Transcript Highlights:

• We educate them to go work for somebody else.
• What says the Public Education Commission about all of this?
• It's education. It's our education.
• We've got to take care of Of education, and it's a good place.
• It's a big campus; they're educating almost 800 students there.

Transcript Highlights:

• Perhaps there's just a lack of knowledge and education about the program.
• Our state already does not fully fund basic education, which includes special education services.
• Our education and community programs are really the heart of what we do.
• Of course, that includes, most chiefly, public education.
• impact aid funding that must go directly to special education.

Summary: The House Finance Committee held a work session that began with welcoming new member Rep. Janice Zahn, who introduced herself as representing the 41st Legislative District. The Department of Revenue then gave an update on the Antio-related legislation following the Washington Supreme Court decision and the 2025 session changes. DOR explained its voluntary disclosure program and the new expanded voluntary disclosure agreement for taxpayers with unreported investment income, including broader eligibility and interest/penalty relief, but said utilization has been minimal so far because additional implementation questions remain unresolved. The committee next received the annual update on the Working Families Tax Credit. DOR reported record participation in 2025, with about $205 million refunded through October and a major increase in applications after TurboTax added the credit to its filing software. Officials said most dollars went to households with children, outreach efforts remained important, and community partners and state agencies helped increase uptake. Members focused heavily on fraud concerns, especially tax preparers allegedly filing claims without applicants’ knowledge or diverting refunds; DOR said it is using fraud detection tools, training preparers, and trying to make applicants whole, but current law does not provide direct penalties against preparers. The final portion covered implementation of engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5814, which expanded sales tax to certain services. DOR described the new tax framework, its guidance process, and the large volume of ruling requests and outreach since the law took effect October 1. Committee members asked about fiscal assumptions, the scope of taxable services, and whether the department had revised its implementation estimates; DOR said the fiscal note assumed broad application absent explicit exemptions and that no expenditure revision had been made. In stakeholder testimony, Expedia and T-Mobile argued the law creates complexity and competitive disadvantages for Washington businesses, while a construction training provider said the tax raises tuition for workers seeking required certifications. School and nonprofit representatives said the tax will increase costs for special education services, arts programming, and other public-facing activities, and urged exemptions or further legislative fixes. The chair closed by noting the committee would revisit 5814 in the next session and then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• IN ORDER TO BUILD THE FUTURE WORKFORCE OUR ORGANIZATION AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ADDRESS A KEY ISSUE
• FFA IS THE MOST RECOGNIZED COMPONENTS OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION BUT ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS ARE EQUALLY
• ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE COMPLETE AGRICULTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE IS CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.
• THE PROBLEM IS THE EDUCATION IS NOT THERE.
• WE CREATED A HEAVEN FOR PEOPLE TO GET EDUCATED ON PLACES THEY CAN AVOID ALCOHOL.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do support special education through... we have some special education teachers and things like that
• Greg Rogers, Department of Education, correct.
• Do we not receive any funding from the Department of Education, the United States Department of Education
• DESE meaning Department of Education? Yes, ma'am.
• Just real quick, and it's just for my own education.

Summary: The committee heard a series of Arkansas Department of Human Services budget presentations and questions, beginning with the Secretary’s Office and then the Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services. Staff described the divisions’ appropriations, funding sources, and major programs, including senior centers, Meals on Wheels, mental health grants, substance abuse treatment, community alcohol safety, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, and crisis stabilization units. Members raised concerns about flat or limited funding for senior services, the use and tracing of federal block grants, the lack of a funding source for the veterans’ mental health grant, and the mechanics of the community alcohol safety and treatment programs. The committee also discussed patient benefits funds at state facilities, transportation for senior center clients, and whether some special-language appropriations or fund balances should be revisited. Executive recommendations were adopted for the divisions considered. The committee then reviewed the Division of Children and Family Services and the Division of County Operations. Questions focused on foster care growth, adoption subsidies, professional fees tied to staff training and onboarding, vacancies, the Children’s Trust Fund, and TANF subgrants. Members asked about the reduction or elimination of TANF funding to child advocacy centers and other subgrantees, and DHS explained that prior reserves had been spent down and that the department was now trying to live within the annual TANF block grant and rebuild reserves. County operations questions also covered summer EBT, SNAP employment and training, the farmers’ market program, and the expected impact of a federal SNAP administrative match change, which DHS estimated would increase state costs by about $24 million annually, with roughly $18 million affecting the current year because the change begins October 1. Executive recommendations were again adopted. Finally, the committee heard from the Division of Developmental Disability Services and the Division of Medical Services. DDS testimony covered vacancies, staffing shortages, human development center construction and repairs, the reopening of the Boonville work training program, and funding for infant infirmary and child/family life programs. Medical Services testimony covered the Medicaid program, the current FMAP rate, the Our Kids B CHIP program, Medicaid payments to schools, nursing home distress funding, and large appropriation lines used to provide flexibility for claims and potential facility closures. Members asked for more detail on school Medicaid payments, reserve balances, and why some appropriations were much larger than actual spending. In each division, the committee moved and adopted Executive REC after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Referred to the Committee on Education.
• Education. SB 1306, ESA's expenditures, enrollment limitations. Education.
• Further to the Committee on Education.
• Education. SB 1306, ESA's expenditures, enrollment, limitations. Education.
• Education. SB 1361, empowerment scholarship accounts, post-secondary education. Education.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:01:39.840> Probably public safety and educators.
• Probably public safety and educators.
• Um, on<00:03:07.360> the<00:03:07.519> educator<00:03:08.000> side,<00:03:08.239
• side, TRA has a board on the educator side, TRA has a board meeting<00:03:09.519> today<00:03
• significant career rule for educators. significant career rule for educators.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our first and only bill on this hearing notice is SP 894 SD3, relating to education.
• The first testifier on the agenda today is the Hawaii Department of Education.
• Dinu, Deputy Superintendent with the Department of Education.
• <00:18:38.919> with pursuing my postsecondary education with pursuing my postsecondary education
• We're going straight to decision-making for SB 894 SD3 relating to education.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When education funding falls short, it's not just a budget issue.
• Investing in education, at its core, is an investment in the dignity and future of our children.
• childhood education in Arkansas.
• Better health care, better K-12 education, reducing childhood hunger, and reducing poverty.
• Number one, we are committed to public education in the state of Arkansas.

