Transcript Highlights:

• She added that some institutions of higher education offer dual credit for a personal finance class taught
• Representative Mosley continued that some institutions of higher education offer dual credit for a personal
• Louis passed an initial bill requiring a, was it half credit or full credit?
• Why do you use a credit card?
• This bipartisan legislation would add half a credit of personal finance education for Missouri students

Committee: House Financial Institutions

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and approved House Bill 2863 by a 14-0 vote. It then took up House Bill 2967, adopted a committee amendment that removed a fixed one-third allocation and allowed funds to be allocated by the body as needed, rolled the amendment into a substitute, and passed the House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2967 by a 15-0 vote. Members discussed how the bill related to another expungement-fund measure already passed by the House, and were told the two bills were intended to mirror each other and would not conflict. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 2303 and the mirrored House Bill 2867, both aimed at expanding Missouri’s personal finance education requirements. Sponsor testimony said the bills would require a half-credit in personal finance for graduation beginning in 2027-28, broaden instruction to include budgeting, credit, investing, fraud prevention, taxes, contracts, and major purchases, and create a DESE work group with industry and educator input to update standards every seven years. Sponsors and supporters said the goal was to better prepare students for real-world financial decisions, reduce debt traps, and improve workforce readiness. Witnesses from the Missouri Bankers Association, mortgage bankers, consumer credit groups, financial advisors, and individual advocates testified in support, emphasizing the need for updated, practical financial literacy instruction and regular curriculum review as financial products change. Committee members asked about the bill’s interaction with existing personal finance requirements, whether it would apply to public, private, homeschool, and GED pathways, and how early course completion waivers would work. Members also suggested adding insurance and gambling/probability topics to the curriculum discussion. No opposition testimony was offered, and House Bill 2119 was postponed to a future hearing before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Like I said, I just don't want people to take credits to take credits—take credits that matter.
• Our first one took credits just to take credits.
• for dual credit, what the quality of dual credit education is when you're having it with a qualified
• But you've talked a lot about dual credit, and you're talking about who's paying for it, and the education
• credit.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee

Summary: The committee met at Dakota College at Bottineau, approved the January 15, 2026 minutes, and heard a campus presentation from Dean Corey Gorder and President Steve Shirley. Gorder outlined DCB’s leadership changes, its affiliation with Minot State, and extensive shared services with Minot State, UND, and NDSU in areas such as business office functions, financial aid, payroll, HR, Title IX, printing, and institutional research. He said shared services help smaller campuses access expertise, and committee members asked about cost allocation and accreditation limits; Gorder said the arrangements are negotiated between institutions and that, to his understanding, academic accreditation is not affected by these service-sharing agreements. The committee also discussed DCB’s enrollment, dual credit reach, and program mix, including nursing, dental assisting and hygiene, paramedic training, drone certification, and farm management. Gorder said DCB wants to expand higher-demand, trade-oriented programs, strengthen Minot programming, and address facility needs, especially residence halls and space constraints in dental programs. Members asked detailed questions about dual credit, including how DCB develops relationships with high schools, whether it has exclusivity, who teaches the courses, and whether credits transfer. Gorder said relationships are built through outreach and existing school connections, that schools may choose other providers, and that DCB pays stipends to instructors under institution-specific formulas. NDUS staff Lisa Johnson said transfer problems are rare within North Dakota and usually arise only with highly selective out-of-state institutions. Gorder also noted that DCB’s dual credit and campus programming are heavily tied to rural schools and that the college is trying to streamline dual credit delivery as enrollment and staffing demands grow. The committee then heard from the North Dakota Student Association, whose representatives outlined student priorities from the last legislative session and the interim. Their main themes included campus safety, mental health resources, academic freedom, scholarships and affordability, teacher incentives, workforce readiness, housing, food accessibility, student research funding, internships, and campus collaboration. They said they supported or opposed various bills related to those issues during the 69th Legislative Assembly and emphasized that students want affordable, safe, and academically strong campuses. Committee members asked about housing affordability, food insecurity, research opportunities, and dual credit transfer and expansion. No votes were taken on policy matters during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Education Education Freedom<00:04:37.919><c> Tax</c><00:04:38.320><c> Credit</c><00:04:38.720><c> Program
• House Bill 1 and the Educational Freedom Tax Credit will not cost taxpayers a dime, but would allow Kentucky
• House Bill 1 and the Educational Freedom Tax Credit will not cost taxpayers a dime, but would allow Kentucky
• This is a separate issue. 26 USC 25F, which is the section that discusses the Education Freedom Tax Credit
• By doing the tax credit, it in no way will take away funding from any other education funding.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• 40 credits.
• education 4,000 CTE roughly so and the issues coming on board with dual credit we acknowledge it we get
• We start with the enrolled credits for dual credit.
• We start with the enrolled credits for dual credit.
• credit.

Summary: The committee met at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Flanagan and campus leaders on the college’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce programs, facilities needs, and industry partnerships. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, the college’s strategic plan, and new or expanding programs such as aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also described the need for a new dorm and a remodel of the library into academic and allied health space, including a simulation center, to address capacity limits and support growth. Several committee members asked about program demand, faculty recruitment, pay competitiveness, and how the college shifts resources from lower-demand programs to high-demand ones. Industry partner Jim Albright of Comdell testified that the college has been essential to the local manufacturing workforce and that many employees and interns come from NDSCS. A major topic was dual credit. Flanagan said dual credit is important but financially challenging, noting that only a small share of dual credit students ultimately matriculate to NDSCS and that the college’s dual credit model is close to break-even. He explained that many dual credit credits are general education rather than CTE, and that the college pays instructors, supports high schools, and absorbs indirect costs. Williston State College President Bernal Herning added that his institution loses money on the front end but has shifted toward helping students complete associate degrees before high school graduation because many go directly to work after high school. Committee members questioned how dual credit is delivered, how instructors are qualified, and whether students are truly doing college-level work. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit statewide. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs and said the analysis shows dual credit is not profitable at several institutions once tuition, instructor payments, and overhead are included. Members asked how much of the cost is borne by students, families, and the state, and whether K-12 funding should also be considered. Discussion also covered the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, payments to high school teachers or schools, and the possibility of waiving tuition in the future. No votes were taken, and the committee mainly gathered information for the ongoing dual credit cost study.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:39:59.920><c> uh,</c><00:40:00.480><c> uh,</c><00:40:00.800><c> credits</c> the general education
• , uh, uh, credits the general education, uh, uh, credits that<00:40:01.359><c> would</c><00:40:01.520
• </c> losing any credit along the way. losing any credit along the way.
• 145.2 credit hours.
• </c> credit hours compared to 133.4 credit credit hours compared to 133.4 credit hours<01:12:57.199><

Committee: House Postsecondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• When they learn they're going to take dual credit and what their educational aspirations are, that's
• credits to students.
• In terms of where we take dual credit from here, I'm a big believer in dual credit.
• dual credit students.
• that credit?

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So was our work ready dual credit and our career and technical education and move that over into the
• our career and dual credit and our our career and technical<00:21:42.720><c> education</c><00:21:44.000
• Um credit.
• a young person is taking a dual credit class, it's actually then being applied to their university education
• Uh, with the dual credit, that is if it's the pipeline and you're trying to get a student through education

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met and approved the July 15, 2025 minutes before hearing a presentation from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA/KIA) on student financial aid ahead of the January biennial budget session. KHEAA outlined its role administering 17 state-funded grant and scholarship programs, 529 plans, and outreach services, and emphasized that net lottery proceeds after a $3 million literacy appropriation are statutorily dedicated to student aid. The agency focused on the major need-based programs—College Access Program (CAP), Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG), and KEES—along with dual credit, Work Ready Kentucky, teacher scholarship, and National Guard tuition assistance. Officials said the new federal FAFSA methodology created a major increase in eligible students, especially for CAP, and thanked lawmakers for adding substantial funding this biennium to meet the higher demand. Staff explained that CAP is for Pell-eligible, low-income students, while KTG is a need-based grant for students at private Kentucky colleges; both use FAFSA data, but schools verify final eligibility. They said CAP awards are first-come, first-served and that the higher funding level allowed the program to last the full 21-month application cycle in FY 2024-2025, compared with much shorter periods in earlier years. KHEAA reported about $232 million spent on CAP for roughly 72,000 students last year, with current applications running about 10% ahead of the prior year. Members asked about the difference between applicants and recipients, the effect of lower lottery revenues, and whether recent federal legislation would affect state aid; KHEAA said it does not expect major impacts on grants and scholarships, though student loan changes could affect graduate students. The committee also discussed KEES and dual credit. KHEAA said KEES has been fully funded since its creation and that its forecast was within $76,000 of actual need last year. For dual credit, staff said a recent bill consolidated work-ready dual credit and career/technical education under one scholarship program, and KHEAA will seek growth funding because participation and costs continue to rise. The agency said FY 2025 dual credit spending reached $26.4 million across dual credit and work-ready funding, requiring transfers from Work Ready Kentucky to keep dual credit fully funded. Members asked about transferability of dual credit hours and whether the program reduces later college costs; KHEAA said it does not have hard data on every credit transfer, but it does see higher bachelor’s completion rates and lower student debt, suggesting positive effects. No votes were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• dual credit.
• Like I said, I just don't want people to take credits to take credits—take credits that matter.
• And so kind of understanding who's paying for dual credit, what the quality of dual credit education
• talked a lot about dual credit and you're talking about who's paying for it and the education committee
• credit.

Summary: The committee met at Dakota College at Bottineau, approved the January 15, 2026 minutes, and heard an extensive campus update from Dean Corey Gorder and other DCB leaders. Gorder described the college’s affiliation with Minot State and its growing use of shared services, including business office functions, HR, institutional research, Title IX, printing, financial aid support through UND, and payroll support through NDSU. He said the arrangement lets DCB focus on its core mission while relying on system partners for specialized administrative work, and noted that accreditation concerns were not believed to limit those shared-service arrangements. He also highlighted DCB’s mission, enrollment growth, dual-credit reach across rural schools, and the college’s emphasis on nursing, dental, paramedic, farm management, and other workforce-oriented programs. Committee members asked detailed questions about dual credit, program delivery, and whether DCB’s partnerships were exclusive. Gorder said the relationships are generally collaborative rather than exclusive, that schools can choose other providers, and that many partnerships began through personal outreach and ongoing relationships with rural schools. Lisa Johnson of the university system added that transfer complaints are rare and that dual credit generally transfers well within North Dakota, though highly selective out-of-state institutions may treat credits differently. Members also asked about stipends for high school instructors, the share of K-12 versus DCB instructors, and the capacity limits in dental hygiene and other programs. Gorder said dental hygiene is capped by space and staffing, that there were more applicants than seats, and that expansion is being considered; he also said he would provide follow-up information on the paramedic program and instructor breakdowns. Gorder closed by identifying long-term challenges, including aging residence halls, recruiting faculty and staff, and the need to review low-enrollment programs. He said DCB should consider expanding into more high-demand trades such as welding, HVAC, and electrical work, and should streamline dual credit and strengthen its Minot programming. The committee then heard from the North Dakota Student Association, whose leaders outlined student priorities from the last session and the interim. Their main concerns included campus housing quality and affordability, food insecurity and food pantries, mental and physical health resources, student-led research funding, academic and career readiness, internships, and campus collaboration. They also discussed dual credit, saying it is valuable but uneven across the state, and raised questions about how to better retain students in North Dakota through the system. Members asked follow-up questions about housing, transferability of dual credit, and whether incentives could be used to encourage students to stay in-state for higher education.

Transcript Highlights:

• 40 credits.
• education 4,000 CTE roughly so and the issues coming on board with dual credit we acknowledge it we get
• And then divide that total cost by that total credit to get a student credit hour per credit hour rate
• We start with the enrolled credits for dual credit.
• We start with the enrolled credits for dual credit.

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• So try to ...types of programs in education and teacher education.
• When they learn they're going to take dual credit and what their educational aspirations are, that's
• credits to students.
• credits to students.
• I'm not aware of any other schools running dual credit through the Center for Distance Education.

Summary: The Higher Education Institutions Committee met on the Minot State University campus for presentations on campus operations, enrollment, and new academic initiatives. President Shirley reviewed recent audits, noting mostly clean results with only minor technical findings, and highlighted MSU’s broad academic offerings, specialized accreditations, athletics, and partnerships with Minot Air Force Base and the MSU Development Foundation. Members asked about declining interest in teacher education, tuition waivers for athletes, dual credit incentives, and how MSU decides when to launch new programs and avoid duplication within the university system. Shirley also discussed several workforce-focused initiatives supported by the Legislature’s Workforce Education Innovation Funds, including the purchase of the Trinity Health Center West building for a downtown health sciences hub, a new daycare/preschool partnership near campus, the Aspire program to recruit rural students into teaching, and a paraprofessional-to-special-education degree pathway. Enrollment data showed overall headcount was flat at just under 2,750, but full-time equivalent enrollment rose slightly and new student numbers increased, including the largest freshman class in 15 years. The committee also discussed Minot State’s in-state tuition rate for all students, its dual credit “Emerging Scholars” scholarship, and concerns about the share of high school graduates who do not immediately pursue postsecondary education. Faculty then presented two new programs funded in part by WEAF: an Innovation Engineering degree and a master’s program in counseling with an integrated addiction studies focus. The engineering program was described as industry-driven, designed with broad early coursework, hands-on learning, and local employer input to prepare students for western North Dakota workforce needs; officials said it had already drawn more applicants than expected and would use renovated library space and donated or grant-funded equipment. The counseling program will be mostly face-to-face with hybrid options, aims to address shortages in mental health and substance use providers, and is structured to help students meet licensure requirements. Committee members asked about startup costs, licensure supervision hours, and whether the programs would be on campus rather than online, and presenters said both programs had recently received required approvals and were moving forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm just trying to figure out, this is an education issue. It's higher education; it's dual credit.
• It might be support from one of the higher education institutions that's offering dual credit in that
• credits?
• , or whatever, credit.
• We'd say excluding FTE composed of credits from dual credit students.

Summary: The committee met to review updates on low-completion academic programs, dual credit funding, and a draft higher education funding formula bill. Lisa Johnson of the University System explained the State Board of Higher Education’s proposed policy on low-completion programs, which would review associate through doctoral programs with fewer than 10 undergraduate or fewer than 5 graduate completions over a rolling five-year period. She said campuses already know which programs are low-performing, many terminations have involved programs with no students, and faculty are often reassigned rather than laid off. Members asked about online programs, the basis for the 10/5 thresholds, reactivation of inactive programs, and whether state priorities include workforce needs and legislative direction. The committee also discussed that some programs, such as sonography or foreign languages, may continue because of workforce or regional needs, and that the board’s policy is still moving through the approval process. The committee then heard a Commerce Department update on a $750,000 workforce development grant for tribally controlled colleges under SB 2018. Kerry Kraft reported that Turtle Mountain Community College was the only applicant and that it is using the grant to develop dual credit and workforce pathways in areas such as cybersecurity, medical assisting, welding, solar energy, public safety, and health care. Members asked why other tribal colleges did not apply, how many students are participating, and whether the program belongs in the Commerce budget or higher education budget. Kraft said the project is still in development, with no current enrollments yet, but the college has a goal of 210 students and has historically met a 75% completion rate or better. A major portion of the meeting focused on dual credit funding. Senator Sickler summarized the Institutions Committee’s work on quality, access, and cost, noting that most high school dual credit instructors now meet credentialing requirements and that access varies by region and school district preference. He presented cost data showing variation among campuses and discussed a possible single funding rate for subsidized dual credit, using a lower base rate as a model. Members questioned the direct and indirect cost calculations, whether dual credit is already funded through the formula, and whether a separate dual credit rate would require removing those credits from the general funding formula to avoid double payment. The committee then turned to a draft funding formula bill, with staff explaining technical corrections, a change to make UND and NDSU align with the other institutions’ undergraduate rates, a four-year average for research funding, and other revisions. Members discussed the overall fiscal impact, with staff estimating the proposal would increase funding compared with the current formula, and the committee also raised concerns about how dual credit, Tier 1 funding, and certificate programs should be treated in the formula. No final vote was taken, and the committee recessed to allow staff to refine the numbers and additional comparisons.

Transcript Highlights:

• credits, most associate degree programs being 60 credits, the thought about 15 credits is that a student
• credits, most associate degree programs being 60 credits, the thought about 15 credits is that a student
• credits, most associate degree programs being 60 credits, the thought about 15 credits is that a student
• credits, most associate degree programs being 60 credits, the thought about 15 credits is that a student
• c><01:15:04.400><c> bachelor's</c> as a 90 credit or a 95 credit bachelor's as a 90 credit or a 95 credit

Summary: The committee heard updates from the chancellors of the state university system and the community college system on ongoing restructuring, collaboration, and enrollment trends. The university system said its office move to the NHTI campus is ahead of schedule and should save students about $250,000 a year while creating revenue for the community college system. Both systems described continued work on transfer pathways, direct-admit outreach, shared advising, and broader efforts to shrink footprints, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency in response to declining enrollment and demographic pressure. A major topic was a possible federal change to Pell Grant eligibility that would require students to enroll in at least 7.5 credits. The chancellors said most community college students are part-time because of work and family responsibilities, and that the change could affect roughly 2,000 current Pell recipients and make it harder for students to afford or sustain enrollment. Members also discussed how the state’s governor’s scholarship statute largely benefits full-time students, suggesting possible future statutory changes. The chancellors explained how credits typically work, noting most courses are three or four credits and that students would likely need to add an entire course to meet the proposed threshold. The committee also discussed the broader higher education landscape, including declining high school cohorts, competition among New England institutions, and the need to right-size capacity. One member raised concerns about the health of regional campuses such as Plymouth and Keene; the chancellors said incoming enrollment is down at UNH and Plymouth and holding at Keene, attributing the trend to demographics rather than one campus drawing students away from another. They emphasized the importance of community colleges, adult learners, and short-term workforce programs as part of the state’s future education mix. Finally, the committee touched on the value of the university system’s research enterprise. The chancellor said about $250 million a year flows into the university system in federal research grants, with about $9.5 million currently under stop-work orders from federal agencies. She said the immediate concern is not DEI-related but federal cuts and possible caps on indirect cost recovery. Members noted that the R1 research designation supports business partnerships, student opportunities, and economic development projects such as West Edge in Durham.

Transcript Highlights:

• 40 credits.
• And then divide that total cost by that total credit to get a student credit hour per credit hour rate
• We start with the enrolled credits for dual credit.
• We start with the enrolled credits for dual credit.
• credit.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• and Secondary Education to convene a work group, including educators and industry representatives, and
• And I will say some institutions of higher education offer dual credit for a personal finance class that's
• Why do you use a credit card?
• Why do you use a credit card?
• This bipartisan legislation would add half a credit of personal finance education for Missouri students

Committee: House Financial Institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's still someone passing a credit might be on. it still is a credit, is a credit.
• One change that is made there is the weighting for career and technical education credits is increased
• One change that is made there is the waiting for career and technical education credits is increased
• credit.
• credit.

Summary: The Higher Education Funding Committee met to discuss possible changes to North Dakota’s higher education funding formula, with a particular focus on separating the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences MD program from the general formula. Dr. Jenkins outlined several options for the MD program, including a fixed-funding model, a hybrid model, or keeping it in the formula, and emphasized the need to preserve strong support for medical education while making future funding clearer. He also discussed efforts to increase the share of North Dakota students in the MD program through ND85, expanded recruiting, early acceptance pathways, MCAT prep, a four-plus-one program, and the Primary Care Accelerated Track, along with future cost pressures such as AI licensing and residency growth. The committee then reviewed a simplified funding model from the University System Office that would base funding more heavily on student FTE, credentials awarded, and a few incentive factors such as small institution and research adjustments. Members questioned the use of placeholder numbers, the lack of a clear methodology for the small institution and research factors, and whether the model would adequately account for differences among institutions, high-cost programs, and graduate education. Several members raised concerns that arbitrary factors would be hard to defend politically and could distort funding or create competition between schools, while others said the exercise was useful as a starting point for discussion. Alex presented a second alternative that kept the current SIP-code structure but increased CTE weighting, added a progressive economic size factor, and separated out the MD program. His model also added an on-campus face-to-face headcount component and a credentials component, with the intent of rewarding in-person enrollment and completions. Members questioned the use of headcount instead of FTE, how hybrid, online, dual-credit, and off-campus students would be treated, and why face-to-face enrollment was weighted more heavily than completion. No formal votes or final actions were taken; the committee instead continued discussion and asked members to provide direction on which elements, if any, should be developed further.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a federal tax credit up to $1,700 to be used for K-12 education.
• That is a federal tax credit up to $1,700 to be used for K-12 education.
• That is why the education freedom tax credit included in the One Big Beautiful Bill is so important for
• This tax credit incentivizes private donations to help families with education.”
• This tax credit incentivizes private donations to help families with education, all while keeping the

Committee: Senate Local Government and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• education centers, non-credit colleges, and career development and college preparation programs.
• Specifically, 10 of those years have been dedicated to non-credit education.
• And so I truly value and understand non-credit education.
• Non-credit education provides high-quality, cost-free training and wraparound services, helping veterans
• Despite such data, non-credit adult education remains. any credential.

Committee: House Military and Veterans Affairs

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs heard four bills, with opening remarks emphasizing orderly in-person testimony and a brief delay while waiting for a quorum. AB 571 by Assembly Member Quirk-Silva proposed a narrow CEQA exemption and urgency clause to help move forward the Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Anaheim. Supporters, including the Orange County Board of Supervisors, veterans groups, and county veterans service officers, said the project has been delayed for more than a decade and has broad local and bipartisan backing. No opposition was presented, and members praised the author’s persistence and the need for a local veterans cemetery in Orange County. AB 1412 by Assembly Member Gonzalez would require school districts to quickly adopt or implement a special education student’s IEP after an out-of-state transfer, with revised timing tied to receipt of records and provisions for using unofficial records while official records are pending. The author and supporters from the Department of Defense and Navy Region Southwest said the bill would reduce delays for military-connected children with special needs. The Association of California School Administrators opposed the bill but said it was working with the author on clarifying concerns. Committee members strongly supported the measure, citing the importance of timely services for military families. AB 1433 by Assembly Member Sharp-Collins would expand access to student support funding for non-credit community college centers and stand-alone institutions, especially those serving veterans and other adult learners. Supporters from San Diego College of Continuing Education, Calbright College, and other districts said non-credit programs provide job training, ESL, and other pathways that help veterans transition to civilian careers, but currently lack equitable funding for services like counseling, tutoring, and disability support. No opposition was heard. The committee also took up AB 1346 by Assembly Member DiMaio on consent. All four bills were approved 8-0 and sent to the Committee on Appropriations, with the committee concluding after all members’ votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not a dual credit class versus a general education class or a dual credit class versus a career
• <00:53:05.200><c> general</c><00:53:05.520><c> education</c> credit class versus a general education
• credit class versus a general education class<00:53:06.160><c> or</c><00:53:06.400><c> a</c><00:53:06.559
• We have a dual credit community of practice, 60 volunteers of K-12 and higher education who come together
• The dual credit for general education is a minimum 2.5 unweighted GPA.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the previous meeting minutes, and heard a presentation from Austin Reid of the National Conference of State Legislatures on education-related provisions in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). Reid said the law is projected to increase the federal deficit over 10 years, with major savings coming from Medicaid, student loan changes, and SNAP. He focused on how those changes could affect schools, including possible effects on free and reduced-price meal certification, state funding formulas that use SNAP as a proxy for low-income status, and Medicaid-funded school services for students with disabilities. Reid also outlined the new federal scholarship tax credit, which gives a dollar-for-dollar credit for donations to qualifying scholarship-granting organizations. He said families up to 300% of area median income may benefit, the program begins in 2027, and states must opt in and designate eligible organizations. He noted unresolved questions about whether states can add their own criteria and said Treasury regulations will be important. He also described the expansion of 529 plans to cover more K-12 and postsecondary expenses. On higher education, Reid explained a new workforce Pell grant option for short-term programs, with states and governors playing a role in determining eligible programs. He said the programs must meet placement, completion, and earnings measures and that implementation is expected to be tight before the July 1, 2026 effective date. He also reviewed student loan changes, including lower institutional loan limits, prorated borrowing for part-time enrollment, new caps on graduate and Parent PLUS loans, and a new earnings-based accountability standard that could make some programs ineligible for student loans if graduates earn too little. No votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• It just allows employers to educate the employees that they have an opportunity... ...to educate the
• Credit unions are unique cooperatives... ...the responsibility of a credit union board member.
• If we didn't take credit cards, If we didn't take credit cards, it came to a time when we just had to
• with a credit card.
• , and child and family tax credits.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Financial Services

