Video & Transcript Research : 'overnight programs'

Page 167 of 500
MN
Transcript Highlights:
  • Minnesota Bioincentive Program, The Minnesota Bioincentive Program, which<00:03:19.560> is<00
  • as a as a boondoggle-proof program. as a as a boondoggle-proof program.
  • Um, is there are you the in the program.
  • <00:08:47.240> in understand why this program in understand why this program in particular
  • that run out of money and all programs that run out of money and all that." that." that."
Keywords: 1183, house
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations - Room 409, 28 January, 2026; 10:30 A.M.

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • It's a six-month program.
  • million of uh public health program million of uh public health program support,<00:22:39.200>
  • So you'll have the rural water program, you'll have the health infrastructure program, you'll have the
  • program and but but water still going. program and but but water still going.
  • Um so, to operate one program.
Summary: The meeting began with testimony from the Nursing Home Administrator Board, whose executive director explained the board’s role in licensing nursing home administrators, the AIT internship pathway, reciprocity, board composition, meeting schedule, and staffing. Members then shifted to an ice-storm-related discussion about nursing home emergency preparedness. Legislators asked whether any facilities lacked power, generators, or water, and urged clearer communication protocols so facilities would report problems directly through the Department of Health and emergency channels rather than through scattered calls to legislators. The board said facilities generally communicate with the Department of Health, that emergency contact information had been distributed before the storm, and that every facility has some form of generator, though not all can power the whole facility. The board also presented a small budget request, including modest salary increases for its two employees and a cloud-migration cost tied to House Bill 1491, with the understanding that statewide funding for that requirement might be handled separately. The discussion then moved to the Department of Health’s budget and operations. Agency leadership said the department has spent the last three years improving county health department efficiency, reducing overhead, and adjusting fees to eliminate program deficits, which has reduced spending by about $10 million and would shift roughly $8 million in general funds away from deficits. The department requested level funding overall, citing inflationary pressures and the possibility of another federal shutdown, but said it could absorb the impact for another year. Members discussed the public health trust created in a prior session, the need to rebuild county health departments, maternal and fetal care initiatives, and the importance of maintaining the $2.9 million in public health program support that has helped expand services such as obesity management, OB care, and home visitation for high-risk mothers and babies. Oversight and compliance issues were also reviewed. Legislators asked about prior problems with grants and sex education funding, and department officials said they had tightened oversight, adopted OpenGov for compliance, and corrected earlier violations so the programs are now in full compliance. They said the agency had improved accountability for both state and federal funds and that transparency remained a priority. The department also highlighted the cannabis program, saying it is now profitable, generating about $9 million in net revenue last year and about $12.5 million this year, with projections of $40 million to $50 million annually as it matures. Officials said they are asking for seed money for the public health trust from cannabis revenue so private-sector donations can be leveraged for long-term public health support. They described enforcement actions including fines, suspensions, license revocations, plant destruction, and referrals to law enforcement, the attorney general, and licensure boards for serious violations. The meeting ended with general support from legislators for the department’s work and acknowledgment of improved health outcomes, including Mississippi moving from 49th to 48th in overall health outcomes.
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Tuesday, January 20, 2026)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The SBA has long served this need through its loan guarantee programs, including the 504 CDC program.
  • the 504 CDC program.
  • loan programs.
  • SURE THE PROGRAM STAYS STRONG.
  • to strengthen program performance.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Health and Human Services - 02/19/26

Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • assistance program. assistance program.
  • Uh this is a program payment program.
  • Medicaid program. Medicaid program.
  • program altogether. program altogether.
  • . program. program.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
WY

Wyoming 2026 Regular Session

Joint Appropriations Committee, June 23, 2026

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, so, what happens is EGI program manager will come to me after the actuary looks at our program and
  • I'm the former program manager for the employees and officials group insurance program.
  • I'm actually a constituent and currently on the program. And currently on the program.
  • That program has been around for over 20 years, so we felt like it was a good, sustainable program to
  • So we have some learning to do transitioning from a program like that into our new program when you're
Keywords: 916, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention - 02/04/25

Housing and Homelessness Prevention

Transcript Highlights:
  • community lending and program community lending and program development<00:21:40.520> process
  • program.
  • All three of those programs are federally funded and will impact Habitat’s program model.
  • <00:47:58.960> is<00:47:59.079> a program and this education program is a program and
  • It is a deeply targeted program.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Appropriations - S/C on Article III Feb 27th, 2025

Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Transcript Highlights:
  • Can you tell me more about those programs?
  • We have outstanding programs.
  • And I think it's a great program.
  • . programs that are very talented, but they lack the credential.
  • Additionally, a modest investment in the Rural Veterinarian Incentive Program, a loan repayment program
Keywords: 1184, house, all
MN
Transcript Highlights:
  • SNAP program and 25% on the government. SNAP program and 25% on the government.
  • administration of other programs? administration of other programs?
  • federal cuts and the program changes. federal cuts and the program changes.
  • U of M Extension Program, uh, SNAPD. U of M Extension Program, uh, SNAPD.
  • important program. important program.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
FL

Florida 2026 5th Special Session

Appropriations Jan 14th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • Your springs restoration programs, your alternative water supply grant program at $60 million, as well
  • This program has been wildly successful.
  • Those must stay within the program according to the 340B program.
  • My understanding is the ADAP program is a federally regulated program that we receive hundreds of millions
  • It's earmarked for this program, only for this program, and for no other program.
Summary: The Appropriations Committee first took up SB 7010, which would authorize Roth contributions in state and local deferred compensation plans. Senator Mayfield explained that current law only allows pre-tax contributions, and the bill would let the Department of Financial Services and local governments offer post-tax Roth options. The bill had one support appearance card, no debate, and was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then received a lengthy presentation from the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget on the governor’s recommended “Floridians First” budget, totaling $117.4 billion and $53.2 billion in general revenue. The presentation highlighted reserves, debt paydown, tax relief, and proposed reductions and efficiencies, along with major spending areas in education, health care, public safety, corrections, transportation, and economic development. Key proposals included higher K-12 funding, teacher salary increases, funding for Everglades and water quality projects, emergency preparedness, corrections staffing and facility funding, cybersecurity, law enforcement recruitment bonuses, and affordable housing and infrastructure investments. Members asked extensive questions about property tax reserves, litigation funding, emergency response fund balances and spending, the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility and federal reimbursement, the Second Amendment sales tax holiday, animal abuse hotline funding, Hope Florida, corrections staffing, and teacher pay. A major portion of the discussion focused on the Department of Health’s planned changes to the ADAP HIV medication program, with senators and a public witness expressing concern about access to life-saving medications and possible misuse or redirection of funds. The committee did not take further action on the budget presentation, and the meeting ended after additional comments supporting the budget and the corrections funding, with SB 7010 already approved.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House State Government Finance and Policy Committee 3/20/25

State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • uh fraud and state government programs uh fraud and state government programs traditional<00:08:
  • when program integrity violations occur. programs with recent advancements in programs with recent advancements
  • million in 28 and 29 to enhance program million in 28 and 29 to enhance program integrity<00:19:
  • <00:20:27.679> when<00:20:27.880> program actors from public programs when program
  • I'm noticing your comment earlier about federal programs and state programs.
Bills: HF1470, HF1310, HF1837
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

