Transcript Highlights:

• All right, let's get started with our Senate Education today.
• The parent app gives parents real-time access to their students' grades, every assignment they've submitted
• Looking at parent survey data, one parent shared at one point that, you know, my kid is not an ag kid
• Looking at parent survey data, one parent shared at one point that, you know, my kid is not an ag kid
• ...in education.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And as I said, for those parents that are able to afford to have one parent stay home, it's a luxury.
• heard from arts and music educators as well as local educational agencies that, in fact, because of the
• Aligning the definition of arts education with California's adopted arts standards and arts education
• are important to arts education.
• are important to arts education.

Summary: The committee heard and acted on several education-related bills, beginning with AB 65 on paid pregnancy leave for public school employees. The bill drew strong support from teachers, school employees, unions, and education groups, who argued it would provide up to 14 weeks of paid leave, reduce financial penalties tied to sick leave use, and help recruit and retain educators. Some witnesses and members raised concerns about funding, district eligibility, and implementation, but the bill was advanced on a do-pass recommendation to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee, with one member not voting and the bill placed on call for absent members. Members then heard AB 673 on an unaccompanied youth support grant program for homeless 16- and 17-year-olds, AB 1552 on reporting recommendations to strengthen civic engagement in higher education, AB 1572 on annual CIF review and qualification standards for sports officials, and AB 1586 on opioid overdose response training and naloxone access for school resource officers. AB 673 and AB 1552 received support from education, youth, and advocacy organizations; AB 673 also drew questions about overlap with existing homeless and foster-care-related programs, while supporters said the bill targets a vulnerable subpopulation that is often missed. AB 1552 and AB 1572 were broadly supported and advanced, and AB 1586 was backed by treatment providers, school nurses, and education groups as a practical student-safety measure; all were moved forward with do-pass recommendations and placed on call. The committee also considered AB 1721, which would create a work group to review and streamline school safety plans, and AB 2060, which would establish a mentor teacher grant program and stipend to strengthen the teacher pipeline. Both bills were supported by administrators, educators, and school-related organizations, and both advanced to the Senate Appropriations Committee. AB 2440, aimed at clarifying Proposition 28 arts and music education funding rules and allowing small districts to pool resources, also received broad support and moved to Appropriations. AB 1784, which would extend pregnancy-related protections to undergraduate students and prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy or related conditions, passed to the Senate Judiciary Committee after support from higher education and women’s advocacy groups. Finally, AB 2660, which would codify the CalBridge STEM pathway program and related efforts to diversify the STEM workforce, was supported by higher education and workforce advocates and advanced to Appropriations after questions about the related EnLACE program and its funding sources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then parents are...
• Hispanic Education Act.
• This includes the Hispanic Education Act, the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act, and the Black Education
• We oversee educator licensure.
• So that parents know. Often I hear from parents, "I had no idea my child was struggling.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Senate standing committee on education. Senate standing committee on education.
• </c> Welcome to education committee. Welcome to education committee.
• I'm not an educator, but I education.
• to reimburse a parent.
• board of education.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call - 00:55 26RS SB 22 – 04:52 26RS SB 46 – 0:34:36, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas Education Code and past actions of this body have prioritized a well-rounded education for
• As a parent of a child who receives special education services, pardon me.
• As a parent of a child who receives special education services, I am thrilled for the intensity of service
• We offer a plan to educate the student in public school via an IEP, and then if the parent chooses to
• public education system.

