Transcript Highlights:

• a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College.
• education, science, and character development.
• The Health and Science Center, I think it's 52% of medical graduates from the Health and Science Center
• It's not the Health and Science Center, but it's just mainly academia there.
• I actually went to the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Absolutely.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• new coordinated screening and progress monitoring system as well as our statewide assessments in science
• Next, I'll talk a little bit about our and of course, results in our science results. Again.
• on computer, too, allow for that real-time scoring for and of course, assessments as well as our science
• Quite science assessment. Again, we had growth across the board.
• Science, for example, has been in place since 2012 and U.S. history since 2013 and civic since 2014.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , with our outreach program, we call it Gateway to Science on the Go.
• Learning science is very much the same way.
• It's a big deal in the science world. NDSU has another one in pancreatic cancer.
• The numbers for computer science majors are declining rapidly.
• Faculty who teach computer science also do work in AI and in robotics and automation.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The science is clear, and so is our responsibility to ensure that every woman can go through pregnancy
• Please come on up. for Earth Justice, Green Science Policy Institute, California Environmental Voters
• So for us it seems like there's been a lot of science, a lot of research, a lot of evidence, a lot of
• Rainbow Rubin, the Director of Science at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, and Nancy Vermeyer, the
• Breast Cancer Prevention Partners is a science-based organization working to prevent breast cancer by

Summary: The committee heard several environmental and consumer-safety bills. AB 405, the Fashion Act, would require fashion companies to disclose and manage toxic chemicals in their supply chains; supporters said it would reduce worker and consumer exposure and align with existing industry frameworks, while retailers and business groups argued it would duplicate existing laws and raise costs. After questions about DTSC workload, international standards, and affordability, the bill was moved on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Natural Resources and held on call with three votes. AB 762 would ban the sale and distribution of disposable vape devices; supporters emphasized battery-fire risks, recycling contamination, and waste impacts, while cannabis and convenience-store interests warned it would push consumers to illicit markets and harm legal businesses. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to Business and Professions with three votes and was held on call. The committee also adopted the consent calendar with six votes. AB 794 would direct California to keep in place the federal PFAS drinking-water standard if federal protections are weakened, with supporters citing health risks and the need for certainty, and water agencies opposing the emergency-rulemaking authority and potential costs. Members debated whether the bill was too broad and whether federal funds would cover implementation; the bill passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations with four votes and was held open. AB 1148, the Safer Food Packaging Act, would restrict certain chemicals in food packaging; supporters cited cancer and reproductive-health concerns, while chemical, beverage, and manufacturing groups argued the bill should go through existing regulatory processes and that some chemicals lacked feasible alternatives. The author said she would remove antimony trioxide later in the process after hearing opposition concerns; the bill passed on a due-pass motion to Judiciary with four votes and was held open. Finally, AB 1338 would allow local air districts to recover costs for implementing fence-line air monitoring at metal shredding facilities, building on prior legislation and local air district efforts in AB 617 communities. The author said the bill would preserve local control and improve efficiency, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District testified in support. The transcript ends as the district witness begins testimony, with no vote yet taken on AB 1338.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's the basic science.
• watersheds and that's the basic science watersheds and that's the basic science and<01:31:22.080
• It's part science, part planning.
• So when I asked for science, not nobody in any state agency could show me any science saying why the
• So when I asked for science, not nobody in any state agency could show me any science saying why the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:23.399> economics Technology veterinary science economics Technology veterinary science
• One of our recent funded grants is the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, or CTSI.
• for advancement of translational science for advancement of translational science uh<01:02:47.480
• Publications are the currency within science.
• <01:28:21.199> uh currency um um within uh science uh currency um um within uh science uh

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee met and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The chair noted that agency overviews from the Office of Higher Education and other state agencies were not available, so the committee proceeded with University of Minnesota presentations instead. The committee also reviewed posted committee rules. University of Minnesota representatives gave an overview of the university’s research enterprise, describing it as a system of five campuses with a possible expansion to St. Cloud, and highlighting research strengths across campuses in agriculture, energy, natural resources, health, and the Twin Cities flagship campus. They said the university has more than $1.3 billion in annual research expenditures, receives most of its research funding from federal sources, and is ranked highly for both overall research and interdisciplinary research. Examples discussed included the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Forever Green initiative, and research tied to sustainable crops, health, and commercialization. Members asked questions about specific research areas, including biodegradable or renewable plastics, wheat research, food dyes, health and environmental toxins, and the market for winter camelina and winter pennycress. University staff said they could follow up with more detailed information and explained that the winter crop work is intended to become market-driven over time, while also improving soil health and creating new revenue streams for farmers. They also clarified that the university’s federal research funding includes money from NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, and other agencies, and that the “other” funding category includes foundations, subawards, and internal university seed funding. The committee then heard a second University of Minnesota presentation focused on partnerships, commercialization, and workforce development. Testimony highlighted collaborations with industry and government partners such as U.S. Steel, 3M, Medtronic, Cisco, and defense-related industry leaders, as well as programs supporting microelectronics, AI, cybersecurity, and sustainable aviation fuels. No formal votes were taken beyond approving the minutes, and the committee ended the segment by moving on to the next testifier.

Transcript Highlights:

• The science is clear.
• available recovery science say today? available recovery science say today?
• What's the good science?
• What's the good science? As I've it be? What's the good science?
• They ignore science. They decision. They ignore science.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, December 18, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But that's the problem with this Kind of junk science. There is no provable harm.
• I heard the term 'junk science' and I was wondering if you could clarify which of the sciences are the
• junk sciences with Thank you for that question.
• we're using to define climate change or junk science.
• I was asked earlier for a definition of junk science, and I provided a good one, so I'm gonna read it

Bills: HR1046, SB1733, SB1439

Keywords: Oklahoma City, terrorism, Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, memorial, remembrance, first responders, community support, child abuse, reporting requirements, sexual misconduct, law enforcement, school personnel, confidentiality, student safety, fossil fuels, liability protection, climate change, energy independence, oil and gas, 914

Transcript Highlights:

• FROM TOURISM TO MANUFACTURING, AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL SCIENCES, WE HAVE PROGRAMS IN BOTH SECONDARY AND
• AND THEN WE HAVE OUR ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREES TRAINING FOR A SPECIFIC OCCUPATION
• THAT GAVE US OF THE ABILITY TO LAUNCH THE VISION THAT WE HAD FOR AN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE DEGREE. TWO INDUSTRY CREDENTIALS.
• HEALTH SCIENCES IS THE BED ROCK OF MANY OF OUR COLLEGES.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to change the paradigm of coral restoration science.
• to change the paradigm of coral restoration science.
• The other side is the Mote Sea to Shore Science Education Aquarium.
• And that's in the science world; that is not my scope in regulatory.
• Like I said, those remaining 10 sites—I mean, they've been struggling with the science.

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources heard a series of presentations focused on coral reef restoration, artificial reefs, biosolids management, and a proposed biosolids processing facility. Mote Marine Laboratory described the severe decline of Florida’s coral reefs, its restoration methods using microfragmentation, genetic banking, selective breeding, nurseries, and outplanting, and asked for a long-term state commitment to help restore reef areas. The Keys Marine Laboratory and Florida Institute of Oceanography highlighted their role as a hub for coral rescue, holding, propagation, and research, including emergency response during the 2023 bleaching event. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discussed the scale of reef loss, the state’s coral rescue and propagation efforts, and the economic and habitat value of artificial reefs, while noting permitting delays and material-selection concerns for reef projects. The committee then received a DEP update on the Osborne Reef tire cleanup. DEP explained that the original tire reef was a failure, that nearly 500,000 tires had been removed by 2024, and that the current effort is funded at $5 million for the fiscal year, with cleanup now shifting from large tire clusters to more difficult individual tires and coral relocation. Members asked about the future of the site after cleanup; DEP said that phase two decisions, such as whether to restore or monitor the area, have not yet been made. DEP also presented on biosolids rules, explaining that the 2021 rule tightened nutrient management, groundwater, and surface water protections, reduced the number of active land-application sites, and contributed to a shift away from Class B land application toward Class AA, landfill, or out-of-state disposal. Senators raised concerns about PFAS, nutrient loading, and the loss of disposal options, and a public speaker warned of a statewide septage disposal crisis. Finally, Sedron Technologies presented its VARCOR system and a planned Indiantown facility that would process dewatered biosolids into clean water, ammonia, and a dry Class AA product or fuel, with the company saying the process can destroy PFAS and help relieve regional disposal pressure. Senators expressed support for the technology as a potential solution to Florida’s biosolids challenges. No formal votes were taken on the presentations themselves, and the only action at the end of the meeting was adjournment after Senator Polsky moved to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• may add an additional hour of instruction in the partner language for content areas such as math, science
• The state has invested a lot of money in funding science already.
• Chair, Representative, in terms of the science of reading.
• , elementary, bilingual, political science, and sociology.
• Political science and sociology.

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes 314 programs offering associate degrees in nursing or Bachelor of Science in Nursing, five
• programs, and direct-entry Master of Science.
• of Science, so those will all fall under the RN category.
• That gives the student the two years to explore to really develop their science skills.
• But I want to make it very clear that nursing is an art and it's a science.

