Transcript Highlights:

• Members, if you can start working your way to your desk, please.
• We've also expanded the carrot initiative, which rewards families for buying fresh fruits and vegetables
• , helping to stretch grocery dollars while we're fresh fruits and vegetables, helping to stretch grocery
• MacMacon, High School Diplomas to create a state seal of fine arts, academic eligibility criteria, 201
• House Bill by Representative Carver, relative to reading enrichment academic deliverables program to

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, received and accepted multiple resignation notices from members representing Districts 37, 39, 60, 69, 97, and 100, and then recognized the election and qualification of the members-elect who filled those vacancies: Doyle Boudreau, Reese Broussard, Chasity Verrett-Martinez, and Edwin Murray. Each member-elect was sworn in, and the House also appointed committees to notify the Senate and the governor that it was ready to conduct business for the 2026 regular session. The chamber then handled a large number of procedural actions related to prefiled legislation. By motion and without objection, the House suspended rules to refer prefile bills to committee and introduced a broad slate of House bills and resolutions. Topics included the state budget and appropriations, retirement system changes, carbon capture and sequestration, criminal justice and bail, public safety, education, health care, local government matters, transportation, and several memorial or commemorative resolutions. Several resolutions and bills were noted as lying over, and some prefiled bills were withdrawn from the files. The House also received a Senate message that SCR 1 had been adopted, and the resolution was taken up without objection. The chamber then recessed for a joint session with the Senate to hear the governor’s address and a presentation honoring Technical Sergeant Adam W. Brister with the Distinguished Flying Cross. In his remarks, Governor Jeff Landry highlighted his administration’s priorities, including education, tax reform, workforce development, health and nutrition, insurance reform, transportation infrastructure, fiscal discipline, and criminal justice reform, while urging support for his agenda and several related bills and constitutional amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> recognizing me and I just want to start recognizing me and I just want to start by<00:15:10.000>
• </c><00:18:15.400><c> ideas</c> caucus on Foster youth your fresh ideas caucus on Foster youth your fresh
• The Governor's going to start an investigation on it now, kind of like when he starts an investigation
• </c><00:23:02.320><c> an</c> governor's going to start an governor's going to start an investigation<
• She started work on June 29, 1978, at 18 years old.

Transcript Highlights:

• As people are starting to interact in positive ways rather than negative and students are starting to
• . academically.
• We were trying to give this kid a fresh start. and that's what the judge hoped for as well.
• So we started this.
• They don't know where to start.

Bills: HB6 , HB27 , HB 123 , HB210 , HB213 , HB222 , HB610 , HB 1085 , HB1481 , HB6 , HB27 , HB123 , HB210 , HB213 , HB222

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: mental health, telehealth, public schools, discipline management, behavioral interventions, financial literacy, high school education, curriculum requirements, economics, personal finance, HB 123, kindergarten readiness, early literacy, early numeracy, reading screening, math screening, foundational literacy, foundational numeracy, dyslexia screening, reading intervention

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill allows non-academic employees of Western Washington University to collectively bargain.
• individuals in the medical assistance program meet nutritional standards and prioritize sourcing from local fresh

