Transcript Highlights:

• <01:01:40.319><c> the</c><01:01:40.480><c> coming</c> Five and a half million dollars was put in preschool
• </c><01:04:08.240><c> classrooms</c> opened additional preschool classrooms opened additional preschool
• </c><01:23:16.880><c> Um,</c><01:23:17.199><c> our</c><01:23:17.440><c> preschool</c> to take care of
• Um, our preschool to take care of that.
• Um, our preschool cost<01:23:18.239><c> for</c><01:23:18.480><c> transportation</c><01:23:19.600><c>

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including roll call, introductions, and approval of the previous meeting minutes by voice vote. It then heard a presentation on SB 253, focused on expanding support for teacher apprenticeship and teaching-and-learning pathways. Senator Hickman and staff from the Kentucky Department of Education and Nelson County Schools described how the program uses dual credit, work-based learning, and registered apprenticeship to help students earn an associate degree in high school and continue toward a teaching degree. They said the goal is to address the teacher shortage by creating a sustainable pipeline into the profession. Witnesses emphasized that the main barrier is cost. Mary Taylor said Kentucky’s youth apprenticeship model has been successful in other fields and that education should be added as an in-demand sector, but an associate degree alone will not solve the teacher shortage because teachers still need a bachelor’s degree and certification. Laura Arnold of Nelson County Schools described the district’s Lead Nelson program, saying the district has invested more than $800,000 since 2021, currently has 37 students in the pathway and seven committed apprentices, and spends about $85,000 per apprentice from freshman year through certification. She said district staffing, planning, and university partnerships are also significant hurdles. Members asked about job guarantees, tenure, and retirement; Arnold said employment is performance-based and retirement issues are being considered. Senator Hickman said the bill would use lottery funds to help cover tuition and dual credit costs so more districts can participate, noting that a prior version died because of a high fiscal note. Representative Payne and Representative Tipton praised the program but stressed the need for funding and noted inconsistencies between statute and budget language on Work Ready Kentucky and dual credit support. Representative Tipton also cautioned that lottery revenue may not keep pace with demand and said the General Assembly may need to make broader funding decisions. After the apprenticeship discussion, the chair moved the committee to the next agenda item on computer science and AI literacy, where Code.org began a presentation on the importance of computer science for all students.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I believe he’s Cameron, who is the preschool teacher. Is Cameron there?
• Livingcott I'm not sure if he's there he's in the Navy okay so but I believe he's Cameron who is the preschool

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security heard testimony on several bills, with strong support expressed for a proposed municipal and public safety building authority (H. 2571/S. 1650). Municipal officials, fire chiefs, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, regional planning leaders, and Senator Comerford described aging town halls, fire stations, DPW facilities, and other local buildings, especially in small towns and gateway cities, and argued that local budgets and Proposition 2 1/2 make major capital projects difficult to fund. Testimony emphasized the need for a dedicated revenue stream, with the bill proposing a share of marijuana excise tax revenue and a rural funding set-aside. Committee members asked about prioritization and funding levels, and witnesses said even a modest start would help address a large statewide backlog. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee later adjourned unanimously. The committee also heard testimony on H. 2689, requiring fuel gas alarms/detectors in residential dwellings using explosive gases. Representative Jeff Roy, Susan Brown, Jason Cohn, and representatives from NEMA and Kidde supported the bill, describing it as a life-saving measure similar to carbon monoxide detector requirements. Witnesses cited the 2015 Franklin propane explosion that killed Nancy and Robert Brown, the Merrimack Valley gas explosions, and national fire data showing fatalities and property damage from gas leaks. They said detectors are affordable, commercially available, and should be required where gas is used; one witness noted battery-backed or battery-operated options exist. Committee questions focused on cost, battery power, outdoor propane setups, and whether the bill would cover private databases or only residential safety devices. Another major topic was S. 1755 on missing and abducted children. Senator Pavel Payano testified in favor, citing the case of Lee Manuel Villoria Paolino and arguing that misclassification of missing children as runaways can delay urgent response and worsen outcomes, especially for Black and brown youth. He said the bill would set minimum law enforcement response standards, require training, and expand multilingual intake forms. The committee also heard support for expanding the state DNA database through familial DNA searching, with Dr. Amory Myers explaining that the technology could help solve long-unsolved cases while including guardrails to prevent use of private consumer DNA databases. Finally, the committee heard extensive testimony on H. 2740, “Colby’s Law,” establishing safety standards for BMX and motocross tracks. Colby Lippincott’s family, community members, and industry representatives described his fatal crash and urged requirements for medical staff, insurance, inspections, warning systems, barriers, and access roads. Witnesses said the bill would not end the sport but would create basic protections, and the committee heard that Massachusetts would join a number of other states with similar standards. The hearing ended with a motion to adjourn, which passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• The preschool, the universal preschool, universal child care, free lunches, and breakfasts.