Summary: The subcommittee met to examine Florida’s nursing education pipeline and the state’s persistently low NCLEX passage rates. Chair Tuck opened by noting the projected nurse shortage and Florida’s ranking near the bottom nationally for first-time NCLEX pass rates. The Department of Health explained the Board of Nursing’s approval process for nursing programs, including application requirements, probation standards, and termination for programs that repeatedly fail passage-rate benchmarks. The Florida Center for Nursing then presented statewide data showing Florida has more test takers than most states, but still trails the national average; the gap has narrowed in recent years, though Florida remains below average. Members focused heavily on why the state continues to underperform, with discussion of faculty shortages, clinical placement constraints, accreditation, student preparedness, and the large share of newer private for-profit programs among those placed on probation. Committee members asked about how probation works, what happens when programs improve, and whether the board requires corrective plans. They also questioned the relationship between program type and outcomes, the effect of Operation Nightingale, and how many students fail and retest. The Florida Center for Nursing said first-attempt pass rates are the standard measure and that students who fail are expected to remediate and retest, though costs vary. The center also said Florida’s data shows accredited programs outperform approved or probationary ones, and that the state’s nursing workforce challenges are tied to broader issues such as faculty vacancies, clinical site competition, and student demographics, including many students balancing work, family, and language barriers. A panel of nursing school leaders from public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit institutions then described strategies used to improve outcomes. These included transparent recruitment, early orientation, tutoring, success coaching, stronger faculty development, curriculum mapping to NCLEX standards, higher course benchmarks, mandatory remediation, simulation labs, and commercial NCLEX prep tools such as ATI, Kaplan, and HESI. Several panelists said their programs had improved after probation or had very high passage rates, and they emphasized that student success depends on academic preparation, clinical experience, and support services. Members also asked about tuition, program length, translation into other languages, and faculty recruitment; panelists said costs vary widely, faculty hiring is difficult because hospitals pay more, and some schools are considering medical Spanish and immersion options rather than full curriculum translation.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the work that they do to make sure that we're increasing literacy instruction grounded in the science
• our state regional literacy director program: We track the number of completers who complete our science
• Our science of reading course is an online course that we're able to provide to teachers and leaders
• Our science of reading course is an online course that we're able to provide to teachers and leaders
• I have one fifth grade Science.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum and first heard a Department of Education program review on three district support programs: assistance to low-performing schools, the Florida Partnership program, and regional literacy teams (RAISE). Dr. Paul Burns described how the Bureau of School Improvement supports schools with D/F grades through regional teams, classroom observations, professional learning, and targeted funding, noting that 104 of 168 low-performing schools improved after 2022-23 and that the share of failing schools fell from 6% to 4%. He also outlined the Florida Partnership’s $4 million annual appropriation for advanced-course teacher training and student access, and the RAISE literacy program’s $5 million funding, universal/targeted/intensive supports, and progress monitoring results. Senators asked about rural participation, post-COVID reading data, parent support, and how long schools remain under monitoring after improving; Burns said rural districts can participate statewide, parents can access school and department support, and schools continue to receive monitoring after exiting low-performing status to prevent recidivism. The committee then received a presentation on the school district education foundation matching grants program from Suzanne Pridgen, who explained that the Consortium of the Florida Education Foundations administers the grants, which require private matching funds and support tutoring, literacy, STEM, career education, professional learning, books, and supplies. She said the program leverages about $1.44 in private support for every state dollar. The committee then moved to the regional education consortia, where representatives from PAEC, NEFEC, and Heartland, along with several rural superintendents, described the consortia as member-led organizations that provide economies of scale, professional learning, HR, risk management, purchasing, legal and operational support, crisis assistance, and leadership development for small and fiscally constrained districts. Superintendents from Lafayette, Holmes, Calhoun, Union, DeSoto, and Hendry counties testified that the consortia are essential because rural districts often have very small staffs, multiple-duty administrators, and limited in-house expertise. They cited support with insurance and hurricane recovery, training for new finance and HR staff, instructional coaching, CTE and leadership programs, and help with turnaround schools. Members emphasized that these districts can be high-performing despite limited resources, and several senators praised the consortia’s value. Senator Gaetz asked about additional back-office collaboration, possible regulatory relief, and FEFP issues tied to scholarship-related enrollment swings; rural superintendents responded that more local control would help. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• We understand that we still need to get some teachers with some access to learning about the science
• We understand that we still need to get some teachers with some access to learning about the science
• We understand that we still need to get some teachers with some access to learning about the science
• ><00:47:58.840> social using reading, science, and social using reading, science, and social studies
• , studies, and what were the science, studies, and what were the science, social<00:48:09.320>

