Transcript Highlights:

• future, but that clear, clarion call. of what the scriptures say and what is important about faith-based
• As our economy grows, there continues to be a shortage of very skilled.
• Our great city of Harlingen, and it's very impressive how they're funded. based off of their result.
• And in turn, it's providing our workforce with skilled labor, which is very significant for our area.
• When we think about how those families are affected. for generations, when I get a skill, I get that

Bills: SJR36 , SJR2 , SB4 , SR45 , SR47 , SR63 , SR66 , SR70 , SR85 , SCR14 , SB10 , SB11 , SB10 , SB11

Keywords: SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, constitutional amendment, homestead exemption, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption, senior tax relief, disabled exemption, tax year 2025, voter approval, November 2025 ballot, local government, Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just a great story of someone who started getting those work skills at the local level.
• It's just a great story of someone who started getting those work skills at the local level.
• Many of them are place-based, so by community.
• Many of them are place-based, so by community. Some of them are by their country of origin also.
• So these work skills that start early, you know, my parents taught me foundation is important.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact held an informational hearing in Paramount as part of its “Pocketbook Tour,” focused on affordability, cost pressures, and household impacts in Los Angeles County. The first panel centered on workers and learners, with testimony from the UCLA Labor Center and the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board. Speakers described how rising living costs, tuition, and low wages force many students to work long hours, often in unrelated, low-wage jobs, while struggling with food, rent, bills, anxiety, and limited financial aid. Recommendations included expanding state-funded work study, creating a statewide internship tax credit for small businesses, improving financial aid formulas to reflect regional cost of living, increasing flexibility for students, and strengthening worker-rights education and career pathways. The second panel focused on microbusinesses and small business affordability. Testimony from microenterprise advocates, the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network, and local business owners described rising commercial rents, labor costs, tariffs, supply chain disruptions, insurance, utilities, and disaster-related pressures as major threats to small businesses. Witnesses emphasized that small businesses are central to local economies and asked the state to expand technical assistance, low-interest financing, disaster support, supply-chain development, and community-based outreach. They also urged more intentional support for microbusinesses and home-based entrepreneurs, including networks that connect them to resources and help them build collective buying power. Committee members asked about possible state actions, including tax credits for hiring local workers or interns, support for trades and apprenticeships, and ways to partner more closely with SBDCs and chambers of commerce. Public comment echoed the hearing themes, with speakers highlighting student hardship, nonprofit mental health funding, renewable energy jobs and internships, and the need for state support for clean-energy incentives. No formal votes were taken; the hearing concluded with closing remarks and adjournment at 11:05 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• The skills required in the workforce will continue to change, and so we are creating structures to be
• C2C builds dashboards based on the priorities of the 21-person C2C Governing Board.
• And then she described that ...about CalKIDS based on that C2C-linked data.
• Based on data for the last five funding rounds, other costs— Based on data for the last five funding
• These are, this is to meet the base of the demand for lease and rent agreements.

Summary: The committee heard an update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the new California Education Interagency Council. Administration and agency staff described efforts to better connect K-12, higher education, workforce, and data systems, including the California Cradle to Career Data System, e-Transcript California, and a proposed career passport. They emphasized regional coordination with workforce boards and community colleges, and said the new council’s immediate tasks are to hold its first meeting by the end of June, enter into a data-sharing MOU, and complete a strategic plan by the end of November. Members asked about the council’s authority, reporting requirements, and how it would relate to the broader Master Plan for Higher Education; staff said the council will make recommendations but does not have implementation authority. The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants and related changes to instructional minute requirements. Finance and the Department of Education said the proposal would support middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add technical assistance, prioritize high-need LEAs, and reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to ease scheduling barriers. The Chancellor’s Office strongly supported the investment, citing access, acceleration, and equity benefits, while the LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing the state already provides ongoing support and that the proposal does not address major barriers. Members raised questions about adult learners, A-G alignment, reporting on outcomes and expenditures, rural access, transportation, staffing, and whether the funding would create lasting program capacity. The item was left open after discussion. The committee also considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by defining LTELs as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years and RTELs as students not proficient within six years, matching the dashboard and research-based timelines. CDE said the current mismatch between dashboard and assessment definitions creates confusion and delays, while some members and advocates worried the change could reduce earlier intervention or should be handled through policy committees rather than the budget process. The committee voted to reject the proposal and refer it to policy, though the administration said it still supports the budget language. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices project by one year, through June 30, 2027. CDE said the project is promising but raised concerns about the contract structure and fiscal management, while Marysville Joint Unified School District testified that SIP had helped expand inclusive preschool and district-wide practices and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the remaining money should be redirected to areas with greater implementation need. The item was discussed but no final action was described in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is for highly qualified skilled nursing and medical personnel at the Arkansas Health Center and
• This is for highly qualified skilled nursing and medical personnel at the Arkansas Health Center and
• This is to amend an existing contract and is for the development of an evaluation design based on data
• This is Amendment 10 to an existing contract for juvenile justice, community-based reentry, and vocational
• Similarly, this is a new contract for $3.2 million for on-call skilled carpentry or unskilled labor for

