Transcript Highlights:

• I am here today to express my support. My name is Eric Schneider.
• I am here today to express my support for S. 1557 and H. 2554.
• America is the land of the free, but freedom is neither free nor is it unlimited.
• And to express my sincerely held religious beliefs for the bill. and S-1618, and to express my sincerely
• Or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a hearing on several vaccination-related bills, including proposals to eliminate non-medical or religious exemptions for school immunizations (notably H. 2554 and S. 1557), a bill to require or improve reporting and administration of immunization data and exemptions (described as the Community Immunity Act, S. 1618), and H. 2431, which would prohibit COVID-19, mRNA, or gene-altering vaccine requirements. The committee also heard testimony on H. 2463, which would classify funeral directors as public health workers for vaccine-priority purposes during emergencies. The chair reviewed testimony rules and repeatedly asked speakers to keep comments orderly and brief so the committee could hear as many people as possible. No votes were taken during the hearing. Testimony on H. 2554 and S. 1557 was sharply divided. Pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, public health advocates, and groups such as the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Massachusetts Medical Society, March of Dimes, Massachusetts Families for Vaccines, and several parents supported eliminating religious exemptions, arguing that vaccination protects medically vulnerable children and adults, improves herd immunity, and helps prevent outbreaks of measles, pertussis, and other diseases. They cited local school data showing pockets of lower coverage and incomplete reporting, and several speakers referenced outbreaks in other states and the need for stronger, more consistent reporting and exemption management. Opponents argued the bills would infringe on religious freedom and parental rights, force families to choose between faith and education, and unfairly target a small number of families; some also said Massachusetts already has high vaccination rates and that the real issue is incomplete data or the gap population rather than religious exemptions. H. 2431 drew testimony from supporters who said COVID-era mandates caused job losses, privacy concerns, and harm, and that the bill would prevent future requirements for COVID, mRNA, or gene-altering vaccines in schools, workplaces, and public settings. Supporters described personal experiences with alleged vaccine injury or mandate-related hardship. H. 2463 was supported by the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association, which argued funeral directors work in infection-facing settings and should be eligible for vaccine priority during public health emergencies. The hearing featured extensive public testimony but no committee action beyond hearing the bills and taking questions from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• Feel free to stay for as long as you wish. Thank you. It's cool here, at least.
• Feel free to stay for as long as you wish upon the conclusion of the hearing.
• Well, we want to, again, express appreciation for your having joined us. Thank you. Sure.
• Nuclear power is the only carbon-free source that can do that essential job.
• Nuclear power offers 24/7 carbon-free baseload generation that complements renewables.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a wide range of energy bills, with much of the discussion focused on offshore wind, battery storage, solar, nuclear study proposals, and a bill to redefine clean energy. Several Barnstable-area legislators and witnesses raised concerns about offshore wind transmission infrastructure near neighborhoods, beaches, and drinking water supplies, and supported bills to create a special commission and increase local input and oversight. In contrast, environmental, consumer, labor, and clean energy groups strongly backed offshore wind expansion bills, arguing that offshore wind lowers long-term costs, improves winter reliability, reduces fossil fuel dependence, supports jobs and local supply chains, and should include wildlife protections, labor standards, and community benefits. Some witnesses and committee members noted that parts of the offshore wind legislation overlap with the Governor’s energy affordability bill, and asked for clarification on which provisions were new versus duplicative. The committee also heard testimony on battery storage and solar legislation. Two student witnesses and several industry representatives supported a bill to study grid battery storage, saying storage can reduce outages, lower peak prices, and improve grid resilience during extreme weather. Witnesses from solar and storage companies supported a broader clean energy transition bill that would expand storage procurement, create a retail-style storage program for distributed batteries, set a 10-gigawatt solar target by 2035, and streamline siting and interconnection. Committee members pressed witnesses on whether these provisions were already included in the Governor’s affordability bill and asked for a section-by-section breakdown of what was new. One witness also urged allowing developers to bond interconnection payments to reduce financing costs. Another major topic was a bill defining clean energy, especially whether existing pumped-storage hydropower should qualify for subsidies or be excluded. Supporters of the bill argued that existing pumped storage should not receive additional ratepayer subsidies because it is already built, can have environmental impacts on rivers and ecosystems, and could cost ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Opponents said pumped storage is an important reliability resource and should remain eligible. The committee also heard testimony on nuclear-energy study bills: some witnesses supported creating a commission to examine nuclear power as a reliable, carbon-free option, while others opposed nuclear study bills and argued that nuclear is costly, unsafe, and inconsistent with the state’s clean energy goals. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Espinosa: ...and promoting constructive self-expression.
• <00:24:20.400> um you you know the artistic expression um you you know the artistic expression
• <00:50:29.559> can and how the artistic expression can and how the artistic expression can
• <01:03:56.799> through comes to artistic expression through comes to artistic expression through
• really for free right but freely really for free right but freely available<01:10:20.159> to<01

