Transcript Highlights:

• >> Miss<00:47:12.240> Mr. >> Miss Mr. >> Miss Mr.
• from my house. from my house.
• It means missed shifts, missed medications, missed meals.
• It missed med medications, missed meals.
• <01:54:40.000> federal and um from the cuts from the federal and um from the cuts from the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Gentleman from Rankin, Representative Gentleman from Rankin, Representative Powell,<00:07:13.919>
• Lady from Madison, Ms. introductions. Lady from Madison, Ms. Ford. Ford. Ford.
• Gentleman from Warren, Mr. Denton. Gentleman from Warren, Mr. Denton.
• Gentleman from Benton, to have you here. Gentleman from Benton, Mr.<00:09:37.360> Massengill.
• Lady from Humphreys, Miss James Jones, you're recognized. >> Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning.

Keywords: MS House Floor - 20 March, 2026; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, established a quorum, and dispensed with the reading of the journal. There were no reports from select committees, and the chamber moved through routine introductions and recognitions of visitors, including students, family members of members, and guests from the Magnolia Bar Association and MML. Members also highlighted a few individual visitors and student achievements, including cross-country competitors from Forest Hill. On the calendar, the only substantive action was on House Bill 4073, the sole item on the supplemental calendar. The House agreed to the motion to invite conference on the bill. No other calendar items were taken up. Before adjournment, a member announced a post-adjournment wellness-related event in Room 401 for the first day of spring. The House then adopted a motion to adjourn until 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we'll love to hear from you.
• Missed money bags and miscontingency? Missed money bags and miscontingency.
• I have missed something.
• Um, and receive this question just truly from where it comes from.
• We don't want to miss anything.

Keywords: 977, all

Summary: The committee met to receive a detailed financial operations presentation from the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency, with staff walking members through funding sources, budgeting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and grants management. Sabrina Walker explained VR’s blended funding structure, including federal grants, state appropriations, program income, and interagency contracts, and emphasized that state funds are essential to meeting the federal match and maintenance-of-effort requirements. Members asked repeatedly about transparency, audit controls, and the risk that state cuts could reduce federal drawdowns; staff responded that all reports reconcile back to the SCEIS accounting system, are subject to state audits and internal reviews, and that even modest state reductions could significantly reduce total available funding. The committee also discussed pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities, with staff confirming services are offered through school districts, charters, and private schools, and that contracts are monitored for performance and compliance. The presentation then shifted to budgeting and internal controls. Walker described a zero-based departmental budgeting process, monthly monitoring reports, contingency reserves for unexpected expenses, and a formal annual cycle that culminates in board approval. Members asked about facilities tracking, culture, and how the agency maintains accountability; staff said facilities staff inspect buildings and equipment, supervisors justify line-item requests, and the process has become smoother over time as departments learned the system. Cynthia Johnson followed with an accounts receivable overview, describing invoicing, receipting, aging, customer verification, year-end reporting, and the use of cross-training, shared email inboxes, and spreadsheets as checks and balances. She also explained work training center billing, interdepartmental transfers, and the revolving fund used to issue consumer checks more quickly than standard vendor payments. Olivia Perez presented accounts payable operations, including invoice processing through SCEIS and OnBase, the three-way match, travel reimbursements, revolving fund checks, State Treasury Office interactions, and handling of reversals, rejections, and levy notices. She reported that AP processed 67,723 SCEIS payments, 13,670 case management system invoices, 3,379 travel reimbursements, and 15,693 revolving fund checks in fiscal year 2025, with only 70 payment rejections. The final portion of the meeting covered Grants and Funds Management, where Walker explained federal reporting, drawdowns, payroll allocation, asset tracking, lease and IT contract reviews, cost allocation, and closing packages. She noted upcoming system changes such as S/4HANA, Workiva, and SC Pro, but said the agency is receiving training and feedback opportunities. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the presentation portion beyond approval of the prior minutes and a brief recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• from social security. from social security.
• community supports is routinely miss community supports is routinely miss services<00:20:32.480>
• So, like for every four people you hear from, how many people do we not hear from?
• So, like for every four people you hear from, how many people do we not hear from?
• place with a certain individual from St. place with a certain individual from St.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have to sign off on these placements.
• placement so they can remain stable in their placement.
• . based placement.
• Short term again while we find a placement.
• As not a match from these foster homes. So, Mr.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• released from SYSC based on the statute. released from SYSC based on the statute.
• they are located in uh their placement. they are located in uh their placement.
• placements.
• from<01:43:15.199> the from Jessica King from the from Jessica King from the administrative
• from your lunch, so I'll be very brief. from your lunch, so I'll be very brief.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, this morning we're going to hear from representatives from the Kentucky State Police and Criminal
• PDM rates range from 2962 for parole PDM rates range from 2962 for parole lees<00:02:45.440> to
• We play an integral role in helping people transition from jail to the streets, from jail or prison to
• employment and then a a home placement. employment and then a a home placement.
• I think my numbers differ from Miss Hillary's.

Keywords: Call to Order 00:17 Department of Corrections 01:35 Community Transitional Services 06:47 Administrative Office of the Courts 23:06 Department of Criminal Justice Training/ KSP 45:49 Adjournment 59:14, 958, all

Summary: The Public Safety and Judiciary Committee met without a quorum, so approval of the January 3, January 20, and February 3 minutes was postponed. The committee then heard an update from the Department of Corrections on halfway house and Recovery Kentucky funding and operations. Deputy Commissioner Hillary Daily said DOC contracts for up to 1,752 halfway house beds and 780 Recovery Kentucky beds, with 16 halfway houses and 13 Recovery Kentucky centers statewide. She reported 6,329 admissions in fiscal year 2025, average daily populations of 1,041 in halfway houses and 494 in Recovery Kentucky, and explained that Recovery Kentucky placements are more restrictive, generally excluding violent and sex offenders, while halfway houses serve probationers, parolees, and sex offenders who need treatment. She also described programming such as MRT, parenting, adult basic education, and trauma-focused services, and said some facilities offer supervised visitation. Daily said no new funding request was included in the current budget, though DOC has sought rate increases in prior cycles. Community Transitional Services director Barbara Stum also testified in support of halfway houses as re-entry and substance abuse treatment centers. She said CTS primarily serves men coming out of prison or returning to prison who need treatment, and that halfway houses provide security, accountability, treatment, employment support, and help with home placement. Stum said the state moved substance abuse treatment into the community in 2010 to avoid sending people back to prison for treatment, and argued halfway houses are the least expensive form of incarceration. She cited daily rates of $33.61 for CTS beds and DOC figures of $37.33 to $44.33 per day, compared with higher prison and jail costs, and said reimbursement has not kept pace with inflation since the last increase in 2019. She said staffing and supplies are the main pressure points, with counselor pay below market rates, and noted two counselor vacancies. A former resident, Michael Bird, testified that CTS helped him recover and re-enter the community successfully. The committee also received an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of the video arraignment/video conferencing system. AOC officials Zach Ramsey and Charles Buyers said the system is now fully implemented in all courtrooms and is used for video arraignments and other Zoom-based court proceedings. Buyers described the pandemic-era transition from older, inconsistent equipment to improvised laptop/webcam setups, then to a more integrated vendor-supported system with touchscreen controls and a judicial support specialist position for training and operation. He said 324 courtrooms are already up to the current standard, with 128 remaining on an older bundle, and that there are no technical barriers to continued use. AOC said it is seeking $3.8 million in recurring annual funding to keep the systems upgraded and current, and plans to upgrade 46 systems in fiscal year 2026 across 15 counties.

Transcript Highlights:

• missed it? missed it?
• from the teachers union and also from from the teachers union and also from their<00:49:24.079><
• <01:06:27.760> from<01:06:28.240> her the attorney uh explain from from her the attorney
• <01:17:02.159> But just heard from from the department.
• But just heard from from the department.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from all the stakeholders.
• Yeah, so that’s where it started from.” “Yeah, so that’s where it started from. Mr.
• the from the no relief you know from the from the folks<00:29:07.679> that<00:29:07.799> were
• Placement for people, right?
• Miss Grom, can you hear that?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And only approximately $10,000 is reported from 2022 all the way to early 2024 from Paralyne ISD.
• us, from Council for Economic Education, from Jumpstar, from Junior Achievement, from the Federal Reserve
• I have a five-year-old that's put on a bus from Commerce ISD every morning and transported from Quinlan
• It isn't about placement, and you may have missed her testimony a little bit earlier where she explained
• This is from my heart.

Summary: The Committee on Education K-16 heard several bills focused largely on special education transparency, school safety, and student support services. Senate Bill 1908, by Senator Zaffirini, would direct the Higher Education Coordinating Board to study the feasibility of a statewide system for coordinating clinical training placements, including regional portals for healthcare clinical slots, with a report due by December 1, 2026. A representative of the Texas Nurses Association and the Nursing Legislative Agenda Coalition testified in support. The bill was left pending subject to the call of the chair. The committee then took up Senate Bill 111, by Senator Hall, which in its committee substitute was narrowed to a reporting bill requiring school districts to disclose legal proceedings involving special education due process complaints when legal fees exceed $10,000, rather than capping spending. Several parents and advocates testified that districts spend large sums on litigation against families of children with disabilities and that greater transparency is needed; some senators raised concerns about unintended consequences, including possible pressure to settle cases. The committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1551 on automated external defibrillators in public schools, Senate Bill 865 on CPR instruction requirements for certain volunteers, Senate Bill 1032 on the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and Senate Bill 571 on school employee misconduct reporting and access to the Do Not Hire Registry; each was reported favorably after committee substitute adoption and roll-call votes. Additional bills discussed included Senate Bill 1884, which would formalize and expand dedicated staff support for the State Board of Education and give the board chair hiring authority over that staff; members questioned whether it duplicated TEA functions, while a witness argued the workload increase justified the change, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 625 would replace the current half-credit economics requirement with a half-credit in personal financial literacy; educators and advocates strongly supported making the course required, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 582 would make TEA settlement agreements in special investigations publicly available when sanctions are imposed, and Senate Bill 2600 would bar transportation fees for students living within two miles of campus unless districts do not receive state transportation funding; both were left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2751, which would require TEA inspections of non-public special education programs to consider medical standards of care and crisis-prevention training; testimony from a program operator described severe student behaviors and the need for more flexibility, and the bill was left pending after the substitute was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll also hear file 1900 from Senator Pappas and Senate file number 1424 from Senator Fate, Senate file
• If the 1,600 from a federal grant—tell me how many people benefited from the million dollars that we've
• may look like I'm assuming that's from may look like I'm assuming that's from our<00:34:08.040><
• uh 40% come from uh 40% come from foundations<01:08:59.520> now<01:09:00.040> when
• be something that naturally comes from be something that naturally comes from the<01:15:15.159><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• placement is from here to here, and then they will update it and say, nope, we're now extending it to
• it's a medical placement. it's a medical placement.
• <01:30:02.239> fiscal<01:30:02.639> year from fiscal year 2022 from fiscal year from
• [clears throat] >> It's considered a foster placement from what I have been understand. >> Exactly.
• [clears throat] >> It's considered a foster placement from what I have been understand. >> Exactly.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The commission met to continue its study of the cost of special education, with the chair emphasizing that the group needs to narrow its focus over the coming year toward specific cost drivers, including the IEP process, Medicaid, charter schools, and EFAs. Members reviewed a draft first report due November 1 and agreed it would be a brief synopsis of prior meetings, with minutes attached. The September 30, 2025 minutes were amended to correct the number of federally funded department staff from 234 to 23, and to revise language about Senator Sullivan’s comments so they reflected concerns about IEP advocates and fees charged to families rather than support for the concept. The amended minutes were then approved unanimously, with abstentions noted for members who were absent. The main presentation focused on how special education costs are handled for students attending charter schools. The DOE representative said there are 804 students with disabilities in charter schools across 88 of the state’s 176 districts, and that the district of residence remains responsible for all services and costs. She explained that students must meet IDEA criteria through district evaluation and parent consent, and that services are determined through individual IEP meetings rather than by a blanket charter-school decision. Members asked how those costs are tracked, whether any students are merely “monitored,” and whether districts separately identify charter-school special education expenses; the answer was that most districts fold those costs into their overall special education budget, though some may break them out as a line item. The discussion then turned to transportation and mileage costs for staff providing services at charter schools. Testimony indicated that districts may use their own staff, contract staff, or contract with a charter school for certified services, and that travel costs are often either built into contracts or absorbed as part of staff time rather than separately reimbursed. Members questioned whether mileage is reimbursed when staff travel to distant charter schools and whether those costs can be isolated in district budgets; the response was that practices vary by district and are not usually broken out by special education function. Several members argued this makes it difficult to determine the true cost of delivering special education, especially given New Hampshire’s model in which the district of residence pays regardless of where the charter school is located. The chair noted the complexity of the system and compared it to the state’s separate tuition and transportation approach for career and technical education centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• send kids in out of district placements. send kids in out of district placements.
• We don't use it for placements because placements are educational services.
• seek that from a medical professional. seek that from a medical professional.
• from the committee?
• comes from the federal government. comes from the federal government.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened its second meeting on House Bill 742, which would require catastrophic special education aid to be drawn from the education trust fund, and discussed whether to also examine differentiated aid within the adequacy formula. The chair said the committee had previously heard from HHS/Medicaid officials and now wanted to hear from local special education directors about how the aid system works in practice, including billing, training, data collection, and whether districts handle claims consistently. Members also referenced Arkansas as a possible comparison state and said they hoped to develop ideas by November to address the current funding process. Committee members focused on the current special education aid thresholds and the impact of proration. The chair described the existing formula as requiring districts to absorb costs up to 3.5 times the state average per student, with the state paying 80% from 3.5 times through 10 times and paying above that, and said FY25 appropriated about $34 million while actual claims were about $50.1 million, leaving roughly a $16 million shortfall that caused proration. Members also raised the possibility of lowering the threshold to 2.5 times and asked how that would affect the number of eligible students and costs. Another member asked about how districts decide whether services are education-related or medical-related and how Medicaid or private insurance reimbursement affects later state aid claims. District representatives from Boothby Therapy Services, Bedford, and Guilford introduced themselves and described their roles. Guilford’s director said the district tracks students with paraprofessional support, nurses, transportation, or specialized programming, uses a data system to log every service touchpoint, and tries to maximize both Medicaid and special education aid; she said a lower threshold would likely capture all students with paras or nurses and that rising staffing and service costs would increase the number of students over the cap. Bedford’s assistant director said the district uses a different system, tracks roughly 60 to 80 students a year, and pursues Medicaid and special education aid simultaneously but does not pursue private insurance if it would affect FAPE; she said reducing the threshold to 2.5 times would likely double the number of qualifying students. Members asked follow-up questions about software, data entry, and how districts decide whether to bill Medicaid or seek state catastrophic aid, and the directors explained that their systems log services by staff type and student, with some districts using the same data for both Medicaid and state reimbursement claims.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's taken the decision away from the hospitals, from the Cabinet, from DJJ; the judge is making a
• So it's taken the decision away from the hospitals, from the Cabinet, from DJJ; the judge is making a
• So it's taken the decision away from the hospitals, from the Cabinet, from DJJ; the judge is making a
• So it's taken the decision away from the hospitals, from the Cabinet, from DJJ; the judge is making a
• From the Cabinet, from DJJ, the judge is making a decision where the kid goes.

Keywords: 00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:22 Roll Call 00:01:56 Discussion on SB 85 00:14:03 Vote on SB 85 00:16:15 Explanation of Agency Amendment 00:19:04 Voice Vote on Amendment 00:19:33 Discussion on Kentucky Foster Children Housing, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 85, sponsored by Senator Meredith, which would move the Office of the Ombudsman from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the State Auditor’s office and make related cleanup changes. Meredith said the bill grew out of a prior task force and a two-year transition from Senate Bill 48, and he argued the move would create independence, improve access to the ITWIST database, ensure complaints are not lost in the handoff, and add confidentiality protections for whistleblowers. Auditor Allison Ball and her staff said the bill would codify access and procedures after earlier disputes and a court-mediated settlement, and they described the measure as necessary to make the new structure work effectively. Members asked how the Ombudsman would handle complaints and verify services in cases involving waiver recipients and other cabinet services. Ball and her staff said the Ombudsman would investigate complaints, make inquiries, and provide accountability outside the cabinet structure, with timelines and procedures similar to the Auditor’s office. The committee also discussed staffing and whether the office would need more personnel; Ball said the office already had about 100 people but could use more. The bill passed 10-0 with favorable expression. The committee then approved an agency amendment to administrative regulation 922 KAR 1:001490 concerning foster parent background checks. Cabinet staff explained the amendment corrected a drafting error by removing references to civil determinations in a second section of the regulation because the system cannot search those determinations, while still allowing the required checks under state and federal law. Senator Herron asked what a civil determination meant, and staff said it could involve a court finding in a custody or abuse case, though such findings are now typically handled through the child abuse and neglect registry. The amendment was adopted. Afterward, the committee began a discussion on Kentucky foster children housing and related issues. Ball and Ombudsman staff presented a preliminary assessment of children placed in office buildings, saying the review covered 49 children placed over a four-month period and showed a different picture than the public narrative of only older, high-acuity youth. They reported that some children had no documented behavioral or disability issues, many came directly from home, the average age was 13, the average stay was four nights, and placements were spread across several regions rather than centered only in Louisville. Members raised concerns about the lack of formal policies and procedures, staff safety, and how to ensure children are treated appropriately, and Ball said the Ombudsman was continuing a deeper review. No final action was taken on that discussion in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• miss miss classification in this is that miss miss classification in theater<00:23:29.919> in
• uh the worker misclassification the Miss uh the worker misclassification bill<00:29:41.120> from<
• NAMI Minnesota opposes the reduction of $1 million each year here from the base for Individual Placement
• the base for individual here from the base for individual placement<01:01:28.640> and<01:01:29.200
• <01:08:22.279> Guild testifiers from from Nami and from Guild testifiers from from Nami and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• use for many dependents. youth who returned home from California from these out-of-state placements.
• From 2011 to 2012 I was there for 10 months with which at the time was a record short placement.
• I'm eternally grateful to Amaya from my office, Chelsea from your team, and Ian from the Senate education
• We missed the first roll call. We are in support from Sanders for serving family values. Thank you.
• I've heard from them.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So let me ask this, why were they collecting the DNA from the San... from the child?
• And for that reason, both from a professional standpoint, as well as from a legal standpoint, from a
• This helps prevent people from trying to bypass the system or profit from these transfers without proper
• This bill will be sourced from donations from the private sector and from philanthropic giving.
• placement, actually from placement, because of a lack of resources.