February 12, 2025 - 03:30 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • Our largest AS degree program is our nursing program. We graduated 316 nurses last year.
  • , with the exception of limited access programs or teacher preparation programs.
  • Our shortest program is four weeks in length. It is our commercial truck driving program. It has...
  • Program is four weeks in length. It is our commercial truck driving program.
  • Our longest program is 24 weeks in length, and that is the full welding program.
Summary: The subcommittee began with an informal “college day” exercise in which members described what careers and colleges they would choose if starting over, often citing factors such as program reputation, location, cost, graduation rates, employment outcomes, and family or personal interests. Members mentioned a range of possible paths including law, aviation, education, construction management, psychology, social work, criminal justice, nursing, intelligence studies, and the arts. Several also highlighted the value of historically Black colleges and universities, dual enrollment, and career/technical education. The chair used the exercise to frame the meeting’s broader focus on Florida’s higher education pathways and student outcomes. Dr. Kathleen Plinsky of Valencia College then gave an overview of the Florida College System and Valencia’s role in it, emphasizing Florida’s statewide articulation and transfer framework, open-access mission, affordability, and workforce alignment. She described Valencia’s record enrollment, high retention, large share of first-generation and working students, and partnerships such as Direct Connect to UCF, Osceola Prosper, and Open Door grants for short-term training. Members asked about guaranteed transfer, apprenticeships, enrollment trends, student demographics, out-of-state residency, county scholarship costs, dual enrollment outcomes, and barriers to expanding career dual enrollment. Dr. Plinsky said the system supports transfer and acceleration well, but funding constraints limit growth in some areas; she also noted that dual enrollment participation is high and that Valencia’s affordability and student support efforts have driven recent enrollment gains. Dr. Jim Clark of Florida State University followed with an overview of the State University System, describing its governance, performance-based funding, low tuition, and strong graduation and research outcomes. He highlighted FSU’s enrollment, research profile, transfer student success, FSU Health, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, partnerships with K-12 schools and Tallahassee State College, and efforts to expand nursing and medical education to address workforce shortages. After the presentations, the committee heard from a panel on student acceleration and mobility: Shannon Mercer of the Department of Education explained the Office of Articulation, the statewide course numbering system, FASTER records, the 2+2 transfer model, specialized AA transfer degrees, and credit for industry certifications, military, medical, and law-enforcement training. Panelists from Kaiser University, Florida State University, and Pinellas County Schools described their institutions’ roles in transfer, advising, career pathways, apprenticeships, and dual enrollment. No formal votes or bills were taken up in the portion provided.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • So Work Ready New Hampshire is a program that's funded out of the job training program.
  • 00.639> program.
  • <00:16:08.639> They with the job training program. They with the job training program.
  • <00:16:29.279> with<00:16:29.600> programs um um put into the program with programs
  • things done with that program right now. things done with that program right now.
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The committee reviewed follow-up status on several prior audit observations. For the Department of Liquor Commission item tied to a DAS audit, staff explained that the commission had been listed as observation 8 because it participated in a recycling program, but the required response had been missed because DAS did not notify the commission. After the committee raised it, the commission contacted DAS and submitted the response, and members agreed the observation could be marked complete, making the audit 9 for 9 resolved. The committee then heard from the Department of Employment Security about the remaining open item from a 2016 audit of the former Department of Resources and Economic Development concerning the Work Ready New Hampshire program. The deputy commissioner said the issue had been addressed by 2019 statutory changes that moved the job training program to Employment Security, increased funding, and specifically recognized Work Ready New Hampshire in statute. Members indicated the item should be treated as resolved and moved to green. The Adult Parole Board also reported on its 2019 audit follow-up. Chair Roger Phillips said 18 of 26 recommendations had been completed, with eight still open, including structured decisionmaking, a tracking/performance measure system, records retention, and access to inmate mental health and substance abuse information. Committee members said the board needed to submit an updated report to DAS with timelines and explanations for the remaining items, and the board said it would provide a timeline within 30 days. The committee then agreed to expect a follow-up report after the first of the year, likely by the end of March, to review the status of the eight open items. At the end of the meeting, members discussed future audit topics. They noted that the wetlands council’s responses had been included with the department’s answers, so no separate appearance was needed. They also raised possible future audits involving special education oversight, the Board of Naturopaths, OPLC-related boards, dental examiners, and police standards training, with a request that some of those entities provide status reports at a later meeting.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee 1/23/25

Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:
  • ad Litem program.
  • overview of the guardian of item program overview of the guardian of item program<00:03:22.239> so
  • guardian Lim program guardian Lim program is $4,634.00 to<00:09:46.279> fund<00:09:47.279
  • The program fully supports IA as a program, and with the advancement of the IA division, the work in
  • The program has been fully supportive of IA as a program, and with the advancement of the IA division
Keywords: 1183, house
Summary: The House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee approved the January 21 minutes and then reviewed committee rules, emphasizing deadlines for handouts, testimony notices, and substantive amendments, along with a warning that disruptive signs, noise, or demonstrations could lead to removal from the hearing room. The chair said the rules would be shared with the full House and noted the committee would operate with quorum and not tolerate chaos. The committee then heard a presentation from Tammy Baker Olson, the state program administrator for the Guardian ad Litem Board, on the program’s structure and budget request. She explained that guardians ad litem are independent voices for children’s best interests in child protection and family court cases, not attorneys or direct service providers. She said the program operates statewide, with 243 employees, and in 2024 advocated for more than 12,000 children, attended over 30,000 court proceedings, and filed reports in over 16,000 hearings. She also described specialized Family Court and Indian Child Welfare divisions, efforts to address racial disparities, and training requirements for guardians. Members asked about mileage and travel demands, the distinction between a child’s attorney and a guardian ad litem, caseloads, re-entry outcomes, the move from contractor/volunteer models to employee-based staffing, and the role of volunteers. Olson said most guardians use personal vehicles and mileage reimbursement, average caseloads are about 24, and the program has not seen a statewide increase in cases but does face staffing vacancies and turnover in some areas. She said the board believes the employee model improved advocacy and supervision, while the program is rebuilding a modest volunteer pool. She also said the program supports Indian Family Preservation Act-related work and has a formal process for handling conflicts of interest, which should be raised immediately to a supervisor rather than waiting for a complaint process.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