Summary: The Rules Committee considered a long series of House bills and substitute House bills, moving nearly all of them from the white sheet to the floor calendar. Topics included health care transaction notice requirements (HB 2548), waste-to-energy compliance and utility rates (HB 2416), language access for state programs (HB 2475), repeal and transition away from the Community Protection Program for developmental disabilities services (HB 1390), nursing regulation and ARNP standards (HB 2339), lump-sum payment increases for small monthly payments (HB 2124), roadway fatality risk data collection by the Traffic Safety Commission (HB 2192), statewide low-income energy assistance (HB 1903), local government tax resources and flexibility (HB 2442), permanent property tax exemption for multipurpose senior citizen centers (HB 2133), retirement benefit bargaining for Department of Corrections employees (HB 1069), collective bargaining rights for non-academic employees at Western Washington University (HB 1570), medically tailored meals in Medicaid (HB 2211), aviation funding for wildland fire response (HB 2104), port worker retirement and wage/benefit authority (HB 2179), overdose data sharing (HB 2168), real estate transaction exemptions for public-benefit acquisitions by public entities, tribes, and conservation groups (HB 2624), security measures for legislators and other elected officials (HB 2333), voter registration challenge procedures (HB 1916), limits on restraint and isolation in schools (HB 1795), jail search policies for transgender and intersex individuals (HB 1604), Attorney General investigators for wage theft and fraud (HB 2156), Transportation Improvement Board updates (HB 1823), tax treatment for land transferred to government entities (HB 2140), expanded shared leave uses for hate crime and immigration enforcement-related situations (HB 2411), collective bargaining protections if federal enforcement changes (HB 2471), labor standards for clean energy/urban area property tax exemption projects (HB 1210), employer notice and enforcement rights during I-9/immigration audits (HB 2105), tax increment financing dispute resolution for special purpose and junior taxing districts (HB 2451), AI-generated content disclosure and enforcement (HB 1170), tourism marketing assessment authority (HB 2325), defective license plate replacement fees (HB 2114), the Blue Envelope Program for neurodiverse drivers during traffic stops (HB 2323), and pre-clearance provisions under the Washington State Voting Rights Act (HB 1710). Most motions passed on voice votes with little or no opposition; one notable dissent came on HB 2105, where Senator King raised concerns about the bill’s private right of action. The committee also noted Senator Conway’s likely final Rules Committee meeting and thanked him for his service before adjourning with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to start with some introductions.
• What a great way to start the morning!
• With that, let's start with some introductions. We'll start down on the end.
• So every time a superintendent leaves, or we start over, the district starts over with new initiatives
• I'll just start a rotating pattern in this.

Transcript Highlights:

• When I started at West Fargo High School, in partnership with NDSCS, we started the first early college
• We have academic performance.
• Should I start again? Yeah, please.
• So, I mean, Head Start programs are intended to do Head Start programs are intended to do many of the
• That started January 2026.

Summary: The committee met to hear presentations on dual credit programs from North Dakota higher education leaders, a school superintendent, and teachers. Valley City State University described its dual credit model, emphasizing quality control through annual teacher training, syllabus and outcomes alignment, faculty qualification review, school visits, and pathways aimed at the College Studies Certificate. Members asked about teacher employment, course scheduling, revenue, scholarships, and whether a centralized model might improve efficiency; VCSU said most instructors are K-12 employees, online offerings are still small, and centralization could weaken local relationships and choice. Lake Region State College similarly stressed access and partnerships, noting about half of its headcount is still in high school, with both online and face-to-face dual credit options, district reimbursement arrangements, and support for rural schools. Lake Region also said dual credit helps students who might not otherwise see themselves as college-bound, but reduced tuition can still be a barrier for some families. Fargo Public Schools reported continued growth in dual credit, with 50 courses offered in partnership with several NDUS institutions and a 12.61% increase in participation. The superintendent highlighted a growing education pathway, including students completing Introduction to Education and field experience, and said the district is exploring a grow-your-own teacher pipeline. He also raised concerns about inconsistent institutional processes, teacher credentialing requirements, and transfer clarity, arguing for more aligned statewide systems. In response to questions, he said AP and dual credit can coexist, with AP often better for highly selective out-of-state colleges and dual credit better for students targeting North Dakota institutions, and he described some use of Arizona State online courses in earlier rural partnerships but said Fargo is focused on local institutions. Two teachers then testified on the classroom perspective. A West Fargo anatomy and physiology teacher said dual credit has expanded access, lowered costs, and prepared students well, but agreed that foundational science courses may be more effective when taken later in high school to reduce knowledge loss before college. A Drake-Anamoose English teacher, who has taught dual credit for more than 20 years, said the program has supported many students who went on to a wide range of careers and emphasized that small rural schools rely on dual credit to provide opportunities they otherwise could not offer. No formal votes or actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• With that, members, we are going to get down to business starting with HB 4005, City of Naples Airport
• Local institutions could lose credibility in academic and international partnerships because they would
• Witness: I wanted to start by asking a few questions.
• think a more balanced title would be like a Charlie Kirk and Melissa Hortman Day because that is so fresh
• We've laid the foundations so the next time we could work and start to regulate this device and try to

