Transcript Highlights:

• </c> get ready for that c um semiquincential. get ready for that c um semiquincential.
• </c><00:42:16.960><c> to</c> resource for students who are ready to resource for students who are ready
• ;&gt; And whenever you're ready, &gt;&gt; And whenever you're ready, Good<00:52:35.119><c> afternoon,
• </c><00:54:43.599><c> and</c> college and career readiness and college and career readiness and advanced
• Fourth grade kindergarten kindergarten we<01:11:31.360><c> have</c><01:11:31.679><c> family</c><01:11

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• concerning because school meal programs are designed to ensure that children are well-nourished and ready
• Charlie started kindergarten this year, and we wanted him to get school lunch a few days a week so he
• I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I was six years old, in the summer after kindergarten.
• When I first started first grade, When I was six years old in the summer after kindergarten, my parents

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held a hearing on two late-filed bills, H. 5012 and S. 2927, titled An Act Relative to Student Access, Food, and Nutritional Information, also referred to by witnesses as the “Snack Act.” The bills would require schools to make gluten-free and allergen-related meal information easier to find online, including menus, ingredients, food safety procedures, and contact information, so students with celiac disease and other medically necessary dietary restrictions can safely participate in universal school meal programs. Committee leaders explained the hearing process and invited testimony from pre-registered and in-person witnesses. Most testimony came from parents, students, physicians, and advocates who described celiac disease as a serious autoimmune condition requiring a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. Witnesses said many families avoid school meals because information is hard to find or not clearly communicated, and they emphasized that the bill would not create a new system so much as make existing information accessible. Several speakers cited research showing that many children with celiac disease do not participate in school breakfast and lunch programs, and that communication gaps between school administrators, nurses, and food service staff are a major barrier. Witnesses also said the bill could help students with food allergies more broadly and would support equity in the state’s universal school meals program. A number of students with celiac disease gave personal testimony about feeling excluded, managing food anxiety, and relying on clear school communication to stay safe. One parent and clinician described a child’s severe malnutrition before diagnosis and shared a photo to illustrate the seriousness of gluten exposure, while other doctors discussed long-term health risks from uncontrolled celiac disease and the need for better access to safe meals. Committee members praised the witnesses, especially the young students, and asked questions about cross-contamination, school procedures, and whether regulations or agency action might also address the issue. Senator Joan Lovely, the Senate sponsor, briefly endorsed the bill and thanked the panel. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the committee closed the hearing after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• I taught mostly kindergarten and first school. Specialist for six of those years.
• I taught mostly kindergarten and first and second grade. Kindergarten was my thing.
• Representative West, you may begin when you are ready. Good morning, Madam Chair and committee.

Committee: House Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• total on teacher capacity and improvement in evidence-based literacy instruction for students in kindergarten
• they would need and to make sure that teachers, paraprofessionals, and reading specialists in kindergarten
• DESE to make available free, free, F-R-E-E, complete high-quality curriculum and training for kindergarten
• Is he ready? Okay, sorry.
• public and private schools and expand the required child eye care exams from children entering kindergarten