February 4, 2025 - 03:00 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • So the program itself has two primary components.
  • What is the need trajectory for this program?
  • Is this program the cause of the movement in the premium, right?
  • So the program is wholly outsourced, okay?
  • That's an important thing to remember with this program.
Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of Financial Services on the My Safe Florida Home program, the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot, and the Florida PALM financial system replacement project. For My Safe Florida Home, Stephen Fielder explained the wind-mitigation grant program, including its inspection-first process, two-to-one matching grants for most homeowners, low-income exemptions from the match, and eligible improvements such as roofs, clips/straps, water barriers, and opening protection. He reported roughly 109,000 initial inspections, nearly 59,000 grants approved, 31,000 final inspections, 25,000 reimbursements, and about $240 million paid out through the end of 2024. Members asked about premium savings, contractor pricing, fraud, owner-builder eligibility, reimbursement timing, and whether the program should have a dedicated funding source; Fielder said the program is currently closed, more than 40,000 people have signed up for updates, and the office has seen some price-gouging and impersonation issues but no major fraud trend. The committee also discussed the new prioritization rules that took effect July 1, 2024, which direct grant awards by age and income. Fielder said the program used a survey of existing applicants to implement the new priority groups and that the first group was over age 60 and low-income. Members raised questions about how premium reductions are measured, whether insurance company changes or rising insured values affect the data, and whether the program can track long-term outcomes after reimbursement. Fielder said the office reports raw premium changes based on declarations pages, knows the insurer for participants, and has validated results with multiple insurers, but does not track homeowners after they leave the program or enforce continued insurance coverage. For the My Safe Florida Condo Pilot, Fielder said the program is modeled on the home program but uses association-level applications, a maximum grant of $175,000 per association, and a similar two-to-one match. He said the application window opened briefly in November and was closed quickly because available funding could be exhausted and the department is prohibited from creating a waiting list. He identified several needed statutory changes, including better distinguishing condos from single-family homes, adjusting roof requirements for flat concrete roofs, and revisiting the unanimous unit-owner vote requirement, which he said has been a major obstacle. Chair Lopez noted the pilot is intended to be a learning process and thanked DFS staff for identifying implementation issues. The final presentation covered Florida PALM, the state’s effort to replace the 40-year-old FLAIR accounting system with a PeopleSoft-based financial management system. Fielder and PALM Director Jimmy Cox said the project began in 2014, the state contracted with Accenture in 2018, cash management went live in 2021, and the project was paused in 2022 for legislative review and remediation. They said the system is expected to go live in 2026, possibly in July rather than January, and that the project has spent about $225 million to date, with a current-year budget of about $60.9 million and a projected next-year request of about $64 million. Members asked about cybersecurity, cloud hosting, project scope, and whether the system is unique to Florida; staff said the system is not Florida-specific, access is credentialed through agency identity management, and the cloud host location is confidential. After the presentations, Chair Lopez assigned members to work with specific agencies on budget review meetings, asked them to discuss agency structure, priorities, staffing, waste reduction, and other budget issues, and set a deadline to report findings in the first week of regular session. The meeting then adjourned without objection.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