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the record and then you can get started. the record and then you can get started.
• </c> &gt;&gt; You can go ahead and get started. &gt;&gt; You can go ahead and get started.
• </c> and extended beyond academics. and extended beyond academics.
• introductions please start completed introductions please start your<00:48:18.560><c> presentation.
• </c> five kids is considered a good start. five kids is considered a good start.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its July 30, 2025 meeting. Members then heard a presentation from Roger McCann of the Department for Community Based Services on Kentucky’s 2026-2027 Community Services Block Grant state plan. He explained that the federally funded grant, now about $12 million annually, is distributed through 23 local community action agencies that use flexible funds for locally identified needs such as housing, nutrition, transportation, Head Start, and domestic violence services. McCann said the plan is submitted every two years and that the agencies served about 264,000 Kentuckians and 130,000 families in 2024. Senator Meredith asked whether there was a central place to review local projects, and McCann said regular reports exist and could be shared with members. The committee then approved the CSBG state plan by roll call vote. After that, members received an update on Kentucky’s state-designated domestic violence shelter programs from Angela Yanelli of ZeroV, Mary Foley of Maryman House Domestic Crisis Center, and Elizabeth Martin of the Center for Women and Families. The presenters described ZeroV’s role as the statewide domestic violence coalition, its 15 member programs across all area development districts, and its contract with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide emergency shelter, supportive services, housing assistance, and batterers intervention programming. They emphasized that services are available 24/7 and are trauma-informed, with a strong focus on children and family support. The domestic violence providers reported high demand and rising costs. ZeroV said its network served more than 14,000 adults and children in fiscal year 2025, including nearly 900 children in shelter and more than 500 in outreach, while Maryman House reported operating at 90-92% capacity, with 53 households waiting for emergency shelter and 63 more waiting for intake. Maryman House also described an 8-unit transitional housing complex and plans for a 48-unit apartment complex if tax credit funding is approved. The Center for Women and Families highlighted school-readiness support for children, tutoring, counseling, and family services, including back-to-school supplies and rights information for homeless students. No additional votes or formal actions were taken during the domestic violence presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Another program started in 2021 and it currently supports 280 hospitals throughout the state.
• So how would that impact families, you know, want to start phasing out?
• I'd like to start off with some context to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
• Could we start making adjustments in within the ESS program? We have done that.
• So it's going to start looking at process so we could get the budget down. Yes, ma'am.

Transcript Highlights:

• started cracking on the walls.
• It continued, and the cracks started getting more severe. The floor started to continue to buckle.
• You just get started.
• I think it's a starting point.
• We started out with.

Committee: House Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• From our perspective, the real skilled training starts when they hit our floors.
• If you can cut hair in California, by George, you can cut hair here in Idaho, and it's time to start
• Very quick, before we start public testimony, I just wanted to ask your permission here.
• But again, certain schools have more prestige on the four-year college level for academics.
• Well, is there any discussion on the motion before we start voting?

Committee: House Business

Transcript Highlights:

• And it all started with this organization that I am so privileged to be a part of.
• And the teaching of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that gave Malcolm his fresh start after he winds up
• AND THE TEACHING OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MOHAMMAD THAT GAVE MALCOLM HIS FRESH START AFTER HE WINDS UP
• A person starts losing their memory, their ability to be an independent thinker, and, of course, the
• It was after that we started to understand something was going on with her.

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and handled several motions to discharge and substitute identical Assembly or Senate bills, along with a number of amendments. The chamber also welcomed student visitors from the League of Women Voters’ Students of Albany program and a group of Staten Island titleholders, and later adopted previously approved resolutions honoring Dorothy E. Reid for her role in Brown v. Board of Education and recognizing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on Delta Day, with multiple senators speaking in support of both recognitions. The bulk of the floor session was devoted to third-reading votes on a large number of bills, most of which passed with broad support. Measures addressed public health, workers’ compensation, education, environmental conservation, insurance, labor, criminal procedure, domestic relations, tax, municipal authority, and correction law. Several bills were explained by sponsors as advancing stormwater management authority, labor-law transparency, public health protections, and stronger penalties for trafficking-related offenses; one bill on immunization in summer camps drew a defense from Senator Skoufis as a child-protection measure, while another on correction law passed with some Republican opposition. The chamber also took up a controversial public health/electronic health records bill by Senator Fernandez. Senator Martin questioned the bill at length about redacting certain categories of information, emergency access, provider obligations, and the impact on doctors’ ability to see complete medical histories. Fernandez said the bill was intended to protect patients from discrimination and to limit access to a small list of sensitive services, while also noting emergency exceptions and support from more than 200 health care providers. The debate remained focused on balancing privacy protections with concerns about continuity of care and record integrity.