Committee: All ALC-REVIEW

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• on their own local the school year based on their own local needs<00:07:07.039><c> schools</c><00:07
• </c> that there's a construction-based that there's a construction-based exception<00:12:30.320><c> rued
• Would school districts be able to differentiate their calendars based on cultural events?
• Goals describe what skills need to be learned, when the skills will be used, and how progress will be
• :07:57.279><c> and</c><01:07:57.480><c> how</c> when the skills will be used and how when the skills

Bills: HF1124 , HF1457 , HF1803

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: school calendar, education, school year, Labor Day, state law, school construction, landfill, dump site, closed landfill, contaminated site, pollution control agency, school siting, public school, charter school, environmental health, student safety, brownfield, solid waste, waste disposal site, site contamination

Transcript Highlights:

• young adults to have better practical or functional communication, to enhance their interpersonal skills
• As I mentioned earlier, it's a community-based service, so it can be provided in clinics, in schools,
• As I mentioned earlier, it's a community-based service, so it can be provided in clinics, in schools,
• </c><00:31:46.519><c> that</c> progress he had developed skills that progress he had developed skills
• Home Care Organization providing skilled Home Care Organization providing skilled nursing<01:50:20.159

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:01.400><c> Paul,</c> based in St. Paul, based in St.
• We've done all of our work based on data and based on the research.
• We've done all of our work based on data and based on the research.
• We've done all of our work based on data and based on the research.
• We've done all of our work based on data and based on the research.

Bills: HF1458 , HF2063 , HF2164 , HF1377 , HF927 , HF1059 , HF1910 , HF2232

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: CPA, certified public accountant, public accounting, accountancy, licensure, license mobility, substantial equivalency, interstate practice, out-of-state accountant, NASBA, Uniform CPA Examination, board of accountancy, attest services, audit, tax preparation, financial advisory, consulting, accounting education, master's degree, bachelor's degree

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee amendments in the analysis, but we continue to oppose the bill based on our initial review
• I think it's important to make public policy decisions that are based in data.
• , that's a skill set they often delegate to other people.
• Bias-motivated hate acts are a major problem in California, based on the latest UCLA California...
• And I see you're just trying to get its skills here. So I would move the bill.

Summary: The Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee heard and advanced several bills covering workers’ compensation transparency, public pensions, prevailing wage, workplace harassment training, and employee benefits. AB 1048 would require disclosure of the contract justifying reduced workers’ compensation payments to medical providers; supporters said it would improve transparency without changing reimbursement rates, while opponents argued the problem was overstated and existing dispute remedies were sufficient. AB 1601 would give Sonoma County flexibility to target a cost-of-living adjustment for retirees rather than requiring an all-or-nothing COLA; county and union witnesses said retirees have gone without a COLA since 2008 and have lost purchasing power, and the bill passed unanimously. AB 1439 would commission a UC Berkeley study on labor standards in pension-funded real estate and infrastructure projects; labor groups supported it, while local governments, housing, and industry groups opposed it, and it passed on a 4-1 vote after one senator voted no in committee. The committee also heard AB 1697, which would delay implementation of a prior law restricting certain employment debt and pay-to-quit arrangements until 2027; the author said the delay would give employers, including professional sports leagues, time to adjust, while a financial services group sought a further delay to 2028. AB 1803 would require anti-hate speech content in existing workplace harassment training for employers with five or more employees; supporters cited rising antisemitic and other hate incidents and said the bill would help workers recognize and report hate, while opponents raised First Amendment concerns and argued existing harassment law already covers hostile conduct. AB 2120 would extend Los Angeles Unified’s selective certification hiring authority and allow retention of specialized employees in layoffs, and AB 2292 would bar providers from charging administrative fees for disability insurance and paid family leave certification forms; both drew support and were advanced without opposition testimony. AB 1198, the Fair Pay for Construction Workers Act, would require prevailing wage to be based on the time work is performed rather than the date a project is advertised for bid. Labor and contractor supporters said the current rule can lock in outdated wages and underpay workers on long projects and change orders, while cities, counties, and contractor groups warned it would create uncertainty, raise costs, and jeopardize projects funded by fixed grants or bonds. After testimony and questions, the committee voted to send all of the bills forward, with final recorded votes later showing unanimous or near-unanimous approval and several measures placed on call before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those exemptions are now removed based on the new federal law and we have updated our policy rule to
• There is job search training, supervised job search, volunteering, basic skills instruction, career or
• They also offer basic and foundational skills instruction, general studies, and GED.
• So we are also prepared to have to change some of that based on the actual full guidance that we get
• Students to be able to do apprenticeships or to have work-based learning or all these kinds of things

