Video & Transcript : 'stem education' :
Page 261 of 500
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
April 1, 2025 - 12:30 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- And I did contact the Board of Education.
- And I did contact the Board of Education.
- Defined by the State Board of Education.
- Development education.
- Most of us are about education.
Summary:
The Pre-K Through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered four bills. CS/HB 1403, by Rep. Yeager, would allow child care facilities to participate in the school guardian program and clarify school perimeter and door security requirements. An amendment clarifying that private security companies would pay for training was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably 11-0. CS/HB 447, the Evan B. Hartzell Act by Rep. Salzman, would provide guidance for schools that choose to teach disability history and awareness during the first two weeks of October, including age-appropriate instruction by grade band. The bill received supportive testimony from advocates and was reported favorably 11-0.
CS/HB 257, by Reps. Chambliss and Tramont, would expand on a prior pilot program to allow video cameras in certain self-contained classrooms serving nonverbal students and others with significant disabilities, as a safeguard against abuse and to improve accountability. The bill drew strong support from parents and disability advocates describing abuse concerns, and it was reported favorably 13-0. CS/HB 1255, by Vice Chair Trabulsy, was a broad education bill addressing teacher shortages, scholarship program screening, health and math instruction, corporal punishment policy, and restrictions on spending public funds on organizations tied to discrimination or political/social activism. A major focus of debate was the bill’s human embryologic development instruction and related video language, with supporters calling it science-based and opponents warning it could be medically inaccurate or ideological. After the sponsor said she would amend some language, including removing ABCTE-related text and clarifying the video language, the bill was reported favorably 12-1. The meeting then adjourned.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- Schools Board of Education.
- Beyond special education, SSD also serves as the countywide provider for career and technical education
- Unlike K-12 education, early childhood education in St.
- Education, like all education, is challenging. Yeah. Okay.
- I started off my career in education.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Higher Education and Workforce Development Mar 10th, 2026
Higher Education and Workforce Development
Transcript Highlights:
- The Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will come to order.
- I think it's something that educators crave, and they want that connection.
- You're also adding a couple of education, educators, right?
- Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.
- Paul Wagner, representing the Council on Public Higher Education.
Summary:
The Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development met in executive session and first took up House Bill 2585. The committee adopted a House Committee substitute and a separate amendment, both described as clerical and technical changes to align the bill with Department of Higher Education workflow and state and federal law. The substitute for HB 2585 was then approved do pass by a 10-0 roll call vote.
The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 1627, which would revise the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council by adding the Commissioner of Higher Education or designee, increasing business and commerce representation, shortening member terms, reducing required meetings, and adjusting reporting requirements. Representative Haley said the changes would better reflect workforce needs and strengthen ties between education and industry. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education testified in support, saying the changes were recommended by the advisory group. No opposition testimony was offered.
Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2123, a broader higher education funding proposal that also includes a Bright Flight scholarship increase to full in-state tuition. Representative Black and Representative Shields described the bill as an effort to modernize Missouri’s long-standing base-plus funding model by moving toward a metric- and performance-based system tied to workforce needs, with a phased testing and approval process before implementation. Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development staff, the Missouri Community College Association, and the Council on Public Higher Education testified in support of continuing the work, though the council urged removing bill language that was too specific about the consultant’s model and timeline. Some members raised concerns about fiscal impact, implementation, and whether the model could be rolled out without harming institutions or students. The hearing on HB 2123 concluded without any vote taken.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Education Study Jun 26th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- That said, the well-being of our educators and education support professionals is essential to that success
- This includes the rights to education.
- The only investment that pays for itself is education, education, education.
- Denise Dawson, Roswell Education Association.
- , and migrant student education.
AR
Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session
EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE AND HOUSE Feb 3rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- adequate education, as well as the method of providing equality of educational opportunity.
- As far as what constitutes an adequate education, we do have the working definition of educational adequacy
- As far as its public education students or public school students, As far as its public education students
- Music and art education, excuse me.
