Video & Transcript Research : 'state response programs'
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FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
FL House Floor Session - 2026-06-02 (10:00AM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Isn't that our responsibility?
- the state population.
- in the state of Florida.
- The cost of living in our state is so high, especially compared to other states in the South.
- , state, and local.
Summary:
The House took up the special order calendar for a proposed constitutional amendment on property taxes, CS/HJR 1F, which would create a new homestead exemption for non-school taxes, lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property, and restrict how counties and municipalities may use ad valorem tax revenue. The sponsor, Rep. Overdorf, said the measure would give homeowners tax relief and argued local governments could adjust spending or use other revenue sources. Opponents repeatedly questioned the ballot language, the lack of a fiscal estimate or backfill, and the potential impact on local services, public safety, and debt obligations. The House adopted the special order report and then debated the resolution and a series of amendments.
Several amendments were offered to carve out or protect specific services from the tax changes. Rep. Bartleman’s amendment to protect Children’s Services Councils and Children’s Trusts was supported by members who said those entities fund early learning, mental health, aftercare, and other services for children and working families, but it failed 25-74. Rep. Cross offered an amendment to include water management districts in allowable ad valorem uses, warning of impacts on flood control, water quality, Everglades restoration, and water supply; that amendment also failed. Rep. Eskamani offered an amendment requiring the Legislature to backfill public safety funding if local revenues fall, arguing police and fire services, staffing, and response times would be at risk; it failed 25-71.
The chamber then rejected Rep. Woodson’s amendment to require state backfill for senior services, with supporters citing Meals on Wheels, transportation, adult day care, and other local senior programs, and opponents saying the proposal was outside the bill’s scope. Finally, Rep. Gant offered an amendment to protect veteran services, saying local governments fund housing, mental health, transition, and family support programs for veterans; debate emphasized the importance of honoring veterans and avoiding cuts to those services. The transcript cuts off during debate on that amendment, before a final vote is shown.
VT
Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Session - 2026-05-20 - 10:00AM
Vermont Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- <01:31:53.520>
to programs across state and others to programs across state and others to - That would be our CAP agencies, our CAP programs, community action programs across the state.
- <01:53:42.920>
That <01:53:43.240>they programs across the state. - That they programs across the state.
- Page 3596 of the calendar in the bill related to the homelessness response continuum program.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services May 18th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The May Revision includes a 2.01% cost-of-living adjustment for the California State Preschool Program
- If the state preschool program were to get a COLA equivalent to what we see in TK-12 statutory COLA of
- For this, we flagged this in particular because at present, programs receive or state preschool programs
- I’m here to speak to the need of the Cal Food Program as a lifeline for food banks in our state.
- I'm also here on behalf of TFC, and they represent 68 AP programs throughout the state.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Public Safety Committee Oct 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Before I got into policy, I was our crisis response emergency program manager.
- I managed that program, the nation's largest crisis response program throughout the height of the pandemic
- There's a T visa program.
- So at CAST, I mentioned, you know, I ran the 24-hour emergency response hotline and crisis response program
- program.
Summary:
The Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety held an informational hearing in Pomona on sex work-related crimes and efforts to combat human trafficking. The chair and Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez framed the issue as a major public safety and victim-protection concern, referencing the repeal of the loitering law in SB 357 and the recent enactment of AB 379, which targets buyers of sex rather than sex workers. The hearing was organized into three panels: data and research, policing and anti-trafficking efforts, and courtroom/prosecution impacts.
In the first panel, the California Department of Justice presented arrest and conviction data for the repealed loitering statute, noting overall declines from 2019 to 2022 but also explaining that the data did not distinguish clearly between people selling sex, people loitering to sell, and people purchasing sex. USC law professor Hannah Gary summarized a 2021 report finding that law enforcement stings and raids often lack transparency, disproportionately harm Black women, minors, LGBTQ+ people, and undocumented migrants, and rarely achieve the stated goals of protecting victims, prosecuting traffickers, or preventing trafficking. The ACLU of Southern California argued that criminalization of sex work is discriminatory and historically used to police women and people of color, and that laws aimed at buyers still harm sex workers and can increase immigration consequences. Committee members asked about data collection, racial disparities, and whether the new law could worsen profiling; the panelists urged public health approaches, better data, and more survivor services.
