has not improved outcomes in districts such as Lawrence, Holyoke, Southbridge, Boston, and the Dever, and that local communities should have more control, with greater emphasis on community schools, wraparound services, and broader measures of school quality. They also supported related bills on community schools and school library standards, and several witnesses backed a bill to expand student representative voting rights on school committees. Opponents of S. 374, especially charter school leaders, parents, students, and some education advocates, focused on Section 4 of the bill, which would change the charter school net school spending cap in the lowest-performing districts. They argued that the provision would reduce access to charter seats in communities where families are seeking more options, and that schools such as Roxbury Prep, Excel Academy, Brook, Veritas Prep, and Libertas Academy have produced strong results for students, including students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs. Several witnesses said the section would force schools to shrink or close and would remove opportunities for families in districts with long waitlists. Committee members questioned witnesses on both the effectiveness of receivership and the charter school cap language. Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon emphasized the need for a better accountability system and noted concerns about whether current measures, including MCAS-based designations, accurately reflect school quality. Some witnesses said they had discussed the possibility of removing Section 4 from the Thrive Act and suggested it might be addressed in separate charter reform legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing; testimony was received and the committee later closed testimony on S. 374 and several related bills before moving on to the student voting rights bill, S. 367.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the standardized planning and standardized data and having it be comprehensive across the whole state
• standards, whether it is prevailing wage requirements, any kind of wage or labor standard... for workers
• it's construction standards, whether it is prevailing wage requirements, any kind of wage or labor standard
• clear rules, standards can erode quickly.
• ...away something as precious as labor standards and as precious as the workers that those labor standards

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The increased standard, or the change in the standards, is a recruiting mechanism for a lot of agencies
• There are other standards as well.
• The WSBA standards and the Washington State Supreme Court standards have a different rollout and a different
• But the bar standards, if you looked at the revised bar standards, you will see a huge emphasis on support
• You move to the new standard.

Summary: The committee received agency updates on several behavioral health and justice programs. The Health Care Authority reported that assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has expanded from two counties to eight, with a ninth expected in December, and described AOT as a court-ordered, least-restrictive treatment model that depends on close coordination among courts, treatment providers, and local officials. The agency also reviewed Joel’s Law, which lets family members, guardians, conservators, or tribes petition for an initial involuntary detention when they disagree with a designated crisis responder’s decision. Judges Ferreira and Larson said petition use has increased significantly statewide and in Snohomish County, but many cases do not proceed beyond the initial detention stage; they also noted family frustration, disjointed processes, and bed shortages as ongoing issues. Committee members asked about expansion criteria, the law’s effectiveness, and how the system fits together with other mental health interventions. The Attorney General’s Office presented on the hate crimes and bias incidents hotline created by SB 5427. The hotline began a pilot in King, Clark, and Spokane counties on July 1, 2025, with a statewide launch planned for 2027. Officials said the advisory committee helped shape the referral process, intake questions, outreach materials, and public branding. In the first five months, the hotline received 301 reports, with roughly 45% from King County and about 38% from outside the pilot counties; 42% requested follow-up, and only about a quarter of those wanted law enforcement referral. Testimony emphasized that the hotline is non-emergency, anonymous if desired, and focused on referrals rather than investigation. Members asked about why callers do not seek law enforcement involvement, how the hotline compares with Oregon’s launch, and what kinds of incidents are being reported. The Office of Independent Investigations reported progress on its work investigating police deadly force fatalities. Director Roger Rogoff said the agency has grown to 66 employees, including 31 investigators, and has completed six fatality investigations, with two public final reports posted. He said the office now operates in Region 1 and plans to expand statewide as staffing allows, with a future east-side expansion dependent on additional investigators. He also said the office has 29 requests to review prior cases, but those reviews are time-intensive and limited to cases with new evidence. Committee members asked about staffing needs, local cooperation, and whether the office conducts parallel investigations; Rogoff said OII performs the criminal investigation, while agencies may still do administrative reviews. The committee then heard a lengthy panel on public defense caseload standards and funding. The Washington State Bar Association, Washington Defender Association, county representatives, and city representatives all discussed the new caseload standards and the implementation timeline. Speakers said the standards reflect modern public defense realities but warned that funding, attorney recruitment and retention, office space, and data collection remain major barriers. Survey results from county offices showed wide variation in readiness, with many counties uncertain about timelines and most citing lack of funding as the biggest obstacle; attorney attrition was also described as high. County and city representatives argued that the new standards will require far more attorneys and support staff, and that local governments cannot absorb the cost without substantial state funding. They urged the Legislature to increase state support, improve workforce pipelines, and address structural issues in the public defense system.