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:07.760> breast opportunity to be able to express breast opportunity to be able to express
• But I that, please feel free.
• ,<00:32:11.760> the receive uh breaks to express, the receive uh breaks to express, the ability
• express in the workplace. express in the workplace. >> Thank<00:35:29.359> you.
• But we we just want to thank feel free.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• doctor is free and clear to treat them. doctor is free and clear to treat them.
• Uh Senate Bill 27 passes with favorable<00:54:37.560> expression.
• his<00:56:49.160> audiologist Whenever it was free his audiologist Whenever it was free his
• And my goodness, this is not a free get out of jail free for some of those health care providers.
• free get out<01:09:34.240> of<01:09:34.359> jail<01:09:34.759> free<01:09:35.720

Keywords: 00:00:00 Call to Order/Roll Call 00:01:10 Discussion of 25RS HB 414 00:44:26 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 414 00:50:25 Discussion of 25RS SB 27 00:53:44 Roll Call Vote on 25RS SB 27 00:55:49 Discussion of 25RS SB 93 00:57:57 Roll Call Vote on 25RS SB 93 00:59:29 Discussion of 25RS SB 132 01:37:39 Roll Call Vote on 25RS SB 132 01:40:55 Discussion of 25RS SB 153 01:42:05 Roll Call Vote on 25RS SB 153 01:43:46 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Health Services Committee met with a quorum and took up House Bill 414 with a committee substitute. The bill, described by sponsors and supporters as a continuation of prior maternal-health legislation, was framed as a clarification of medical standards and an effort to improve care for women and families facing complicated pregnancies. Representative Tate, Representative Nemes, Adair Wushar of Kentucky Right to Life, and Dr. Jeff Goldberg of ACOG Kentucky all testified in support, saying the substitute was developed collaboratively to reduce confusion in the law and help physicians provide evidence-based care without fear of criminal penalties. Supporters said the committee substitute was intended to define what is not an abortion under Kentucky law and to spell out medical treatments for conditions such as miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, sepsis, hemorrhage, preeclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, and fetal demise. Dr. Goldberg said current statutes contain significant ambiguity and have created unintended barriers to treating pregnancy complications, including emergency situations, and he gave examples of patients who were delayed or harmed because physicians were uncertain about what the law allowed. Representative Nemes said the measure was the result of unusual cooperation among groups that do not usually agree and described it as a first step toward fixing a discrete problem. Representative Wilner raised concerns that the language could effectively require a patient to be in severe distress before treatment is clearly permitted and that it was too prescriptive about how physicians should manage miscarriages. In response, Dr. Goldberg and the sponsors said the substitute was not perfect, was meant as a short-term solution, and was designed to give doctors more confidence in providing routine, medically necessary care for pregnancy complications. The transcript indicates the committee substitute was adopted, but no final vote on the bill itself is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• I thought this was the free state.
• But this provision buried in the farm bill is a chilling provision that would gag free, lawful, free
• This is an attack on free speech.
• I was that free. How do we exist in the free state of Florida?
• expression.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:09.639> yourself you have the right to express yourself you have the right to express
• you is because the the act of expressing you is because the the act of expressing yourself<00:18
• Well, any given expression is a choice.
• Any given expression is a choice.
• Any given expression is a choice.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• to express myself and protected.
• What some... ...like me are welcome and acknowledged in school, that I am free to express myself and
• Pride flags and similar expressions, and the enforcement of curriculums that include diversity, equity
• Free speech is not a selective right.
• Students deserve the freedom of expression and a truthful curriculum.

