Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Education, Case 16, will come to order.
• It represents a strategic investment in the educational and economic future of Texas.
• We believe we do a really good job of workforce education.
• Department of Education amended federal rules to no longer require institutions of higher education to
• Department of Education. The U.S.

Bills: SB530, SB757, SB769, SB1085, SB1241, SB1242, SB1409, SB1878, SB2138, SB2314, SB2231, SB2361, SB2431, SJR59

Keywords: accreditation, postsecondary education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, baccalaureate degrees, junior colleges, program delivery, faculty recruitment, higher education, performance standards, student loan debt, degree programs, funding, students with disabilities, accessibility, enrollment, report, SB 1085, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Del Rio

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Education Committee will come to order.
• code than the other public higher education institutions.
• I chose a lifetime commitment to be an academic and an educator.
• Classical education and the CLT are based... on the belief that education should be about producing well-rounded
• Education. education for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and I think that Advisory

Bills: SB530, SB757, SB769, SB1085, SB1241, SB1242, SB1409, SB1878, SB2138, SB2314, SB2231, SB2361, SB2431, SJR59

Keywords: accreditation, postsecondary education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, baccalaureate degrees, junior colleges, program delivery, faculty recruitment, higher education, performance standards, student loan debt, degree programs, funding, students with disabilities, accessibility, enrollment, report, SB 1085, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Del Rio

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, we have a prerequisite.
• The state cannot even do this; it is a federal business. yeah we have a prerequisite they have to yeah
• we have a prerequisite they have to complete<00:41:39.599> in<00:41:39.760> order<00:41

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard testimony on several bills, with much of the discussion focused on Enterprise Zones and related economic development measures. On SB 125, the committee heard support from DBEDT, the Department of Taxation, the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, and the Farmers Union. Members questioned how the bill would affect job-creation requirements and learned that existing companies and new companies are treated differently under the program, with existing companies generally subject to a 15% annual employment increase and new companies to a 10% increase, while the bill would extend the program period from seven to nine years. DBEDT also said the program has been effective, citing 1,162 jobs created or maintained at a cost of about $1.2 million, and noted that agriculture, manufacturing, and wholesaling are the main sectors involved. The committee then took up SB 729, also relating to Enterprise Zones, which would expand eligibility to better accommodate local manufacturers and value-added businesses that sell directly to retail rather than only wholesale. Testifiers from the Holua Collaborative and Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau supported the measure, saying it would help small manufacturers and agricultural producers add value and adapt to internet-era sales patterns. A committee discussion clarified that the bill would add value-added processing as an allowable activity within the zones, and DBEDT explained that the current rules were written for a wholesale-dominated market. The Attorney General’s office also testified, raising a supremacy clause concern and recommending language changes to avoid conflict with federal law. On SB 129, relating to labeling requirements for fish, the Attorney General and the Department of Agriculture both raised concerns about federal preemption and enforcement. The AG explained that federal law governs fish labeling but includes an exception for processed fish, and recommended narrowing the bill to processed fish and defining that term to fit the federal carve-out. The Hawaii Longline Association supported the bill but suggested excluding canned tuna while including products such as poke, sashimi, and sushi. The Department of Agriculture said it does not currently enforce this kind of labeling requirement and would need to determine whether another agency should handle enforcement. The committee also heard SB 581, which would establish an aerospace and aeronautics development program within DBEDT. Testimony was generally supportive, but members pressed for a fiscal estimate, and the bill’s sponsor said a prior version of the office had operated on about $400,000 annually with a small staff. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• oversight requires pits to have impenetrable lining of pits and financial bonding bonding. is also a prerequisite
• NARO is a nonprofit that was formed in 1980 to advocate and educate mineral and royalty owners.
• I'm also on the board of the Texas Energy Council, which advocates energy education for K through 12

Transcript Highlights:

• requires pits to have impenetrable... impenetrable lining of pits, and financial bonding is also a prerequisite
• NARO is a non-profit that was formed in 1980 to advocate and educate mineral and royalty owners.
• I’m also on the board of the Texas Energy Council, which advocates energy education for K through 12