Transcript Highlights:

• So certainly something like all-day or preschool would help kids who maybe have a different home life
• Not every kid has that home life, and so something like preschool would definitely help with those things

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Education approved the minutes from February 18 and March 4, 2026, then took up several bills. HCR 2003, the “Protect Girls in Sports in Arizona Act,” drew extensive testimony. Supporters, including Superintendent Tom Horne, argued it would protect fairness, safety, and privacy in girls’ sports and locker rooms by requiring teams to be designated male, female, or co-ed and by limiting access to sex-designated private spaces. Opponents, including ACLU and transgender advocates, said the measure was discriminatory, would function as a bathroom ban, and could force schools to police students’ bodies and identities. The committee voted 4-3 to give HCR 2003 a due pass recommendation. The committee then advanced HB 2020, which lowers certain student threats or disruptions at educational institutions from a Class 6 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor, and HB 2032, which changes the statewide testing window so assessments begin later in the spring and scores are returned later, with supporters saying it would better reflect a full year of instruction. HB 2033, allowing school districts or charter schools to choose paper-and-pencil administration of statewide assessments by governing board vote, also received support from educators who said it would reduce technology barriers for younger students. HB 2318, as amended, would impose term limits on school district governing board members after eight consecutive years; school board groups opposed it as harmful to rural districts, but the committee adopted an amendment and gave the bill a due pass recommendation. The committee also approved HB 2378, which changes eligibility rules for School Facilities Oversight Board members who are architects or engineers so their businesses may not include school construction. HB 2313, which prohibits teacher strikes or organized work stoppages and ties funding penalties to districts or charters that violate the ban, advanced despite testimony that it duplicates existing law and could chill educators’ speech and worsen staffing shortages. Finally, HB 2249, a major expansion of the Parents’ Bill of Rights, passed after heated testimony. Supporters said it would prevent schools from socially transitioning minors without written parental consent and stop staff from encouraging children to hide information from parents; opponents warned it was vague, punitive, and would expose teachers and schools to massive liability and litigation. The committee adopted amendments on HB 2318 and HB 2249 and reported all of the listed bills out with due pass recommendations, with recorded split votes on several measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a very basic, simple person, preschool teacher in my background.”
• “I am a very basic, simple person, preschool teacher in my background.

Committee: House Special Committee on Redistricting

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an instructional assistant who works with preschool children with special needs, and I ask for your
• I'm an instructional assistant who works with preschool children with special needs, and I ask for your

Bills: HB1347 , HB2091 , HB2264

Committee: Senate Labor & Commerce

Keywords: education, funding, student loans, affordability, higher education, public employers, employee information, bargaining representatives, labor relations, union representation, unemployment insurance, benefits, employment, layoffs, workforce reduction

Transcript Highlights:

• technical education district or an alternative school, participates in Arizona online instruction, is a preschool
• child, is a homeless child or youth, is homebound, is a pupil with a chronic... ...is a preschool child

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several education-related bills. SB 1572, the Return to Civics Instruction Act, would require Freedom Week, civics instruction on the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and a Declaration recitation for grades 3-12; it passed 3-2 after some members argued schools already provide civics instruction and that the legislature should not mandate curriculum. SB 1798, as amended, would require each high school to designate a FAFSA point person, post contact information, and implement a FAFSA awareness strategy; the Arizona Board of Regents supported it, while some members raised concerns about mandates on charter schools and staffing burdens. The committee also passed SB 1711, which directs the State Board of Education to develop and post age-appropriate resources on preventing and recognizing inappropriate contact, with testimony split between support for parent-accessible safety materials and concerns about sex-education compliance issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• The front playground is fenced in for preschool and kindergarten classes, but the back playground is
• The front playground is fenced in for preschool and kindergarten classes, but the back playground is

Committee: House Children and Families

Summary: The Committee on Children and Families met in executive session first and approved two measures by roll call vote. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2610, relating to the Missouri State Legal Expense Fund, was amended to cap the fund for that bill at $1 million and then voted do pass by a 17-0 vote. The committee also adopted a substitute combining House Bills 1839, 29, 21, and 3015, described as age verification legislation, and voted the combined House Committee Substitute do pass by a 17-0 vote. The committee then held a lengthy public hearing on House Bill 1840, which would create a statewide Purple Alert system for missing persons with developmental disabilities. Representative Sherry Gallick and numerous supporters testified that the bill would fill a gap between Amber and Silver Alerts and help law enforcement and the public respond faster when vulnerable individuals wander or go missing. Family members, advocates, service providers, and first responders described personal tragedies involving autistic children and adults, emphasized the risks of water, traffic, exposure, and exploitation, and said specialized training for responders was important. No one testified in opposition. After a brief recess, the committee heard House Bill 2170, which would update Missouri child passenger restraint laws to require rear-facing seats for children under age three and tighten other child restraint requirements. The sponsor and supporters from MoDOT, pediatric, medical, and emergency physician groups said the bill would codify best practices and improve child safety, while committee members raised questions about enforcement, exceptions for larger children, and the cost of fines and car seats. The hearing ended with no opposition testimony and no final vote taken on HB 1840 or HB 2170 during the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not talking about five-year-olds in preschool who are being exposed to some of this material, but
• There are books with sexually explicit materials targeting preschool and kindergartners, okay?

