Transcript Highlights:

• With that, I'm available for questions. Thank you. Questions for staff?
• I'm available for questions. Give me questions for staff, anybody.
• Plenty of precedent for this.
• Thank you for that. Thank you for that question.
• The question for a tax increment financing application is, does it meet the but-for test?

Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee waived the five-day notice rule and then took up two House bills. HB 2418 would tighten and expand permit-review timelines for residential projects, including requiring “procedural completeness” determinations, adding excluded time periods, extending timeline and refund requirements to certain fee-charging state and local entities, creating review deadlines for special purpose districts and public utility districts, and requiring local governments to designate a permit responsible official and a single point of contact. The sponsor said the bill was intended to improve predictability and reduce delays in permitting; builders and housing advocates strongly supported it, while sewer and water districts and county representatives raised concerns about incomplete referrals, staffing shortages, business-day versus calendar-day deadlines, and the cost of implementing the new contact requirements. The committee heard testimony but took no final vote on the bill in the transcript. HB 2451 would revise Washington’s local tax increment financing program. Staff explained that the bill adds guardrails and transparency, changes notice and hearing requirements, adjusts the assessed-value cap for increment areas, adds public safety facilities to eligible improvements, requires more detailed project analyses and annual reporting, and creates a negotiation/mediation/arbitration process for impacts to taxing districts. The sponsor said the measure was a carefully negotiated compromise intended to address junior taxing district concerns without creating an opt-out. Supporters from the Port of Tacoma, fire chiefs, cities, and counties said the bill improves the earlier TIF framework by strengthening the but-for test, notice, and participation rules, while counties still expressed concern about cumulative impacts and asked for future opt-out discussions. No final committee action was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you know, the base is high, higher to end FY25, but the expectation for growth is lower.
• , upward by $91 million for FY27, and upward from $68 million for FY28 from the last forecast.
• But reserves can be used for that purpose or for others. Thank you.
• Because if I add the revenue lost for the PIT and the SIT plus the RRA, that exceeds the high end of
• Do we have the address for it? Do we have the address for the jet port?

Transcript Highlights:

• Demand for dental assistants and hygienists has long been high, and CHWS's Health Workforce Sentinel
• While we often talk about high demand for dental staff, delays and shortages at multiple levels make
• So thank you for your time and for listening to my story. Thank you so much for sharing your story.
• only for this state, but for the nation.
• So I want to thank Senator Riccelli [member_16244] for putting this bill forward, and I just hope that

Bills: SB6138, SB5899, SB6072, SB6094

Keywords: dental procedures, sedation, patient safety, multiprovider system, healthcare regulation, chiropractic, animal care, veterinary medicine, license endorsement, nonhuman animals, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, VCPR, veterinary telehealth, telemedicine, teletriage, teleadvice, animal health, licensed veterinarian, Washington veterinary board, prescription drugs

Transcript Highlights:

• And by your vote, CS for CS for SB 1726 will be reported favorably.
• speaking only for myself.
• So thanks for being here. Thank you. Thank you for your comments.
• UWF is also ranked number eight for best for vets and is number one in Florida.
• We are known for being conservative. We're known for being strong on military.

Summary: The committee first heard CS/SB 1458 on apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. The bill sponsor said it would add consistency and transparency by requiring local education agencies and training providers to define their roles and funding shares in contracts, cap an LEA’s share at 10% when it serves only an administrative role, and require public meetings and published work papers for the district workforce education funding steering committee. Several industry and business groups appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably without debate. The committee then took up CS/CS/SB 1726 on higher education, which was substantially revised by a delete-all amendment. The amended bill addressed presidential searches, trustee eligibility, interim presidents, polling by universities, mission reviews, and other governance issues. Members asked about the requirement that final presidential candidate groups include at least three applicants, the qualifications for interim presidents, trustee residency/alumni requirements, and limits on candidate polling. Senators Leek and Smith offered contrasting views, with Leek warning about candidate withdrawals and Smith supporting the bill as a way to depoliticize higher education governance. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably. The remainder of the meeting was devoted to confirmation hearings for university and college boards of trustees. Several appointees and reappointees from FAMU, UNF, Pensacola State College, UF, and UWF described their ties to their institutions and goals such as student success, workforce alignment, military support, research, and regional access. The UWF nominees drew the most scrutiny over their votes for former board chair Scott Yenor, whose public comments about women and other groups were criticized by senators and public commenters. Some nominees said they were unaware of the full scope of those remarks and would not have voted for him with that knowledge; others defended their votes as based on his education-reform views. Public testimony also raised concerns about UWF board members’ lack of higher-education experience and local ties. The committee confirmed the non-UWF nominees in a block vote and then began individual votes on the UWF nominees, with debate centered on Yenor-related concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll use a building we want to hope to renovate for staff spaces, for meeting spaces.
• staff</c><00:17:58.160><c> spaces</c><00:17:58.720><c> for</c> to hope to renovate for staff spaces for
• to hope to renovate for staff spaces for meeting<00:17:59.280><c> spaces.
• Arts High School but also for citizens of the community.
• ><c> for</c><01:04:01.440><c> this</c> top priorities for funding for this top priorities for funding