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The subcommittee received a brief DHS update on the Living Choices Assisted Living Waiver reimbursement rate process, with Secretary Janet Mann reporting that the new cost reporting period began in January and that DHS has begun provider and contractor conference calls as the process moves forward. The bulk of the meeting focused on DHS’s overview of TANF and, especially, SNAP changes under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill. Mary Franklin explained new SNAP work requirements for adults ages 18 to 64 who are not otherwise exempt, including the three-month time limit in a 36-month period unless they meet an 80-hour monthly work, volunteer, education, or training requirement. She also reviewed exemptions, noted that some prior exemptions were removed while new tribal-related exemptions were added, and described SNAP Employment and Training providers, budgets, service areas, participant characteristics, and outcomes. Members asked about how mandatory referrals will work, whether funding and vendors are sufficient, how cross-program participation is tracked, how verification and recertification will be handled, and how error rates and sanctions will be managed. DHS said mandatory participants will be referred directly to providers, verification will occur at application and recertification, interviews can be by phone, and the department will return with more information on error-rate mitigation and other requested data. DHS then outlined upcoming Medicaid community engagement requirements for the ARHOME population under the same federal law, which must be implemented by January 1, 2027. The department said it is preparing policy, system changes, data matching, communications, and an outbound customer-service verification process, with a soft launch planned for July to help identify who would meet the requirement or need to provide more information. Members raised concerns about notice, local versus centralized decision-making, and how clients will document work, school, caregiving, or medical exemptions. The meeting concluded with broader discussion of the Alliance for Opportunity audit and a shared emphasis on using SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and workforce programs together to improve outcomes, expand training options, and better connect Arkansans to education and employment opportunities. The committee also discussed extending the audit contract at a future meeting and adjourned without taking any formal vote in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you so much for your time. engage in thoughtful evidence-based engage in thoughtful evidence-based
• In our high schools, we take a schedule-based restriction approach called away for learning.
• We embed digital skills into our classroom each day.
• on our knowledge and experience with social media and digital skills.
• </c> ensuring a structured research-based ensuring a structured research-based approach<00:59:44.559>

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Coming from a nursing background, where we talk constantly about scope, skill, and accountability, I
• training program, tailored to meet the... ...to normalize educational and competency-based training
• These partnerships allow residents to remain in safe, dignified, community-based housing.
• Based on the findings, we do not support MAP as the preferred option for the following reasons.
• So you've already heard rest homes are affordable, community-based supportive housing environments for

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Aging and Independence

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging and Independence held a hearing on two assisted living bills, Senate 3057 and House 5376, which would create an Assisted Living Residence Trust Fund to support certification staffing, compliance reviews, complaint investigations, ombudsman services, public reporting, appeals, and oversight. Testimony from MassALA, AARP, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman generally supported the bills and the dedicated funding stream, but MassALA urged amendments to expand career pathways for staff through certified medication aides and to add guardrails on the use of fines as a funding source. The Ombudsman supported the fund and emphasized the need for additional staffing to better serve the state’s assisted living residents. Committee members asked for draft amendment language, and the chairs indicated they were open to further discussion, especially on fines and CMA language. The committee then heard testimony on Senate 3056 and House 5243 regarding medication administration in rest homes. Providers, including the Massachusetts Association of Residential Care Homes, LeadingAge Massachusetts, and several rest home operators, opposed proposed Department of Public Health changes that would eliminate the long-standing “responsible person” model and move rest homes toward the Medication Administration Program (MAP). Witnesses said the current model has been used for decades, is tailored to rest homes, and is essential to affordability, staffing stability, and resident continuity of care; they warned that replacing it with MAP or nurse-only administration would raise costs, worsen workforce shortages, and could force closures or resident displacement. They asked the committee to support legislation preserving responsible persons’ authority to administer medications while improving training and oversight. Committee members asked questions about the history of the responsible person model, how medication administration works day to day, whether other states use similar systems, and whether data exist comparing medication error rates under MAP and the current model. The chairs said they were still reviewing building-code-related recommendations raised in the assisted living discussion and noted that some issues might be better addressed through a task force. The hearing concluded after testimony and questions, and the committee voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mayo Clinic MLD is a rare genetic disorder with symptoms that include loss of motor skills like walking
• , speaking, and swallowing; loss of intellectual thinking and memory skills; loss of the ability to detect
• </c><00:06:27.120><c> off</c> much diagnosed Gavin's disease based off much diagnosed Gavin's disease
• Eisengart said that when a child has lost skills, it is because MLD has already begun.
• They talk and joke and laugh, and they do not lose these skills. How do we know this?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Known for his skill as a southpaw and his relentless spirit, he competed against some of the best in
• Known for his skill as a South Paul and his relentless spirit, he competed against some of the best in
• It ensures that the benefits are distributed based on the true picture of the household.
• , low carbs, maybe some fat, you know, just everything that helped him become a professional and a skill
• devastatingly what the effects of ionizing radiation can be on the human body, this ultimately is a con game