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These funds support thousands of jobs across the Commonwealth in our life sciences, higher education,
• Massachusetts' life science and biotech industry is one of the greatest economic drivers in the state
• The Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole is a division of NOAA, the National Oceanic and
• ... ...that the Trump administration's cuts to science research are bad for science.
• With respect to your district and the critical ocean science work there, we share your view that these

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The inaugural hearing of the newly named House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability focused on how federal policy changes could affect Massachusetts, especially in education, health care, research, infrastructure, climate, and business conditions. Chair LaNatra said the committee was created to monitor federal funding decisions and their impacts on state programs and services. Members introduced themselves, then heard testimony from Doug Howgate of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Sarah Mills of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and Quentin Palfrey, the governor’s Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure. Howgate argued that the Trump administration and new Congress pose ideological, practical, and process-related risks to Massachusetts, citing proposed cuts to Medicaid, education, research, and other domestic programs. He said federal dollars make up about a quarter of the state operating budget and capital plan, warned against using one-time reserves to backfill ongoing federal cuts, and urged the state to prioritize core services while protecting areas where Massachusetts is especially strong, such as higher education and research. In response to committee questions, he said the House Medicaid proposal would still cost Massachusetts hundreds of millions and that international student and NIH-related changes could harm the state’s labor force and innovation economy. He also advised that the state communicate clearly without overreacting to daily federal developments. Mills testified that AIM members are most concerned about uncertainty, tariffs, Medicaid cuts, and NIH reductions. She said tariffs are raising costs, disrupting supply chains, and hurting small and medium-sized businesses, housing construction, and exporters, with AIM’s business confidence index falling to its lowest level since the pandemic. She said Medicaid cuts would raise employer health costs, reduce productivity, and strain the health care system, while NIH cuts would threaten Massachusetts’ life sciences and academic research ecosystem. In questions, she said AIM has increased federal outreach, is coordinating with the U.S. Chamber and the Massachusetts delegation, and is hearing concerns from employers about immigration compliance and workforce disruptions. Palfrey described the Healey-Driscoll administration’s efforts to maximize federal funding, including a biweekly interagency council, a municipal partnership effort, and a statewide roadshow. He said Massachusetts has secured nearly $9 billion from major federal laws for projects such as the Cape Cod bridges, Allston Multimodal, grid modernization, clean-energy school buses, and broadband. He also said the administration launched a public website to track federal impacts and is working with municipalities, nonprofits, and the Attorney General on grant changes, legal issues, and litigation. In response to questions, he warned that cuts to NOAA, NSF, Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs could affect services and the state budget, and said the administration is tracking changes to federal grant applications and conditions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• A 2022 paper from UNM political science professors analyzed legislative work and recommended not just
• of ...reading, the science of how it's actually learned to read.
• This shows the science of reading works for all students.
• This bill strengthens literacy instruction, particularly in educator preparation with the science of
• This bill strengthens literacy instruction, particularly in educator preparation with the science of

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , health sciences, and skilled technical sciences.
• Kattnick mentioned earlier, those that pertain to math, science, language arts, et cetera.
• On the left-hand side, you'll see that occupational pathway, including the subjects of health sciences
• and skilled technical sciences.
• So they know they could not go in to teach math or science or anything like that.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will come to order.
• Section head for the National Science Foundation's Arctic Sciences Section.
• I'm the head of Arctic Sciences in the Office of Polar Programs at the U.S.
• National Science Foundation.
• In the north, NSF actually funds all the science capability on the Healy, as well as the technicians

Keywords: Greenland, acquisition, national security, Arctic, geopolitical, China, Russia, icebreakers, trade routes

Summary: The meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focused on the potential acquisition of Greenland by the United States. This issue, first raised by President Trump in 2019, has gained renewed significance amidst shifting global dynamics and the strategic importance of Greenland in relation to transatlantic trade routes and national security. The members discussed the geopolitical implications of Greenland's position, especially given the increasing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic region. Notably, the urgency to address military presence and icebreaker capabilities in the Arctic was a major point of contention, with a call for a new fleet to counter foreign dominance in the area.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good groundwater management starts with good science.
• That's where this conversation today started was in that science.
• Presenter: The science is pretty agnostic, I would say.
• And a lot of the conversation today has been about the necessary science, the need to fund the science
• But the Edwards Underground Water District had funding and science.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are... the aviation science program is divided into a couple of specific areas.
• And here I am, a political science major, and I'm talking about weapons.
• Lamb, to deliver high-quality education through science-based knowledge.
• I did not know you're the number one producer of certified teachers in math and science.
• Okay, we will move on to Texas A&M University System Health Sciences. Center with Dr.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all