WAM-LBT, WAM-TCA, WAM-HHS Informational Briefings 01-16-2025

Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • administration program, Dre KH runs our Harper program, and Ur runs our airports program.
  • Yeah, okay, so we got a page. program ID program ID please okay so program ID program ID please okay
  • program for the 206 and then the program program for the 206 and then the program ID<03:11:46.080
  • this program.
  • this program.
Keywords: 912, senate, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • So we have Medicare, which is a federal program.
  • I'm contributing to society because of those programs.
  • Guys are not programming.
  • Guys are not programming.
  • We know these programs work.
Summary: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 heard the Governor’s May Revision proposals for the judicial branch, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Legislative Analyst’s Office opened with a warning that the state budget remains structurally imbalanced and urged the Legislature to avoid new ongoing spending unless offset by reductions elsewhere. In the judicial branch discussion, the Judicial Council highlighted language access funding, appellate court security, a backfill for the state court facilities construction fund, and an extension of the lactation room mandate; Finance supported most items but suggested reporting language on interpreter costs and reducing the General Fund backfill. Members raised concerns about judicial vacancies, long-term salary freezes, remote hearings, and the lack of progress on court staffing in some counties. For the Board of State and Community Corrections, the administration proposed $10 million one-time each for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People grant program and a human trafficking vertical prosecution grant program. The LAO said both should be weighed against other priorities and suggested the Legislature consider whether the Tribal Nations Grant Fund could support MMIP work, while Finance said it preferred General Fund support and wanted more review before any fund swap. Members strongly supported MMIP funding and asked whether ongoing support would be considered. On the human trafficking grant, Finance said BSC was a good fit because of its grant administration experience and prior vertical prosecution work, while legislators asked why the program was not placed with the Office of Emergency Services as originally contemplated in prior legislation. The Department of Justice presented antitrust litigation funding, Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse staffing, completion of organized retail criminal enterprise cases, and trailer bill language for a continuous appropriation from the Victims of Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The LAO supported the antitrust account use but questioned the Unfair Competition Law Fund’s ability to cover the full request without General Fund repayment, and recommended against a continuous appropriation for the restitution fund in favor of a more limited mechanism with legislative oversight. Finance said the fund would remain solvent and defended the continuous appropriation as necessary to pay victims promptly. In the CDCR portion, the largest discussion centered on the Boston Consulting Group efficiency review and sharply reduced savings estimates; LAO said the department had not fully explained the proposed position eliminations or future $100 million savings target, while Finance said the work reflected deeper analysis and ongoing efforts to find savings. Members repeatedly pressed CDCR and Finance on the gap between earlier promised savings and the revised figures. CDCR also outlined population projections showing continued declines in prison and parole populations, while LAO again urged the state to close an additional prison to save ongoing costs. The department then walked through several May Revision items, including workers’ compensation funding, a Corcoran honor housing dorm, incarcerated firefighter pay implementation, an incarcerated menopause program, mental health receiver staffing, mental health resource teams and crisis intervention teams, medical classification staffing changes, and AI note-taking for the electronic health record. LAO generally recommended limiting-term funding and more reporting for many of these proposals, while Finance defended them as necessary ongoing investments or court-ordered obligations. Members questioned the cost of workers’ compensation, the need for more prison closures, the lack of funding for women’s facility violence prevention, and the timing and transparency of the BCG savings process. No votes were taken.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

