Transcript Highlights:

• of our schools.
• Programs... Programs disappear and support for students become thinner.
• Um, this bill funds our schools. We have to fund our schools.
• ... ...established for eligible programs between program providers and schools.
• They want good schools. communities. They want good schools.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are 800,000 Arizonans who do not have a high school degree.
• Our programs help them get that high school degree, get them skills training, and into a higher-paying
• if we can get those individuals a high school diploma through our program, 40% of them come off of state
• I think they have a... ...impact the school safety grant program.
• The current program we're talking about is a school safety and threat identification pilot program, which

Summary: The joint House and Senate Appropriations committees met to hear the FY 2027 budget package, beginning with the General Appropriations Act (HB 4154/SB 1847). Staff outlined the overall budget, including one-time fund transfers, lump-sum reductions, funding for state employee health insurance, school facilities, corrections, flood and wildfire relief, education and child care, and other ongoing and supplemental items. Members briefly discussed the absence of a requested $1.5 million for the oversight office, but the chair said no amendments would be taken in committee and that only limited technical changes were likely later in the process. Public testimony on the feed bill was largely supportive but focused on specific funding concerns. Testimony highlighted school safety funding, Alzheimer’s services, small business tax expensing provisions, disability oversight for group homes, county use of opioid settlement dollars, adult education/community college funding, victim notification funding, and ESA oversight. Several speakers praised the budget for funding DDD and other services, while others opposed or sought changes to items such as the COMIT group home monitoring program, Maricopa Community Colleges’ lack of operating aid, and a possible cut to the victim notification program. The chair repeatedly emphasized that changes to the negotiated budget would be difficult and should be routed through leadership. The committee then moved quickly through the remaining budget reconciliation bills. Staff summarized bills covering amusement and wagering, capital outlay, commerce, criminal justice, environment, health care, higher education, human services, and K-12 education. Notable provisions included continued wagering assessments, highway and building renewal funding, defense innovation and economic development changes, corrections and wrongful conviction provisions, groundwater and water banking measures, health insurance oversight and opioid settlement provisions, higher education funding and ABOR operating caps, SNAP and housing trust fund changes, and a 2% inflation increase for K-12 formula components. The K-12 bill also included a biometric school safety pilot and a child sexual abuse prevention pilot. No votes were taken in the portion provided, and the chair indicated the committee would continue through the remaining bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• school diploma or a GED or be at a high school diploma or a GED or be at least<00:09:40.920> 17
• In March of 2024, Scholastica began packaging high school seniors with approximately 29% of those packages
• approximately High School seniors with approximately High School seniors with approximately 29%<01
• for exposure and opportunities in high for exposure and opportunities in high school<01:26:45.800
• When I graduated from Anoka High School in 2021, attending school in an environment that promoted unique

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee received an informational presentation from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education on the State Grant program and governor-recommended changes, with some discussion of North Star Promise. Staff explained that State Grant is the state’s largest financial aid program, intended to promote college access and choice for students with the highest financial need, and that it works alongside Pell Grants. They reviewed program eligibility, award calculation, and participation rules, and noted that the program serves a large share of low- and middle-income students, including many dependent students, student parents, BIPOC students, and adult learners. They also described how awards and spending are distributed across public and private institutions and how the agency projects spending using enrollment, tuition, and FAFSA data. A major focus was the current fiscal-year deficit in State Grant. Staff said the program is experiencing a shortfall driven by higher-than-expected enrollment, more students with greater financial need, and major FAFSA formula changes that increased the number of applicants with zero or negative student aid index values. They said the office has already rationed awards where allowed and imposed a FAFSA deadline for spring awards, and does not expect to fund some awards. Officials explained that if the program projects a surplus, they typically adjust the living and miscellaneous expense allowance to spend down funds; if it projects a deficit, they can increase student and family responsibility to reduce award sizes, but the program must stay within its appropriation. Senator Duckworth asked several questions about whether unused funds could be transferred between State Grant and North Star Promise, and how the two programs are treated. Staff said State Grant funds revert to the general fund at the end of the biennium, while North Star Promise uses a special revenue account, and that transfers may be possible but would need clarification under current authority. They referenced a prior legislative transfer from North Star Promise funds to cover a shortfall in the Fostering Independence Grant and said they would follow up on the exact transfer authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the presentation and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• School-based health programs.
• I have a School-based health programs.
• If you have a high school program where kids are taught public health or whatever, everybody's wearing
• I think if put in into school programs.
• a high school program um where you have a high school program um where kids<01:28:14.159> are