Summary: The Senate Revenue and Tax Committee met to consider Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senator Jonathan Dismang, which continues the state’s long-running effort to reduce Arkansas income tax rates. Dismang said the bill would lower the personal income tax rate retroactive to January 1, 2026 and delay the corporate income tax change until the following January, bringing the rate down from 7% to 3.7%. He also said the bill would use existing surplus funds and estimated that a person making $65,000 would see their effective tax burden reduced by about 45% compared with earlier rates. The committee heard several witnesses in opposition, including a United Methodist pastor/social worker, a parent describing her son’s disability and need for supported living services, representatives from Arkansas Appleseed and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and a Marshallese community advocate. They argued that Arkansas should preserve revenue for public schools, health care, food assistance, housing, rural hospitals, early childhood education, and disability services, and said the tax cuts would disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers while providing little relief to working families. Several speakers cited low state spending relative to national averages and warned that further cuts would worsen existing service gaps. In closing, Dismang and other supporters said the state can be both compassionate and competitive, that no essential services would be cut by the bill, and that Arkansas has continued to grow revenue despite prior tax reductions. Members emphasized balancing service funding with economic competitiveness and noted the legislature’s focus on lower-income tax brackets in earlier reforms. The committee then voted to do pass SB1, and the bill was approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• That list would be available for the higher education department, public post-secondary educational institutions
• Right now, the state of New Mexico requires the state to provide public education to a student up to
• I think it was brought up in a different way in education.
• As you know, their public schools are looking to expand their career and technical education and they
• You know, a commercialized way of introducing education and educational institutes to my children has

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas higher education must work to strengthen tenure, fund minority serving institutions, and expand
• We call it a unity summit for higher education.
• The right to learn is so important, particularly in educational institutions.
• There has never been a statewide grassroots coalition for higher education.
• I didn't say on education. I said for higher education. Texas needs this now more than ever.

Transcript Highlights:

• All righty, we're going to get started with the Committee on Education Pre-K through 12.
• We provide comprehensive sexual health education to our communities.
• The conversation of sexual education was taboo. It wasn't common.
• I'm speaking here as a high school student, working as a peer educator.
• The Department of Education renders many surveys for students, for parents.

Summary: The committee on Pre-K through 12 Education took up SB 1288, a parental rights bill by Sen. Grall, which would expand the Parents Bill of Rights to require written parental consent for minors’ medical care and prescriptions, give parents access to medical records, require parental review/consent for surveys and questionnaires, and restrict use of biofeedback devices without parental permission. The sponsor said the bill is intended to restore parents’ role in major medical decisions and to address concerns about schools or providers collecting sensitive information from children without parents’ knowledge. She said she was open to clarifying language, especially around exceptions and definitions, but maintained that parents should generally be the decision-makers. Committee members pressed the sponsor on how the bill would affect minors who are abused, homeless, estranged from parents, or otherwise without a safe guardian, as well as access to STI treatment, mental health care, contraception, and care after sexual assault. The sponsor repeatedly said children in unsafe situations should come into the child welfare or law enforcement system and that she was open to changes for truly unsafe or unavailable parents, but she rejected the idea that the bill was merely about notification rather than consent. She also defended the survey provisions as a way to stop routine questioning of children about suicide and other sensitive topics without parental awareness, and said the biofeedback language was aimed at school settings where data about children’s anxiety or stress is allegedly being shared with classmates. Public testimony was heavily divided, with many speakers opposing the bill and describing personal experiences with abuse, rape, mental health crises, lack of supportive parents, and the need for confidential access to birth control, STI testing, and counseling. Opponents argued the bill would delay care, endanger vulnerable minors, and reduce access to medically necessary services and surveys that can identify risk. Supporters said the bill would restore parental authority, improve transparency, and protect children from inappropriate surveys and biometric monitoring. During debate, Sen. Berman and Sen. Davis opposed the bill, saying it conflicts with existing law and could harm vulnerable youth, while Sen. Yarborough supported it, arguing that not all parents are bad actors and that the state should not treat all families as if they were. The transcript ends with debate underway and no final vote or action recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Assembly Committee on Education. Will the Secretary, Mr.
• Is there anybody from the Nevada Department of Education in the room?
• Senate Bill 81 requires Nevada's Department of Education.
• It was always on the responsibility of the Department of Education.
• It was always on the responsibility of the Department of Education.

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• RENTAL PRE-RIDE INSTRUCTIONS MUST HAVE AN APPROVED EDUCATION COURSE.
• THIS IS FOUND IN EDUCATION STATUTE 34395, AND THAT DOES NOT APPLY SO THOSE EXEMPTIONS INCLUDE SOMEONE
• THAT CAN BE A BOATER SAFETY EDUCATION COURSE BUT ALSO A TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE.
• THE STATUTE SAYS THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF EDUCATION STATUTE.
• SB 472 ON EDUCATION AND CORRECTION FACILITIES FOR LICENSED PROFESSIONALS BY SENATOR TRUENOW.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Education, and the State Board of Education to obtain feedback and input on the program
• Department of Education, and the State Board of Education to obtain feedback and input on the program
• And the Sacramento County Office of Education and Santa Clara County Office of Education regularly hold
• I appreciate the comment around doing some education and education campaign.
• As I said, they have 391 educator ambassadors that are a part of their educator ambassador program.

Summary: The hearing focused first on behavioral health, especially serious mental illness and anosognosia, a condition described by witnesses as a neurological symptom that prevents people from recognizing they are ill. The chair framed the issue around families cycling through emergency rooms, jails, conservatorships, and short-term stabilization without lasting treatment, and warned that federal changes under H.R. 1 could reduce Medi-Cal funding and worsen access. Dawn Marie Anderson gave a personal account of her son’s long history of psychosis, homelessness, arrests, repeated jail and state hospital stays, and eventual stability when he received sustained medication and coordinated support. She argued that the system often treats the problem as criminal rather than medical and that voluntary programs and short-term services are not enough for people who lack insight into their illness. Other panelists, including representatives from the California Behavioral Health Association, Santa Barbara County Behavioral Health, and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, agreed that anosognosia is not denial or noncompliance and said the system needs long-term, coordinated care, including assertive community treatment, mobile crisis, supportive housing, medication support, and stronger handoffs between county and managed care systems. They said CalAIM and other reforms have improved some coordination, but significant gaps remain, especially for people with serious mental illness, for those in jail or locked settings, and for people with private insurance, which witnesses said often offers little meaningful coverage for early psychosis or intensive behavioral health services. Several witnesses urged the Legislature to protect Medi-Cal, shore up county safety-net services, and invest in training and family engagement. The committee then turned to the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, with a focus on the virtual services platforms BrightLife Kids and Soluna and the CYBHI fee schedule. DHCS reported strong growth in app registrations, coaching sessions, referrals, and positive user outcomes, saying the platforms provide free, culturally responsive, early-intervention support statewide and help connect users to higher levels of care when needed. On the fee schedule, DHCS said more than 500 LEAs, colleges, universities, and school-linked providers are participating, 181 LEAs have submitted claims, and $9.6 million has been reimbursed to date, with 41,556 students represented in claims. The chair and several members criticized the pace of implementation and the amount of money spent relative to reimbursement levels, saying the Legislature had requested data earlier and that the return on investment still appeared low. DHCS responded that many claims are still being submitted, that 70% of denials are correctable, that $400 million in capacity grants has been distributed locally, and that reimbursement is increasing rapidly as more districts come online. Public comment included a rural county behavioral health director who said private insurance denials leave counties with significant uncompensated work, especially for unlicensed staff providing case management and mobile crisis services.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do support special education through—we have some special education teachers and things like that
• Rogers, Department of Education, correct?
• Secretary, relative to economic education.
• , economic education program.
• DESE meaning Department of Education, yes, ma'am.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that. 25,000 assaults against educators. that. 25,000 assaults against educators.
• . educators. educators.
• What is the role of education?
• What is the role of education?
• this applies to continuing education. this applies to continuing education.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because I think that having some form of education.
• And I do agree that education is important. I want to make that clear.
• It's an important step to have education for families...
• Education is the foundation to understanding everything, right?
• I mean, you know, okay, cool, education on the North Dakota court system, education on co-parenting,

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The accountability model was approved by the Department of Education.
• There are 40 members supporting graduation on adult education or GED.
• So we don't stop educating these kids when they get their GED...
• So it's additional education to our staff.
• The education is the same across the 39 facilities. That's settled.