- education is the parents emphasizing the importance of an education, that that was probably the number
Summary:
The committee received a lengthy Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on Arkansas academic standards, accountability systems, and adequacy-related requirements. Staff reviewed the history of state curriculum and accreditation laws, the current standards for grades K-12, required high school units and graduation pathways, and recent changes such as career-ready pathways, embedded instruction requirements, and the distinction between courses required to be offered versus courses actually taken by students. Members asked for a chart comparing the 1997, 2003, 2015, 2017, and later law changes, and staff agreed to provide one.
The presentation then turned to the federal ESSA plan and Arkansas’s state accountability system. Staff summarized ESSA requirements, Arkansas’s long-term goals for proficiency, English learner progress, and graduation rates, and recent data showing that 2025 proficiency rates remained well below the 80% goal, while English learner progress and graduation rates were also below long-term targets. The committee discussed school support and improvement, equitable access to educators, report cards, and the apparent lack of evidence that equity labs are currently being conducted. Members requested follow-up from the Department of Education on equity labs, report card data, and whether the ESSA plan can be changed.
The presentation also covered state assessment results under the Arkansas Accountability Act, including ATLAS, DLM, ELPA 21, ACT, and NAEP data, along with teacher access measures and geographic shortage districts. Staff reported that Title I and high-poverty schools tend to have more emergency/provisional teachers and less experienced staff, and that shortage districts are concentrated in parts of the state. Members asked for additional information on test highs and lows, the number of assessments students take, dropout data, and whether higher teacher salaries have affected shortage areas. The committee also discussed district levels of support under the state accountability system, including the possibility of state intervention at the highest level of support.
ID
Idaho 2026 Regular Session
Agenda Jan 20th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Department of Education.
- How is that affecting higher education?
- So we understand now that education... ...and our higher education institutions.
- This is not undergraduate education leading to a bachelor's degree, but undergraduate medical education
- and undergraduate medical education.
Summary:
The committee heard a lengthy presentation from the Office of the State Board of Education on its budget, including the FY 2026 supplemental reversion for the Empowering Parents program, the FY 2027 Canvas learning management system renewal, a transfer of risk manager positions back to the institutions, and a one-time federal grant for AI-related subgrants. Members asked about staffing growth, federal-fund spending trends, the Canvas contract, the school safety tip line CETL Now, and the rationale for moving risk management functions. Director Jennifer White said the Canvas contract had been extensively reviewed and remains the best statewide solution, and she explained that the risk managers are being moved back because they work more efficiently embedded at the institutions. She also discussed the board’s data modernization efforts and said the office is pursuing better data-sharing and a phased approach to any future changes.
A major portion of the meeting focused on White’s presentation of an outcomes-based funding proposal for higher education. She said the proposal is only the beginning of the work and would shift Idaho from an enrollment-based model toward one that rewards progression, completion, and workforce-relevant outcomes. The proposal would place 10% of base funding at risk, with institutions earning back funds through momentum measures and Idaho First funds tied to resident enrollment, completions, and priority programs. White emphasized the need for better data, a phased rollout, caps to avoid volatility, and special consideration for community colleges and dual enrollment. Committee members generally supported the concept but raised concerns about accountability, community college impacts, and how unearned funds would be handled.
The committee then reviewed family medicine residency funding. Dr. Campbell outlined the Family Medicine Residencies budget request for additional residents and a fellowship, and program leaders explained the mixed funding structure that combines state positions, federal support, and patient-care revenue. Members asked about the impact of the 3% holdback, clinical placement capacity, and whether federal rural health funds might help. Program officials said the holdback affects some programs more than others, but they do not expect current residency numbers to drop, and they stressed the importance of continued legislative support to grow Idaho’s physician workforce.