Transcript Highlights:

• Who wants to start? The youngest? Sure. To give your testimony.
• The ENOUGH Act tackles poverty where it starts.
• Schools and neighborhoods are where poverty starts. Let's make sure that ends there.
• So we are going to start enforcing the three minutes now. Thank you.
• And so I'll start with the first one, which is I grew up in Lynn.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses

Summary: The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held its final hearing of the session on H. 5187 and S. 3022, the Enough Act, with Chair Andy Vargas and Senator Adam Gomez opening by thanking committee members and stakeholders for their work during the session. The bills were described as a grant-based, place-based anti-poverty initiative intended to support cradle-to-career services by funding local nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and backbone entities that can coordinate housing, education, health, workforce, and family supports in high-poverty neighborhoods. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers including Strategies for Children, Chelsea Public Schools, Bunker Hill Community College, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Rep. Antonio Cabral, the Harlem Children’s Zone’s Kwame Owusu Kesse and Jeffrey Canada, former Education Secretary Paul Reville, AFT Massachusetts, United Way, the Boston Foundation, Give Black Alliance, Eastern Bank Foundation, and others argued that poverty is a systems issue that schools alone cannot solve. They emphasized the need for local control, community voice, coordinated services, and long-term public-private investment, often citing examples from Chelsea, New Bedford, Springfield, Lowell, Boston, and other communities, as well as the Harlem Children’s Zone and Maryland’s similar model. Committee members asked several questions about how the bill would function in practice, including what organizations would do on day one, how it would interact with existing efforts like community schools, McKinney-Vento, and the Student Opportunity Act, and how it would be sustained over time. Witnesses said the act would help create or strengthen backbone organizations, reduce duplication, align existing resources, and leverage philanthropy and future revenue sources for long-term sustainability. No vote was taken during the hearing, but multiple speakers urged the committee to report the bill favorably and quickly.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> when that project started in July of 24. when that project started in July of 24.
• Uh and so we started going on.
• </c> Resources Board, and academic Resources Board, and academic institutions<01:34:03.840><c> ranging
• </c><01:34:19.760><c> using</c> key reason why Minnesota started using key reason why Minnesota started
• </c> incentive to fuel stations that start incentive to fuel stations that start offering<01:34:55.199

Bills: HF3898 , HF3957 , HF4372 , HF4350 , HF3692 , HF4085

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Some start veteran-owned businesses.
• So we start in a really strong place.
• I want to start with...
• Or can you help us make sure that we start?
• Or can you help us make sure that we start?