Bills: HB3619, HB3652, HB4572, HB4891, HB4941, HB5103, HB5105, HB5106, HB5224, HB5600

Keywords: surface estate, well plugging, Railroad Commission, landowner rights, liability, strategic reserve, gas supply, petroleum products, disaster response, Railroad Commission of Texas, energy security, emergency planning, oil and gas waste, environmental regulation, waste management, mining pits, groundwater monitoring, regulation, commercial disposal facilities, environmental standards

Transcript Highlights:

• It's asking to educate our community. This bill is about education, prevention, and partnership.
• to educate our community and to have a plan on how to do this this bill is about education prevention
• As educators, we of the higher education chapter board are in strong support of H. 575 and S. 312, an
• As educators, we of the higher education chapter board are in strong support of H. 575 and S. 312, an
• That's part of their education. Responsibility and discipline. That's part of their education.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on 41 bills related to school climate and safety, with chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlining procedures and noting more than 125 witnesses. The first major topic was the “Study Act” on cell phones in schools and related social media restrictions (House 666/Senate 335). Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Attorney General Andrea Campbell testified in strong support, arguing that bell-to-bell phone-free policies would improve student focus, reduce anxiety and distraction, and support mental health. Several legislators also supported the approach, though Representative Jeff Turco and Senator John Keenan emphasized narrower bills focused only on school-day phone restrictions rather than broader social media regulation. Senator John Velis likewise backed a comprehensive school-hours restriction, citing student distraction and mental health concerns. Representative Tarsky described successful implementation of a Yondr pouch system in a school where he served as principal, saying it improved engagement and reduced bullying and discipline issues. The committee then heard testimony on a bill to prohibit Native American mascots in public schools (Senate 312/House 575). Senator Joe Comerford, Brittany Wally, and Rhonda Anderson all urged passage, saying Native mascots are dehumanizing, harmful to Native youth, and inconsistent with civil rights and educational values. They described support from tribal nations and noted that many Massachusetts schools have already changed mascots, but some still resist. The hearing also included testimony on school start times (House 647/Senate 360), where middle school students Caroline Duffy and Emery Jarvis described exhaustion and survey data showing widespread sleep deprivation. Former educator Telia Jacobs, former principal Rep. Tarsky, and others argued that later start times would improve health, learning, and student well-being, while acknowledging transportation and scheduling challenges. Zoriana Petrosian, who helped write one of the bills as a student, said the state already has enough research to act now. Additional bills drew testimony on related school issues. Dr. Raul Fernandez supported a bill promoting racially integrated schools (Senate 324), citing a recent advisory council report showing large disparities in segregated schools and urging DESE to develop a statewide integration strategy. On safe firearm storage education (House 548/Senate 397), multiple witnesses from Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention and school communities supported annual school-based education about secure storage, saying it would help prevent child access to unsecured firearms and build on local resolutions already adopted in some districts. The committee also heard testimony on bills to expand career and academic plans (House 533/Senate 438), with speakers saying more structured planning would help students make informed college and career choices. Later, testimony on child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support bills described the prevalence of abuse, the need for training in schools and youth-serving organizations, and the importance of extending compensation and prevention measures. Throughout the hearing, chairs repeatedly closed bills with no witnesses and moved the agenda forward, but no votes were taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• initiatives aimed to combat homelessness by providing immediate permanent housing with little to no prerequisites

Transcript Highlights:

• initiatives aim to combat homelessness by... of providing immediate permanent housing with little to no prerequisites