The second panel featured the California DOJ human trafficking coordinator, Pomona Police Chief Mike Ellis, and survivor advocate Jess Torres of Rising Worldwide. DOJ described its regional trafficking teams, task forces, victim services, and prosecutions, emphasizing a victim-centered and trauma-informed approach. Chief Ellis said SB 357 limited police intervention and contributed to visible open-air prostitution near schools and other sensitive locations, citing complaints from residents and a reported drop in juvenile rescues in Pomona after the law changed; he supported AB 63-style enforcement with safeguards and service referrals. Torres, speaking as a survivor, argued that anti-trafficking policy must be survivor-led, that many youth in the sex trade are boys or LGBTQ youth, and that criminalization and street enforcement often worsen harm and displacement rather than solving the underlying problems.
In the final panel, a Riverside County deputy district attorney said AB 63 could help law enforcement make earlier contact with potential victims and identify traffickers, while stressing the need for training, documentation, and oversight. A Los Angeles County public defender argued that prosecuting trafficked people reinforces traffickers’ control, creates lifelong barriers, and retraumatizes survivors, and pointed to diversion programs as a better model. The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking began its testimony by describing its survivor services and crisis response work. The hearing ended without any vote or formal action, but with committee members and witnesses continuing to debate the balance between enforcement, data collection, and survivor-centered services.
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
Appropriations S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII Feb 26th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- That apparently the comptroller of the state of Texas Forces upon state agencies.
- In the state of Texas, so in the state of Texas, we have a very competitive market.
- pet owner programs like state license.
- states.
- Our program administers state and national examinations required for licensure in Texas and qualifies
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - 03/11/26
Judiciary and Public Safety
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight Jun 24th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- When times are good, responsible individuals save.
- It is the responsible thing for us to do.
- The state has never had more money in the history of the state.
- The state has never received more money in the history of the state.
- They're ones that match the priorities of the state.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor and Transportation Apr 16th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- That is something that we are truly invested in because LA feels a responsibility to the entire state
- Specifically, two of our major programs are one where we serve nine different California State University
- And also we serve community colleges throughout the state, and we have a lot of other programs, but we
- in that the state has a responsibility in fulfilling that mandate.
- Sometimes it's not good to feel like you were right about something, but the response by the state Legislature
Summary:
The committee heard budget and workload presentations from the Office of the State Public Defender, legal aid organizations, and the Judicial Branch. OSPD requested permanent funding for positions that had been temporarily funded to implement the Racial Justice Act, explaining that the work has become ongoing and now includes additional Supreme Court briefing, habeas proceedings, investigations, expert analysis, and data requests. The State Public Defender also presented the AB 625 public defense workload report, which found statewide staffing shortages, caseloads above recommended standards, and major gaps in investigators and support staff. Senators asked about racial bias claims, the volume of data requests, and the impact of Prop. 36, and OSPD said it would provide additional written information.
The legal aid panel asked for a $50 million increase to the Equal Access Fund, $20 million to restart homelessness prevention services, and $10 million for health care access work, while also supporting Access to Justice Commission requests for loan repayment assistance, immigrant family preparedness services, and innovation grants. Witnesses described legal aid as homelessness prevention and cited examples involving eviction defense, domestic violence survivors, and immigration detention cases. Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge Sergio Tapia discussed eviction data, low tenant representation, and court pilots in Compton and at Stanley Mosk that combine mediation, rental assistance, and legal help. Senators asked for service maps, outreach materials, and more detail on funding needs and federal funding losses.
For the Judicial Branch overview, the Judicial Council and trial court representatives supported the Governor’s proposed budget, including $70 million for trial court operations, $21.7 million for employee health and retirement costs, and funding for appellate counsel, case processing, and courthouse construction. They said rising costs, staffing retention, and interpreter shortages continue to strain the courts, and described efforts to reallocate interpreter funds and recruit hard-to-find languages such as Mixteco. Senators pressed the branch and the Department of Finance on courthouse facilities, noting that the long-term need is far larger than the current budget proposal; Finance said the branch’s facility needs were estimated at about $22.5 billion over 10 years to start 68 projects and $29.4 billion to complete the remaining projects. The committee requested follow-up information on facilities, judgeships, and interpreter needs.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 4 June, 2026; 2:30 PM
Public Health and Welfare
Transcript Highlights:
- Oz, as head of CMS, announced the state awards for the first year of the program.
- Our program officer, each state has one, is very heavily involved in approving everything we issue.
- This is something that BDO has done in other states and helping roll out their program.
- The governor is running the program. The governor is running the program.
- We're told that half the responses were from half the counties in the state.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy May 21st, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The State of California.
- And so we need to be able to have the state have the capacity to run a program.
- And under Tier 3, our transit, the Clean Water Program, and we still have 600,000 people in the state
- , cap-and-invest program has.
- We oppose the proposed $25 million for the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, which would allow state
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- We think the spirit and the pride in the state of Hawaii, given that this is the only D1 program in the
- We think the spirit and the pride in the state of Hawaii, given that this is the only D1 program in the
- We think the spirit and the pride in the state of Hawaii, given that this is the only D1 program in the
- We are the pro sports program for the entire state.
- pro sports program for the entire<00:21:56.360>
state.
Summary:
The House Committee on Higher Education met at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to hear testimony on House Bill 2384, which relates to student athlete compensation and NIL. Chair Garrett opened by explaining the hearing was intentionally held on campus so lawmakers could hear directly from those affected. UH President Wendy Hensel and Athletics Director Matt Elliott both testified in support, saying the bill would help the university respond to the changing college athletics landscape, protect student athletes, improve transparency and education around NIL, and support UH’s ability to remain competitive. Elliott also said UH was seeking $5 million in NIL-related funding to support the program.
Several UH coaches and student athletes testified in favor, emphasizing the importance of UH athletics to the state, the community, and the student experience. Women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman described UH athletics as a source of pride and hope for the state, while players Jovi, Latoria Tamilo, and others said the program felt like home and that NIL support could help them grow, represent Hawaii, and give back. Women’s volleyball coach Robyn Ah Mow said UH athletics changed her life and that the school must adapt to remain competitive; her players Victoria Leyva, Shealy Reed, and Talia Akase similarly said NIL opportunities could help UH attract talent, expand exposure, and strengthen community ties.
Football coach Timmy Chang said the bill was important for recruiting, retaining, and building culture around Hawaiian values, and player Dean Briskie said UH’s developmental approach and team culture mattered more than money, though NIL has made retention harder. Quarterback Micah Alihada said the program’s culture and support from coaches and leadership made it easier to stay, but that the changing landscape made HB 2384 important. Baseball players Elijah Eikez and Ben Zukerman Ball also supported the bill, saying UH athletics carries responsibility to the community and helps student athletes become leaders and role models. No vote or final committee action was described in the transcript.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- but it also is traditionally responsible for the college outreach programs. 11 out of the 12 states
- but it also is traditionally responsible for the college outreach programs. 11 out of the 12 states
- but it also is traditionally responsible for the college outreach programs. 11 out of the 12 states
- but it also is traditionally responsible for the college outreach programs. 11 out of the 12 states
- College outreach programs. 11 out of the 12 states responded, so we had about a 92% response rate.
Summary:
The committee received an informational presentation from the Office of Higher Education on college access efforts, with a focus on FAFSA outreach, the Get Ready program, and Direct Admissions Minnesota. Wendy Robinson said OHE’s role is to provide nonpartisan information, partner with K-12, colleges, and community groups, and use statewide programs to expand awareness of higher education options and financial aid. She highlighted outreach through brochures, virtual sessions, conferences, the State Fair, and events serving specific populations, as well as the Lumina-funded Connect College grant and the federally funded Get Ready program, which serves about 7,500 low-income students across 14 capacity-building schools and 28 additional schools with tutoring, college visits, application help, and financial aid support. A member asked for demographic data on Get Ready students, and staff said they would provide it later.
Robinson also reviewed FAFSA outreach, noting that last year was especially difficult for students because of federal FAFSA problems. OHE’s Ready Set FAFSA sessions drew 1,300 unique registrations in October and 939 in January, and the agency continued training K-12 and college staff on state aid programs, FAFSA simplification, and implementation of North Star Promise. OHE said it also held FAFSA completion events with partners, including at the State Fair, and planned another financial aid event in Duluth.
The bulk of the presentation covered Direct Admissions Minnesota. Robinson said the program is now in its fourth year, with 55 participating colleges and universities and 182 participating high schools in the third cohort, serving just over 32,000 students. She described the program as a broad, collaborative model that sends students letters listing colleges that would admit them based on junior-year performance, while preserving student choice and waiving application fees for participating schools. She said the program is intended to reduce anxiety about admissions, encourage FAFSA completion, and keep more Minnesota students in-state.
Robinson previewed second-year data showing continued positive outcomes, including higher FAFSA completion, increased college enrollment, and more students staying in Minnesota. Participation increased among students eligible for free and reduced lunch, rising from 21% in the first year to 40% in the second year. She noted a continuing concern about American Indian and Alaska Native students, whose FAFSA completion declined and whose participation numbers were lower in the newest cohort, and said the agency would continue to study that data. She also said some of the increase in free-and-reduced-lunch participation may reflect the impact of North Star Promise and related financial aid messaging. No votes or formal actions were taken.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- I want to hold everybody responsible that is stealing money from our programs.
- I want to hold everybody responsible that is stealing money from our programs.
- I want to hold everybody responsible that is stealing money from our programs.
- . response. response.
- This doesn't change anything with the program. This would be in relation to the state.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- So we have a Min-SHARP program as well as a MINSTAR program.
- throughout the state.
- throughout the state.
- There were aspects of the program that were verifiable through sources of information we had in state
- There were aspects of the program that were verifiable through sources of information we had in state
Summary:
The committee met under a new Senate power-sharing arrangement with co-chairs, began with member and staff introductions, and then received a jurisdiction overview from Senate counsel. The overview explained that the Labor Committee’s jurisdiction has not changed from the previous biennium and covers fair labor standards, minimum wage, workers’ compensation, occupational safety and health, and related agencies and boards such as the Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Mediation Services, PERB, and the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals. It also noted that some topics, including paid leave, fall under other committees, while earned sick and safe time remains within Labor and Industry jurisdiction.
Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach and Josiah Moore then gave a detailed Department of Labor and Industry presentation. They reviewed the department’s funding sources, emphasizing that workers’ compensation funds and construction codes/licensing revenues make up most of the budget, while the general fund is a small share. They described the department’s major divisions, including workers’ compensation, construction codes and licensing, labor standards, nursing home workforce standards, and OSHA consultation and compliance, and highlighted practical examples of their work.
Examples included return-to-work assistance for an injured worker, compliance training that reduced penalties for self-insurers and claim administrators, and use of the Special Compensation Fund when an employer lacked workers’ compensation insurance. The labor standards section highlighted enforcement actions involving unpaid overtime, pregnancy and parental leave retaliation, wage deductions, and child labor violations, along with totals for 2024 collections and inquiries. The presentation also noted the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board’s adopted rules, the expansion of construction licensing exams statewide, and OSHA consultation programs such as Min-SHARP and MINSTAR, including a Minnesota employer that recently achieved MINSTAR status. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Finance Nov 20th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- We also do programming, which includes exhibits, performance events, and partnerships around the state
- That's from the State Library.
- Their interpretive program.
- For the entire state, we support not only state agencies but local public bodies.
- And state printing.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Government Finance Committee Jun 25th, 2026 at 10:00 am
Government Finance Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Today's testimony will highlight progress on the state radar data pathfinder program, the drone replacement
- We'll take a brief look at where all these state-funded programs stand today, along with some of the
- I can tell you, we have worked with the state of Washington, who has a program in place, just to get
- emergency response services to NDSU and all other state-owned buildings, and work collaboratively with
- the state who are responsible for ensuring compliance with functional items such as structural components
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Education Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Education
Transcript Highlights:
- Parker holds professional development programs, allowing teachers from across the state and globe to
- Bill 457 is written to support programs which honor existing state guardrails for both content and excellence
- Yes, although I will say we do have actually a library school, or two library programs, in this state
- , that in this state actually school, one library program or two library programs, that in this state
- I have what we call a responsive schedule. I teach in response to a curricular need.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on several bills centered on school accountability, receivership, graduation requirements, charter school access, community schools, school libraries, and student voting rights. Much of the discussion focused on the Thrive Act, S. 374, which would end state receivership and change the state’s accountability approach. Supporters, including educators, parents, advocacy groups, and students, argued that receivership has not improved outcomes in districts such as Lawrence, Holyoke, Southbridge, Boston, and the Dever, and that local communities should have more control, with greater emphasis on community schools, wraparound services, and broader measures of school quality. They also supported related bills on community schools and school library standards, and several witnesses backed a bill to expand student representative voting rights on school committees.
Opponents of S. 374, especially charter school leaders, parents, students, and some education advocates, focused on Section 4 of the bill, which would change the charter school net school spending cap in the lowest-performing districts. They argued that the provision would reduce access to charter seats in communities where families are seeking more options, and that schools such as Roxbury Prep, Excel Academy, Brook, Veritas Prep, and Libertas Academy have produced strong results for students, including students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs. Several witnesses said the section would force schools to shrink or close and would remove opportunities for families in districts with long waitlists.
Committee members questioned witnesses on both the effectiveness of receivership and the charter school cap language. Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon emphasized the need for a better accountability system and noted concerns about whether current measures, including MCAS-based designations, accurately reflect school quality. Some witnesses said they had discussed the possibility of removing Section 4 from the Thrive Act and suggested it might be addressed in separate charter reform legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing; testimony was received and the committee later closed testimony on S. 374 and several related bills before moving on to the student voting rights bill, S. 367.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health May 20th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Anybody right now with FSP, or a parent or family member in an intense program, the state resources are
- Anybody right now with FSP got a parent or family member in an intense program, the state resources are
- needed. family member in an intense program, the state resources are needed amongst multiple programs
- For instance, can the MHSA set-aside or state admin be used to support these community-based programs
- Programs like this that are aimed at reducing disparities help save lives, save the state money, and
Summary:
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held an informational hearing on the Governor’s May Revision, focusing first on the Commission on Behavioral Health, then EMSA, and then the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The Department of Finance said the state faces a third consecutive deficit and that the May Revision includes difficult trade-offs, including proposed eliminations or reversions of some behavioral health and public health funds. The LAO echoed concern about the structural deficit and said it was still awaiting some budget details before offering a full analysis.
For the Commission on Behavioral Health, Finance proposed eliminating $20 million in Mental Health Wellness Act funds, arguing the money would help offset General Fund costs and noting future Proposition 1 innovation funding. The commission strongly opposed the cut, saying it would eliminate or delay launch-ready grants for early childhood supports, full-service partnerships, and peer respite, and would eventually end ongoing grant programming. Several advocates and commissioners testified that the funds support underserved communities and that Proposition 1 is not a substitute for the existing programs. The chair asked Finance to look for alternatives, but no vote was taken.
EMSA presented mostly technical budget adjustments: increased authority for the California Poison Control System, a correction to EMSIS funding, and a reappropriation for enterprise services and data management. CDPH then reviewed a broader set of May Revision proposals, including reversions from the California Reducing Disparities Project, workforce development, STD prevention, hepatitis C prevention, hospice, and extreme heat funding, as well as a new generative AI pilot for health facility survey reporting. Members raised concerns about cuts to CRDP and gender health equity programs, especially because many grants are mid-contract and serve underserved communities; CDPH said the reversions were part of solving the deficit and that CRDP had been successful, while also clarifying that abortion.ca.gov would not be eliminated. Public comment was overwhelmingly opposed to the CRDP and related cuts, with many speakers describing the programs as life-saving and cost-effective. No formal votes or actions were taken during the hearing.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-03-19 (2:30PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It also refines research responsibilities. It also refines research responsibilities.
- Senator Brodeur, for a response.
- today in the 10 other states.
- The FARM program.
- And especially, thank you for State Road 880. and especially thank you for State Road 880.
Summary:
The Senate opened with prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions recognizing FSU Day at the Capitol, the Red Mass, visiting students, school board members, veterans, and other guests. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar and took up a series of bills, with several measures temporarily postponed before and during the day’s proceedings. Committee and executive reports were largely absent, and the Senate proceeded directly to floor action on the listed bills.
The Senate passed a number of mostly unanimous bills, including SB 36, SB 38, SB 40, and SB 42 on Florida Statutes revision; CS/SB 50 on nature-based coastal resilience, amended to strengthen the Florida Flood Hub and related research; CS/SB 116 on veterans, expanding benefits coordination, mental health training, adult day health care, and other veterans services; SB 126 on mailing prescription hearing aids to adults; SB 150 on abandoning restrained dogs during natural disasters, amended to conform to the House; SB 294 limiting collaborative pharmacy practice for certain serious cardiac conditions; SB 322 creating a nonjudicial process for removing unauthorized persons from commercial property; SB 348 on ethics, including false military rank claims and collection of delinquent ethics fines; and CS/SB 7012 on child welfare workforce recruitment, treatment foster care pilots, and data collection for commercially sexually exploited children. Senate Memorial 314 urging Congress to increase Florida National Guard force structure was also adopted by voice vote.
Two bills drew more extended debate. SB 118 on presidential libraries passed 36-3 after questions about local zoning, traffic, and whether the bill’s express preemption would limit county and municipal authority; supporters argued it would prevent local obstruction and help Florida attract a presidential library, while one senator said she would vote no because of concerns about local safety and planning issues. CS/SB 160 on public accountancy passed 39-0 after an amendment clarifying contracted services; supporters said it would broaden pathways into the CPA profession and address workforce shortages. CS/SB 108 on administrative procedures and CS/SB 110 on rural communities were temporarily postponed, then later taken up and passed after extensive debate, with SB 110 amended to prioritize certain rural transportation projects, expand housing, health care, broadband, and economic development support, and draw strong bipartisan praise for its focus on rural Florida. At the end of the session, the Senate waived rules to immediately certify all bills passed that day to the House, observed a moment of silence for former Surfside Chief John Healy, and made several closing announcements and recognitions.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education Jan 15th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education
Transcript Highlights:
- And number three, how does the department or responsible organization evaluate the success of the program
- And then you have, of course, your state-funded constitutional four-year-old program, Voluntary Pre-K
- This is the voluntary pre-K program funding, which is, again, mostly state funding.
- This is the voluntary pre-K program funding, which is, again, is mostly state funding.
- And there's a good, the state money last year, we had a little bit of the state money. this program is
Summary:
The committee held its first meeting and received an overview of the Pre-K-12 education appropriations jurisdiction and base budget. Staff explained that education funding is driven largely by enrollment and per-student formulas, with most money coming from state and local sources. The presentation highlighted the major budget areas: early learning, the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), non-FEFP K-12 programs, federal programs, and the State Board of Education. Members asked about instructional materials funding and how scholarship students who return to public schools are counted and funded; staff explained that instructional materials remain in the base and that funding depends on survey timing, with districts ultimately funded through the enrollment count process.
The committee then reviewed federal IDEA funding for students with disabilities. Department of Education officials explained how IDEA Part B funds are split between state set-asides and local educational agencies, and noted that Florida ranked fourth nationally in total IDEA Part B funding and received a 95% state determination for meeting IDEA requirements. They also described the bureau’s responsibilities, including monitoring, dispute resolution, instructional support, and the Hope Florida unit for ages 3 to 5. Members asked for more information on student performance outcomes and how the state measures success beyond compliance, and the department agreed to provide follow-up data.
The final major topic was the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS), including associate centers, multidisciplinary centers, and specialized centers for deaf/hard of hearing and visually impaired students. Presenters described services such as child find, family support, assessments, professional learning, accessible instructional materials, and technical assistance. Committee members focused on whether families and schools have equal access to services across the state, how IEP disputes and reevaluations are handled, and whether more support is needed for parents, teachers, and rural districts. FDLRS representatives said they do not write IEPs but help connect families to districts, provide training and assessments, and support compliance and data collection; they also emphasized staffing and resource needs, especially for low-incidence disabilities and multilingual family outreach.