Bills: HB2

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Keywords: disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license, volunteer management system, volunteer registration, criminal history check, background check, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Summary: The committee continued public testimony on House Bill 2, which would make major changes to public school funding, teacher pay, special education, early learning, school safety, and related programs. Many superintendents and education advocates supported the bill’s overall direction but urged changes, especially a larger basic allotment and more flexible funding for rural and small districts. Witnesses from Paint Creek, West Hardin, Cushing, Blooming Grove, Mildred, Buffalo, Plano, and rural school groups said the bill’s targeted raises and new requirements would not fully cover inflation, TRS/Medicare costs, transportation, insurance, or support staff salaries, and several asked the committee to restore the House version’s higher basic allotment and small-school allotment. Charter school representatives supported the facilities funding changes and said charter schools need state help because they cannot levy taxes, while also noting the funding gap with ISDs. Fine arts advocates asked the committee to restore the fine arts allotment, arguing arts improve engagement, attendance, and academic outcomes, especially in rural and at-risk communities. Early learning and special education witnesses supported parts of the bill but raised concerns about pre-K restrictions, disability-related pre-K access, and the need to preserve or clarify special education provisions and mental health oversight language. Several witnesses praised the teacher pay raise, teacher incentive allotment expansion, and teacher preparation investments, saying they would help recruit and retain educators and improve student outcomes. Others, including counselors and support staff advocates, argued the bill should also include raises for counselors, nurses, librarians, bus drivers, custodians, aides, and other non-teaching employees who keep schools running. One witness from the Texas Counseling Association opposed the substitute because it removed a counselor pay provision, warning of counselor shortages and inequities. A parent and special education advocate said the bill’s structure creates too many strings attached and asked for a larger basic allotment instead of more targeted funding. Another witness from Mental Health America urged keeping the collaborative task force on public school mental health services through 2031, and a disability rights advocate said the committee substitute appears to omit some special education items that were in the House version. The committee also briefly took up House Bill 6, a school discipline bill. After questions about automatic mandatory expulsion for vape possession and concerns about younger students, the committee adopted the substitute and voted to report HB 6 favorably to the full Senate by a 9-1 vote, with Senator Menendez voting no and Senators West and Menendez expressing reservations but supporting further discussion. After that vote, testimony on HB 2 resumed. Senators used the hearing to ask about the bill’s cost, the difference between the basic allotment and the bill’s targeted funding buckets, and whether the permanent teacher pay increase shifts pressure off districts. The bill’s supporters emphasized that it represents an historic, roughly $8 billion investment and that many of the new funding streams are intended to be permanent or to address specific district needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lack of childcare often forces parents to sacrifice their own employment or dreams of higher education
• In short, El Paso's working parents need our help.
• Being a parent is a full-time job on top of education and a career, but these hardworking families and
• Um, 96% of these parents are female, and 70% of them, both female and male, are single parents.
• Very often in our, uh, with our childcare parents.

Committee: House S/C on Workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I decided Properly educating our nurses about use of the title.
• This is a young woman, a young girl born on July 29, 2019, to biological parents.
• So with this bill, it would allow education to be able to educate them a little bit better with sickle
• It's about education. Education leads to Blame, it's about education.
• Education leads to faster care. Education leads to better outcomes. Education protects lives.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• educators?
• Special education students are general education students first.
• Special education students are general education students first.
• Parents and guardians of students who have individualized education programs, or IEPs, and Section 504
• However, in addition to requiring more specific advanced educational planning and parent or guardian

Bills: HB1795

Committee: House Education

Keywords: restraint, isolation, public schools, educational programs, student rights, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it would move it from a bucket that is not educational buildings to the bucket that is educational
• It would treat it in the same way that other educational, that other educational, that other It would
• I am a parenting student enrolled in the recipient education program at Moreno Valley College.
• Many student parents lose access to essential educational and employment services simply because they
• My path through higher education My path through higher education has taken longer because I am raising

Summary: The committee first adopted its 2025-26 rules on a 7-0 roll call, then approved three consent items—AB 88, AB 240, and AB 313—on a due-pass motion to Appropriations. The hearing then moved to AB 648, which would give community college districts the same zoning authority as the UC and CSU systems to build student and staff housing on property they own or lease. The author and supporters argued the bill would help address severe housing insecurity and homelessness among community college students, while opponents and some members raised concerns about local control, zoning exemptions, and the impact on nearby communities. AB 648 passed the committee on a 5-2 vote and was sent to the Local Government Committee. The committee next heard AB 466, which would require California Community Colleges and CSU campuses to provide organ and tissue donor registry information during student orientation, and request UC campuses to do the same. Supporters shared personal stories about transplants and donation, saying college orientation is a good opportunity to increase registrations. Some members worried about information overload during orientation and suggested campuses have flexibility in how they present the material, but the bill advanced on a unanimous 7-0 vote to Appropriations. AB 326 followed, proposing campus-by-campus external audits of the CSU every three years and public release of the audits. The author, faculty supporters, and a student argued that systemwide audits do not provide enough transparency about how money is spent at individual campuses, citing examples of financial mismanagement and fee increases. CSU opposed the bill, saying it already conducts annual consolidated external audits and that campus-level audits would add cost without added benefit. After extensive discussion about transparency, audit scope, and implementation, the bill passed 6-1 to Appropriations. The committee then took up AB 335, which would create a California Black-Serving Institution Grant Program to support Black student success and broader underserved student services; supporters emphasized persistent equity gaps and low completion rates, while an opponent argued the bill needed to be carefully amended to comply with Proposition 209 and equal protection requirements. The transcript ends during that item’s discussion, before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• self-paced virtual education.
• Driver's education is lifesaving content, and Massachusetts has some of the highest national education
• Instructor-led driver's education.
• Driver's education is vital to ensuring that we have safe and well-educated drivers, particularly for
• I believe online driver education enables every future student the accessibility to take driver education