Bills: HB1597, HB2364, HB2437, HB3205, HB3253, HB3310, HB3648, HB3906, HB4259, HB5645

Keywords: county jailer, jail training, veterans, Texas Veterans Commission, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, TCOLE, criminal justice system, county jail, law enforcement training, mental health training, jail standards, correctional officers, veteran services, veteran interaction, occupations code, jailer licensing, parking, county courthouse, infrastructure, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• For over a decade, our member organizations have been engaging voters year-round to provide public education
• Public education on voting.
• Having our political candidates meet basic constitutional requirements should be an obvious prerequisite
• Hill has come all the way from Philadelphia to educate us today.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But every single prerequisite is voluntarily, voluntarily, voluntarily, knowingly, voluntarily, contumaciously
• Amanda Elcanick Oter. is the Chief Advocacy and Education Officer for the Texas Advocacy Project and

Bills: HB809, HB 1193, HB1916, HB2558, HB1973, HB2350, HB2399, HB2340, HB 116, HB330, HB2496, HB116

Keywords: digitized signature, waiver of citation, marriage dissolution, electronic notarization, family law, HB 1193, informal marriage, common-law marriage, declaration of informal marriage, confidentiality, privacy, county clerk, vital statistics unit, Family Code, Health and Safety Code, marriage records, public records, personally identifying information, PII, legal representative

Transcript Highlights:

• If it was a prerequisite for me to step off the school board to Be a part of the legislature, I would
• my board members on the differences because I came into the legislature trying to get money for education
• So, there are varying experiences, education, skills, etc., that really suggest that maybe some people
• So, education experience, skills, etc.
• But I do agree with Senator Duhigg that maybe I want someone who is an expert in education.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're providing education for providers, and so I very much appreciate the education of our general
• I've also given you a... couple of websites for the Higher Education Department.
• And then the applications are sent on to the Higher Education Department.
• The folks over at Higher Education, or I can get actual numbers for you.
• The Higher Education Department is submitting data to the National Study.

Transcript Highlights:

• education spending. education spending.
• education services.
• strong educational benefits. strong educational benefits.
• The statewide education property tax, which is our only tax at 100% goes to education. >> Goes to education
• for education. for education.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:42:51.680> all<00:42:51.920> of<00:42:52.000> these educational institutions
• <00:47:53.040> I FEMA, health, or education funding.
• Prerequisites to civil war that we don't have.
• >> Elites are definitely more polarized than the general public, um, and more educated, more politically
• , social service education programs, social service programs,<01:04:24.319> um<01:04:24.480>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee held an informational briefing with Professor Colin Moore on democratic norms and their erosion in the United States, with a focus on what that could mean for Hawaii. Chair Carl Rhodes introduced the topic and the professor, noting the briefing was livestreamed and could be rescheduled if technical problems arose. Moore defined democratic norms as unwritten guardrails that make written constitutional rules work in practice, emphasizing two core norms from political science: mutual toleration, meaning acceptance of political opponents as legitimate, and institutional forbearance, meaning restraint in using legal powers to the maximum for partisan gain. Moore used historical examples to show how norms develop and erode, including George Washington’s resignation, the Alien and Sedition Acts, the contested 1800 election, Franklin Roosevelt’s court-packing plan, and Watergate. He argued that democracies usually erode gradually rather than through sudden coups, often through leaders who reject opponents’ legitimacy, tolerate political violence, restrict civil liberties, or attack the press. He said the United States is vulnerable because of its strong presidency, an 18th-century constitutional design that did not anticipate modern political parties or a neutral civil service, and because polarization has encouraged “constitutional hardball” and retaliation. He cited comparative examples such as Hungary, Turkey, and other countries that slid toward authoritarianism over time, and said the U.S. has been rated a flawed democracy by outside indexes. Moore said the erosion predates Donald Trump, though he believes Trump has accelerated it, and pointed to recent actions and rhetoric as moving beyond ceremony into government practice. He also warned that Congress has not consistently checked executive power and that public willingness to excuse anti-democratic behavior from preferred candidates is troubling. The briefing ended with Moore turning to federalism and Hawaii, arguing that the state depends heavily on federal funding for health care, schools, housing, and infrastructure, and that delays or disruptions from an unstable federal government could create serious local harm even if no law is formally broken.