Keywords: student advocacy, SB12, SB13, public education policy, youth engagement, marginalized communities, legislative representation

Summary: Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) held an advocacy event at the Texas Capitol focused on youth participation in policymaking and opposition to recent education-related legislation. Speakers, including student organizers and SEAT leaders, argued that students should have a direct voice in decisions affecting public schools, curriculum, and school governance. Representative Donna Howard briefly attended to support the group, praised their advocacy, and referenced the idea that if young people are not given a seat at the table, they should “bring your own chair.” Several student speakers criticized the newly passed school vouchers bill as a threat to public education and said it would divert resources from public schools. Others opposed bills such as Senate Bill 12 and Senate Bill 13, describing them as harmful to LGBTQ+ students and inclusive education. One speaker also condemned book bans and library censorship, arguing that students need access to diverse books and truthful, inclusive curricula. The speakers framed these issues as matters of student rights, belonging, and free expression. SEAT executive director Cameron Samuels closed by describing the organization’s history of student-led activism against book bans and exclusion from school policymaking. Samuels said the group had distributed challenged books, pursued legal action over blocked internet resources, and delivered a Student Bill of Rights to superintendents and legislators. The event ended without any formal legislative vote or committee action, serving instead as a press conference and advocacy rally urging lawmakers to listen to students.

Transcript Highlights:

• to express them.
• That somehow this very benign thing is going to suppress free speech.
• And feel free to fill in anything I missed. Bye. Thank you for joining us. Thank you very much.
• Feel free to fill in anything I missed. No, that was a pretty good job.
• We work with a number of partners who express interest.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, approval of the May 5 minutes, and opening remarks thanking commissioners and the public for their attendance. The commission then heard testimony from former Ambassador Alan Solomont, who argued that antisemitism is rising in multiple forms, including white nationalist antisemitism and antisemitism tied to anti-Israel rhetoric after October 7. He said campus antisemitism should be addressed with nuance, distinguishing protected political speech from conduct that targets Jewish students, and warned against weaponizing antisemitism to attack higher education, civil liberties, or federal research funding. He urged the commission to use multiple definitions and frameworks, including IHRA, Nexus, and the Jerusalem Declaration, and to focus on campus-specific solutions, civic education, and civil discourse. Commissioners asked him about Tufts’ antisemitism training, the role of the federal government, the use of the IHRA definition, and how to improve civic education; he emphasized local campus responses, broader civics instruction, and protecting democracy and due process. The second major witness was Professor David Weber of Boston University, who testified on the BDS movement and anti-BDS laws. He described BDS as a campaign targeting Israeli businesses, universities, and institutions, and argued it functions as a propagandistic and discriminatory effort that fuels antisemitism and chills dialogue on campuses and in public life. He cited examples such as SodaStream, Ben & Jerry’s, and Brown University, and said anti-BDS laws in 37 states have been effective and constitutional because they regulate government economic activity rather than suppress speech. Weber urged Massachusetts to adopt an anti-BDS statute or executive order, saying the state’s large Jewish population and economic ties to Israel make the issue especially important. Commissioners questioned him about which states have such laws, the impact on dialogue and campus culture, possible legal frameworks, and whether BDS is really aimed at the Israeli government or at individuals and institutions; he maintained that BDS targets people and entities connected to Israel and that anti-BDS measures can help draw a line against illiberal conduct.

Transcript Highlights:

• c> committee<01:15:34.880> on And the free conference committee on And the free conference
• Clerk, please report the free Mr.
• free conference committee report. free conference committee report.
• :19.840> number Free conference committee report number Free conference committee report number
• from Kenton for explanation of the free from Kenton for explanation of the free conference<01:21

Keywords: In an effort to stave off issues that may occur with long format live streams, we have split this stream into two parts., 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let us explain why this is an expression of our religion.
• And in regulation to an expression, that's my First Amendment right.
• HB 2391 could thus contribute to political censorship and impinge on students' free speech, free speech
• Our inalienable collective right to free speech is what brought me here today.
• This is plainly not free speech.

