Transcript Highlights:

• And that helps they're ready to learn.
• Everything you need to learn<01:40:11.760> you<01:40:12.000> learn<01:40:12.080> in<
• <01:40:13.520> But<01:40:13.760> do learn you learn in kindergarten.
• But do learn you learn in kindergarten.
• <01:41:58.639> that to my child, I want you learning that to my child, I want you learning

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session on a bill concerning school meal access and reimbursement. The bill would address local school districts’ responsibility to provide meals during school hours, reimburse schools for meals served at no cost, and make an appropriation. The committee first moved to retain the bill, with supporters saying it was complex, had uncertain fiscal impacts, and should be considered alongside other related meals bills. Opponents argued the committee already had enough information, that the bill served a small number of students at relatively low cost, and that delaying action would harm children who need food to learn. The committee also heard from Tim Roar, a Keene school business administrator and co-designer of the bill, who explained that the proposal was intended to be an opt-in program for districts, with rulemaking to set participation requirements. He said the bill was meant to target aid to students between 175% and 200% of poverty, reduce bad meal debt, and avoid spending taxpayer money on families who could afford to pay. He estimated the state cost at about $250,000 in year one, with local taxpayer costs around $8,500 for Keene, and said some districts already have systems for online applications while others do not. Committee members questioned him about meal debt, online application software costs, and how districts handle students who reach debt limits. Roar said districts still feed students who are hungry, but use other resources and family outreach when meal debt is capped, and he argued that parents should be responsible for providing lunch when they can afford it. Other members pushed back, saying they had seen students go hungry and that teachers sometimes pay for lunches themselves. One member noted the bill would increase eligibility, make it easier to apply, strengthen personal responsibility, and was not a mandate. The discussion ended without a recorded final vote in the excerpt, though the retain motion remained the central action under debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:56.800> just and so they're on the job learning just and so they're on the job learning
• are some of the lessons you've learned are some of the lessons you've learned that<00:26:20.640>
• In this model, they get to work, learn, and immediately apply what they're learning in schools in real
• In this model, they get to work, learn, and immediately apply what they're learning in schools in real
• In this model, they get to work, learn, and immediately apply what they're learning in schools in real

Bills: HF846, HF1538, HF1959

Keywords: education, special education, apprenticeship, funding, grants, intermediate school districts, teacher apprenticeship, registered apprenticeship, teacher licensure, teacher shortage, workforce development, education finance, K-12 education, higher education, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, Tier 3 license, teacher preparation, mentor teacher, school district

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:37.200> about broadly in society from learning about broadly in society from learning
• could use to then guide their learning could use to then guide their learning day. day. day.
• um when we look at how children learn um when we look at how children learn and<03:58:18.080>
• to hunt, learn to fish, learn to be self-sufficient.
• <05:42:05.680> Is choosing to focus on or learning? Is choosing to focus on or learning?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we'll finally wrap up with the lessons learned.
• This is the right learning sequence to put that professional learning into place for teachers.
• do for math professional learning.
• That equals months of extra learning. This is significant.
• Day, but we know more opportunities for learning matter.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the things I've learned from it, it's different than policing, right?
• So we really learned how to use these devices, and I think they're a great learning tool for us.
• They didn't know, they didn't learn.
• They didn't know, they didn't learn.
• Individuals can learn what that process is like.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission met with a new member from Prisoners’ Legal Services and approved the July 11 minutes. The main presentation came from Department of Correction Commissioner Sean Jenkins and Deputy Commissioner Mitzie Peterson, who gave an overview of DOC facilities, population trends, and the department’s broad mission, including sentenced prisoners, pretrial detainees, civil commitments, Bridgewater State Hospital, and the Section 35 program. They noted the custody population has fallen from about 10,000 in 2016 to roughly 6,000–6,600, while the share serving first- or second-degree sentences has increased. They also reviewed the department’s facility footprint, including Souza-Baranowski, MCI Norfolk, MCI Framingham, Bridgewater, and the planned transfer of the Section 35 program to Health and Human Services by the end of 2026. A large portion of the discussion focused on programming, education, health care, and reentry. DOC described tablet access for all incarcerated people, free phone calls, email, and more than 330,000 hours of educational, vocational, and reentry use. They highlighted partnerships with colleges and universities such as Tufts, Boston College, Emerson, and others, along with HiSET completion, vocational training, and programs like The Last Mile and Persevere. Health care spending was discussed in detail, including a total annual health-related contract cost of about $300 million, with separate contracts for prison health care, Bridgewater State Hospital, MassAQC, and MAT services. DOC said it has nearly eradicated Hep C and MRSA and now offers all three FDA-approved MAT medications, including long-acting injectables when clinically indicated. Commissioners also asked about specialized programming, language and disability access on tablets, and how programming is distributed across facilities. DOC explained that nothing is mandatory, but program participation is encouraged and can affect parole consideration. Staff described assessments using COMPAS, criminal thinking interventions, trauma-related treatment, and specialized units for emerging adults, mental health, and substance use. The department said programming costs were about $101 million in fiscal year 2025, or roughly 12% of the operating budget, excluding health care. Members praised the elimination of restrictive housing and the rollout of body-worn cameras, while DOC said the cameras required new policy and union negotiations but are now used for training, accountability, and de-escalation. The meeting ended with a plan for DOC to return in September with more detailed information on SAUs, programming statistics, and facility structure, and the commission voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• They can go to a trade school and learn a trade if they want to.
• The reason it’s in our constitution is because we learned it the hard way.
• The reason it's in our constitution is because we learned it the hard way.
• It is, but I mean, we’re on a learning curve here. We’ve got to figure this out.
• And what we know for sure is that hungry children can't learn.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because I just learned something. I've been around here 15 years.
• So this is where you'll see things around literacy, math, CTE, work-based learning.
• This is the virtual learning bill, or the distance learning bill, from the last legislative session.
• with students who are not in distance learning.
• That one does fall under our distance learning initiatives.