Summary: The Senate first handled a House petition from John H. Rawlers and others seeking eminent domain authority for a parcel in Norwood; Joint Rule 12 was suspended and the matter was referred to the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. The chamber then resumed debate on the literacy bill, with Senator Tarr offering a series of amendments focused on school district funding, teacher competency, reporting, waivers, and curriculum implementation. Most of Tarr’s amendments were rejected, but one requiring written, appealable denials of district waivers was adopted by roll call, and another amendment on reporting from the Early Literacy Fund, including provisions for English language learners and special education educators, was also adopted. A separate amendment extending the timeline for DESE to publish high-quality curricula was adopted, while several other amendments were withdrawn or defeated. The Senate also considered and adopted an amendment from Senator Comerford addressing rural and regional equity in education funding. That amendment expanded eligible uses of the Early Literacy Fund to include screening assessments, required DESE to prioritize geographic and funding equity, mandated a public hearing in Western Massachusetts before final grant criteria were finalized, and directed technical assistance to rural districts. Senators from across the chamber spoke in support, emphasizing chronic underfunding, declining enrollment, minimum-aid pressures, and the need for a broader review of the Chapter 70 formula and a Foundation Budget Review Commission. The amendment passed unanimously. Later, the Senate took up an amendment from Senator Moore on children’s vision care, which would have created a registry for vision screening and expanded eye exam requirements, but it was withdrawn after supportive debate. The chamber then adopted the Ways and Means redraft, ordered the bill to third reading, and passed An Act relative to teacher preparation and student literacy to be engrossed by a unanimous roll call. Final passage was also achieved for a separate House land-taking bill allowing the town of Hingham to use municipal property for a center for active living, which passed by the required two-thirds vote and was enacted. The Senate then adopted an order to meet again the following Monday and adjourned in memory of Donna Goldstein.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a transitional kindergarten teacher with Orangevale Open and San Juan Unified.
• I've taught every grade from kindergarten to 12th grade over my 13 years as a virtual educator, but my
• My dad used to tell me as a kid, if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready.
• I just the second point I wanted to make is the constitutional amendment that RN is is ready to pass.
• Chair whenever you're ready okay thank you very much committee members this is our last item for today

Committee: House Education

Bills: SB5223 , SB5831 , SB5928 , SB6183 , SB6071 , SB5995 , SB5966 , SB5841 , SB5840 , SB6061 , SB6058 , SB5931 , SB5944 , SB5520 , SB6011 , SB6087 , SB6076 , SB5916 , SB6016 , SB5936 , SB6137 , SB5956 , SB6025 , SB6009 , SB5833 , SB6161 , SB6188 , SB5890 , SB5917 , SB5820 , SB5973 , SJM8015 , SB5816 , SB6136 , SB6091 , SB6024 , SB5053 , SB5249 , SB5536 , SB5834 , SB5837 , SB5872 , SB5879 , SB5899 , SB5925 , SB6019 , SB6148 , SB6184 , SB6190 , SB6237 , SB6086 , SB5574 , SB5873 , SB5992 , SB5924 , SB6134 , SB6263 , SB5395 , SB6282 , SB5905 , SB6302 , SB5950 , SB6074 , SB6226 , SB6096 , SB5970 , SB6269

Keywords: criminal offense, fingerprinting, law enforcement, state regulations, public safety, mortgage modification, uniform regulations, homeowners, financial stability, foreclosure prevention, wildfire risk, disclosure, safety, environmental policy, risk assessment, SB 6183, HIV, antiviral drugs, antiretroviral therapy, AIDS

Transcript Highlights:

• kindergarten.
• By the end of the year, 74% proficient, ready to start kindergarten, so that we can make sure that they're
• Again, I'm reading from our own department's words: all children enter kindergarten ready to learn and
• All children enter kindergarten ready to learn and prepared for lifelong success as a result of their
• I believe he's ready to present.

Committee: All JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE

Transcript Highlights:

• parents come to pick up the kids, it's time to clean, curriculum, development, paperwork, and get ready
• By the time the child is coming to kindergarten, there’s confidence. There’s a voice.
• We have to be ready on behalf of them.
• However, we do stand ready to partner with the Legislature and the administration and stakeholders to
• It was learned before you got to kindergarten.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on the Trump administration’s freeze of federal child care and social services funding and its potential impact on California. The chair opened by emphasizing that child care is economic infrastructure and warning that the freeze could destabilize California’s $10 billion child care system. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Social Services explained that California child care programs rely on roughly $1.4 billion in federal CCDF and TANF funds, which are blended with state dollars and support hundreds of thousands of children and families. CDSS said the state and four other Democratic-led states quickly sued, obtaining a temporary restraining order that has kept the funds flowing for now. Witnesses including Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, child care provider Amisha Griffin, and parent advocate Mara Linda Bustamante described the practical consequences of a funding interruption: providers could lose reimbursement, close centers, cut enrollment, or lay off staff; parents could lose child care, jobs, or school opportunities; and counties could not backfill the lost federal dollars. Several speakers stressed that child care centers also provide wraparound supports such as nutrition, developmental screening, and referrals, especially in rural and low-income communities. Mitchell and others argued that the freeze would worsen child care deserts and disproportionately harm women, single parents, and communities of color. Members repeatedly challenged the federal rationale of “waste, fraud, and abuse,” asking for oversight details. CDSS said providers face extensive audits, fraud policies, monitoring, and recoupment procedures, and that identified fraud amounts to about $7 million over two years compared with roughly $6.5 billion in annual child care spending. Several members said the fraud rate is under 1 percent and criticized the freeze as politically motivated and illegal. They also discussed the need for a state “bridge plan” to protect families if federal funds remain disrupted, and some members referenced prior legislation to modernize CalWORKs and child care eligibility. During public comment, parents, providers, county representatives, and advocacy groups echoed the same concerns, citing waiting lists, workforce losses, and the risk of families falling back into homelessness or poverty. No formal vote was taken; the hearing concluded with broad bipartisan expressions of support for child care funding and a commitment to continue working on state protections and federal advocacy.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are you ready for the Woodstock. Are you ready for the question? question? question?
• Are you ready for Starkboro and others? Are you ready for the<02:27:57.240><c> question?
• </c> Are you ready for the question? Are you ready for the question?
• Are you ready for Starksboro and others? Are you ready for the<02:49:07.000><c> question?
• </c> Are you ready for the question? Are you ready for the question?

Transcript Highlights:

• So, Miss Morris, if you are ready and you have slides, I believe no slides.
• Miss Morris, if you are ready and you have slides, I believe no slides. Okay, just the PowerPoint.
• All right, you may begin when you're ready. Madam Chair, members, my name is Shaya Morse.
• </c><00:04:36.240><c> Madam</c><00:04:36.639><c> Chair,</c> begin when you're ready.
• Madam Chair, begin when you're ready.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Ready, begin.
• We both have taught more than 30 years— I in grades kindergarten all the way up to junior high, and my
• I taught in grades kindergarten all the way up to junior high, and my husband was a junior high teacher
• When we have affordable units ready for occupancy, turning on the light should not be the barrier to
• Seeing and hearing no further business, I am ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Ms.

Summary: The Assembly convened after initially lacking a quorum, then completed the prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, journal motions, and a long series of procedural actions, including suspending rules to move bills and approve a large Appropriations Committee hearing list. Members also made several guest introductions, including Shannon Lee, district staff from Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez’s office, and later guests tied to agritourism and education recognitions. The floor debate centered heavily on AJR 31, a resolution urging Congress to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Supporters argued that recent Supreme Court decisions and redistricting efforts in other states were weakening Black and other minority representation and that California should take a clear stand for voting rights. Opponents argued the measure promoted racial division, conflicted with equal protection principles, and that districts should be drawn based on place or communities of interest rather than race. After a contentious debate with repeated parliamentary warnings over decorum, the Assembly suspended the rules to take up the resolution, added coauthors, and passed AJR 31 by a vote of 58-8. The Assembly then moved through a series of bills and resolutions, generally approving them with little or no opposition. These included AB 2341 clarifying emergency language translation rules for local agencies; AB 1816 extending court supervision for certain sex-offender rehabilitation programs; AB 2561 protecting consumer privacy settings on phones and digital devices; ACR 167 recognizing World Agritourism Day; ACR 190 recognizing California Day of the Teacher; AB 1581 improving identification of Native American students in public schools; AB 1586 requiring opioid overdose prevention training for school resource officers and safety planning; AB 1665 requiring mental health training for school coaches; AB 1693 streamlining retail tenant-improvement permitting; AB 1768 authorizing a local tax measure related to health funding; AB 1712 facilitating a water-system sale for Santa Fe Springs; AB 1792 addressing sexually exploitive AI imagery in health education; and AB 1822 prioritizing school projects that address extreme heat. Most measures passed overwhelmingly, several unanimously, and the resolution on agritourism and the teacher day were adopted by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you all may begin whenever you're ready.
• We jointly sponsored programs like transitional kindergarten.
• They've given one example: transitional kindergarten.
• Klaus von Zastro, and Klaus, you may begin whenever you're ready.
• Klaus von Zastro, and Klaus, you may begin whenever you're ready.

Summary: The joint Senate Education and Budget Committee hearing focused on the Governor’s proposed education governance overhaul, which would shift day-to-day management of the California Department of Education from the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction to a new appointed education commissioner, while giving the Superintendent new voting roles on the State Board of Education and the Community College Board of Governors. Chair Perez opened by stressing that the proposal raises major policy questions beyond the budget process and should be evaluated for its effect on students, local control, and accountability. Brooks Allen of the State Board of Education argued the change would unify policymaking and implementation, reduce fragmented authority, and create clearer accountability, citing decades of reports criticizing California’s “crazy quilt” governance structure and noting the proposal is timed for the 2026 transition. Amber Alexander of the Department of Finance outlined the fiscal and staffing transfers, describing the plan as largely cost-neutral and explaining how positions would shift between the State Board, the Department, and the new Superintendent’s office over 2026-27 and 2027-28. Sarah Cortez of the Legislative Analyst’s Office said the LAO supports shifting management to an appointed commissioner but recommended several refinements: preserving legislative oversight, requiring Senate confirmation of the commissioner, clearly defining the Superintendent’s duties as a public representative/advisor/evaluator, and refining the State Board’s role to focus on major policies requiring public input. She also said the fiscal plan should be cost-neutral and more fully specified. Senators raised concerns about the timing during an election year, the constitutional status of the Superintendent, whether the proposal should instead be a constitutional amendment, and whether governance changes actually improve student outcomes or simply rearrange the org chart. Some members questioned whether the proposal would confuse voters and undermine democratic accountability, while others said the current structure is already confusing and that the reform could improve clarity for districts and local boards. The discussion also covered how curriculum is set, with LAO explaining that the Legislature has broad authority but has delegated much curriculum work to the State Board and the Instructional Quality Commission. Members asked how the new structure would affect local districts, who they would call for guidance, and whether the commissioner would have authority over policy; the presenters said policy authority would remain with the State Board, while the commissioner would handle administration and implementation. No votes were taken during the panel discussion, and the hearing was organized to continue with additional panels and public comment later in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1706, full-day kindergarten students ADM.
• education SB 1705 classized illness policies appropriations ATT in education SB 17 06 full-day kindergarten
• SB 1812, luxury tax-ready-to-drink spirit alcohol. Finance.
• response plans in schools, workplaces, and public spaces can save lives and strengthen community readiness

Transcript Highlights:

• You may begin when you're ready. Mr. Chair, Dylan Hux-Zlitzer with the LAO.
• First, we want to thank the Governor and appreciate the investments in transitional kindergarten, namely
• Just on the issue of transitional kindergarten, we're very grateful for the investments that are proposed

Summary: The committee took up issue number seven, Child Care Rate Reform Transition Plan, and heard a presentation from the LAO on an eight-part transition plan for the period before implementation of the alternative methodology-based child care rate system. The plan would provide interim rate increases to existing regional market rates and standard reimbursement rates beginning January 1 of the budget year, keep the higher of SRR or ARMR as the single rate, annualize cost-of-care supplements, update hold-harmless language, eliminate the private market cap, authorize one-time systems transition funding with JLBC approval, and require annual reporting on parent co-pays. Members asked about the timeline and public/legislative feedback process, and administration staff said they were working toward the July 1, 2025 deadline while continuing stakeholder engagement through the rate and quality advisory process. Public comment was overwhelmingly focused on child care and early learning funding. Providers, county offices, advocacy groups, and education organizations urged the Legislature to move quickly on the alternative rate methodology, provide interim relief through a cost-of-living adjustment, reimburse based on enrollment rather than attendance, and preserve health and retirement benefits and workforce stability. Many speakers also pressed for funding to expand the promised 200,000 child care slots, warning that waitlists remain long and providers are under financial strain. Several commenters supported maintaining or extending grants and technical assistance for transitional kindergarten, inclusive early education, and mixed-delivery early learning programs. A separate set of comments addressed the Inclusive Early Education Expansion Program, with Sacramento County education officials and others urging a statewide plan that would extend support to the 20 counties not currently receiving grants, especially rural areas. Other speakers raised concerns about facilities and staffing impacts from TK expansion, the need for consistent eligibility rules across subsidized programs, and the importance of statewide systems-level funding. The chair thanked the LAO, administration, and public commenters, said the item would remain open until after the May Revision, and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:37.479><c> through</c><00:07:38.199><c> 12th</c> every grade kindergarten through 12th every
• grade kindergarten through 12th and<00:07:39.720><c> um</c><00:07:39.919><c> have</c><00:07:40.080><
• I have four children that are all currently in public school, from kindergarten to seventh grade.
• </c><00:10:00.200><c> to</c> public school from kindergarten to public school from kindergarten to seventh
• I have four children that are all currently in public school, from kindergarten to seventh grade.

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Organizations like who we play for are standing at the ready to help us through this bill through this
• with serious speech delays and developmental delays and is now looking at fully integrating into kindergarten
• You ready to go guns and emergence? Yes, sir. All right. I do have another bill. You're right.
• Simon. >> I love all the ball here in the committee today. >> Let's take Up Tab. 9 SB 1618, on pre kindergarten
• provide a description of how the district prioritizes the assignment of highly effective teachers to kindergarten

Transcript Highlights:

• to get them ready for the world ahead, we need to teach them how to appropriately use it.
• to get them ready for the world ahead, we need to teach them how to appropriately use.
• My first child, my son with Down syndrome, started reading before kindergarten.
• Our son with Down syndrome was reading before he even entered kindergarten. How?
• Ready to have you start your testimony. Please begin. Hi, my name is Garrett Denham.

Bills: SB6192 , SB6206 , SB5346 , SB6125 , SB5841 , SB5907 , SB5951

Committee: Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

Keywords: education, reading, mathematics, student intervention, instruction, academic standards, child care, first responders, incentives, pilot program, mobile phones, cell phones, smartphones, school phones, classroom distraction, digital citizenship, media literacy, internet safety, cyberbullying, student mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• . kindergarten. kindergarten.
• There are a few ideas being discussed this session related to preschool and kindergarten readiness.
• <01:31:14.080><c> readiness.
• </c> kindergarten readiness. kindergarten readiness.
• readiness actually means.