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force met for its third meeting, approved the minutes, and heard testimony from Dr. Jack on behalf of the American Beverage Association and Kentucky Beverage Association. Dr. Jack argued that the “totality of the science” supports low- and no-calorie sweeteners as safe and useful tools for reducing sugar and calories, citing FDA and other domestic and international reviews, clinical trials, and the FDA’s recent healthy-label rule. He also described the industry’s transparency efforts, including a “Good to Know” database compiling ingredient and safety information, and said the beverage industry has voluntarily worked to offer more choices with less sugar. Members questioned him about whether beverage ingredients are restricted in other countries, possible health effects beyond weight and cancer, concerns about metabolic issues and gut microbiome effects, whether sweeteners are addictive, and why companies do not simply remove sweeteners. Dr. Jack responded that most ingredients are permitted in many jurisdictions, that broad food-safety reviews have looked at multiple endpoints and found the ingredients safe, that the gut microbiome is still being studied, and that recent clinical evidence does not show increased sweetness preference. He also said business decisions about formulations are up to companies and noted that cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are metabolically similar. The committee also discussed consumer apps and ingredient-scoring tools; Dr. Jack said the industry’s website presents facts without interpretation and is based on food-safety agency assessments. At the end of his testimony, the chair accepted additional fact sheets for the committee. The meeting then moved on to introduce Dr. Gary Huber, who began testimony by emphasizing integrative medicine, metabolic syndrome, and the role of diet, exercise, sleep, and stress in health, but his full presentation was not included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cyber we call the fiber launch statewide high school competition, 900 plus students came last time
• You know, people say that the youngest generation people graduate from high school work cyber literate
• The students must have excellent high school.
• When she got to high school. She started, you know, expressing this desire to go to college.
• He started at a Godby high school and and that 18 to 22 year period was coming up quick.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in their bridge program, and See that they had a particularly high potential, like, over-enrollment
• Parents who are working, going to school, or participating in programs like CalWORKs need child care.
• That analysis confirmed that high-fidelity wraparound, paired with the immediate needs program, is the
• That analysis confirmed that high fidelity wrap around, paired with the immediate needs program, is the
• The Immigration Council Access Pilot Program addresses these gaps by deploying attorneys to high-need