Committee: Senate Senate Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee approved the February 4, 2026 minutes and first held SB 1571. It then heard and advanced SB 1745, which would cap transaction privilege/excise tax rates in cities of 550,000 or more at 2.5% per classification unless voters approve a higher rate, with enforcement through the attorney general and state-shared revenue withholding for violations. Supporters argued it would protect taxpayers and restrain large-city tax increases; the bill was amended with a technical change and passed 4-3. The committee also advanced SB 1686, renaming Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza as the Wesley Bolin and Charlie Kirk Freedom Plaza and authorizing memorial placements for Don Bowles and Charlie Kirk, which passed 4-3. The committee then took up SB 1567 and SB 1435, both aimed at restricting public entities, schools, and libraries from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials and from using public facilities for sexually explicit filming or access. Supporters said the bills were needed to prevent children from being exposed to pornography and to keep taxpayer resources from facilitating such material; opponents, including the ACLU, warned the definitions were broad, could chill speech, and could criminalize librarians and educators for handling literary or educational works. Both bills were amended and passed 4-3. SB 1435 also drew testimony about library access, sex education, and the risk of overbroad enforcement. The committee next considered SB 1433 and SB 1434, which would reorganize Maricopa County boundaries. SB 1433 would move portions of Maricopa County into neighboring counties, while SB 1434 would split Maricopa County into three new counties with a transition board and special elections. Supporters argued Maricopa County had become too large and unmanageable and that smaller counties would improve representation and water and regional governance; opponents said the proposals were costly, disruptive, and politically motivated. Both measures received due pass recommendations, with SB 1433 passing 4-3 and SB 1434 passing 4-3 with one not voting. Finally, the committee approved SCR 1024, requiring legislators to live in their district for one year before election, and SCR 1025, moving the legislative session start to the fourth Monday in January; both resolutions passed unanimously or near-unanimously, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not talking about five-year-olds in preschool who are looking at some of this material, but students
• There are books with sexually explicit materials targeting preschool and kindergartners, okay?

Bills: SB1433 , SB1434 , SB1435 , SB1567 , SB1571 , SB1686 , SB1745 , SCR1024 , SCR1025 , HB2671 , HB2676 , HCR2044

Committees: Senate Government , Senate Senate Government Committee of Reference

Keywords: county boundaries, Maricopa, Gila, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma, La Paz, local governance, Arizona Revised Statutes, Maricopa county, county division, new counties, intergovernmental agreements, special election, shared use agreements, education, explicit material, parental consent, student protection, library access

Transcript Highlights:

• HE ESTABLISHED THE HARRIS ROSEN FOUNDATION THAT PROVIDES FUNDS FOR PROJECTS SUCH AS PRESCHOOL AND THE

Transcript Highlights:

• They work with churches, preschools, child care collaboratives.
• They work with<01:28:21.960><c> churches,</c><01:28:22.480><c> preschools,</c><01:28:23.040><c> child
• </c><01:28:23.360><c> care</c> with churches, preschools, child care with churches, preschools, child

Transcript Highlights:

• them, or you're going into school districts and actually trying to set up school, as far as the preschools
• This is the Preschool Development Grant, and it's for birth to age three to decrease fragmentation of
• Page 673 is the Title I preschool funding.
• So we talked about Title I yesterday in Book Four, and this is the preschool-related Title I funding.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• differences socioeconomic differences within that district the the you know whether the kids went to preschool
• I've taught in Head Start, California State Preschools, District Preschools, Kindergarten, and now I
• And she says, quote, I have 18 students now in preschool. It feels manageable.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• However, there still are some areas that need to be further amended so that daycare and preschool programs
• First, daycare and preschool immunization numbers should not be treated the same as school checkpoint
• First, daycare and preschool immunization numbers should not be treated the same as school checkpoint
• We respectfully request amendments excluding daycare and preschool programs and excluding IEP students
• ... ...respectfully request amendments excluding daycare and preschool programs and excluding IEP students