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a public hearing on several bills related to driver’s license suspensions, junior operator training, online driver education, and regulation of e-bikes/scooters. A major focus was the Road to Opportunity Act (H. 3662/S. 2368), which would end license suspensions and registration holds for unpaid fines and fees unrelated to road safety, create hardship waivers and payment options, and replace suspension with nonrenewal in some cases. Supporters included the Attorney General’s office, ACLU, CPCS, Greater Boston Legal Services, transportation and anti-poverty advocates, and several affected residents who described job loss, housing instability, and difficulty paying toll and fee debts. They argued the current system punishes poverty, disproportionately affects Black and Latino residents, and is costly to enforce. Some testimony also noted that the bill would preserve suspensions for dangerous driving offenses. District Attorney Marion Ryan testified in favor of two bills: one allowing partial payment plans for certain RMV penalties and another closing a loophole that makes the penalty for violating a hardship license less severe than driving after a full suspension. Senator Sear and Representative Reed also spoke for the Road to Opportunity Act, while the AAG said the Attorney General supports it. Committee members asked about RMV implementation and whether the agency supports payment plans; Ryan said the RMV has been cooperative but believes legislation is needed. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on bills affecting young drivers. Senator Lovely and Representative Cruz supported a bill to create a junior operator license training fund, expand access for low- and moderate-income families, require refunds in some cases, and allow earlier passenger privileges. Another bill would make virtual instructor-led driver education permanent; AAA and several driving school owners supported it as an access and convenience measure, while other instructors opposed it, arguing in-person instruction is safer and more effective. Finally, Senator Collins and others testified for a transportation safety bill regulating motorized bicycles, scooters, e-bikes, and mopeds, increasing fines, requiring insurance for commercial use, and requiring public hearings and accessibility review for new bike lanes. Advocates for blind and disabled pedestrians supported that bill, while some transportation and business voices backed it as a safety and planning measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Educational resources will be provided in both English and Spanish with continuing education opportunities
• A website is education, education equals prevention and prevention equals life.
• the majority of their education from social media and websites, right?
• This is exactly what parents have today.
• Parents still have minimal rights. I get phone calls almost weekly.

Bills: HB46

Committee: House S/C on Disease Prevention & Women's & Children's Health

Keywords: local government spending cap, expenditure limit, political subdivision, property tax, ad valorem tax, budget cap, taxpayer protection, spending restraint, inflation adjustment, population growth, voter approval, supermajority vote, county budget, municipal budget, school district finance, junior college district, hospital district, special district, attorney general enforcement, local fiscal limits

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a certified lactation educator.
• that both parent and baby will thrive.
• This bill does not create concerns for parents.
• education.
• , they'll simply further educate them.

Committee: Senate Health

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And with this halfway Education.
• </c> with the parent or guardian. with the parent or guardian.
• education session.
• education session.
• And please, you know, look at all the effort that's gone into this bill from educators and from parents

Bills: HB0076 , HB0102 , HB0115

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: annexation, landowner rights, municipal law, city planning, property, local government, artificial intelligence, synthetic sexual material, child protection, self-harm, criminal liability, cardiac emergency, defibrillator, school safety, training, public health, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think about it as just, I'm a parent, you know, I'm a parent, but I don't have kids of this age
• It will join us at the Arkansas Department of Education.
• We'll join us at the Arkansas Department of Education.
• Parents just didn't know that.
• I think education is just as important as what we're talking about.