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• For me, that meant dropping out of high school to be with my son.
• Demand for skilled operators is very high, from clean energy to roads, bridges.
• operating engineers High School pathway program<01:20:45.000><c> demand</c><01:20:45.320><c> for</c>
• skilled operators is program demand for skilled operators is very<01:20:47.199><c> high</c><01:20:47.560
• There’s potential for high school credit, college credit, as well as apprenticeship credit, and this

Bills: HF339, HF1272, HF2121, HF2122, HF1216, HF1003, HF2319

Keywords: HF339, Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board, nursing homes, long-term care, elder care, workforce standards, certified worker organizations, labor funding, general fund appropriation, worker grants, Minnesota labor law, nursing home staffing, caregiver workforce, section 181.214, HF1272, nursing home, boarding care home, nursing home workers, labor standards, Medicaid-certified facility

Transcript Highlights:

• That accounts for a significant piece of why our projection is so high, because it accounts for us responding
• That accounts for like a significant piece of why our projection is so high is because it accounts for
• But I think, you know, part of my hope for the second panel is that we'll get a better understanding
• I also appear before you today as someone deeply committed to achieving high-quality health care for
• The Cal Hope Red Line, operated by the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health, offers phone, live

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, everyone, for being here for a work session for the House Environment and Energy Committee
• They include impact analysis at a high level, so some of the work is already being done for the agencies
• 90 days and for them to wait for it.
• For medium- and high-rated impacts, we assessed those as potentially significant absent mitigation.
• allowed for that consensus and collaboration that I hope will continue as this debate continues into

Summary: The committee held a work session on state environmental policy act (SEPA) implementation and carryout bags. Ecology staff Diane Buterak described the Clean Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEISs) completed for utility-scale solar, onshore wind, and green hydrogen, plus a new PEIS underway for sustainable aviation fuel. She explained that PEISs provide broad planning-level analysis to help developers and agencies avoid or mitigate impacts, but do not replace project-level review. Members asked about permitting timelines, greenhouse gas emissions from different hydrogen production methods, water use, agricultural land conversion, battery fire risk, and tribal consultation. Buterak said the PEISs identify potentially significant impacts and mitigation measures, including fire response planning, early tribal outreach, and agrovoltaics as an option for solar projects. EFSEC’s Amy Hofkimer then presented the transmission-facility programmatic EIS required by SB 5165 for 230 kV and higher transmission projects. She said the statewide review covers new lines and certain upgrades/modifications, analyzes impacts to water, cultural and tribal resources, habitat, and other areas, and uses general measures, design considerations, avoidance criteria, and sensitivity maps to guide siting and corridor planning. She said the final document would be issued in early October. Questions focused on reconductoring, tribal lands, scenic areas, and whether the review could affect existing lines crossing tribal lands. A Grant County planning director, Jim Anderson Cook, said Ecology’s PEIS would help with cumulative impacts for clustered solar projects, but noted tight local review timelines and the need for strong pre-application coordination, especially on cultural resource studies and decommissioning plans. Yakama Nation attorney Shona Leverett argued SEPA is only an assessment tool and said tribes face barriers from short comment periods, limited confidential tribal input, weak cumulative impact analysis, and challenges in the FSEC process; she urged better upfront developer diligence and more effective tribal coordination. Puget Sound Energy’s Sarah Leverett said the utility needs efficient and predictable permitting to meet clean energy mandates while maintaining reliable service and aging infrastructure. She described the scale of needed clean energy and transmission buildout, including a 10-year process for the Energize Eastside transmission rebuild, and said more consistent SEPA and PEIS processes could help. Members asked about future generation sources, reliability, and hydropower as a firming resource; she said PSE is pursuing an “all of the above” approach and would welcome more firm, dispatchable clean energy options. The committee then shifted to carryout bags. Staff Jacob Lipson and Tracy Taylor reviewed Washington’s bag law, its preemption of local ordinances, the current 8-cent charge, the scheduled increase to 12 cents, and the 2025 change delaying the 4-mil thickness requirement until 2028 while adding a temporary 4-cent penalty for thicker bags. Ecology’s Peter Lyon said the agency emphasizes education and complaint-based enforcement, has received 872 reports, and has not yet imposed any fines. Commerce’s Kirk Esmond summarized a WSU study finding fewer plastic bags distributed but more plastic by weight, and said Commerce and Ecology support keeping the 2.25-mil standard and not allowing thinner single-use bags again. Retail industry testimony from Brandon Housekeeper said grocers comply with the law but oppose the added 4-cent penalty and thicker-bag requirement, citing higher costs and confusion in the policy changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Doctor, thanks for being with us and thanks for the words.
• I had a question for either the doctor or for the senator.
• So for now, I am voting no and hope that this can be funded through the HIRF Fund.
• Sadly, safety improvements are made only for roads that have high numbers of fatalities.
• I would normally vote for these bills, you know, immediately and certainly ask for funding for them.