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the clerks of court. FDLE outlined 28 legislative budget requests for fiscal year 2026-27, including funding for a new Fort Myers regional operations center lease, technology and data system upgrades, moving several programs off uncertain federal grants, expanding the wellness office, cryptocurrency seizure efforts, cybersecurity, forensic equipment, digital forensics, criminal history modernization, training, and the SAFE fentanyl enforcement program. Members asked about the reported 79% increase in officer misconduct cases, the role of body cameras and masking, public records request burdens on local agencies, and the status of Fibers and the Uniform Arrest Affidavit systems. FDLE said the misconduct data covers all sworn officers and corrections personnel, that many cases would not be affected by body cameras because they involve off-duty conduct or internal matters, and that it is working with agencies and vendors to improve participation in reporting systems. DJJ Secretary Matt Walsh updated the committee on the Florida Scholars Academy, describing the new unified education system across 39 residential facilities. He reported first-year enrollment, course completions, graduations, and compliance results, and said the program now provides in-person and blended instruction, individualized support, mental health services, and career and technical education. He also discussed staffing shortages in some detention facilities, the need for more residential beds, and the importance of recognizing and supporting staff. In response to questions, he explained how the program addresses students with disabilities and behavioral needs through one-on-one instruction, paraprofessionals, and immediate mental health support. The clerks of court presented a budget request centered on funding shortfalls and rising costs. Clerk and Comptroller Stacey Butterfield said clerks are operating with outdated funding levels despite increased statutory duties, higher postage and staffing costs, and growing workloads in priority case types such as injunctions for protection and other high-risk matters. The clerks requested $22 million in direct appropriations, including support for due process costs, jury management, and staffing for 37 new judges approved last session. Members also asked about Senate Bill 532, which Butterfield described as a CPI-based measure to update court fines and fees that have remained unchanged since 2008. The committee took no votes on the presentations and adjourned after discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Find your seats and let's settle down the committee on Education Pre K through 12 will now come
• plan also known as the IP education plan.
• I am co-founder of Moms for Liberals, Apparent Lead Public Education Act advocacy group based out of
• Jason Crawford, Home Education Foundation waives in support.
• responsible fiscal use public funds, expanding opportunities for students and educators.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to ensure high-quality education for all students here in Massachusetts.
• Nurtury Early Education provides daily early education and care to 1,200 children ages 0 to 5 through
• our three early learning centers and also through a network of education.
• We've heard a lot about how we're going to exacerbate education outcomes.
• These hardships inspired his educational and career goals.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hybrid hearing on a range of bills affecting children, families, disability rights, homelessness, and social services. Early testimony focused on H.215, which would support children experiencing homelessness by speeding access to child care vouchers and early intervention screenings. Boston officials, Horizons for Homeless Children, Head Start, pediatric and early education advocates, and families described delays in child care and early intervention, the developmental risks of homelessness, and the need for automatic referrals and faster access to services. Testimony also supported H.216, which would improve emergency housing assistance by restoring presumptive eligibility, reducing documentation barriers, extending shelter stays from six to nine months, and creating an ombudsperson; providers and legal advocates said current rules leave families sleeping in cars or outside and create unnecessary administrative hurdles. The committee also heard strong support for H.210, which would repeal the “Learn Fair” school attendance sanction that cuts cash assistance to families when children miss school. Advocates from legal aid, education, and anti-poverty organizations argued the policy is punitive, burdensome, and ineffective, disproportionately affecting low-income, disabled, and Hispanic/Latino families. Several speakers said chronic absenteeism should be addressed through supports such as family outreach, wraparound services, and school engagement rather than benefit cuts. Legislators and school officials from Salem also testified that their districts reduced absenteeism through supportive strategies, not sanctions. Additional testimony addressed children’s vision bills H.202 and H.166, with optometrists and researchers urging better screening, data systems, and treatment access to close achievement gaps caused by untreated vision problems. Senator Lovely also presented S.2714, proposing a study of discrimination in public accommodations for people with service animals. Later, testimony on H.279 supported changing social work licensure rules to remove exam requirements that speakers said disproportionately exclude multilingual candidates and candidates of color. The hearing also included testimony on bills related to the Judge Rotenberg Center and electric shock devices, with disability rights advocates opposing continued use of the devices and urging the committee to reject licensing or authorization for them. No votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.