The committee also heard from Eastern Idaho Medical Residencies and the psychiatry residency program. Dr. Hinkley said Idaho has a severe shortage of psychiatrists, especially child and adolescent psychiatrists, and that residency training is the main way to retain physicians in-state. He and Dr. Moe described the program’s growth, the role of local recruitment, and the three-legged funding model involving state support, patient revenue, and hospital sponsorship. Members asked about expanding training to other regions, private support, and the program’s 10-year strategic plan. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided, and the committee moved on to the next medical education budget item.
AR
Arkansas 2026 Regular Session
EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE AND HOUSE Jun 1st, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Courtney Solace Ford, Department of Education. Greg Rogers, Department of Education.
- IEP, or individualized education plan.
- in education.
- Most of these were for first-time licensure areas, with the exception of special education, adult education
- This included RPEP, the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway, followed by STEP, the Teacher Education
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Supporting teacher retention, HF3930 3/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> educators um to bring them there. educators um to bring them there.
- , I come from a whole family of educators, a long line of educators.
- </c> researcher researcher with Education researcher researcher with Education Minnesota.<00:12:10.600
- </c> 80,000 licensed and unlicensed educators 80,000 licensed and unlicensed educators that<00:12:14.560
- </c> educators are getting what they want. educators are getting what they want.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- This is not my area, education.
- And I think by trusting our educators to do it at a time, I think, by trusting our educators to do it
- And it leaves room for other educational expenses as approved by the State Board of Education.
- We don’t use an education service provider.
- services. ...or a public school district to enhance educational services or resources and to cover educational
Summary:
The House Education Committee first approved minutes from prior meetings, then heard RS 3327 on Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA). Representative Petsky said the proposal would reduce state funding for several areas he described as scope creep or double funding, including private school and homeschool enrollments, virtual school enrollments, LaunchPad literacy, urban custom sections, and a limit of three enrollments per student per year. He said the changes would save about $9 million, with homeschool savings unknown, and argued the bill would preserve IDLA’s core gap-filling mission while right-sizing its budget. Several members raised concerns about impacts on rural districts, the three-enrollment cap, and whether the bill addressed double dipping fairly. The committee voted to send RS 3327 to print.
The committee then introduced RS 33027, a moment-of-silence bill for schools. Representative Skog said the measure, modeled on laws in other states, would require 60 seconds of silence in schools and could include prayer, meditation, or quiet reflection. Members debated whether the silence should be required at the beginning of the school day or left to teacher discretion. An amended substitute to give teachers more flexibility failed on a roll call vote, as did a substitute motion removing the time-of-day language. The committee then approved the original motion to introduce RS 33027.
Finally, the committee heard House Bill 588 and related RS 33283 on virtual education and Idaho Home Learning Academy (IHLA). Representatives Pickett and Galaviz said the bill would align rules for virtual programs in districts and charters, require board approval of contracts with education service providers, require Idaho-certified teachers, maintain residency verification, and place oversight of supplemental learning funds at the local school or charter level with State Board guidance on eligible expenses. Supporters from several districts and IHLA said the bill would improve transparency and preserve innovation and local control while keeping standards aligned. Some testimony warned the bill could reduce flexibility or overemphasize process and testing. After discussion, the committee agreed to hold HB 588 in committee and then introduced RS 33283, a clarifying amendment defining supplemental learning funds more explicitly as funds determined by a district or charter to enhance educational services and support learning outside traditional classrooms.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Commission to Study Costs of Special Education (06/16/2026)
Transcript Highlights:
- 58.080><c> education</c><02:00:58.480><c> prep</c> incoming teacher education prep incoming teacher education
- . education. education.
- special education educate receiving special education services.<02:38:39.200><c> They</c><02:38:39.600
- :32.160><c> education</c> regarding career technical education regarding career technical education &
- </c> the special education audit. the special education audit.
Summary:
The commission meeting focused on reviewing and correcting draft minutes and then working through a draft report on the cost of special education. Members made mostly clerical corrections, including clarifying references to Spalding, fixing acronyms such as LETRS, and cleaning up membership titles and appointee roles to match SB 57. The minutes were approved as amended, with some members abstaining because they were not present at the prior meeting. The chair also noted the commission’s deadline to complete findings and recommendations by July 1 and said the final report must be delivered to legislative leaders, the governor, the state librarian, and others.
The main substantive discussion centered on the report’s findings about special education funding. Members agreed the report should emphasize that the commission was created to study the cost of special education and reduce reliance on local property taxes. One draft section described FY24 special education funding as coming from three primary state and federal sources totaling about $152 million, or roughly 15% of annual costs, with the remaining 85% paid by local school districts through property tax revenue, estimated at about $825 million. Members discussed adding historical or longitudinal data to show trends over time, and some suggested attaching charts or tables showing funding over the last 20 to 30 years.
A second major topic was demographic data. The draft noted that statewide K-12 enrollment has declined since 2003 while the number and share of students with IEPs has increased. Members questioned whether the data compared like with like, especially given the growth of Education Freedom Accounts and charter school enrollment, and whether the figures included or excluded those students. Several members asked for clearer sourcing from the Department of Education and suggested keeping a list of unresolved questions, including the impact of the shift from ADMA to ADMR and the effect of the EFA program. The discussion ended with agreement to continue refining the report and to gather additional attachments and clarifications before finalizing recommendations.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> Senate standing committee on education. Senate standing committee on education.
- </c> Welcome to education committee. Welcome to education committee.
- The Kentucky Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education.
- I'm not an educator, but I education.
- board of education.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Standing Committee on Primary and Secondary Education. (3-25-26)
Primary and Secondary Education
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> approaches to education. approaches to education.
- Education, everybody seems to know a little bit about education.
- Education, everybody seems to know a little bit about education.
- Education, everybody seems to know a little bit about education.
- Education, everybody seems to know a little bit about education.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Mar 12th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- and for higher education.
- You'll probably hear from the educators from the Oakland Education Association at Oakland Unified how
- Special education costs, and you heard some comments about that earlier today, but special education
- educators to. ...programs, JROTC, and pressuring special education educators to cut necessary services
- Nurses, counselors, case managers, many special education educators, and classroom teachers.
Summary:
The subcommittee opened with remarks on the state budget and K-12 education, noting the large increase in the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee, the use of deferrals and reserves in the prior budget, and the challenge of balancing education funding against other state priorities. Superintendent Tony Thurmond described California education as improving overall, citing gains in test scores, graduation, and college readiness, but said major gaps remain for low-income students, students of color, agricultural communities, English learners, foster youth, and students with disabilities. He praised recent investments in universal meals, transitional kindergarten, community schools, arts, broadband, and special education, while warning that declining enrollment, chronic absenteeism, and the proposed $5.6 billion Prop. 98 settle-up create uncertainty for districts. He also urged a long-term literacy plan, expanded tutoring, universal kindergarten, and continued protections for students and families affected by immigration enforcement, including ICE-related fear and attendance loss.
The committee then heard a detailed presentation on Proposition 98 from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Finance explained that the Governor’s budget projects the minimum guarantee will rise by about $21.7 billion over three years, with a $5.6 billion settle-up obligation in 2025-26 intended to avoid overappropriation if revenues weaken. Finance also described revised reserve deposits and withdrawals, ending with about $4.1 billion in the Public School System Stabilization Account by 2026-27. The LAO said recent revenue collections were stronger than expected in the current year but warned that the outlook for 2026-27 is weaker and that stock-market-driven revenues remain volatile. The LAO supported maintaining reserves and one-time spending buffers, but recommended fully funding the guarantee and using other budget solutions rather than shifting the settle-up into future deficits. Members asked about the settle-up process, certification timeline, the effect of attendance declines tied to immigration enforcement, and wildfire-related impacts, including Pasadena Unified’s $4 million special appropriation.
On LCFF and necessary small schools, Finance proposed a 2.41% COLA and about $2.2 billion in additional LCFF funding for districts and charters in 2026-27, plus a $30.7 million ongoing increase to raise the necessary small schools allowance by 20%. The LAO supported funding the COLA but said the small-school increase was not tied to a specific cost study and could be redesigned to better target small districts, noting that only a fraction of very small districts would benefit. Questions focused on how small schools access supplemental and concentration grants and how attendance recovery programs are being implemented. The Department of Education said only 130 LEAs had reported attendance recovery so far, likely because it is a new program with compliance requirements, though interest appears to be growing.
FICMAT then reviewed the fiscal health of local districts, reporting an uptick in qualified and negative certifications, though still far below Great Recession levels. It said declining enrollment, rising special education costs, and higher labor and insurance costs are the biggest fiscal pressures, and that some districts are using fiscal stabilization plans and staff reductions ahead of second interim reports. FICMAT also discussed wildfire impacts on Pasadena Unified and Los Angeles Unified, explaining that Pasadena’s $4 million state appropriation was based on an early post-fire assessment and that the district is being monitored with the county office of education. Members raised concerns about Pasadena’s leadership, special education staffing shortages, AB 218 sexual abuse litigation costs, insurance premium increases, and the need for stronger prevention and training measures. FICMAT said SB 848 and related policies address some of those concerns by strengthening standards, training, and reporting requirements.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Education Funding (10/28/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> opinion that would the special education opinion that would the special education commission<01:
- school special education and EFA special<01:24:16.560><c> education.
- </c> come from the education trust funding. come from the education trust funding.
- </c> public institution of higher education. public institution of higher education.
- </c> the general education curriculum. the general education curriculum.
Summary:
The subcommittee took up several school building aid bills. HB 295, which would make school building aid program funds non-lapsing, drew debate over whether the program is effective and whether funds should be allowed to carry forward. Supporters argued the program is underfunded and that even small leftover amounts should remain available for building aid; opponents said non-lapsing funds limit future budget flexibility and that the program creates winners and losers. The committee voted 4-3 to recommend HB 295 inexpedient to legislate (ITL).
The committee then considered HB 366, which would increase school building aid for eligible projects and include retroactive funding for projects completed in the past. The motion to ITL was supported on the grounds that retroactive payments would be unfair to districts still waiting in line and that the legislature should focus on future projects. Supporters of the bill said the increase was modest and that districts that built during a prior moratorium on aid were left with long-term fiscal burdens. The committee again voted 4-3 to recommend ITL.
The discussion also broadened into special education funding and a retained bill, HB 742, concerning catastrophic special education aid and the source of funding. Members debated whether the education trust fund should cover the aid and whether the committee should act now or wait for a separate commission studying special education costs. Several members emphasized that special education costs are rising, that more data is needed on student identification and funding formulas, and that the commission’s report may provide better guidance. The chair said the subcommittee’s recommendations would go to the full committee, and the next meeting was expected to be rescheduled from November 4 to later that week because of election-related conflicts.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Moving this bill will lower educator pay, which during an educator shortage is extremely tone-deaf.
- </c><00:47:54.760><c> Finance</c> to re-refer this to education Finance to re-refer this to education
- </c> you'll be hearing if you're in education you'll be hearing if you're in education Finance<00:51:
- of Education.
- Matthew Allen Rig, and I work as an education issues specialist at Education Minnesota.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance May 5th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The Career Education Master Plan lays out a blueprint for our colleges, The education master plan lays
- And I just want to clarify that an LEA that has an adult education or a county office with an adult education
- Thank you. education or county office with an adult education program can apply for the grant.
- Department of Education?
- County Office of Education.
Summary:
The committee heard an update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the new California Education Interagency Council. Administration and agency staff described efforts to better connect K-12, higher education, workforce, and data systems, including the California Cradle to Career Data System, e-Transcript California, and a proposed career passport. They emphasized regional coordination with workforce boards and community colleges, and said the new council’s immediate tasks are to hold its first meeting by the end of June, enter into a data-sharing MOU, and complete a strategic plan by the end of November. Members asked about the council’s authority, reporting requirements, and how it would relate to the broader Master Plan for Higher Education; staff said the council will make recommendations but does not have implementation authority.