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy budget and policy discussion on child care, child welfare, and related early education issues, beginning with child care funding and slot utilization. Department of Social Services officials outlined the Governor’s proposed 2026-27 child care budget, including $6.8 billion for child care programs, an $11.5 million Prop. 64-funded disaster repair mini-grant program for licensed facilities affected by 2025 disasters, and projected reductions tied to federal CCDF formula changes and lower Prop. 64 revenues. DSS said the reductions could mean about 4,176 CCTR slots, but emphasized they were assessing how to absorb the cuts without disrupting children currently in care. The LAO supported aligning funding to lower revenues and asked for more detail on the disaster grant program. Senators pressed the department on why so many slots remain uncontracted or unfilled, why unspent funds revert to the General Fund, and whether more flexibility could move dollars from contracts to vouchers; DSS said delays are largely due to infrastructure, licensing, staffing, and enrollment ramp-up, and that it is working on readiness reviews, technical assistance, and possible reallocation of relinquished slots. The committee also discussed Emergency Child Care Bridge reallocations among counties and confirmed that no currently enrolled children would be disenrolled under the proposed slot reductions. A second panel focused on the state’s broader commitment to expand child care and reform reimbursement rates. DSS said California has nearly doubled child care funding in five years and increased monthly children served from about 294,100 in 2019-20 to more than 366,700 currently, while also advancing the single rate structure process through the alternative methodology and a joint labor-management committee report. Stanislaus County Office of Education described local shortages, especially for infant and toddler care, and argued that rate disparities between programs make it harder to sustain mixed delivery systems. Parent Voices California testified that the current system is confusing, unstable, and inequitable, with one speaker describing repeated paperwork burdens, waiting lists, and periods of homelessness while trying to maintain child care. The California Budget and Policy Center argued that only 16% of eligible children were enrolled in 2024, that Universal TK has drawn major resources into school-based care, and that providers remain paid far below the cost of care; it urged more revenue, faster rate reform, and expansion across the mixed delivery system. The LAO estimated that aligning CCTR adjustment factors for three-year-olds and children with disabilities with CSPP would cost $88 million to $131 million ongoing. Senators and staff also discussed the need for deadlines on automation and implementation of the single rate structure, with DSS and CDE noting that policy decisions, system changes, and collective bargaining issues are still being worked through. The committee then reviewed several child care trailer bill proposals. DSS proposed applying the 2026-27 COLA as an increase to cost-of-care-plus payments rather than as a traditional COLA, with $87.8 million General Fund initially proposed; DSS later acknowledged it had omitted CalWORKs Child Care and the Emergency Child Care Bridge from the calculation and said the amount would be revised upward. The LAO recommended making the COLA treatment uniform across child care and state preschool programs. DSS also proposed replacing the market rate survey with the federally approved alternative methodology survey on a triennial schedule, limiting temporary absences for licensed family child care homes to 20% of care hours in a month, defining excessive unexplained absences as more than 30 days in a 12-month period, and aligning family fee collection so contractors collect the fee without reducing the voucher value. The department said these changes are intended to bring state law into compliance with federal requirements and to better reflect current practice. Finally, the committee discussed the Early Childhood Policy Council, including a reappropriation of previously unused funds and a new reporting requirement under AB 563; members questioned staffing needs and whether existing contractor support could absorb the work, while DSS said the funds are used for stipends, facilitation, translation, and contract oversight and may still be needed as participation patterns change.

Transcript Highlights:

• Increases in high school graduation have a huge return on investment.
• Then from high school.
• Paul High School. He said, "Okay, we're gonna let him wrestle."
• that you read in here, and there are some great-sounding programs—after-school programs—so kids on the
• After-school programs? Absolutely!

Transcript Highlights:

• I have a full-time teaching job as the middle school English teacher and high school.
• We just started high school this year.
• and high school.
• We just started high and high school.
• to the say the new found high school. to the say the new found high school.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard HB 1334, which would remove the Education Freedom Account scholarship organization’s authority to approve “any other educational expense” under the EFA statute. The prime sponsor, Representative Porchelli, said the bill would narrow the law to the specifically listed qualifying expenses, avoid broad interpretation, and shift any questions to the Department of Education or the legislative oversight committee. In response to questions, she said she did not think the open-ended category had been needed and that the statute already clearly lists allowable expenses. A representative of the Children’s Scholarship Fund testified in opposition, saying the category is used rarely but is important for unusual cases, especially students with special needs, and that removing it could create unintended consequences. After testimony, the chair closed the hearing on HB 1334. The committee then heard HB 1513, which would move several EFA reporting and oversight requirements from administrative rules and the contract with the Children’s Scholarship Fund into statute. Representative Porchelli said the bill would consolidate existing requirements on timely responses to oversight requests, publication of expense reports by category and provider, and transmission of eligibility and enrollment data to the Department of Education. She described the bill as mostly a clarification and transparency measure rather than a substantive policy change. Members asked about the meaning of “timely access,” the 45-day deadline, whether the contract already covered these duties, and whether the scholarship organization had ever failed to comply. The Children’s Scholarship Fund said it had generally met the 45-day deadline, had not knowingly refused information requests, and that the quarterly reporting requirement could add cost; the sponsor said the DOE had provided guidance and was neutral. The hearing on HB 1513 was then closed. Finally, the committee heard HB 1256, which would repeal the state librarian’s authority to award scholarships for graduate library school attendance at American Library Association-accredited schools. Representative Drago said the law was unnecessary because the state does not currently have a state librarian, scholarships are not typically granted by statute, and he objected to the ALA accreditation requirement and what he described as the association’s political advocacy. In questions, he clarified that the bill targets the accreditation requirement rather than a specific school and said he did not think the state should direct taxpayer-funded scholarships toward ALA-accredited programs. A member raised First Amendment concerns, but the sponsor said the issue was not speech itself, only the use of taxpayer dollars and state law to support that direction. The transcript cuts off before any vote or final action on HB 1256.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2010 addresses this high-population crisis issue that we have by exempting high-quality, high-volume
• As my staff continued to work on this issue, we found over 50 cases in which high school sports officials
• School in my district.
• High School spoke on the tragic, rippling impacts that are still felt today within the community from
• AB 1858 establishes a pilot program.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly met on May 7, 2026, after an initial delay due to lack of quorum, then proceeded through a long House of Origin deadline session focused mainly on floor votes for dozens of bills. The day opened with prayer, a moment of silence for victims of a hate-motivated shooting at an Islamic Center in San Diego, and a warning to visitors about disrupting proceedings. Leadership repeatedly urged members to be on time and at their desks as the chamber worked through a large daily file. The bills considered covered a wide range of topics, including artificial intelligence, community college trustee compensation, transit camera enforcement and privacy, taxation and excess proceeds claims, HOA rules, hepatitis C treatment access, child care planning, greenhouse energy standards, consumer lending, housing and homelessness, pet spay/neuter access, local financing for workforce housing, student financial aid, DUI penalties, senior housing, foster youth, behavioral health licensing, transit stop data, disaster response for child welfare, elections notices, safe surrender for infants, college enrollment and leave policies, insurance regulation, fair funding, school safety, environmental labeling, cash rounding, park passes through libraries, grocery access, pregnancy protections in education, swatting, domestic violence protective orders, farmworker housing, juvenile justice, cervical cancer screening, Medi-Cal transitions, disability certification, and home protection products. Most authors described their bills as cleanup measures, consumer protections, access expansions, or targeted fixes to existing law. Testimony from authors and supporters emphasized access, safety, affordability, and administrative simplification, while a few bills drew policy concerns or opposition, especially AB 1751 on townhome development and labor standards. That bill prompted extended debate over wages, prevailing wage, and stakeholder engagement, but it ultimately passed. Other notable discussion included AB 1628 to extend California’s safe surrender window for infants, AB 1902 on juvenile detention extension hearings, and AB 1925 on permanent disability certification, each framed as addressing difficult real-world gaps in current systems. The chamber took many roll-call votes, with most measures passing overwhelmingly and several by unanimous or near-unanimous margins. A few bills were temporarily passed, retained on file, or moved to the inactive file, and AB 1534 required the call to be lifted and then passed on a 54-8 vote. Overall, the session was dominated by floor action on the daily file rather than committee reports or gubernatorial messages, and the Assembly advanced a large number of bills on a deadline day.

Transcript Highlights:

• systems via the Foundation School Program and via various federal pass-through appropriations.
• It's what's allocated in the foundation school program, but they.
• I mean that's this is all set by the Foundation School Program.
• ISD, which is one of the more affluent school districts, a very high-performing school district, great
• So that's the way the Foundation School Program works.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When I was a junior in high school, I was groomed and abused by my physics teacher.
• For some context, in Frisco ISD, we have 77 schools. Twelve of those are high schools.
• The cost of maintenance on one high school alone in our last bond program was $12 million.
• Our school system has a dual-language program from kinder all the way up through fifth grade, trilingual
• A bond backed by the program is downgraded to junk status if the district or charter school fails to