House Chamber - Wed Mar 12, 2025, 12:00PM HST - Day 30

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Denise Mazerik, through her leadership in the Global Scholars Program at Y.
  • Denise Mazerik, through her leadership in the Global Scholars Program at Y.
  • million for summer school programs million for summer school programs expanding<00:52:17.040>
  • including the new flag football program including the new flag football program additionally<00:
  • <01:16:37.880> $15 education loan repayment program $15 education loan repayment program $15
Keywords: 910, house, all
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:08:04.200> uh household incomes and the program uh household incomes and the program uh
  • being a partner with the LIHEAP program being a partner with the LIHEAP program that<00:13:54.960
  • I know it's great program. investment? I know it's great program.
  • care of folks utilizing this program. care of folks utilizing this program.
  • used to work for the Virginia program used to work for the Virginia program for<00:53:03.480>
Summary: The committee first took up a public hearing and presentation on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Shannon Hall of the Department for Community Based Services and Rick Baker of Community Action Kentucky explained that LIHEAP is a 100% federally funded block grant that helps low-income households pay heating and cooling bills, avoid utility disconnects, and support weatherization. They outlined the program’s components, eligibility limits, seasonal application periods, and recent participation figures, including tens of thousands of households served through the summer cooling, fall subsidy, winter crisis, and spring subsidy components. They also described weatherization priorities, the partnership with Kentucky Housing Corporation, and the role of Community Action agencies in administering the program statewide. Members asked about Assurance 16, the balance between need and available funding, summer cooling assistance, weatherization measurement, renter versus homeowner participation, and whether federal changes could affect LIHEAP. Hall and Baker said Assurance 16 supports energy-burden reduction through education, case management, and conservation strategies; that funding has generally been sufficient in recent years but crisis funds have sometimes been exhausted quickly in the past; and that summer assistance is primarily electric utility support. They also said weatherization uses return-on-investment testing and that Kentucky still has a large backlog of homes needing service. On federal funding, they said the recently passed federal bill did not directly cut LIHEAP, but future appropriations could still affect it, and any major reduction could leave a gap the state might need to consider filling. The committee approved the minutes and later approved the LIHEAP finding of fact; no members of the public signed up to testify. After concluding LIHEAP, the committee heard a presentation from Heather Jeff of The Nature Conservancy on conservation opportunities in Kentucky. She described the organization’s voluntary land-protection work and highlighted the Cumberland Forest project, a conservation easement on about 55,000 acres in Bell, Knox, and Leslie counties supported in part by a $3.875 million state appropriation. She also reported on mine-land reforestation, elk habitat work, and the rapid allocation of a $2 million appropriation for the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund. Jeff emphasized the economic value of conservation for tourism, hunting and fishing, agriculture, forestry, bourbon, and flood protection, and said the group is finalizing a Kentucky conservation needs assessment and related feasibility research.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • worker program. worker program. Thank<00:02:59.120> you.
  • program.
  • program in 2003. program in 2003.
  • a wannabe program or a hopeful<00:21:43.520> program.
  • program. We actually go to the school. program. We actually go to the school.
Summary: The Juvenile Justice Oversight Council met on October 8, 2025, approved the minutes from the August 29 meeting, and then focused its agenda on truancy and chronic absenteeism. Chad Butler, director of pupil personnel for Meade County and president of the Kentucky Department of Pupil Personnel directors, said chronic absenteeism remains a major problem statewide, citing recent Kentucky rates around 28% to 30% and noting that schools are trying to identify best practices to get students back in class. He said causes appear to include post-COVID social-emotional distress and confusion about when students should stay home, and he described a local effort to use a Healthy Kids Clinic model to keep some students in school when possible. In response to questions, he said chronic absenteeism has only been tracked seriously in the last two to three years and that House Bill 611 appears to have increased the number of youth entering the court system for habitual truancy; AOC said it would provide county-by-county data and outcomes later in the meeting. The council then heard from John Tyson of Alabama, a former Mobile district attorney, who described the Helping Families Initiative as a school-community partnership designed to address truancy and related behavior issues without arrest. Tyson said Alabama defines chronic absence as missing 10% of the school year and emphasized that the program is preventive rather than punitive, using warning letters, family engagement, assessments, individualized intervention plans, and referrals to community services. He said the program has operated since 2003, now includes 20 district attorneys and 44 school systems, and served more than 95,000 students, 73,000 families, and 162,000 parents in the most recent year. Tyson reported that in Mobile County the program was associated with a 3.15% attendance improvement in 2023-24 and a 4% reduction in the issue in 2024-25, along with a 50% reduction in truancy and 58% reduction in chronic absenteeism, and he said the program produced a large return on investment. Tyson also stressed that student absenteeism wastes tax dollars and that better attendance improves educational outcomes and community safety. He described the program’s use of a case-management database, real-time data tracking, and more than 1,000 referral agencies, and said the model is intended to be replicated statewide. He closed with examples of students whose attendance and family circumstances required coordinated support rather than punishment, including a teen mother and a disruptive child, to illustrate his view that schools, courts, and social services should work together to address underlying needs and keep children in school.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Higher Education - 01/28/25

Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • We offer more than 4,000 academic programs, and students can take many of those programs online, as you
  • nursing programs, four-year degree programs, and graduate programs.
  • impacted by our programs by attending a program either in person or online.
  • impacted by our programs by attending a program either in person or online.
  • impacted by our programs by attending a program either in person or online.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all