Transcript Highlights:

• School librarians serve as the bridge between learning to read and reading to learn.
• Learning to read and reading to learn. And they support this work in several ways.
• , remote learning.
• learning.
• The Germans used to call, or still do, learn, fry, bite. Freedom to learn. Freedom to learn.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• more thoughtfully and allows families to follow student learning more clearly.
• student learning more clearly. student learning more clearly.
• Cardoppulmonary resuscitation learning.
• well as other expectations for learning well as other expectations for learning such<00:32:16.799
• . learning. learning. represent<01:07:09.039> Mueller.

Bills: HF3489, HF3550

Keywords: grooming, child protection, student safety, sexual exploitation, educator licensing, teacher discipline, mandatory reporting, mandated reporter training, school misconduct, predatory offender, child abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, position of authority, school employee, school administrator, license revocation, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• Our team has found that students and families are contending with learning loss, mental health strain
• Obviously, we've learned a lot through this disaster that we have just experienced.
• And that plan has been updated in the course of those learnings.
• California cannot afford to lose ECE workers or disrupt children's early learning.
• For children in early learning programs, these emotional wounds affect learning and development long

Summary: The hearing focused first on how wildfires and other disasters affect child care providers, families, and early education infrastructure. State officials from the Department of Social Services and Department of Education described disaster response and preparedness efforts, including shelter coordination, licensing outreach, emergency waivers, distribution of supplies, and the statewide child care disaster plan. Testimony from providers and advocates emphasized major gaps in recovery funding, insurance coverage, rebuilding support, mental health services, and coordination with local rebuild plans. Several witnesses urged more dedicated disaster-recovery funding for child care facilities and suggested statutory changes, including allowing greater flexibility for rebuilding costs and requiring early childhood programs to be included in local disaster planning. The second panel addressed immigration enforcement and its impact on child care. Advocates from the Children's Partnership, Every Child California, and CHIRLA said enforcement activity is causing families to keep children home, disrupting continuity of care, reducing enrollment, and creating fear and trauma for children and providers. They argued that immigrant and mixed-status families need clearer protections, privacy safeguards, legal support, trauma-informed guidance, and safe-haven policies for child care settings. Speakers also stressed that the child care workforce is heavily immigrant and that recent state laws such as AB 49 and AB 495 will require funding, training, and technical assistance to implement effectively. Public commenters, including child care providers, described personal experiences with fire damage, displacement, permit delays, lost income, and the emotional toll of serving families during crises. Others described how immigration enforcement has made parents afraid to attend events, drop off children, or remain connected to providers. Committee members repeatedly noted that child care is often overlooked in emergencies and asked state officials how child care systems are being integrated into disaster planning and how local and state agencies can better coordinate. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• is going to speak a little bit more about dyslexia itself, but just as an overview, dyslexia is a learning
• the Dyslexia Literacy Coalition is made up of local organizations including the Reading Center, Learning
• <00:03:16.400> disabilities reading center learning disabilities reading center learning disabilities
• Association Groves learning Association Groves learning organization<00:03:27.200> Hill<00
• <00:04:03.480> disabilities<00:04:04.040> and most common learning disabilities and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Learning styles and intellectual disabilities. The focus here is to be collaborative.
• These students who interacted with Evan in the classroom learned valuable lessons that prepared them
• His classmates learned to understand their differences, but more importantly, their similarities.
• What an amazing education to have learned so early in life.
• I want students to learn to celebrate the differences, and most importantly, to not intentionally or