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services heard testimony on several bills focused on financial security, banking regulation, and payment-card fees. Treasurer Deborah Goldberg supported the Massachusetts baby bonds proposal (H. 48) and also endorsed bills on matched savings (H. 1158/S. 737) and retirement planning/Secure Choice (H. 1143/S. 722), arguing these measures would help address wealth inequality, build assets, and improve retirement readiness. Supporters of baby bonds included policy experts and health advocates from Children’s Health Watch and Boston Medical Center, who said early-life asset building could improve long-term economic and health outcomes for children in low-income families. AARP also urged passage of the retirement planning bill, citing the large share of private-sector workers without access to an employer retirement plan. Representative Donato testified for H. 1143, describing it as a voluntary retirement-savings opportunity for workers at small employers. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3933, concerning the Massachusetts Credit Union Share Insurance Corporation, from former Bank Commissioner Mike Hanson, who defended the state’s full deposit insurance system for credit unions and savings institutions as a longstanding consumer-protection model. The Massachusetts Bankers Association raised concerns about the bill’s technical provisions and broader credit union/bank competitive issues, while the Cooperative Credit Union Association supported related legislation allowing modest compensation for credit union directors (S. 821/H. 1338) and flexibility for state financial institutions to grow through partnerships (S. 723). Bankers opposed those credit union bills, arguing they would upset a level playing field and blur long-standing distinctions between banks and credit unions. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 1259/S. 688, which would prohibit card interchange fees on the tax and gratuity portions of restaurant transactions. Restaurant owners and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association testified in favor, saying the fees are a significant and growing expense, especially as most customers now pay by card; they argued the bills would save restaurants money without affecting state revenue. Credit union, banking, and payments-industry representatives opposed the bills, saying interchange helps fund fraud protection and payment infrastructure, that the proposal would create compliance burdens and likely litigation, and that it would mainly affect Massachusetts-chartered institutions while national banks could be preempted. Committee members noted that a commission on payment-card fees is being established and said the issue would be studied further. The hearing also included support for a separate bill on virtual credit cards for dental providers, with dentists saying automatic virtual-card payments impose hidden processing fees and fraud risks.

Transcript Highlights:

• tax credit.
• And so this is not necessarily a tax credit that, you know, is, ...credit.
• So I've always been a big credit fan. So I've always been a big credit fan.
• Some credits cost you money, some credits you break even, and some credits make you money. Correct.
• Every state senator that wants to do a tax credit.

Committee: House Higher Education and Workforce Development