Bills: SB1063, SB1118, SB1153, SB1154, SB1209, SCM1001

Keywords: appropriation, transportation, safety improvements, Route 70, infrastructure, housing, zoning, middle housing, urban development, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, historic preservation, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, special license plate, special plate, license plate, vanity plate

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you need paras and special education is a high cost for the school systems, and it's mandated.
• Do you need paras and special education is a high cost for the school systems, and it's mandated.
• Do you need paras and special education is a high cost for the school systems, and it's mandated.
• She thanked the committee for its time and said she hoped they would...
• for 2025, and we hope to provide $336,000 in grants to farm businesses for 2025.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee held a hearing on several bills and announced at the outset that no votes would be taken because the measures would go to divisions later. The first major bill, HB 197, would require the state to pay 7.5% of political subdivision employer pension contributions for teachers, police officers, and firefighters. Representative Mike Edgar, the prime sponsor, argued the state had repeatedly reduced and then eliminated its promised share of retirement costs, shifting the burden to municipalities and property taxpayers. He said the bill would partially restore that commitment and provide relief to local governments, businesses, and taxpayers. Several witnesses testified in support of HB 197, including Representative John Cluder, Bradford selectman Marlene Fryer, the New Hampshire Municipal Association’s Margaret Burns, and Epping representative Mark Fone. Supporters said the bill would help with property tax pressure, school budgets, and municipal hiring, and they emphasized that much of the retirement cost reflects unfunded liability decisions made at the state level rather than by local governments. Committee members questioned whether the bill would change local incentives to control costs and how it would affect hiring and compensation. Burns said the state contribution would function as property tax relief because it offsets existing municipal expenses, and she noted the state is already on a long-term schedule to pay down the retirement system’s unfunded liability. After closing the hearing on HB 197, the committee opened a hearing on HB 97, introduced by Representative Tom Buco. He said the bill would continue funding for delayed and deferred wastewater projects and help municipalities finance expensive wastewater infrastructure, which he tied to housing development and local debt planning. No action or votes were taken on either bill during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• for consumers and for the grid and for the utility, we urge an aye vote.
• For those who may be unfamiliar, these circuit breakers are well known to have a high failure rate.
• I do hope that the concerns for safety will continue...
• I do hope that the concerns for safety will continue, but I do, you know, reserve my right to change
• They're already paying very high prices for electricity in the state of California.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is relative to mathematics requirement for high school graduation.
• </c> requirement for high school graduation. requirement for high school graduation.
• She added that for high school, because they are talking about credits and high school math and ELA,
• And the increased rate of dropout for those high school kiddos whose needs are not being met for the
• </c> High standards for public education.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have the flexibility to increase that 150% of the area median income for some high-cost areas
• Again, all the detail is listed for you, but at a high level there are various programs under HUD, which
• So today I'm hoping to just share a little bit about Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, let you
• So getting into our legislative agenda for fiscal year, um, 2026 coming up, what we, um, we're hoping
• Um, Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless partnered with High Desert Housing, and we're opening, um