Summary: The Select Committee on Veterans Affairs met to hear testimony on interim charge 2, focused on military-to-civilian transition, and later on the role of the Military Veteran Peer Network and broader transition supports. The committee first heard from representatives of Midwestern State University and Wichita Falls, who described partnerships with Sheppard Air Force Base, expanded military student services, scholarship support, and the importance of helping service members connect to education, employment, and community before separation. Witnesses emphasized that successful transition is not just about finding a job, but about creating a warm handoff to local employers, colleges, civic groups, and veteran organizations, and they urged earlier outreach while service members are still on active duty. Testimony from Texas A&M University–Central Texas and the Texas A&M University System focused on the Military Talent Pipeline, credentialing, and workforce alignment. Witnesses said Texas should better capture service members’ skills earlier, improve information-sharing with employers, and expand pathways that translate military training into civilian credentials. A major recommendation was a Texas “medic/corpsman to registered nurse” pathway modeled on Wisconsin’s WISMAC program, along with broader reciprocity and bridging programs for military certifications in fields such as aircraft maintenance, trucking, and other high-demand occupations. Members also discussed the need for more staffing and resources at university veteran offices, and the value of measuring the return on state investment in veteran education benefits such as Hazelwood. The committee then heard from the Texas Veterans Commission’s Mental Health Department on the Military Veteran Peer Network. The witness described peer support coordinators and rural veteran counselors who provide warm handoffs, suicide prevention support, and counseling, especially during the first 18 months after separation, which was identified as a high-risk period. She said the network is effective but too small and needs growth, and noted barriers to base access and TAP participation. Additional testimony from a retired Army officer and transition leader stressed that Texas has many strong programs but weak coordination, and recommended using installation-specific approaches, commander engagement, consent-based data sharing, and stronger links between TAP, state resources, and local communities. A final witness from Onward Ops described upstream enrollment, risk screening, certified peer mentors, and data-sharing to proactively support separating service members; he said the current system leaves veterans to navigate stovepiped programs on their own and called for more community partners, especially in rural areas. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill allows non-academic employees of Western Washington University to collectively bargain.
• individuals in the medical assistance program meet nutritional standards and prioritize sourcing from local fresh

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• Start a conversation today.
• They said they'll start shipping again. But it's been nine months.
• TO HELP YOU START YOUR BUSINESS. NOW WE HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT WANTS TO CUT THAT.
• That allows them to earn some money, start a family.
• THAT ALLOWS THEM TO EARN THEM SOME MONEY, START A FAMILY.

Transcript Highlights:

• It started because we national level.
• We had a we started the application.
• </c><00:24:10.720><c> are</c><00:24:10.880><c> some</c> great start, although there are some great start
• </c><00:57:51.040><c> termed</c> on what is at least academically termed on what is at least academically
• </c><01:46:27.600><c> The</c> starting to explore that. The starting to explore that.

Summary: The joint informational briefing focused on how federal policy changes, tariffs, funding cuts, the federal shutdown, and delays in the farm bill are affecting Hawaii agriculture and food access. Opening remarks emphasized Hawaii’s heavy dependence on imported food and farm inputs, the state’s vulnerability to disruptions in USDA services, and the need for stronger state, county, and community coordination. Speakers also noted that immigration enforcement and broader global supply-chain pressures can affect local farm labor, production, and food availability. Sharon Herd, chair of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, described both positive and negative federal impacts. She said Hawaii has benefited from some recurring grants and a large new $8.8 million federal grant, but also reported about $22 million in losses from suspended or terminated grants, including farm-to-school and water-related projects. She said some USDA programs, such as microgrants for food security and FISMIP, are currently suspended, while the specialty crop block grant remains active. She also said Hawaii farms declined from 7,328 to 6,569 between the 2017 and 2022 censuses and argued the state cannot rely on imports alone to feed its people. Amanda Shaw of Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii presented findings from federal funding cut reports. She said the first report, in March, identified about $88 million in potential cuts, and the newer report found $64.7 million in confirmed cuts and about $175 million in potential cuts. She said federal shifts are creating uncertainty for farmers, food-system organizations, and school and community food programs, and noted that 4,000 to 5,000 Hawaii farmers could receive less money because of changes to payment-factor provisions for socially disadvantaged farmers. She also said Hawaii has lost 18% of local USDA staff since September 2024, with possible further national reductions expected. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only, and the chair noted that any legal questions, including the reported SNAP changes, would be for the Judiciary Committee to assess later.

Transcript Highlights:

• fresh start.
• When you start talking, to put... Give us your name.
• Your time will start now. Thank you.
• You can start. Okay.
• You know this started.

Bills: SB451 , SB762 , SB1490 , SB1262 , SB1459 , SB1750 , SB1962 , SB2252 , SB2253 , SB2365

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to start by thanking you.
• Would you like me to start it?
• Okay, we're going to let us start with our presidents, and we'll start with the University of Texas at
• Our master's program started this past fall, and our bachelor's program just started this spring.
• You need to get started. Our time is starting. Thank you so much, Chairman Huffman.

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance