Transcript Highlights:

• And so it's how we give kids confidence to understand the fundamental functions of AI, to understand
• the fundamental functions of computer science and to really take those skills, whether they decide to
• And so it's how we give kids confidence to understand the fundamental functions of AI, to understand
• the fundamental functions of computer science and to really take those skills, whether they decide to
• to understand the fundamental functions to understand the fundamental functions of<01:03:42.240>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met without a quorum, so the minutes were not approved. The main presentation was from retired economics professors John Garren and Dr. Kums, who discussed their Bluegrass Institute research on teacher compensation in Kentucky since the Kentucky Education Reform Act era. They said teacher base salaries, adjusted for inflation, have declined over the last decade, while state-paid “on-behalf” benefits such as pension and health insurance contributions have risen sharply; they argued total teacher compensation has increased modestly overall, but less than per-pupil funding. They also presented broader context on staffing growth, declining average daily attendance, Kentucky’s low share of teachers among total school staff, and flat or weak NAEP and ACT performance trends, including widening white-Black score gaps on NAEP. Members questioned the methodology and interpretation of the compensation figures. Representative Bojanowski argued the on-behalf calculations may overstate teacher compensation because they include insurance and pension costs that also benefit classified employees and retirees, and he asked for clarification on the denominator used to derive the per-teacher amount. Representative Truit said the presentation could be misleading if it implies teachers earn $94,000 in salary, and he objected to framing pension stabilization payments as teacher pay. The presenters responded that they were using total compensation, not salary alone, said they had divided total personnel-related on-behalf payments by the relevant staff count, and promised to review and send a technical explanation. Representative Truit and Chairman Typton both emphasized that compensation should be viewed as salary plus benefits, not salary alone, and noted that pension contributions are part of the cost of employing teachers. The presenters said their intent was to show the full compensation package and its relevance to labor supply and teacher shortages, not to claim that individual teachers earn the total compensation figure as salary. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond the decision to revisit the minutes at a later meeting due to the lack of quorum.

Transcript Highlights:

• being able to enable this functionality being able to enable this functionality sooner<00:21:56.679
• what is required to enable functionality what is required to enable functionality uh<00:54:39.640
• <00:59:37.359> that enable the advanced functionality that enable the advanced functionality
• incompatible with a monopoly function incompatible with a monopoly function for<01:56:00.639>
• scale because these two don't function scale because these two don't function function<04:56:38.040

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Without a functional wheelchair, I'm like a turtle on its back.
• This controls the functions on my power wheelchair. This controls the functions on my chair.
• You know, that's had to regain my physical function.
• The wheelchair I have is great when it is functioning as designed.
• A non-functional wheelchair exacerbates the possibility of pressure sores.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure opened with logistical remarks about testimony procedures, time limits, accessibility supports, and the large number of witnesses. The first bill discussed was H. 451, which would allow professional license applicants who do not have a Social Security number to use an ITIN instead. Supporters said the bill would help qualified workers, especially immigrants, enter licensed trades and professions without lowering training or testing standards, while addressing workforce shortages. Committee members asked a few questions, and the bill was framed as a uniform statewide licensing reform. The bulk of the hearing focused on S. 210 and H. 1278, two bills aimed at improving wheelchair repair and warranty protections. Supporters included the Attorney General’s Office, disability advocates, wheelchair users, clinicians, and legislators, who described long repair delays, missed work and medical appointments, loss of independence, hospitalizations, pressure injuries, and other harms caused by broken wheelchairs and slow service. They argued for stronger timelines, two-year warranties, required parts availability, loaner chairs, and enforcement mechanisms, with H. 1278 modeled on a Connecticut-style repair deadline and S. 210 focused on warranty protections. Several witnesses emphasized that wheelchairs are essential medical equipment, not ordinary consumer goods. Opposition came from NCart, which said it supports solutions but raised concerns that the bills, as written, could be difficult to implement for complex rehab technology. NCart said some warranty provisions may not fit wear-and-tear components and noted that MassHealth has already taken steps such as preventive maintenance, reduced prior authorization, and transportation support. Other witnesses and advocates countered that the current market is dominated by a few profitable companies and that the legislature needs to impose clear standards because voluntary fixes have not worked. The committee also heard testimony on S. 195, a toxic-free kids bill from Senator Comerford and Representative Hawkins, which would restrict PFAS and other toxic chemicals in children’s products and create disclosure and phase-out requirements. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• or helping the federal agency perform those functions.
• or helping the federal agency perform those functions.
• or helping the federal agency perform those functions.
• or helping the federal agency perform those functions.
• or helping the federal agency perform those functions.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Workers who keep our communities functioning, whether they are home health aides, early childhood educators
• I have to acknowledge the progress made since 2020; it has not solely been a function of the pandemic
• It has mostly been a function of wage growth through persistent investment from this body.
• worthless. ...to claim credit for cheap, high-deductible plans that are functionally worthless, valuing
• worthless. to claim credit for cheap, high deductible plans that are functionally worthless, valuing

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on legislation concerning unemployment insurance, non-compete agreements, prevailing wage, and minimum wage issues. Committee leaders outlined the hearing process, asked witnesses to keep oral testimony to three minutes, and invited written testimony through November 20. No votes were taken during the hearing; it ended with a motion to adjourn and notice of the next hearing on November 20. Much of the testimony focused on bills to expand unemployment insurance for striking workers, including H. 2168 and S. 1319. Labor leaders, union members, and legal advocates argued that workers who are out on strike for more than 30 days should be able to receive UI benefits, saying the policy would help workers and families meet basic expenses, reduce employers’ ability to “wait out” strikes, and encourage good-faith bargaining. Speakers cited recent strikes, including the Republic Services strike, and said the proposal would not meaningfully increase strike activity or strain the UI trust fund. Another major topic was minimum wage legislation, especially H. 2107/S. 1349 to raise the minimum wage to $20 by 2029 and index it to inflation, and H. 2191 to create a $25 enhanced care worker minimum wage. Supporters said current wages are not keeping pace with housing, food, and childcare costs, and that care workers, direct support staff, and human service employees face chronic vacancies, burnout, and turnover. Testimony also supported H. 2126 on prevailing wage by adding apprenticeship and training contributions to the wage calculation, and H. 2159 and S. 1363 on prevailing wage-related issues. One witness, Russell Beck, testified against S. 1336, which would ban non-competes, and against H. 2118, arguing Massachusetts’ current non-compete law is a balanced compromise that should not be disrupted.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not able to function, if that makes sense. You're recognized.
• Like I said, the primary function of the board is to advise and review the rules that get promulgated
• We have no functional numbers on the number of homeless because it seems to be wavering.
• And so I just want to make sure that, one, we're addressing how to deal with functional zero homelessness
• Functional zero homelessness is the number of homeless being less than the number of shelter beds in.

Bills: HB3131, HB3380, HB3502, HB3552, HB3849, HB3886, HB3907, HB4201, HB4302, HB3448, HB3409, HB4095, HB3637

Keywords: homelessness, shelter standards, safety, accountability, state funding, local governance, regulation, Oklahoma Homeless Shelter Safety and Accountability Act, foster care, child welfare, Department of Human Services, educational opportunities, employment support, technology in child welfare, faith-based organizations, self-sufficiency, financial literacy, HB3502, Oklahoma, children's code

Transcript Highlights:

• c> and<04:26:36.239> thank And even to Steve Marshall's office, I want to thank the prosecutorial

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• streamline departmental resources, including information sharing and personnel, to carry out the functions
• Yes. them functions outside of the educational realm. We've been giving them assignment.
• Barton, the universities' function is to educate; that's their primary goal, yes, educate.
• It is a building specifically made for this function, specifically made for this.
• But the whole building's built and designed for this function, for cybersecurity.

Bills: HB146, HB150, HB1500, HB1545, HB1562, HB2067, HB2520, HB2818, HB3214, HB3250, HB3466, HB3512, HB3623, HB4063, HB4395, HB4464, HB4668, HB4690, HB5331, HB3833

Keywords: HB 146, Texas Capitol, State Capitol, State Preservation Board, Congress Avenue, Travis County, traffic lanes, lane closure, road closure, municipal authority, local control, Capitol area, downtown Austin, special events, construction traffic plan, pedestrian safety, public works, transportation policy, government code chapter 443, cybersecurity

Summary: The committee took up several pending business items and reported a series of House bills out of committee, including HB 2467, HB 2468, HB 2518, HB 4310, HB 4386, HB 4490, HB 5323, and HB 149. Most of these were advanced on committee substitute motions and sent to the local and uncontested calendar or reported favorably to the full Senate. HB 2467 drew one nay vote, while the others were approved without opposition. HB 4310 and HB 4386 were described as committee-substitute versions with changes narrowing disclosure requirements and preserving attorney-client privilege in certain circumstances. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 149, an AI governance bill. The substitute was explained as addressing biometric identifier capture and storage, exempting certain AI uses for security and fraud prevention, clarifying definitions, restricting AI systems that simulate explicit child sexual content, adjusting Attorney General investigative authority, refining sandbox program waivers, reducing Texas AI Council powers and membership, and adding DIR coordination provisions. The committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably. The committee then heard extensive testimony on HB 1500, the DIR sunset bill. The author said the bill would continue DIR for 12 years, restructure its board, update advisory committees, require regular cybersecurity assessments and penetration testing for state agencies, improve IT procurement training, and transfer the e-grants program to the Comptroller. A Texas 2036 witness supported the bill as a way to strengthen governance, procurement, and cybersecurity. Members asked detailed questions about the bill’s structure and then left HB 1500 pending. The committee also heard a lengthy presentation on HB 150, which would create the Texas Cyber Command as a component of the University of Texas System, administratively attached to UTSA and located in San Antonio. The author argued the command would centralize cyber threat intelligence, incident response, and digital forensics, and would be able to support state and local entities, with optional services for local governments. Members raised concerns about university mission drift, governance, security, chain of command, procurement authority, gifts and donations, and civil liberties implications of proactive cyber monitoring. Witnesses from UTSA/NSCC and SecurityScorecard testified in support, emphasizing the security of the downtown San Antonio facility, the existing cyber ecosystem there, and the need for a dedicated cyber capability. The bill remained under discussion with no final committee action announced in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It eliminates programs and functions, transfers some of those programs and functions, and specifies the
• It eliminates programs and functions, transfers some of those programs and functions, and specifies the
• :24:08.240> of<00:24:08.400> funds program, function or group of funds program, function
• Next is section three and functions.
• <00:40:57.520> of to do all the statutory functions of to do all the statutory functions of

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• been working to do with things like House Bill 5 is our intention, but I think another important function
• to create an oversight function across the child welfare system.
• Finally, we need to streamline and consolidate those oversight functions in developing new oversight
• There was a period of time when that review function was a bit more robust. and perhaps some of these
• Turning to page 17, many other states have an ombudsman or Office of Child Advocate functions.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the lower-level academic functions—the school board's academic functions—in line with what we got
• higher level strictly business functions higher level strictly business functions and<00:35:56.480
• the the school board's functions the the school board's academic<00:36:01.119> functions<00:36
• <01:03:50.400> in math that allows you to function in math that allows you to function in
• Um functionality. Functionality. All right.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting focused on reviewing and amending draft minutes and then discussing a draft report on SAU consolidation and school administration efficiency. Members first corrected a disputed statement in the minutes about who starts charter schools, and agreed to mark it as disputed. They also noted a donation figure mentioned in the meeting but not reflected in the notes, and then approved the minutes as amended. The committee then reviewed supporting materials, including a Census Bureau education spending table and a 1993 report on eliminating SAUs. The chair argued New Hampshire ranks very high in administrative spending and used that as evidence for reducing administrative costs. Other members pushed back, noting that education costs are largely borne locally and that the committee should stay focused on its charge. Several members also objected to characterizations of SAU boards and to relying heavily on an old report or on the School District Governance Association’s proposal. The draft report itself drew repeated edits. Members objected to language suggesting the testimony from associations was simply that change was not needed, and proposed more neutral wording about concerns over the impacts of changes. There was also disagreement over a proposed model in which a county-level school administrator would be elected; some members said that would be inappropriate and premature, while others argued the committee had not yet fully developed a consolidation model. The discussion ended with a call from some members for more time and for a future joint legislative committee to continue refining any proposal before legislation is introduced.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the 2023 session, those two functions split into their own agency, and so a lot of the work we've
• been doing over the last year has been around splitting those functions off and redefining what DHS is
• split into their own agency functions split into their own agency and<00:03:06.400> so<00:03:
• those functions off and redefining<00:03:14.400> what<00:03:14.959> DHS<00:03:15.799><
• <01:54:16.719> related our program Integrity functions related our program Integrity functions

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We develop a curated set of 306 business requirements encompassing functional and nonfunctional needs
• functionality most critical to providers was fully represent throughout this process.
• But there are people across the state who have never used technology to do a certain function before
• We had the it a lot of ties to the EV functionality.
• of whether it's new functionality, whether it's an enhancement for an upgrade.

Transcript Highlights:

• It leads to a loss of quality of life and independent function that places an immense burden on families
• There were concerns about the funding mechanism and questions about resources. as a core function of
• Then they lose their body functions and they become just a shell.
• There are different ways to enhance this function, whether by using external stimulation or, in some
• By enhancing that electrical circuit function, you can effectively recover memories that are still there

Bills: SB5, SJR3, SB 5, SJR 3

Keywords: dementia, research institute, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, funding, grants, state health initiatives, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, district apportionment, legislative rules

Transcript Highlights:

• so that the functions of the state can be modern... ...current, and that at no point I would like to
• So they really kind of function together. Okay, thank you. Any additional questions?
• That's a safety function.
• Now the next one for this one is functionality.
• Maintenance, equipment distribution, and operational functions.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They function almost exclusively in the public school system.
• That's part of our function.
• It's financial and then it's what we call functional.
• The AG also has a function similar to ours on the criminal side and on the civil side.
• So today Audrey and I are going to walk you through the major functions of our agency.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a school psychologist, they function almost exclusively in the public school system.
• That's part of our function. So that's why we have been so adamant.
• It's financial, and then it's what we call functional. So do they still meet that?
• That's part of our function. But your question. it really hit to the part of deterrence.
• About the conservatorship functions that we do, excluding family-based safety services.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We message that those can continue to function beyond June.
• We message that those can continue to function beyond June.
• So that was an estimate... ...of those different functions.
• The interfaces, a lot of them are functional.
• “A lot of them are functional.

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• functions that the legislature gives us. functions that the legislature gives us.
• You may be a similar licensing function.
• :30.560> very<01:26:31.360> very that licensing function is very very that licensing function
• <02:11:01.679> like cells that look and function like cells that look and function like miniature
• > the<02:22:14.319> criminal technically a function of the criminal technically a function

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rearchitect is probably one of the more difficult types, but you get more functionality out of that.
• If you're going to be re-engineering that application and adding additional functionality, it may not
• necessarily be a cost savings, but we're hoping that the state is getting better functionality for the
• If you're going to be re-engineering that application and adding a additional functionality, it may not
• , it may not necessarily be a cost savings, but we're hoping to functional functionality.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard a panel on state cloud modernization efforts after canceling an LBR on the Department of Corrections’ OBIS project because the presentation materials were not submitted on time. Florida Digital Service, the Northwest Regional Data Center, and several agencies described how the state is assessing and migrating applications to cloud environments under the cloud-first policy. Northwest explained its 2023 cloud readiness assessment of 890 applications from 24 agencies, the criteria used to rate readiness and risk, and its recommendation to tackle lower-risk applications first. Agency updates covered the Department of Corrections’ modernization of 98 legacy applications tied to OBIS and cloud-native infrastructure, the Department of Elder Affairs’ Microsoft Power Platform modernization, the Department of Health’s health management and child protection systems, and FDOT’s large cloud program for transportation systems. Members repeatedly asked about costs, data ownership, disaster recovery, single sign-on, security tools, and whether cloud migration actually saves money; presenters generally said the focus is more on modernization, resilience, and efficiency than immediate savings, and that cost analyses are often application-specific rather than enterprise-wide. The discussion also covered governance and architecture questions. Florida Digital Service said agencies remain responsible for their own databases and cloud tenants, while FLDS provides advice and an enterprise architecture framework; it does not have statutory oversight over most projects, except for OBIS project oversight due to its size. Northwest said it is acting as a cloud broker for some agencies and is consolidating Azure and AWS payer tenants to seek better pricing, but agencies still make system-by-system decisions based on business needs, risk, latency, and total cost of ownership. Members raised concerns about fragmented data structures, the lack of a complete statewide application inventory, and the need for better interoperability and enterprise standards. Several agencies said disaster recovery is built into their cloud plans, and FDOT and Corrections described ongoing efforts to keep systems current through core platforms, training, and ongoing support. In the second half of the meeting, the Department of State presented two new technology requests. Secretary Byrd described the SunBiz corporate registry system as a 34-year-old platform supporting more than 3.5 million business entities and generating over $575 million in annual general revenue. He said the department had already virtualized the legacy hardware after earlier modernization efforts failed and is now seeking $800,000 recurring for password protection and $5 million nonrecurring to continue procurement for a replacement system. The department also presented the Florida Voter Registration System modernization request, noting that the current system is outdated and requires manual workarounds for some statutory changes. The department requested $2.4948 million nonrecurring and $44,000 recurring to procure a modernized FVRS solution, and staff said the feasibility study recommended a hybrid approach. Members asked about the study’s findings and about creating a database for voter eligibility information for returning citizens; the department said that would require data sharing with all 67 clerks of court and other entities such as DOC.