Bills: HB 346, HB 1360, HB 1510, HB 1606, HB 1804, HB 1805, HB 2156, HB 2391, HB 2767, HB 3022, HB 3044, HB 3272, HB 3293, HB 3493, HB 3809, HB 3824, HJR 110, HB 2463

Keywords: expedited service, business records, veteran-owned businesses, franchise tax, fee schedule, Texas Ethics Commission, election reporting, campaign finance, violation categorization, penalties, public disclosure, Texas Utilities Code, electric utility, retail electric provider, municipally owned utility, electric cooperative, vegetation management, tree trimming, line clearance, transmission line

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 141 passes with the expression of opinion that it should pass on the House floor with the
• House Bill 141 passes with the expression of opinion that it should pass on the House floor with the
• House Bill 415 passes with the expression of opinion that it should pass on the House floor with the
• House Bill 415 passes with the expression<00:10:53.279> of<00:10:53.519> opinion<00:10:
• House Bill 555 passes with the expression of opinion that the same should pass on the House floor.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Primary and Secondary Education met and first considered House Bill 141, which would make type 1 diabetes information available to students through KDE, school district websites, and school locations such as youth service centers, front offices, and nursing stations. The sponsor explained that a committee substitute removed a requirement that districts distribute the information annually to students, in response to concerns about teacher workload. Members spoke in support, citing the value of helping schools recognize the signs of type 1 diabetes and the usefulness of the information for families. The committee adopted the substitute and passed the bill favorably with the substitute attached. The committee then heard House Bill 415, described as a cleanup measure to House Bill 300, the teacher due process law. The sponsor said the substitute would improve communication between the Education Professional Standards Board and superintendents, remove a requirement that teachers meet with EPSB when a complaint is filed, and move appeal hearings from EPSB to the Attorney General’s office effective July 1, 2027. Members discussed the changes and the bill passed favorably with the committee substitute attached. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 555, which would define student-based enterprises and allow local school boards to decide whether to permit them. The sponsor and a Taylor County High School business teacher described student-run businesses as hands-on learning opportunities that build workforce skills, generate funds for student scholarships and activities, and operate under local control. Members asked about red book compliance, tax and business issues, and how the enterprises relate to programs like DECA and Junior Achievement. The committee passed the bill favorably, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Training employers to recognize that distinction is not a restriction on free expression.
• Free speech makes a free people.
• , FIRE, I strongly oppose this threat to free expression in the First Amendment. ...which will surely
• Free speech is important to preserve and protect. Okay, we'll move to the dais. Senator Laird.
• and do the Nazi salute, Sieg Heil, to him, and while there was a debate that was appropriate about free

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee heard and advanced several bills covering workers’ compensation, public pensions, workplace training, public works wages, and disability/paid family leave benefits. AB 1048 would require greater transparency when medical provider payments in workers’ compensation are reduced through network or administrator arrangements; supporters said providers need the underlying contract to verify reductions, while opponents argued the problem is overstated and existing dispute remedies are available. AB 1601 would give Sonoma County flexibility to provide targeted cost-of-living adjustments to retirees; supporters emphasized retirees have gone without a COLA since 2008 and that the retirement system is well funded, with no opposition testimony heard. AB 1439 would request a UC Berkeley study on labor standards in real estate and infrastructure projects funded through CalPERS and CalSTRS portfolios; labor groups supported it, while local governments, housing, and industry groups opposed it as unnecessary and potentially burdensome. AB 1697 would delay implementation of last year’s AB 692 on stay-or-pay and related employment contract provisions to 2027, with some support from the NFL and a support-if-amended request from the financial services industry for a 2028 date. AB 1803 would add anti-hate speech content to existing workplace harassment training; supporters framed it as a response to rising antisemitism and workplace hate, while opponents raised First Amendment concerns and argued current law already addresses harassment. AB 2120 would extend Los Angeles Unified’s selective certification hiring authority and allow retention of such employees in layoffs, and AB 2292 would bar providers from charging administrative fees for completing disability insurance and paid family leave certification forms; both drew support and no opposition testimony in the hearing. AB 1198, the Fair Pay for Construction Workers Act, would tie prevailing wage to the time work is performed rather than bid advertisement, with supporters calling it a fairness fix and opponents warning of uncertainty and higher costs on public projects. The committee later reconvened and voted all of the heard bills out, with most passing on unanimous or near-unanimous votes; AB 1439 was the only measure with recorded dissent, passing 4-1 on the final committee vote. Several items were also placed on call before final passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• It targeted protected expression based on content and viewpoint.
• So the government doesn't have a free-roaming ability to just ban any performances.
• and a constitutionally protected exercise of free speech under the First Amendment.
• I'm here to respectfully express our opposition to SB18.
• I am expressing my opposition to this bill.