Transcript Highlights:

• So, again, it's twice as high as it is for, you know, people who don't have diabetes.
• Again, it's twice as high as it is for, you know, people who don't have diabetes.
• It peaked for a 30-year high.
• It's an investment in Texans, in people, in families, and in hope for the future.
• It's an investment in love, hope, and humanity. Thank you. Chair: Thank you for that.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard budget presentations for the Texas Historical Commission, the Pension Review Board, the Employees Retirement System (ERS), Social Security and benefit replacement pay, the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System (TESSRS), and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The Legislative Budget Board outlined recommendations and major changes for each agency, including reductions tied to one-time projects at the Historical Commission, continued funding for courthouse grants, heritage trails, and Holocaust/genocide education, as well as new or modified riders and capital items. For the pension-related items, LBB described funding changes for PRB, ERS, Social Security, and TESSRS, including ERS health plan cost growth driven largely by pharmacy costs, the status of pension funding reforms, and TESSRS’s request for additional state support to address its unfunded liability and staffing needs. Members asked extensive questions about the Historical Commission’s one-time funding, unexpended balance authority, courthouse preservation, the Presidio La Bahia and National Museum of the Pacific War projects, and coordination of Texas history messaging across sites such as the Alamo, San Jacinto, Washington on the Brazos, and other heritage locations. The Historical Commission chair emphasized heritage tourism, economic development, and the need for continued investment in historic sites, staffing, IT modernization, and vehicles. On the pension items, senators discussed PRB oversight of local systems, including the Dallas police and fire pension situation, and ERS investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health costs. ERS officials said the plan remains well funded overall, noted a 2021 cash balance reform and a planned supplemental legacy payment, and explained that GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro are a major driver of pharmacy spending; they also said the agency is working with the Texas Pharmacy Initiative and that rebates are contractually returned to ERS. For TESSRS, LBB and agency staff said the system serves volunteer and part-paid emergency personnel, is facing an infinite amortization period, and is requesting additional appropriations, staffing, and IT funding, along with a statutory change to allow an actuarially determined state contribution. The agency said it may otherwise need to cut benefits for volunteer firefighters. For CPRIT, LBB reported about $600 million in recommended funding for the biennium and a 10-FTE increase, while the agency described its $6 billion voter-approved program, $3.75 billion in grants awarded to date, and $10.4 million in revenue sharing since 2011. CPRIT’s only exceptional item was a request for a 10% salary increase for two exempt positions. No committee votes or formal actions were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I hope that’s okay, but it’s simply a reference for you.
• So I think this is really hopeful for simplification and for unification of child care providers so that
• This is lower than we had been hoping for.
• This is lower than we have been hoping for.
• And on average, it took our child care providers. hoping for.