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health heard a series of bills focused on access to care, insurance coverage, and public health. AB 387 on youth sports AED access drew support from the author and safety advocates, but opposition from school, park, city, and county groups over liability, cost, and access concerns. The author said he would continue working on amendments to shift the bill toward requiring access to existing AEDs rather than mandating facility procurement. Committee members emphasized the life-saving purpose of the bill while also raising affordability and access concerns for youth sports programs. The committee also heard AB 1682, which would require health plans and insurers to cover FDA-cleared scalp cooling devices for chemotherapy patients. Supporters, including breast cancer survivors and health groups, described the emotional and quality-of-life benefits of preventing hair loss and said cost is the main barrier to access. There was no formal opposition, though one senator raised concerns about whether the mandate could exceed essential health benefits. The chair and members expressed support for the bill’s goals and said it would be taken up when quorum was established. AB 2093, a follow-up to the 988 crisis line law, sought to clarify statewide leadership, improve coordination among 988, 911, and mobile crisis teams, and create a more sustainable funding structure. Behavioral health organizations and crisis center representatives supported the bill, saying implementation challenges and demand growth require statutory fixes. Committee members generally supported the concept but noted the bill was a gut-and-amend and that additional work was needed with county and behavioral health stakeholders. The committee then heard AB 1843 on hepatitis C treatment, AB 1629 on dental assignment of benefits, AB 2540 on community college access to medication abortion services, and AB 1929 on disclosure of health plan investments. AB 1843 had broad support from medical and public health groups but opposition from health plans, which argued it conflicted with the prior-authorization framework in SB 306 and could raise drug costs. AB 1629 was supported by dental and patient advocates but opposed by dental plans and insurers over concerns about network participation and out-of-pocket costs. AB 2540 drew strong support from reproductive health advocates and student representatives, while community college health services and some others opposed or were neutral pending amendments; the author said the bill was about equity and accepted amendments to reduce burdens. AB 1929 was backed by labor and immigrant rights groups as a transparency measure, but opposed by health plans and insurers who said Covered California was not the right entity to administer the disclosures and that the information was already publicly available. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly weighed public access and transparency against cost, administrative burden, and implementation concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, there still are some areas that need to be further amended so that daycare and preschool programs
• However, there still are some areas that need to be further amended so that daycare and preschool programs
• First, daycare and preschool immunization numbers should not be treated the same as school checkpoint
• We respectfully request amendments excluding daycare and preschool programs and excluding IEP students
• ... ...respectfully request amendments excluding daycare and preschool programs and excluding IEP students

Committee: Senate Health

Transcript Highlights:

• I was in the depths of trying to get us potty trained to be able to go to preschool and kindergarten.
• able</c><01:25:04.480><c> to</c><01:25:04.719><c> go</c><01:25:04.960><c> to</c><01:25:05.520><c> preschool
• </c><01:25:06.080><c> and</c> be able to go to preschool and be able to go to preschool and kindergarten
• So in Minnesota, we have preschool screening and early intervention both in Medicaid and in schools.
• Now, because of the work of EID providers, school professionals, preschool teachers, Head Start teachers

Bills: HF3379

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• paragraph K provides that a charter school must comply with the limits on screen time for kids in preschool
• paragraph K provides that a charter school must comply with the limits on screen time for kids in preschool
• paragraph K provides that a charter school must comply with the limits on screen time for kids in preschool
• 00:38:07.520><c> in</c> limits on screen time for um kids in limits on screen time for um kids in preschool
• <00:38:08.240><c> pre</c><00:38:08.760><c> or</c><00:38:08.960><c> or</c> preschool pre or or preschool

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> low-income families, providing low-income families, providing high-quality<00:49:49.760><c> preschool
• </c><00:49:50.160><c> education,</c><00:49:51.080><c> meals,</c> high-quality preschool education, meals
• , high-quality preschool education, meals, health<00:49:52.480><c> services,</c><00:49:53.080><c> and
• Right now we're serving 503 children in our program, and that's infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and
• We used to just be all about preschoolers.

Bills: HF1660 , HF1824 , HF1926 , HF1002 , HF994 , HF1915 , HF1336

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: children, youth programming, needs assessment, community engagement, state funding, education, funding, school districts, state budget, rural schools, food support, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, food shelves, grant funding, Minnesota FoodShare, early childhood, Head Start, education funding, developmental programs, literacy

Transcript Highlights:

• in the rules, approved programs means schools, resource programs, self-contained classrooms, and preschool
• </c><01:09:37.759><c> So</c><01:09:37.920><c> it</c><01:09:38.080><c> became</c> preschool environments
• So it became preschool environments.
• </c><01:10:25.640><c> Um</c> classroom, a preschool environment.
• Um classroom, a preschool environment.

Committee: Senate Education