Transcript Highlights:

• My guess is that not everybody enjoys reading school standards.
• Is my understanding that the present standards stay in place.
• It's not like we don't have any standards; just the present standards would stay in place if we disapprove
• We, in essence, I think the standards, when the Legislature did not reject the standards, they went into
• When the Legislature did not reject the standards, they went into effect.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My guess is that not everybody enjoys reading school standards.
• Is my understanding that the present standards stay in place?
• It's not like we don't have any standards; just the present standards would stay in place if we disapprove
• We, in essence, I think the standards, when the legislature did not reject the standards, they went into
• Standards, when the legislature did not reject the standards, they went into effect.

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 4427, with the sponsor explaining that it would place guardrails on the use of adjunct teachers in school districts. The bill would, beginning in the 2026-27 school year, prohibit adjunct teachers from teaching core subjects in pre-K through 4th grade, including math, ELA, science, and social studies, with a limited exemption process through the State Board. After brief discussion, the committee voted 8-0 to report the bill out as a do pass. Next, House Bill 3021 was presented as a graduation requirements measure that had been worked on with SDE, higher education, and career tech. The sponsor said a PCS or amendment would remove a conflicting section and that the agencies were in agreement on the planned changes. After questions about agency alignment, the committee voted 10-1 to report the bill out as a do pass. The committee then heard House Bill 3711, a transparency bill requiring school districts to post the percentage of spending devoted to instruction on the front page of their websites and include it in bond applications. The sponsor said the goal was to give taxpayers clearer information about how school funds are used. After discussion about how districts define instructional versus support spending, the bill passed the committee on a 7-9-4-N-A vote as announced in the transcript. Finally, House Bill 2987 would change the default outcome for academic standards if the legislature fails to act within 30 legislative days, making them deemed disapproved rather than approved. The sponsor argued this would preserve legislative oversight and prevent substandard standards from taking effect, while opponents raised concerns about delays and outdated standards. The committee discussed how the process would work if standards were rejected or sent back with instructions, and then voted 10-1-1-0 to report the bill out as a do pass.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:02.599><c> policies</c><00:03:02.959><c> for</c> that are sort of standard policies for that
• are sort of standard policies for the<00:03:03.319><c> House</c><00:03:03.599><c> Representatives</c
• Garing, so this language on 2.15 through 2.19, you refer that to that as a general standard, and so I
• </c><00:09:51.519><c> for</c> 1.12 uh provides new standards for 1.12 uh provides new standards for committee
• </c><00:10:07.680><c> for</c> 13.3 uh has to do with the standard for 13.3 uh has to do with the standard

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This certificate is already being practiced as a standard certificate.
• However, the word standard is not in this section, and we're adding standard to bring clarity to align
• However, the word standard is not in this section, and we're adding standard to bring clarity to align
• And so since those content standards were not approved, the 2016 content standard areas remained in effect
• These standards were reviewed by additional outside groups.

Summary: The Senate Education Committee took up a series of State Board of Education rule dockets, most of them described by presenters as cleanup or clarification changes. Nicholas Wagner first presented a repeal of the pay-for-success contracting rule because it duplicated statute and had never been used; the committee approved the repeal. He also explained a cleanup to the Career Technical Centers rules to remove duplicative language tied to the federal Perkins 5 law and to delete an unnecessary reference to “data,” and that docket was approved as well. Greg Wilson then presented several dockets on uniformity, educator ethics, special education, and thoroughness. The uniformity changes were mostly technical edits, including abbreviating State Board of Education to SBOE and adding “standard” to a Career Technical Education certificate title; the committee approved that docket. On the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators, Wilson said the revisions came from the Professional Standards Commission and public comment, and included limits on digital communication with students to district-approved devices and platforms, plus other clarifications about misuse of school property and public funds; the committee approved it. He also described a temporary special education rule and a pending special education manual update intended to bring Idaho into compliance with federal IDEA requirements after an OSEP letter, including changes to specific learning disability criteria and dual enrollment, and the committee approved both the temporary and pending special education dockets. The final major item was the pending social studies standards under rules governing thoroughness. Wilson said the Legislature had rejected prior revisions, so the standards were reworked through a summer process with educators and outside reviewers. He said grade 4 social studies and U.S. history standards were revised, and a new 9-12 Western Civilization section was added. The committee approved the social studies docket, then corrected and re-approved an earlier docket number to ensure the record was accurate. The meeting ended with the chair noting the committee would discuss the budget the next day and then adjourning.