Summary: The committee first heard an update on North Dakota’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and Continuum of Care funding. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported that homelessness remains driven by tight housing markets, low incomes, rising rents, and barriers to rental assistance, public benefits, and disability determinations. She said the state’s one-time North Dakota Homeless Grant is serving all regions but reaches far fewer households than the former Rent Help program, and that aging homelessness, shelter staffing shortages, and limited affordable units are growing concerns. Members discussed the need for more housing supply, better coordination with Health and Human Services, landlord engagement, reentry housing, and possible continued one-time funding for the $10 million Homeless Grant and $25 million Housing Incentive Fund. Henderson also warned that federal Continuum of Care funding is uncertain, with HUD expected to issue a new notice June 1 and possible shifts away from permanent supportive housing toward transitional housing and other models. The committee then took testimony on accessibility of government services for people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing. Paul Olson of North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind described the school’s services for infants, children, and adults, including screenings, mobility training, assistive technology, and outreach across the state. He said the agency works closely with Vocational Rehabilitation and is also involved in improving website and document accessibility, especially for PDF materials. Public testimony highlighted barriers such as inaccessible CAPTCHA systems, online forms, driver’s license requirements on job applications, and limited transportation in rural areas. A deaf resident urged broader use of video remote interpreting and video relay services, along with training so people know how to use them effectively. Finally, Kay Larson presented the final report on the child care provider licensing study. The report recommended streamlining North Dakota’s child care licensing structure into three provider types plus a preschool designation, while preserving health and safety standards and maintaining eligibility for child care assistance. The committee discussed simplifying training and qualification rules, revising ratio and group-size requirements, and adjusting age bands for infants and toddlers. The report also noted that some changes would require statutory amendments and later administrative rule changes, with a transition period likely extending through 2029. No formal votes were taken in the transcript, but the committee accepted the updates and scheduled follow-up presentations for a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I'd say the nuclear industry, as far as accounting for all of our costs for the project for their
• Will impose, revoke tax credits for, you know, for wind and solar.
• So EDF is a tool for deploying new nuclear and is open for business for reactors of all types and sizes
• Chairman, again, for the opportunity. Thank you for coming.
• But I want to give you some food for thought afterward for today.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Caden's remarkable work ethic, leadership, and passion for public service make him unlike any other high
• And I hope that we can vote on it as a body. Thank you for your time. Thank you.
• And even school resource officers that are good with elementary students are not always good for high
• I very much hope that won't be the case because I do want these incentives for our food pantries to continue
• Today, May 13, 2026, I'm hoping for a paradigm shift in Missouri politics.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the House Journal by roll call vote, 123-0. Members then used points of personal privilege to recognize National Police Week, honor fallen officers, and offer extended tributes to departing colleagues and a departing representative, followed by numerous introductions of special guests, interns, students, and visiting groups from schools and universities. The chamber then received Senate messages and committee reports before taking up House Bill 1839, 2921, and 3015 together. The sponsor described the measure as a technical correction to online age-verification language related to pornography, and members noted the bill had already passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly. The House concurred in Senate Amendment 1 by a vote of 104-30, then adopted the conference/TAFP motion and finally passed the package 112-25. Members next considered House Bill 2596 in conference committee. The sponsor explained the bill as a small-business health plan measure that also included a negotiated amendment expanding private insurance coverage for contraception from a six-month to a 12-month supply, while removing Senate-added blood pressure cuff language and adding a severability clause. After debate about the process and policy, the House adopted the conference report 120-26 and then third-read and passed the bill 119-27. The final major item was Senate Bill 905, creating the Missouri Ranger training program to allow school districts, if they choose, to place specially trained personnel with narrow law-enforcement powers in schools. Debate focused heavily on school safety, local control, funding, training, and whether armed personnel in schools would help or harm students. Supporters argued it would provide an optional, low-cost safety tool, especially for districts without school resource officers; opponents argued it would escalate fear, resemble a prison environment, and fail to address mental health and other root causes. The House moved the previous question, adopted the amendment, and continued debate on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I move for the approval of the House Journal for the 14th day, Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and I ask for
• And then my high school student shadow from Eldon High School is Tyler.
• And then my high school student shadow from Eldon High School is Tyler.
• And then my high school student shadow from Eldon High School is Tyler.
• Louis County has moved for the adoption of House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2375 for the perfection