Summary: The Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee heard and advanced a series of education-related bills, beginning with SB 540, the Evan B. Hartzell Act, which would require age-appropriate disability history and awareness instruction across grade bands. The committee adopted a delete-all amendment, heard emotional testimony from Melissa Hartzell about her son Evan’s experience with disability and inclusion, and reported the bill favorably. The committee also passed SB 1296, creating a pilot study on school cellphone bans; SB 1590, creating a task force to review educator preparation, certification, and professional learning; SB 1702, a broad education bill with provisions on private school facilities, marching band credit, school readiness reimbursements, and charter school monitoring tools; SB 1150, exempting school social workers from certain certification testing requirements; SB 1708, revising School of Hope rules and adding a Miami-Dade co-location framework; SB 822, updating charter school governance and operations; SB 444, requiring annual human trafficking awareness training for school personnel; and SB 742, expanding workforce development and money-back guarantee programs. Most of these bills were amended before being reported favorably by committee vote. The committee also considered and reported favorably SB 8, a claims bill providing a $1.2 million settlement for Marcus Button and his family arising from a 2006 Pasco County school bus crash that caused severe lifelong injuries. Senator Gaetz opposed claims bills in general, arguing the sovereign immunity cap should be raised so such cases can be resolved locally. Several bills drew questions and debate over implementation details, including concerns about charter school dress and hair policies under SB 822, the scope of human trafficking training under SB 444, and the zoning implications of private school facility provisions in SB 1702. Sponsor responses generally emphasized that the bills were intended to clarify existing policy or improve student safety, access, or educational outcomes. The committee also took up confirmation appointments. It recommended confirmation of the slate of appointees on Tabs 12 and 14 through 21 by voice vote, and separately recommended confirmation of Daniel Fogunoli to the State Board of Education after debate in which Senator Davis and Senator Osgood opposed the appointment. The meeting concluded with members recording additional votes, including Senator Burgess’s affirmative vote on SB 1150, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill repeals the professional learning certification programs and professional education competency
• So you're talking about your shared experiences, your lived experiences, your learned experiences.
• So you're talking about your shared experiences, your lived experiences, your learned experiences.
• And so they do need to learn how to address how to help student teachers, faculty, to be prepared and
• They want to learn a skill. They want to get job experience.

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee met with a quorum and took up four bills. The first, HB 875 on educator preparation, would align teacher-prep programs under a uniform core curriculum, create a competency-based coaching program (CERT), standardize mentor and clinical educator requirements, allow certain certification waivers, and establish a Florida Institute of Teaching Excellence at Miami-Dade College subject to appropriation. Debate focused heavily on language in the bill related to systemic racism, identity politics, privilege, and historical distortion, with supporters saying the bill is about pedagogy and opponents warning it could limit discussion of important historical and social topics. The committee adopted a strike-all amendment and then reported the bill favorably, 12-4. The committee then considered PCS for HB 541 on minimum wage requirements, which would allow employees to knowingly and voluntarily waive the state minimum wage for up to 12 months in certain structured work-based training settings. Supporters argued it would expand access to training and career pathways for inexperienced workers and help address labor shortages, while opponents said it could depress wages, invite coercion, and conflict with the state constitution’s minimum wage provisions. Public testimony included opposition from workers and labor groups and support from NFIB. The bill was reported favorably, 12-4. Next, PCS for HB 681 on apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship program funding was presented as a transparency and accountability measure to improve funding reporting and address bargaining issues between education agencies and program providers. Support came from industry groups and the ranking member, and the bill was reported favorably without opposition, 16-0. Finally, PCS for HB 1105 on education and Bright Futures would broaden Gold Seal Vocational eligibility, align CTE diploma requirements with Bright Futures, add AP Capstone as an automatic qualifier, and remove barriers for certain military and public service families. The committee supported the bill, which was reported favorably, 15-0. The meeting ended after a correction to the record on one public comment card and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, you know, we can learn from those stories.
• We learn. We have, you know, the...
• It provides a little bit of a low-risk opportunity to learn.
• And so we want to move away from learned dependence.
• Like, I feel like there's a lot to learn.