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, we're ready to dive in. And Senator Keenan will recognize you to testify. Welcome.
• You ready? All right, we're going to do a quick test and make sure they can hear you, okay?
• All right, you ready? Let's do a quick test. Mom, turn down your volume. You ready? Hi. You hear?
• The NAN Project is ready and able to support this mandate with our own trainings.
• And from what I've seen, students are ready to learn if we just give them a chance.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with the chairs emphasizing time limits, written testimony, and grouping similar measures together. Early testimony focused on opioid use disorder education in schools (S.382), with Senator Keenan arguing that students should be taught about the risks of substance use disorder and naloxone use as part of health curricula. Representative DeCost also briefly introduced H.551, a narrow bill concerning parent rights for children in third grade and younger. Several bills were then closed without testimony, including measures on type 1 diabetes informational materials and other diabetes-related proposals. A major portion of the hearing centered on school health and emergency response bills. Supporters of H.652/S.342 on diabetes management in schools described inconsistent district practices and urged clearer standards so students can receive care in classrooms rather than being sent out of instruction. Bills on epinephrine access and seizure disorders drew extensive testimony: advocates for stock epinephrine in schools argued that unassigned epinephrine can save lives and should be funded in a cost-neutral way, while a pediatrician opposed one version as an unfunded mandate. For seizure-safe schools (S.422/H.635), students, parents, educators, and advocates described missed or delayed responses to seizures, stigma, and the need for staff training, seizure action plans, and emergency medication protocols. A separate bill, H.645, allowing anti-seizure medication on school buses, was supported by a parent and student who said current law forces costly and restrictive transportation arrangements. The committee also heard testimony on youth skin health bills (S.334/H.600/H.619), which would let students carry and apply sunscreen at school and camp without a physician’s note. Supporters from melanoma prevention, dermatology, and industry groups said the bills would remove unnecessary barriers and promote sun-safe habits, while one witness cautioned about drafting details and unintended consequences. The hearing then moved to CPR/AED education for graduation (S.456), where Senator Tarr, a student advocate, and the Red Cross all supported requiring hands-on CPR certification for high school students. Finally, the committee took testimony on healthy school lunches (H.539/S.401): supporters from the Healthy School Lunch Coalition and school food directors backed stronger nutrition standards and a standing advisory council, while Consumer Brands Association witnesses opposed the bill as too vague and potentially disruptive. A nutrition scientist also warned about unintended restrictions on medically necessary or innovative foods. The chairs closed the hearing on the healthy lunch bills and then opened testimony on universal school meals for virtual schools (H.700), with Superintendent Patrick Latuka supporting access for students in Commonwealth virtual schools who currently receive no meal support.

Transcript Highlights:

• Five years later, they’re entering kindergarten, the other end of the system.
• Five years later, they’re entering kindergarten, the other end of the system.
• And there’s a whole bunch of cost studies that come in that says kindergarten to this grade, this grade
• Is the population of the students, meaning from kindergarten to 12th grade, is that, Meaning, from kindergarten
• “So there's the bigger READY program, which is more economic development.

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for an educational session focused on how Florida funds public schools and how property taxes are assessed and levied. Dr. Jim Zengali of the Department of Revenue explained the FEFP school funding formula, noting that it is built on weighted student counts, a base student allocation, and programmatic add-ons such as transportation, exceptional student education, school safety, and mental health. He said school funding is roughly split between state general revenue and local property taxes through required local effort, with additional discretionary and capital outlay millages contributing to total school funding. He also described the Department of Revenue’s role in certifying property rolls at fair market value and reviewing them for substantial compliance, including the so-called “nuclear option” if a roll is not approved. Members asked about trends in millage rates, county-by-county funding differences, the effect of growth and enrollment changes, and how property appraisals are reviewed. Zengali said aggregate millage for school funding has declined over the last decade while revenues have still increased, and he agreed to provide additional data on county trends, parcel strata, student growth, and enrollment impacts. He also clarified that school funding is equalized so students receive similar resources regardless of county wealth, and that federal funding plays only a small role in the FEFP. Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research then discussed existing homestead benefits. She said about half of Florida’s parcels are homestead properties, most fall in the $250,000 to $500,000 value range, and many seniors without mortgages pay property taxes in lump sums rather than through escrow. Baker explained that Florida’s homestead tax burden is middle-of-the-pack nationally and that the main benefits are Save Our Homes and portability on the differential side, plus the $25,000 homestead exemption and related exemptions on the exemption side. She said these benefits reduce taxable value substantially, with homestead properties receiving a large share of the reductions, and noted that the committee requested follow-up data on exemption usage, portability timing, senior exemptions, and county-level patterns. The final presentation, by Lizette Kelly of the Department of Revenue, covered millage rates and the TRIM process. She reviewed the history of truth-in-millage notices, required taxpayer mailings, public hearing notices, and later changes that tied local millage resets to rollback and majority-vote rates. Kelly explained the difference between proposed and adopted millage, the rollback rate, and the majority-vote rate, and described how taxing authorities include counties, cities, special districts, and MSTUs. She also outlined how county taxable value is calculated from just value through assessment differentials and exemptions, and how certain exemptions, such as the additional senior exemption, apply only to the taxing authority that adopted them. No votes were taken during the meeting, but members requested several follow-up data reports for later discussion.