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for February 3 by roll call vote, 131-1. Members spent much of the morning introducing special guests, including Missouri State University Citizen Scholars, Jobs for America’s Graduates participants, school counselors observing National School Counselor Week, Gainesville Elementary students joining online, interns and student shadows, and a tribute to Josephine Baker highlighting her St. Louis roots, artistic career, wartime service, and civil rights legacy. The chamber then took up first reading of several measures, including a firearms-related joint resolution, a bill on flags at cemeteries, and a bill on ownership of single-family residential property. The main floor action centered on House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2273, a large anti-trafficking package combining provisions on child sexual abuse material terminology, trafficking, grooming, sextortion, training requirements for professionals, a statewide council in the Attorney General’s office, longer civil statutes of limitation, and tougher penalties. Supporters cited survivor testimony, the need for training and enforcement, and the bill’s role in helping victims; the House adopted the committee substitute and ordered it perfected and printed. Members also advanced House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1694, 1674, 1780, 2056, 2312, and 1755, a bill string aimed at curbing abusive website accessibility lawsuits against Missouri businesses while preserving ADA rights. Sponsors and supporters said the measure would protect small businesses from sue-and-settle tactics and give businesses notice and time to fix problems; the House adopted the substitute and ordered it perfected and printed. Finally, the House considered House Bill 2375 on workers’ compensation, which would clarify the prevailing-factor standard, adjust treatment of pre-existing conditions, change how certain benefits are treated, and add an early dismissal mechanism and temporary appeal process. Supporters called it a fairness and clarification measure for employers and insurers, while opponents argued it could raise barriers for injured workers; the House nevertheless adopted the substitute and ordered it perfected and printed. The session ended with announcements, including committee meetings, a Black History program, a reminder for American Heart Month, concern for the city of Cameron after a fire, and a moment of reflection for the House doorkeeper Charlie, followed by a recess until 2 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:26:20.520><c> high</c><00:26:20.640><c> school</c> attainment rates when for high school attainment
• rates when for high school graduates<00:26:23.120><c> um</c><00:26:23.360><c> I</c><00:26:23.440><c>
• So again, data is still incoming for this year, but as of January 31st, we have 168 high schools having
• So again, data is still incoming for this year, but as of January 31st, we have 168 high schools having
• </c> state oversees that FASA completion for state oversees that FASA completion for high<01:21:40.120

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• funds to students who demonstrate high academic achievement or for those who may not otherwise be able
• The Benacquisto Scholarship Program is a merit scholarship for high school graduates who receive recognition
• for the scholarship by August 31 of their high school graduation year.
• What kind of incentives are being provided for AP, or what's, I hope you understand my question.
• What kind of incentives are being provided for AP or what's, I hope you understand my question.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met for an introductory overview of the higher education programs under its jurisdiction. After roll call and member introductions, Chair Busatta outlined that the subcommittee oversees programs in the Department of Education and the State University System, including vocational rehabilitation, blind services, private postsecondary licensure, student financial aid, career and adult education, the Florida College System, and the Board of Governors. The chair and staff also noted that these areas represent roughly $9 billion in current-year funding. Officials from the Department of Education presented on several programs. Vocational Rehabilitation Director Kelly Rogers described services for adults and youth with disabilities, including pre-employment transition services, job coaching, assistive technology, and employer support; she said the program served more than 55,000 people last year, has no wait list, and reported a return of $7.61 to the economy for every $1 invested. Division of Blind Services Director Robert Doyle explained services from birth through older adulthood, including early intervention, school-age support, vocational rehabilitation, independent living, the Business Enterprise Program for blind vendors, and the Braille and Talking Book Library; he said the division serves about 12,000 people annually and also has no wait list, though some community rehab providers may have one. Tiffany Hurst of the Commission for Independent Education described licensure and consumer protection for independent postsecondary institutions, reporting oversight of about 1,100 institutions and 721 non-degree schools, along with enforcement actions against unlicensed operators. Sean Haskin of Student Financial Assistance reviewed 22 scholarship and grant programs totaling about $1 billion for more than 200,000 students, including Bright Futures, Benacquisto, need-based grants, EASE, EASE Plus, veterans’ scholarships, dual enrollment reimbursement, first responder scholarships, and the Ocoee and Rosewood scholarships. Members asked about surplus funds, marketing, Bright Futures eligibility requirements, and whether EASE awards had changed; Haskin said any unused funds are reverted to the Legislature, that the department markets through schools and the Florida Lottery, and that EASE remained at $3,500 per FTE for the last two fiscal years. Several members raised concerns that students and parents may not learn about aid programs early enough, especially in economically disadvantaged communities. Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell then presented on Career and Adult Education, highlighting record participation in career and technical education, adult education, and apprenticeship. He said about 800,000 secondary students and 480,000 postsecondary students are in CTE, adult education serves about 183,000 learners, and apprenticeship/pre-apprenticeship programs include more than 22,000 participants. He also described the workforce development fund, Perkins, WIOA Title II, the Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant, workforce capitalization grants, CAPE performance funding, and the Pipeline nursing initiative, noting strong NCLEX outcomes and expanded outreach through the Get There, Your Way, Future of Work Florida, and Zello platforms. Kathy Hebda began the Florida College System presentation by emphasizing open access, workforce preparation, statewide reach, and strong enrollment and completion growth, including more than 672,000 students, over 131,000 degrees and certificates, and significant dual enrollment savings for students and families.