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the House Journal by a 104-0 vote. Members then spent a large portion of the session offering personal remarks and introducing guests, including the family of Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, school groups, a Boy Scout troop, a Highway Patrol commander, and community figures such as Corey Johnson and boxer Devin Alexander. There was also a moment of silence for a member’s mentor and a personal privilege statement recognizing Autism Month and the work of teachers and therapists serving autistic children. The main floor debate centered on House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2481, which would tighten Missouri rules for SNAP and related public benefits by requiring proof of citizenship or lawful presence, using the federal SAVE system throughout eligibility checks, and directing the Department of Social Services to seek a waiver to steer SNAP purchases toward healthier foods. Supporters framed the bill as a matter of accountability, taxpayer stewardship, fraud prevention, and improved nutrition, while opponents argued it was unnecessary because federal law already limits eligibility, could add administrative costs, and could harm children, families in food deserts, and pregnant women who rely on programs such as Show Me Healthy Babies. An amendment offered by the gentleman from Johnson to extend the bill to MoHealthNet was adopted, and after extended debate the House invoked the previous question 91-46, then adopted and perfected the bill as amended. The House also advanced House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1869, which creates a process and fund to repair damaged veterans’ headstones in public and private cemeteries, with support from members who emphasized honoring veterans and preserving gravesites; the bill was adopted and perfected without opposition. House Bill 2927 was also moved forward; it would require settlement demands tied to extra-contractual or bad-faith insurance claims to be written, held open for 90 days, and reference the relevant statute. Supporters said it gives insurers reasonable time to evaluate large claims, while opponents said it could delay compensation for injured Missourians; it too was adopted and perfected. The House then began consideration of additional bills, including House Bills 2387 and 2480, as the session continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:50.080><c> services</c> department for community-based services department for community-based
• </c> be um based on the same scale and size. be um based on the same scale and size.
• </c> complications requiring skilled nursing. complications requiring skilled nursing.
• But it was based on that lure cap at 18 for that unit.
• But it was based on that cap at 18 for that unit. Thank you.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Capital Planning Advisory Board met for its first meeting of the year, confirmed a quorum, approved the prior year’s minutes, and welcomed new co-chairs and members. The board reviewed the capital planning timeline and a list of agencies that submitted plans but would not testify. Members were reminded to keep presentations brief because of a packed agenda. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services presented first, outlining priorities centered on public safety, infrastructure preservation, and preventive maintenance. Its requests included a $21 million maintenance pool, phase two funding for a new state public health laboratory, construction of an 18-bed children’s psychiatric hospital, and several projects at Western State Hospital and Western State Nursing Facility, including HVAC work, cooling tower repair or replacement, and chiller plant repiping. Additional projects covered elevator upgrades at Hazlewood and phased cottage renovations at Oakwood. Board members asked about vacant buildings, the cost per bed for the youth psychiatric facility, and the relationship between the CHFS youth facility and a separate DJJ facility; CHFS said the youth facility would serve DCBS-involved youth and be separate from the DJJ project. The Kentucky Department of Education then described its state-operated facilities, including the Kentucky School for the Deaf, the Kentucky School for the Blind, and the FFA leadership training center. Its priorities included additional funding for the FFA classroom and activity building, a rewrite of the SEEK education finance application system, renovation and repair of the FFA swimming pool, electrical upgrades, campus education enhancements, safety and security work, door and window replacements, and HVAC maintenance. Members asked about student outcomes, the size and cost of the swimming pool project, and construction cost assumptions; KDE said it tracks student outcomes through special education staff and that current estimates reflect higher post-COVID construction costs. The Education and Labor Cabinet began its presentation with 12 priority projects, including a state labor exchange system, renovation of the McDow Vocational Rehabilitation Center, and a new adult education and family literacy management information system. The cabinet said the labor exchange would connect job seekers and employers at no cost, while the McDow renovation was needed because the 30-year-old facility faces safety and code concerns. The cabinet planned to continue through the remaining priorities and answer questions at the end of its presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. had this unique set of skills, was had this unique set of skills, was strong<00:23:17.440>
• c><00:32:07.600><c> and</c> Minnesota based full-scale solar and Minnesota based full-scale solar and
• We have we have forecasting is based on.
• I'm concerned about industrial base load power.
• </c><01:36:19.840><c> on</c> prices because it would be based on prices because it would be based on