Transcript Highlights:

• of my Board of Medicine role, and I was told not to address these issues, but I'm doing this for educational
• Chair: a belief that you have come through the practice of medicine and your education and experience
• have CDC or FDA guidelines which you may... disagree with based on your own vast experience and education
• Lapel: I like to take care of my hospital patients and teach medical students, and that can be a prerequisite
• John Lapel: Again, I'm doing this for educational purposes not as a member of the Board of Medicine and

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that in the Education Code?
• About special education dollars.
• For special education students coming not only from the designated special education dollars, but also
• Yes, the Department of Education does have contact with many Local Education Agencies (LEAs) who are
• Patel brought up today repeatedly is special education and the need for more robust special education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On Workforce Education by Senator Simon. Good afternoon.
• My passion for education is deeply personal.
• So education is a topic very near and dear to me.
• I've also had a passion for education.
• I started off as an educator, educating our youth in our public school system.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is the Catholic Home Educators of Eastern Oklahoma.
• another, to take field trips, and just turn out healthy families who are doing a really good job educating

Bills: SB843, SB1733, SB1476, SB1237, SB1410, SB1894, SB1272, SB1204, SB1721, SB1725, SB1735, SB1337, SB1339, SB1461, SB1975, SB1450, SB1458, SB1232, SB1238, SB1325, SB1209, SB1362, SB2072, SB1451, SB1540, SB1581, SB1535, SB1266, SB1927, SB1460, SB2084, SB2182, SB392, SB985, SB1265, SB1283, SB1441, SB1307, SB1425, SB1826, SB1365, SB1696, SB1870, SB1722, SB1639, SB715, SB716, SB182, SB609, SB169, SB134, SB1611, SB432, SB1407, SB2039, SB1356, SB1288, SB2019, SB1705, SB1878, SB2118

Keywords: school boards, educational governance, conflict of interest, employee relations, Oklahoma statutes, child abuse, reporting requirements, sexual misconduct, law enforcement, school personnel, confidentiality, student safety, land office, land exchange, investment, education funding, real estate management, Teachers' Bill of Rights, education, teachers' rights

Transcript Highlights:

• We have so much work to do in every educational sector.
• It's more than higher education.
• we know promote long-term learning and success in education.
• I always love that education too.
• I've seen people treat early learning as public education and fully funded.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and focused on School Readiness, specifically the new provider reimbursement rates and the School Readiness Plus program. The chair gave an overview of how School Readiness is funded and administered, noting that the Legislature now sets county-based reimbursement rates using market and cost data, and that School Readiness Plus was created to help families who would otherwise fall off the subsidy “cliff” at 85% of state median income by extending assistance up to 100% of state median income. Panelists from the Children’s Forum, the Association of Early Learning Coalitions, and the Division of Early Learning described the programs as major workforce and family-support tools that help parents stay employed and help providers recruit and retain qualified staff. Testimony emphasized that higher reimbursement rates increase parental choice, help providers cover rising child care costs, and support better staffing and lower turnover. The panel also said School Readiness Plus is easing the pressure on families to turn down raises or promotions for fear of losing child care assistance, though uptake is still early because the program only began in late 2024 and is only available to current School Readiness families at redetermination. The Division of Early Learning reported about 275 children enrolled in School Readiness Plus as of March 10, with expenditures of about $161,420 through January 2025, and said participation is increasing. Members asked about the federal-state funding split, wait lists, reverted funds, coalition accountability, county-based rate differences, and whether the entrance eligibility threshold should be raised or shifted to state median income. The panel said roughly 70% of School Readiness funding is federal, about 4% has typically reverted in recent years, and the wait list is around 12,000 children, with reasons including income ineligibility, lack of available seats, and funding limits. They argued that raising the entrance threshold would expand access but would require additional funding, and they also discussed the need to reduce workforce barriers such as in-person testing and training requirements. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond the presentation and member discussion, and the subcommittee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first item is a letter from the Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
• It's a letter from the Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• It's a letter from the Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• Courtney Sallis-Four, Department of Education. Daryl Smith, Department of Education.
• The first item is a letter from the Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 1204, all