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee heard several bills focused on school finance, transparency, student safety, and educator misconduct. SB 843 by Senator Kolkhorst would create a centralized TEA database for school bond elections, tax rates, and project details; supporters said it would improve transparency for taxpayers, while members discussed the fiscal note and suggested adding charter schools. SB 1224 by Senator Sparks would require superintendents to report alleged romantic, sexual, or abusive conduct between staff and students directly to law enforcement within 48 hours, with penalties for failure to report; testimony from advocates and survivors strongly supported the bill and urged that it also apply to private and charter schools. SB 747 by Senator Paxton on behalf of Senator King would require school district policies addressing AI-generated sexually explicit images of minors as cyberbullying and direct the School Safety Center to develop guidance; the committee heard emotional testimony from a student victim and discussed school authority to discipline off-campus conduct and the role of cell phones. The committee also heard SB 1636 by Senator Hinojosa, which would limit use of interest and sinking tax revenues to debt service for voter-approved capital projects and not deferred maintenance; school finance witnesses raised concerns that the bill’s language could restrict needed facility maintenance spending and asked for a clearer definition of deferred maintenance. SB 2185, also by Senator Hinojosa, would expand access to the bilingual education allotment for dual-language programs; district officials and educators testified in support, saying it would remove barriers to funding and better support bilingual instruction. SB 604 by Senator West would require the Permanent School Fund Corporation to publicly track bonds backed by the state guarantee program that are downgraded to speculative or junk status, with West arguing the information would provide an early warning sign of district financial distress. Across the hearing, much of the testimony centered on student protection and accountability in schools. Multiple witnesses described educator misconduct cases, failures to report abuse, and the need for outside law enforcement involvement rather than internal district investigations. Committee members repeatedly discussed extending reporting and safety requirements to private and charter schools, and several witnesses urged independent oversight. No bills were voted out; each measure heard was left pending, and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• This program has worked for K-12 schools. It's worked for our UCs. It's worked for our CSUs.
• This program has worked for K-12 schools. It's worked for our UCs. It's worked for our CSUs.
• And so high schools started to offer 13th and 14th grade adult ed educational programs one by one.
• And so high school started to offer 13th and 14th and 14th. wasn't offering the full range of things.
• And so high schools started to offer 13th and 14th grade adult ed educational programs one by one.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Poppy was born in the state of Louisiana but raised in Luling, Texas, a graduate of Dayton High School
• safety allotment under the Foundation School Program for the Committee on Public Education.
• Unability and liability laws for certain charter school campuses or programs or for the committee on
• HB 4698 by Garcia-Dawes, ruling the establishment of grant program. school district or open enrollment
• the Foundation School Program, referred to the subcommittee. on Academic and Career-Oriented Education

Bills: HB9, HB22, HB908, HB1392

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property, tax exemption, local government finance, appraisal district, chief appraiser, rendition statement, property tax relief, small business, commercial property, leased property, related business entity, unified business enterprise, tax situs, Texas Tax Code, local taxing unit, constitutional amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:44:45.599> special deposited to Safe fr the school special deposited to Safe fr the school
• program to ensure compliance<00:47:39.000> with<00:47:39.160> program<00:47:39.480>
• requirements compliance with program requirements compliance with program requirements each<00:47
• <00:52:23.960> counties contrary in the pilot program counties contrary in the pilot program
• minutes across that street right high minutes across that street right high visibility<00:58:15.400