The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants and related changes to instructional minute requirements. Finance and the Department of Education said the proposal would support middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add technical assistance, prioritize high-need LEAs, and reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to ease scheduling barriers. The Chancellor’s Office strongly supported the investment, citing access, acceleration, and equity benefits, while the LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing the state already provides ongoing support and that the proposal does not address major barriers. Members raised questions about adult learners, A-G alignment, reporting on outcomes and expenditures, rural access, transportation, staffing, and whether the funding would create lasting program capacity. The item was left open after discussion.
The committee also considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by defining LTELs as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years and RTELs as students not proficient within six years, matching the dashboard and research-based timelines. CDE said the current mismatch between dashboard and assessment definitions creates confusion and delays, while some members and advocates worried the change could reduce earlier intervention or should be handled through policy committees rather than the budget process. The committee voted to reject the proposal and refer it to policy, though the administration said it still supports the budget language.
Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices project by one year, through June 30, 2027. CDE said the project is promising but raised concerns about the contract structure and fiscal management, while Marysville Joint Unified School District testified that SIP had helped expand inclusive preschool and district-wide practices and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the remaining money should be redirected to areas with greater implementation need. The item was discussed but no final action was described in the excerpt.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Education Freedom Savings Account Oversight Committee (06/15/2026)
Transcript Highlights:
- Freedom Account program versus the education account program versus the education tax credit.
- It has to be looked at by the Department of Education and reviewed The Department of Education must review
- students are being educated.
- I know you're not speaking for the State Board of Education, but for the Department of Education, is
- </c> career technical education. career technical education.
Summary:
The Education Freedom Account Oversight Committee met on March 27 and approved the agenda, adding a request for clarification on how the Children’s Scholarship Fund separates applications for the EFA program and the education tax credit program. The committee also approved minutes from December 30, 2025, and March 27, 2026, with a request that the March minutes include a link to the live stream. Members discussed the status of pending Legislative Budget Assistant audit reports on EFA and special education, noting the reports were still not released and would likely come later in the summer after review by the Department of Education and the Children’s Scholarship Fund.
A major topic was the EFA program’s administrative fee, which statute allows up to 10% of deposits. Children’s Scholarship Fund representatives said current administrative costs were under 8%, that staffing had been reduced through the ScholarVia platform, and that any unused amount is reconciled and returned to students at year’s end. Members asked for historical administrative-cost data and a written explanation of how the withholding and reconciliation process works. The committee also reviewed the distinction between the EFA and education tax credit funding streams and was told the two programs use separate applications and separate funds, though both use the same platform.
The committee spent substantial time on assessment and accountability. Department of Education staff explained that EFA students may satisfy annual assessment requirements through a portfolio, a norm-referenced test, or the statewide assessment; only about 10 EFA students took the statewide assessment, while most used portfolios or standardized tests such as the California Achievement Test and NWEA. Staff described how statewide assessment data are kept separate by student identifier and can be aggregated for EFA reporting, and members asked for breakdowns by grade, test type, and school district. The department also discussed linking assessments through Lexiles and Quantiles and said it could provide a list of commonly used formative assessments in New Hampshire districts. The committee additionally discussed a possible PSAT addition to the state contract and the costs of the statewide assessment program.