Bills: HB557, HB732, HB1892, HB1954, HB2301, HB3180, HB3405, HB3650, HB3758, HB4035, HB4621, HB4795, HB4870, HB5069, HB5137, HB5149

Keywords: child support, arrears, court enforcement, contempt, legal protections, healthcare, insurance, cost reduction, accessibility, regulations, impotency, marriage annulment, Family Code, Texas law, family law, Texas legislation, dissolution of marriage, annulment, marriage, child custody

Bills: HR207, SB2595, SB3199, SB3132, SB2591, SB2089, SB2108, SB2970, SB2530, SB2442, SB3076, SB2532, SB2721, SB2055, SB2312, SB2152, SB2438, SB2982, SB2528, SB2919, SB2446, SB2315, SB2544, SB2060, SB2069, SB3011, SB2342, SB2075, SB2578, SB2580, SB2835, SB3084, SB3322, SB3053, SB888, SB709

Keywords: Dr. David Lassner, higher education, community engagement, university leadership, innovation, Hawaii education system, agribusiness, leasing, agriculture, Hawaii, food innovation, Department of Education, mental health, emerging therapies, psychedelic treatment, task force, clinical trials, trauma recovery, MDMA, psilocybin

Transcript Highlights:

• And next to them are students from Students for Life here in Hawaii.
• recognize an honorable member from recognize an honorable member from Hawaii<00:21:50.760> County
• So ordered. from Jaylen, Layla, Julian, Joe. Please from Jaylen, Layla, Julian, Joe.
• <00:23:32.480> the passed, protecting our keiki from the passed, protecting our keiki from
• It starts from 1:00 on the fourth floor.

Bills: HR207, SB2595, SB3199, SB3132, SB2591, SB2089, SB2108, SB2970, SB2530, SB2442, SB3076, SB2532, SB2721, SB2055, SB2312, SB2152, SB2438, SB2982, SB2528, SB2919, SB2446, SB2315, SB2544, SB2060, SB2069, SB3011, SB2342, SB2075, SB2578, SB2580, SB2835, SB3084, SB3322, SB3053, SB888, SB709

Keywords: Dr. David Lassner, higher education, community engagement, university leadership, innovation, Hawaii education system, agribusiness, leasing, agriculture, Hawaii, food innovation, Department of Education, mental health, emerging therapies, psychedelic treatment, task force, clinical trials, trauma recovery, MDMA, psilocybin

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a little bit different<00:41:38.240> from different from different from >> [clears
• from the other from the other from<02:10:07.960> the<02:10:08.080> house.
• We heard from joint from the house.
• Three, the number of households diverted from entering shelters or hotel motel placements through prevention
• hotel motel from entering shelters or hotel motel placements<02:33:35.800> through<02:33:36.040

Keywords: 927, senate, all