Keywords: 914, all

Summary: The committee/task force met with several disability service providers to discuss integrated employment, transition services, and barriers to community jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Robin Arder and Belinda Stevens of ThinkAbility described creating their own businesses when community employers were not hiring their clients, and said rigid service rules, employer readiness, bullying, and reimbursement structures often force the person to fit the service rather than the service fitting the person. They said they have not seen clients lose benefits, but they do closely manage reporting to Social Security and related supports. Tina Hannah of South Central Industries described a broad business model that includes manufacturing, janitorial work, city beautification, state-use contracts, a food truck, and an entertainment trailer, along with an adult day program and residential services. She said many employers are hesitant because of productivity and cost concerns, and that businesses are often more open to contracting with her agency than hiring individuals directly. Miranda Figueroa of A New Leaf said her agency is moving toward a more person-centered model with sheltered work, volunteer sites, paid contracts, and a Transition Academy. She said the academy is a two-year program focused first on independent living and then on employment, with internships and an 85% placement rate, but funding is a major barrier because the program is not accredited and students cannot access traditional aid. She also cited dual diagnoses, inconsistent job coaches, and employer uncertainty as major obstacles. Angela Decker and Deborah Copeland of DRTC described DRTC’s long-running enclave contracts, a new Community Skills and Connections program, and a plan to phase out 14(c) subminimum wage use by the end of the year. They said the new program is designed to keep people engaged in community-based skill-building and networking while families still need day supports, and that DRTC has developed more than 100 community partnerships. Senator Kirt, Rep. Hefner, and participants discussed broader system issues, including the need for better school-to-work transition, more social integration, transportation, safety, and employer education. DRS staff said the agency is already required to provide pre-employment transition services in schools starting at age 14 and offers employer accommodations support and job-carving assistance, though they acknowledged federal reporting expectations and service rules can be restrictive. Several participants raised concerns about line-of-sight restrictions, congregate living rules, benefit cliffs, and the difficulty of moving from DDS to DRS services. The group also discussed the need for better data and possible working groups focused on in-school transition, program support and blending services, and community integration. No formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Gordner has been really eager to learn about HCDA in general, about the housing reserve program, and
• about hcda in general about to learn about hcda in general about housing<00:13:48.120> a<00:13
• This was despite her running her learning center and being involved on the neighborhood board.
• more so it it's a great honor to learn and<00:31:25.720> to<00:31:25.880> learn<00:31:
• I feel like I have a steep learning curve.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land opened with housekeeping remarks about testimony limits, video availability, and that decision-making would follow the hearing. The committee then heard and considered several SCRs authorizing long-term nonexclusive easements over state submerged lands for existing public or private infrastructure on Oahu, including stormwater outfalls, shoreline protection structures, concrete stairs, seawalls, and a rock revetment. DLNR supported each measure and generally requested only technical or clarifying amendments; for SCR 3, DLNR asked that the title be clarified to specify the easement would be granted to the City and County of Honolulu. After discussion, the committee adopted the chair’s recommendations, passing SCR 3 with amendments and SCRs 4, 6, and 7 unamended, while SCR 5 was passed with technical, non-substantive amendments. Senator Meli noted general concerns about seawalls and hardening but said he would support the measures because they involved repair of existing structures and public access, though he indicated a reservation on SCR 6. The committee then took up governor’s messages for HCDA appointments. For GM 58, Gerald Gordner was nominated to the Kalaeloa district seat; HCDA’s executive director and another supporter praised his urban planning, housing, zoning, GIS, and collaborative skills, and Gordner described his interim service and background in housing affordability and disaster recovery. Members also discussed a former military hangar in Kalaeloa and possible future uses, with Gordner noting he understood there had been restrictions that were later lifted, while the chair raised concerns about airport operations and modular housing use. The committee also heard support for GM 559, nominating Micki Lidstone as cultural specialist; HCDA said she had been an active and reliable board participant and cultural resource, and Lidstone said she valued learning from Native Hawaiian testimony and helping balance community perspectives. Finally, GM 688 nominated Deborah Kabibi to the Leeward Oahu/Maui district seat; HCDA said her community ties would be valuable for South Maui planning, and Kabibi said she had learned a lot from the board’s collaborative process and was eager to represent her community. The transcript ends during discussion of GM 688, before any vote on the nominations is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• , but do not children in K-12 learning, but do not address<00:01:58.960> learning<00:01:59.320
• older care and learning.
• as compared to later care and learning as compared to later care and<00:10:28.200> learning.
• That'd be my basic and learning.
• when every child learns about that. when every child learns about that.