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Transportation met on March 18, 2025, to hear several measures and later take up amendments and votes. Early items included a budget measure to increase the mass transit special fund expenditure ceiling, a bill extending lapse dates for drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory funds, and a measure creating buffer zones for parking near crosswalks and intersections. Testimony on the crosswalk-parking bill was broadly supportive from transportation, law enforcement, planning, bicycling, public health, and advocacy groups, with the Department of Health emphasizing visibility and roadway safety. The committee also heard a bill establishing the Mokai air carrier subsidy program for Molokaʻi, which drew support from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii and comments from the Department of Transportation. The committee then heard SB 106 on pedestrian rules, which generated mixed testimony: the Office of the Public Defender, Hawaii Appleseed, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Workers Center, and the Department of Health supported it, while the Honolulu Police Department and Kīpuka Injury Prevention Coalition opposed it. Supporters argued the bill would reduce inequitable jaywalking enforcement and reflect a broader safety culture; opponents warned it could create confusion and risk. Members also discussed whether the bill would affect other traffic-code provisions and asked about crash data in other jurisdictions; the Department of Health said crashes had not increased in other places and cited California data showing decreased crashes and fatalities. In decision-making, the committee voted to pass SB 934 SD2 with amendments, with Representative Miyake reserving and Representative Cochran excused. It then passed SB 1526 SD2 with amendments. SB 1195 SD1 was also passed with amendments after the chair proposed adding language tying fines for illegal parking near crosswalks and intersections to the Safe Routes to School special fund and establishing a fine range of $100 to $500 per violation, with collected fines dedicated to pedestrian safety improvements. Members voiced support for the dedicated revenue source and community safety rationale. The committee next passed SB 1638 SD2 with amendments to strengthen the constitutional/public-purpose findings for subsidizing air carriers serving Molokaʻi and to add annual audit requirements and penalties for misuse of funds. The amended findings emphasized that affordable air service is essential for health care, employment, education, and overall well-being in remote island communities, and that the subsidy program is intended to improve access and competition while lowering costs for residents. The chair then recessed the meeting after the final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• a<00:07:30.199> failed High School school after a failed High School school after a failed
• We know that demand for after-school and summer programs for youth is extremely high, and many families
• , no quality programming for after school.
• , no quality programming for after school.
• , no quality programming for after school.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school and you take out the part-timers on campus, I mean, compared to a high school, right?
• school and you take out the part-timers on campus, I mean, compared to a high school, right?
• school and you take out the part-timers on campus, I mean, compared to a high school, right?
• you're counting high school students. you're counting high school students.
• <02:47:30.000> But I had when I was in high school. But I had when I was in high school.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I was going through a very bad mental crisis in middle school and a little bit of high school.
• And I was going through a very bad mental crisis in middle school and a little bit of high school.
• But does that make all high school coaches evil? No, absolutely not.
• and after-school programs.
• and after-school programs.

Summary: The committee first took up CS/SB 1606 on patient access to records. Sponsor Senator Grall explained an amendment that aligned the bill more closely with HIPAA by defining “designated record set,” allowing a 14-day extension, and requiring records to be produced in the requested form if readily producible. Several senators asked about patient portals, legal representatives, and whether the bill applied post-mortem; Grall said the bill was limited to authorized access during the patient’s life. Testimony was largely opposed, with health information and provider groups warning that the bill could create cybersecurity risks, conflict with HIPAA and meaningful-use rules, burden facilities, and improperly broaden access to portals and sensitive records. Supporters argued it would improve patient access and speed. The amendment was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably by roll call vote after debate on the bill as amended. The committee then considered CS/SB 712 on construction regulations. Grall described provisions on synthetic turf, change orders, public works bidding, elevator rails, alarm contractor scope, tall mass timber, pool and spa contractor scope, spaceport exemptions, permit document limits, and solar/energy storage inspections. Two amendments were adopted: one removed pool and spa contractor language and delayed the change-order provision until July 1, 2025; the other removed the tall mass timber section. Pool contractors testified against the scope expansion in the original bill, while others supported the remaining provisions. Senators raised concerns about the Florida Building Commission process and how the public-works language might affect small-business participation, but the bill as amended was ultimately reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard CS/SB 1288 on parental rights. Grall said the bill would require parental consent for most minor health care decisions, allow parental access to records, restrict surveys/questionnaires, and limit use of biofeedback devices, while preserving certain exceptions such as emergency care and STD testing. An amendment clarified questionnaire opt-outs for K-12 students, added court-order exceptions, addressed DNA sampling for criminal investigations, refined biofeedback language, and added emergency behavioral health exceptions; it was adopted. The bill drew extensive testimony both for and against: supporters said it restored parental authority and protected children from decisions they are not equipped to make, while opponents argued it would endanger minors seeking confidential STI, mental health, or abuse-related care, especially in unsafe homes. Senators also debated whether the bill would conflict with existing laws and whether it could leave some minors untreated. The transcript ends during continued public testimony on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The $89.8 million high school football stadium at KDISD, that was worth your taxpayer dollars.
• In 2021, my 14-year-old daughter was raped at her high school by her law enforcement teacher, who was
• In 2021, my 14-year-old daughter was raped at her high school by her law enforcement teacher, who was
• They then brought in two police officers from Shirts PD that were assigned to the high school campus.
• And in my high school years, I really dug in deep and tried to go that path.