Committee: All EDUCATION- HOUSE EARLY CHILDHOOD SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're the experts on medicine and medical education, not us.
• We're the experts on medicine and medical education, not us.
• And we know that there's all parents.
• get themselves parents sometimes get themselves involved<00:17:53.919><c> in.
• And I will see you educational. Okay.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 538, a Liquor Commission cleanup bill. Chair Joseph Mica and CFO Tina Deir explained that the bill updates outdated statutory titles and positions after the commission’s 2014 restructuring, deleting references to the former commissioner and COO roles, adding a director of administration and a director of finance and audit, and keeping the new positions at the same labor grade pending review by the Joint Committee on Employee Classification (JCEC). Members discussed the proper sequence for JCEC review, but generally treated the bill as housekeeping. The committee then voted ought to pass, and the roll call was unanimous, 16-0. The committee next took up House Bill 493, which would require continuing education related to child abuse/ACE recognition for physicians and other providers. Testimony and committee discussion focused on whether the bill was too vague, whether it improperly intruded on the Board of Medicine’s authority to set professional education requirements, and whether it would effectively mandate a narrow training course that is currently voluntary and free. Supporters argued the bill addressed a real problem and cited testimony about missed abuse cases, while opponents said the board should handle the issue through its own rules and that the bill was poorly drafted. A motion of inexpedient to legislate passed 9-7, and the committee noted a minority report would be needed. The meeting ended with procedural and scheduling announcements, including that the committee would be dealing with budget hearings the following week and had a large number of Senate bills scheduled for later in the month.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:02:40.400><c> a</c> office by a constituent, a parent, a office by a constituent, a parent,
• </c><00:04:33.600><c> The</c> parent, zoom out a little bit. The parent, zoom out a little bit.
• </c> over the last decade here in education. over the last decade here in education.
• Education. Education. Good<00:22:12.720><c> morning.
• </c> educated, um, joyful, and healthy. educated, um, joyful, and healthy.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A more educated workforce benefits our entire community and state.
• Most importantly, I saw students without the benefit of college-educated parents... ...get proactive
• Minnesota is at the front of the pack in educational outcomes nationally.
• Hopkins here, I was just kind of trying to ask higher education questions.
• . government data practices and higher education.

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• March 10, 2026: House Bill 846, by the Education Committee, regarding education; House Bill 825, by the
• , regarding education; Senate Bill 1291, by the Education Committee, regarding education; Senate Bill
• 1227, as amended in the House, by the Education Committee, regarding education; House Bill 717, as amended
• So these custody interference issues are when Parent A is supposed to drop off a child with Parent B
• So these custody interference issues are when Parent A is supposed to drop off a child with Parent B

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ECFE, or early childhood family education, is intended to provide education for parents and caregivers
• > no</c> licensed parent educator and have no licensed parent educator and have no more<00:32:03.960>
• for parents and caregivers to education for parents and caregivers to support<00:32:43.760><c> a</c>
• by a licensed parent educator.
• </c><00:33:33.039><c> of</c> parent educator the vast majority of parent educator the vast majority of

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the House of Representatives, House Bill 785, by the Education Committee, an act relating to education
• to teach driver's education.
• The State Department of Education has added four driver's ed programs that parents can choose from, so
• The State Department of Education has added four driver's ed programs that parents can choose from.
• from a driver's education teacher do get in more accidents, and that could cause parents' insurance premiums

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, pledge, and approval of the prior day’s journal, then moved through committee reports, House messages, and bill introductions. Several measures were referred to committees or held on the calendar, including new Senate bills and a number of House bills and resolutions. The chamber also received enrolled bills and transmitted others between the House, Senate, and governor’s office. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 1363, the natural resources maintenance appropriation. The bill funded maintenance budgets for the Department of Environmental Quality, Fish and Game, Lands, Parks and Recreation, Water Resources, and the Endowment Fund Investment Board, with reductions tied to statewide adjustments and removal of one-time funding. Supporters described it as a responsible “tightening of the belt,” while opponents argued the cuts would harm firefighting, water management, park staffing, permitting, and other services. After debate, the Senate passed SB 1363 on a roll call vote of 28-7. The Senate then considered and passed House Bill 558, protecting federal survivor and dependent benefits for children in state custody; House Bill 500, clarifying e-bike and bicycle traffic protections; House Bill 577, eliminating mandatory 10-year license plate replacement; House Bill 636, allowing school districts to use facilities funds for lease purchases; House Bill 539, limiting temporary administrative rules; House Bill 511, raising the cap on the fire suppression surcharge for structures on forest land; House Bill 639, updating midwifery medication authority; and House Bill 628, expanding parent-taught driver education options. House Bill 620, giving county commissioners special-expertise status in federal land management planning, also passed. House Bill 610, which would have extended the homestead tax exemption to homeowners absent for religious missionary service, failed on a 16-17 vote. The Senate then returned to miscellaneous business, made announcements, and adjourned until the next day.