Bills: SB34, SB75, SB330, SB1535, SB18, SB 18, SB 34

Keywords: wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department, Texas A&M Forest Service, West Texas A&M University, prescribed burning, fuel loading, fuel reduction, firefighting equipment database, emergency communications, disaster preparedness, rural fire protection, asset hardening, natural resource management, emergency management, large wildfire risk, fire grant funding, fire suppression, Texas Legislature

Transcript Highlights:

• individual rights and and expression individual rights and and expression fire<00:05:19.160>
• Senate Bill 19 passes unanimously with favorable expression.
• Senate Bill 19 passes unanimously with favorable expression.
• Senate Bill 19 passes unanimously with favorable expression.
• unanimously with favorable expression unanimously with favorable expression thank<00:51:12.880><

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 19, which would require a daily moment of silence or reflection in Kentucky public schools and clarify that students may use the time as they choose without coercion or religious direction. The sponsor and supporters, including representatives of the Kentucky Jewish Council, argued the bill is nonsectarian, intended to promote calm and focus, and supported by research and prior bipartisan backing. Opponents from the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass said they supported the anti-coercion language but objected to making the moment of silence mandatory rather than permissive, citing concerns about the statute’s interaction with the Lord’s Prayer language already in law. After discussion, the committee voted to pass SB 19 unanimously with favorable expression. The committee then considered SB 83, which revises the KEES scholarship program so homeschool and non-certified school students can receive awards using an ACT-to-GPA conversion and be treated more comparably to public school students. The sponsor described the bill as a recurring measure and walked through how the award amounts would be calculated under the substitute. There was no opposition raised during the hearing, and the committee adopted the substitute and passed SB 83 unanimously with favorable expression. Finally, the committee heard Senate Joint Resolution 55, directing Kentucky public postsecondary institutions to combat anti-Semitism. The resolution would require campuses to adopt policies using the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, notify students of Title VI and state-law complaint rights, recognize Jewish organizations as community resources on the same basis as other religious organizations, take action against student groups supporting designated terrorist organizations, and collect and report campus anti-Semitism data. The presenters and supporters described a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents on campuses after October 7 and said schools have not responded adequately. The committee adopted the substitute and began hearing testimony on the resolution, but the transcript cuts off before any final vote on SJR 55.

Transcript Highlights:

• to live free from the fear of violence.
• I firmly believe in freedom of religion expression.
• their faith and freely express their faith in public places.
• There is no legal precedent to prevent religious expression in public places anymore.
• There have been differences in gender expression throughout history and among cultures.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It says the free market ...
• It says the free market ...
• Chair, as far as free speech, I’m all in for free speech, but you know who else has rights?
• So definitely free speech.
• So again, appreciate—but please, folks, if you care about free speech, free speech is this.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• SCR 43 passes with the expression of opinion that the same should pass. Thank you.
• All right, Senate Bill 207 passes with expression of opinion.
• Senate Bill 120 passed with the expression of opinion and with committee substitute attached.
• Senate Bill 120 pass with the expression Senate Bill 120 pass with the expression opinion<01:19:
• Senate Bill 120 passed with the expression of opinion and with committee substitute attached.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Primary and Secondary Education Committee met and first considered Senate Concurrent Resolution 43, a proposal tied to the Southern Regional Education Board’s crisis recovery network. Senator West and Dr. Puit explained that, for an additional $10,000 in dues, Kentucky would help create a network of 40 trained counselors in each of the 16 Southern states to provide post-crisis stabilization and psychological first aid after events such as the Marshall County shooting. They emphasized that the effort would be complementary to local and state response, would run through the school district, would not replace therapeutic services, and would allow districts to coordinate parent notifications and other protocols as usual. Members asked about parent involvement and whether pastoral counselors could participate; the presenters said local districts would remain in charge and that pastors could be included if properly credentialed. The committee then voted, and SCR 43 passed with the expression of opinion that it should pass. The committee next took up Senate Bill 207, the School of Innovation Act, with a committee substitute. Senator West described the bill as creating an optional path for districts to contract with an outside education service provider for a three-year school-of-innovation model, aimed at turning around low-performing schools or supporting other schools that want to innovate. He said the model would preserve core district functions such as transportation, facilities, and SEEK funding, while allowing waivers from certain statutes and regulations inside the school building. The committee substitute also added a high-quality instructional materials component, creating a vendor-supported repository of vetted instructional materials that KDE would still control, with testing data used to evaluate whether the materials were improving outcomes. Members questioned how the proposal differed from existing district-of-innovation law and what safeguards would exist for students. Senator West said the bill would repeal the unused district-of-innovation framework and replace it with a clearer process and guardrails, including KDE oversight, attendance rules, and authority to shut down a school arrangement for financial malfeasance. He also said the model could work with local partners, including superintendents’ associations, and could be used by magnet or other schools, not only low-performing ones. The discussion also touched on whether the bill would allow more flexibility in choosing third-party providers and whether it could support longer-term recovery and even philanthropy in schools. The transcript ends during the discussion of SB 207, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• That defends the free speech rights of all Americans.
• It violates free speech. And even in an election where, let's say, Mr.
• There is a remedy, a legal remedy for that without having To cut down free speech.
• free speech and political expression.
• I am Elizabeth Miller and I defend free speech no matter who asks me not to.

Bills: HB304

Keywords: franchise tax credit, food desert, grocery store, healthy corner store, nutrition assistance, economic development, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• And three, the ideals of free speech, And three, the ideals of free speech are under assault.
• I wish you were comfortable expressing their identity values... ...who are comfortable expressing their
• That's not free speech. That's not free speech: not letting people get into class...
• I can remember when I was there, nuclear-free protest.
• Free speech does not protect harassment or discrimination.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting was a special commission hearing on antisemitism held off-site at Kerem Shalom Synagogue in Concord, with commissioners approving prior minutes and noting a quorum, a rescheduled October 27 meeting, and the addition of a new commissioner. The co-chairs and host speakers emphasized the personal and communal significance of holding the hearing in a synagogue and the importance of confronting antisemitism while protecting free speech, academic freedom, and civil discourse. The commission heard from former SJC Justice and current UMass General Counsel David Lowy, who discussed the IHRA definition of antisemitism, said its use as nonbinding guidance does not raise First Amendment concerns, and described UMass’s response to a discriminatory academic conference policy. Commissioners also asked about campus speaker vetting, protest rights, and university practices for addressing antisemitism and protecting students’ access to education. District Attorney Marian Ryan testified about restorative justice as a tool for addressing hate incidents, saying it can help victims be heard, reduce reoffending, and be used in criminal, school, and community settings. She described local programs, online reporting forms, and the need for better statutory tools, including changes to restitution and education requirements in hate-crime cases. Commissioners asked whether restorative justice affects charging decisions, and Ryan said it should not alter whether a hate crime is investigated or charged. She also identified model programs and said the commission’s work aligns with the national strategy it is charged with implementing. Three rabbis then described the rise in antisemitic incidents in schools and communities, the emotional toll on Jewish families, and the need for stronger school responses, clearer language in incident communications, and better training for educators. Rabbi Brad David recounted repeated incidents in Acton-Boxborough and praised the district’s improved partnership and response, while Rabbi Tom Shah described parental anxiety, concerns about classroom materials lacking context, and the need for balanced instruction. The rabbis also discussed synagogue security costs and measures, including volunteer security teams, police support, grants, and physical protections. Commissioners said the testimony would inform forthcoming recommendations, and DESE staff noted they are developing instructional-materials guidance and a rubric for educators. The final witness, Professor Christina Miller, outlined hate-crime prosecution issues in Massachusetts, including mixed-motive cases, the need for clearer statutes and jury instructions, better training for police and clerk magistrates, guidance on sentencing and diversity-awareness programs, and the use of community impact statements.