Bills: HB4, HB20

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2853, which would allow the UT System Board of Regents to adjust the University of Texas at El Paso student union fee above the current statutory cap, subject to student approval, to help fund a new student union building. Senator Blanco explained the bill and the committee substitute, there were no questions or witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending subject to the call of the chair. The committee then heard House Bill 610, which would limit severance payments for terminated independent school district superintendents to six months’ salary and benefits. Senator Paxton described large severance payouts and said the bill had passed the House overwhelmingly. There were no witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the bill was left pending. A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 4623, which would waive school district immunity in certain cases involving negligent hiring, supervision, or employment of professional school employees who commit abuse or related misconduct against students. Senator Paxton and several witnesses, including survivors and parents, argued the bill was needed to address cover-ups, delayed reporting, and repeated failures to remove dangerous employees; some members raised concerns about liability caps, litigation, and how the bill would interact with the Tort Claims Act. The committee also heard from TEA staff and employee-group witnesses who discussed possible injunctions and stronger no-hire protections. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4, an accountability and assessment bill that would restore A-F ratings, change the state testing system, and replace STAAR with shorter, more instructionally useful assessments. Senator Bettencourt explained the committee substitute, including annual ratings, limits on taxpayer-funded lawsuits, and a phased-in testing redesign with beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments. Testimony was generally supportive from education and business groups, though some witnesses favored norm-referenced testing while others emphasized criterion-referenced, TEKS-aligned assessments; one witness noted social studies assessments were restored in the bill. The hearing concluded with additional invited testimony and no final vote reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• school and GED completed category.
• program in 2024 to 2025 visited 69 schools, and those schools are eligible through the free and reduced
• lunch program.
• So I did ask about that. ...and the data for the free school and reduced lunch program, as far as I understand
• through the State Department of Health Oral Health Program to target low-income children at public schools

Summary: The committee first approved the previous meeting minutes and then heard a detailed annual report from Dr. Thomas Arnold, chair of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, on maternal mortality trends and policy issues. He explained the committee’s review process, confidentiality protections, and national and North Dakota data showing that most maternal deaths are preventable and that mental health conditions, substance use, cardiovascular issues, infection, hemorrhage, and embolism are the leading causes. Members asked about suicide, domestic violence, midwife training, home births, and whether pregnancy testing at death scenes should be expanded; Dr. Arnold said better coroner education, more investigation of unexplained deaths, and possible post-mortem pregnancy testing could improve case identification, especially in rural areas. He also noted that deaths often occur well after 42 days postpartum and that mental health-related deaths remain a major concern. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark on cigarette reduced-ignition-propensity standards and related fire prevention issues. He recommended updating the state’s cigarette propensity law to current national standards and also raised a separate recommendation to require fast-breakaway oxygen tubing for home oxygen users, citing fatal fires linked to smoking around oxygen. Members asked about implementation, cost, insurance coverage, and whether the standards apply in tribal communities; Dr. Clark said he would provide follow-up information and was willing to help with any legislation, but no agency bill had yet been planned. Next, Christine Greff of the Department of Health and Human Services reported on the North Dakota Stroke System of Care. She described the statewide network of stroke-ready hospitals, registry-based quality improvement, and performance data showing continued improvement in stroke recognition, imaging, thrombolytic treatment, transfers, and EMS pre-notification. She highlighted new quality measures for inter-facility transfers and intracerebral hemorrhage care, and said the system remains strong but depends on continued legislative and hospital support. Committee members asked about participation by the VA hospital and were encouraged to consider outreach to include it more fully in the stroke system. Finally, the committee began a presentation on prior authorization and non-opioid pain treatment from Taha Khan of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He argued that prior authorization can delay access to non-opioid acute pain medications, especially in the 24- to 72-hour post-discharge window when pain is most severe, and said delays can push patients toward opioids. He emphasized that prior authorization has a role in utilization management but should not create barriers in acute pain care, and he noted that current use of the company’s non-opioid product remains very low. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Counseling for Career Choice Act ensures that middle and high school students are made fully aware
• When the partnership began, the high school graduation rate in its schools was just 36%. Dr.
• When the partnership began, the high school graduation rate in its schools was just 36%.
• When the partnership began, the high school graduation rate in its schools was just 36%.
• When the partnership began, the high school graduation rate in its schools was just 36%.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 1012, house, all