Another major issue was special education eligibility and services within the EFA program. Members questioned the rule allowing a medical certification of disability from a licensed professional anywhere in the United States as an alternative to an IEP-based determination. Department staff said the current system allows either pathway, that about 1,000 EFA students are identified as special education students, and that the program does not track growth or service alignment on an individual basis. Members expressed concern that the medical-certification route may be too broad and asked for data on the disability categories used. The committee also discussed career and technical education access for EFA students, noting that Senate Bill 491 would provide guidance and that House Bill 1817 would address access and funding issues, but that current law still allows EFA funds to be used to pay CTE costs. The meeting ended with a request for future agenda items and a decision to leave the next meeting date open until fall, pending further information from the LBA audit process.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Higher Education and Workforce Development Apr 7th, 2026
Higher Education and Workforce Development
Transcript Highlights:
- Do you feel that Missouri needs less early childhood educators, general educators, elementary educators
- educators, elementary educators, special educators, performing arts majors, such as liberal arts, fine
- The educator said the market has not met the needs of an educator.
- And to me, higher education, all education helps lead to that.
- willing to fund their educators.
Summary:
The Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development heard two bills. House Bill 3221, sponsored by Rep. Castile, would bar state funds from supporting higher education degree programs that the federal government designates as low-earning, with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education reviewing the federal list and reporting impacts. The sponsor framed it as taxpayer accountability and return on investment, while many committee members and witnesses argued it was premature, lacked data, and could harm essential but lower-paid fields such as education, social work, early childhood education, counseling, and the arts. Supporters said the bill would mirror federal policy and affect only a small number of programs; opponents warned it could discourage universities from offering needed programs and would not account for long-term career outcomes or transferable skills. No vote was taken, and the sponsor said the bill was still a work in progress.
Testimony in support of HB 3221 came from a lobbyist for FGA Action and others who said federal law is already moving in this direction and cited a small number of affected programs. Opposition came from representatives of independent colleges, community colleges, and other witnesses who said the federal rules are still being developed, the earnings test is based on a limited snapshot, and some low-wage programs serve important workforce needs or lead to later advancement. Several members asked for more information on the federal list, the number and demographics of affected students, and possible unintended consequences for rural schools and workforce development.
The committee then heard House Bill 3416, sponsored by Rep. Bosley, which would create the Strengthening HBCUs Fund and direct a portion of gaming and classroom trust revenues to Lincoln University and Harris-Stowe State University for capital improvements and related support. The sponsor said the bill is intended to address historic underfunding of HBCUs and align Missouri with similar efforts in other states and at the federal level. Lincoln University President John Mosley testified in support, describing recent growth, major campus projects, and the need for additional infrastructure funding without increasing debt. Committee members asked about the funding amounts, whether Lincoln receives any special state support, and how the money would be distributed. No opposition testimony was heard, and the committee adjourned after the HB 3416 hearing without taking a vote.
MN
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- entities to report certain educator misconduct, to Education K-16.
- entities to report certain educator misconduct, to Education K-16.
- , to Education K-16.
- , to Education K-16.
- , to Education K-16.
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 358 honoring the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on its 10th anniversary, with remarks highlighting UTRGV’s growth, degree production, research expansion, medical school, and role in serving the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. The chamber also recognized the doctor of the day and adopted additional resolutions, including one for Denton County Days at the Capitol and another recognizing Texas HBCU Day.
The Senate gave extensive recognition to outgoing Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp through Senate Resolution 368. Senators from both parties praised his long public career, leadership of the A&M System, support for regional universities, and bipartisan approach. The resolution was adopted after multiple members added their names. The chamber also heard from advocates with the Texas Streets Coalition, and received gubernatorial nominations for the State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.
On legislation, the Senate passed several major bills. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 27, relating to rights and support for public school educators, was debated and amended to address teacher vacancies, bilingual certification testing, paid leave options, classroom removals, and appeal rights, then passed unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 12, proposing a constitutional amendment on parents’ right to direct a child’s education, advanced on a 22-9 vote. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1741, aimed at preventing foreign influence and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education, passed unanimously. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 29, the business entities bill, also passed after debate over corporate governance and shareholder protections. Senate Bill 857, authorizing law enforcement to tow certain vehicles driven by unlicensed or uninsured drivers, passed despite some concern about towing abuses during disasters. The Senate also took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1536 on dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain guardians, but the transcript ends as that bill is being laid out.