Bills: HF3556

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: community solar, energy, solar power, renewable energy, Melissa Hortman, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• the current misalignment in educational programming that is available for our thriving industrial base
• We are always looking for skilled labor experience.
• We are always looking for skilled labor experience. Approximately 90 job openings.
• With AI, we need data scientists and those with specialty skills to help with the large-scale digital
• Based on my experience, I read this bill as a simple cleanup that brings Texas law in line with what

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Senate Committee on K-16 met with 14 bills on the agenda and announced it would recess around 9:45 to attend the floor session, then resume afterward. The committee first took up Senate Bill 2361, which would transfer governance of the University of Houston-Victoria from the University of Houston System to the Texas A&M University System and rename it Texas A&M University-Victoria. Senator Cole explained that the committee substitute added transition language for employee health benefits and ERS contributions. Supporters, including Texas A&M System officials, Victoria’s mayor, regional economic development leaders, a Formosa Plastics representative, a Victoria College trustee, and a local business owner, said the move would better align the university with regional industry needs, especially engineering, agriculture, and workforce development, while helping retain local students and support economic growth. A Texas A&M official also noted accreditation, data-system, and other transition challenges, but said the change was manageable. Because there was no quorum, the committee could not adopt the substitute, and SB 2361 was left pending subject to the call of the chair after public testimony closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 530 from Senator Sparks, which would update Texas higher education law to match federal rules allowing institutions to use any nationally recognized accreditor rather than only a regional accreditor. Sparks said the bill was a cleanup measure responding to a 2019 federal rule change and prior concerns had been addressed over the interim. Testimony in support came from a Texas Public Policy Foundation fellow, who said the bill would give universities flexibility, preserve quality standards, and simplify credit transfer and costs for students. With no opposition and no questions, public testimony closed and SB 530 was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• programs is strategically designed to prepare graduates for high-demand fields, ensuring Texas has the skilled
• We provide education and training to develop a highly skilled workforce for in-demand, well-paying careers
• to serve this state, we'd first like to thank you for the $1 increase in our formula funding in the base
• We focus on skills, trades, crafts, as well as the academics for those who want to transfer to university
• And they tell us what they need, the skills, and we design our curriculum in a manner so that we're able

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Transcript Highlights:

• programs are strategically designed to prepare graduates for high demand fields ensuring Texas has the skill
• renamed SHSU Polytechnic College or we call SAMPoly under this legislated authority to offer research-based
• this state, we would first like to thank you for the dollar. increase in our formula funding in the base
• We focus on skills, trades, crafts. as well as the academics for those who want to transfer to university
• , millwrights, maritime, truck drivers so that they can all have a livable wage and a professional skill

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• except instead of playing soccer they are learning hands-on engineering, robotics, really great STEM skills
• </c> robotics, um really great STEM skills. robotics, um really great STEM skills.
• That's a third fewer learning opportunities based only on where they live.
• only on where they opportunities based only on where they live. live. live.
• building a strong, skilled workforce, to supporting<00:39:45.119><c> businesses.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we looked at it based on market size.
• </c><00:26:53.799><c> on</c> is free that you can sign up based on is free that you can sign up based
• </c> homes giving them jobs and life skills homes giving them jobs and life skills in<00:57:55.240><c
• </c> increased based increased based amount<01:02:34.799><c> thank</c><01:02:34.960><c> you</c><01:02
• </c> failed due to the lack of a skilled failed due to the lack of a skilled Workforce<01:35:32.119><

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all