Bills: HF3665, HF3002, HF4217, HF4125, HF4174

Keywords: foster care, early childhood education, child care programs, placement plan, social services, extended foster care, kinship care, relative custody, permanent legal and physical custody, Northstar kinship assistance, independent living plan, transition services, youth aging out of care, medical assistance, Medicaid, child welfare, children youth and families, out-of-home placement, case plan, relative placement

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh I think that was probably learning.
• <00:12:13.440> about uh with some access to learning about uh with some access to learning
• so that they understand how learning so that they understand how students<00:15:45.560> learn
• But the goal being as we learned But the goal being as we learned a<00:36:33.600> little<
• Learning can't stop at high school.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is about the LEARNS Act that was passed here a few years ago.
• I think you have some LEARNS people that are sitting there and they're doing the LEARNS program, and
• I think you have some learns people that are sitting there and they're doing the learns program, and
• If you're in a DNF school and you go to the LEARNS, you get a one-year voucher.
• They, financially, not just LEARNS, and I'm not against the private schools.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The skills that I learned in FFA did not expire when I graduated high school.
• Every child can learn to work hard, do their best, and never give up.
• And today I learned that many of my Torrance County groups could not come up.
• She has an interest in reading, art, psychology, language learning, and baking.
• She has an interest in reading, art, psychology, language learning, and baking.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that the absence of a we have learned that the absence of a statewide<00:05:23.280> school<00
• plans for every student learning plans for every student has<00:05:38.160> caused<00:05:38.560
• Work-based<00:10:18.160> learning<00:10:18.640> sequence<00:10:19.440> aligning
• Work-based learning sequence aligning Work-based learning sequence aligning with<00:10:20.160> Occupational
• The Executive Director of Northeast Kingdom Learning Services, a representative from Action Circles,

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate Bill 313, relating to transforming Vermont’s career technical education system. The Committee on Commerce and Economic Development described the bill as part of a broader effort to integrate CTE more fully into Vermont’s education system, with goals including universal access, more consistent admissions and credit policies, better transportation access, updated rules and procedures, and stronger alignment with workforce needs. The committee emphasized that CTE should be treated as a core part of education, not a stand-alone track, and reported the bill favorably 11-0-0 after hearing from education, labor, workforce, fiscal, and CTE stakeholders. The Committee on Education recommended a few changes, including a typo correction and removal of a legislative working group, explaining that broader education reform work already underway would make a separate working group duplicative. It added a task for the Agency of Education to study how to serve adult diploma students in CTE programs amid federal funding changes, and it supported the bill with an amendment vote of 10-0-1. The Committee on Appropriations said the fiscal impact could not yet be estimated because it depends on future rulemaking, and it recommended the bill ought to pass in concurrence as amended by a vote of 10-0-1. The House adopted the Education Committee amendment, then adopted a further amendment offered by Representative Bartley and others that incorporated language from S. 230 while removing a solicitation provision related to Department of Corrections property. The House then agreed to propose the amended bill to the Senate, ordered third reading, suspended rules to place the bill in all remaining stages of passage, passed S. 313 in concurrence with proposal of amendment, and suspended rules again to message its action to the Senate forthwith. The House then recessed until 1:00 p.m.