Transcript Highlights:

• Let me just go through our standard procedure.
• Let me just go through our standard procedures before we hear from Senator Umberg.
• And let me read a quick standard statement regarding how we conduct our hearings.
• The LEAs will need to complete a CDE standardized on-site visit, which will now be expanded to include
• Do you think the auditing standards are incredibly important? We fought hard for those as well.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee met without a quorum for much of the hearing and heard several bills out of order. SB 249 by Senator Umberg would move county board of education elections from the primary to the statewide general election. Supporters, including the League of Women Voters and many educators, argued the change would increase turnout and make the electorate more representative. The Orange County Board of Education opposed the bill, saying it would increase costs, reduce local control, and bury education races on crowded general-election ballots. The chair and members discussed turnout, cost, and representation, but the bill was held pending a quorum. Senator Grove presented SB 373, which adds safeguards for California students placed in out-of-state non-public schools through IEPs. The bill would require more robust LEA and CDE oversight, including annual site visits, student interviews, quarterly contact, stronger certification standards, and restrictions on prone, supine, and mechanical restraints. Testimony from a survivor of an out-of-state placement and from advocates emphasized abuse, neglect, and the need for stronger monitoring. There was broad support and no opposition testimony, but the measure was also held pending a quorum. Senator Ashby presented SB 568, the epinephrine in schools modernization act, to clarify and expand requirements for stocked epinephrine so they clearly apply to all public schools, including preschool programs. School nurses and medical experts said the bill would close gaps created by universal preschool and ensure life-saving treatment is available for anaphylaxis. The committee discussed dosing and implementation, and the bill was supported without opposition testimony. The committee also heard SB 414, the Charter School Accountability Act, which would strengthen fiscal oversight, audit standards, and transparency for charter schools and authorizers. Supporters said it responds to fraud and audit findings while preserving charter flexibility; opponents, including school employees and teachers, said it did not go far enough on authorizer accountability and small-district oversight. After discussion, the committee voted 7-0 to pass SB 414 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also briefly heard SB 743 by Senator Cortese, which would create an equalization reserve account to provide additional funding to underfunded school districts and reduce funding inequities tied to ZIP code. The author said the bill would support student achievement and teacher retention over time. The transcript cuts off before testimony or action on SB 743 was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill tasks Railroad Commission inspectors with knowing those standards and identifying when those
• And if the California wildfires didn't teach us anything, West Austin's next. So.
• If a utility calls you and asks you to enter a contract to inspect a pole, is there a state standard
• If a utility sets a standard maybe below what you would recommend, the poll could stay until it blows
• We don't have a standard, which is really the main point of this bill.

Bills: HB 13, HB143, HB144, HB145, HB366, HB470, HB805, HB912, HB13, HB143, HB144, HB145

Keywords: emergency communication, infrastructure, first responders, grant program, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, local governments, HB 143, Texas Railroad Commission, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Natural Resources Code, oil and gas, well site, surface facility, electrical power line, National Electrical Code, NEC, electrical safety, utility disconnect, service disconnection

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it going to be, especially with the new federal standards in relation to PFAS, which are well lower
• A more resilient future through things like implementing the IBHS standard for fortified homes in some
• Fortified standards.
• I would also add that, in regard to more resilient stormwater standards, we've been waiting well over
• We teach kids.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on the Healey-Driscoll administration’s Mass Ready Act, a $3 billion environmental bond bill. Administration officials said the bill would fund climate resilience, clean water, land conservation, parks, PFAS remediation, food security infrastructure, and coastal and inland flood protection, while also streamlining permitting for housing, restoration, and other resilience projects. They emphasized that the bond authorizes spending but does not itself obligate it, and said the proposal includes deauthorizations as housekeeping. Committee members asked about the new Resilience Revolving Fund, flood and drought management, MVP funding, land acquisition, Chapter 61 right-of-first-refusal changes, salt marsh carbon sequestration, and how the bill would help smaller municipalities and offset expected federal funding losses. Officials said the revolving fund would be managed through EEA and the Clean Water Trust, with criteria aimed at directing aid to communities most in need, and noted that drought issues would continue to be handled through existing DEP and drought commission tools. Several committee members and witnesses discussed specific policy provisions, including flood disclosure requirements for homebuyers and renters, expanded authority for regional planning and small-town access to grants, and permitting reforms that would exempt or expedite certain environmental restoration and priority housing projects from more time-consuming review processes. Administration witnesses defended the reforms as a way to achieve the same environmental outcomes faster and with more certainty, while some advocates argued the bill should go further, especially on Chapter 91 and restoration permitting. The administration also described investments in DCR facilities, water and wastewater systems, open space, agricultural easements, and a new focus on blue carbon and salt marsh restoration. Public testimony largely supported the bill. Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, The Nature Conservancy, MAPC, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, municipal officials, and others praised the bill’s resilience, conservation, and water infrastructure investments. Some witnesses urged additional funding for land protection, coastal resilience, buyouts, and restoration, and several called for stronger or simpler permitting reforms. Municipal witnesses from Boston, Beckett, Beverly, Conway, and regional planning organizations stressed the need for flexible financing, especially for small and rural communities facing costly infrastructure and climate adaptation projects. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the committee heard testimony and asked questions before moving on to additional panels.

Transcript Highlights:

• What was once a helpful tool has now become an absolute necessity for teaching, learning, and all school
• What was once a helpful tool has now become an absolute necessity for teaching, learning, and all school
• What was once a helpful tool has now become an absolute necessity for teaching, learning, and all school
• What was once a helpful tool has now become an absolute necessity for teaching, learning, and all school
• What was once a helpful tool has now become an absolute necessity for teaching, learning, and all school

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Zayo Group 00:00:50 Committee Report to LRC 00:18:12, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Michael McCurley, president of Zo Education and a senior vice president with Zo Group, about the company’s role in providing broadband and managed network services to Kentucky schools. He said Zo Education serves all Kentucky K-12 public school districts in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education, offering more bandwidth at lower cost than the prior provider and also providing cybersecurity and network protection. He emphasized that reliable connectivity is essential for instruction, testing, remote coursework, and school administration. McCurley also addressed the ongoing contract dispute involving the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and Open Fiber Silicom, saying Zo Education is not a party to the litigation but is concerned about possible disruption to schools and students. In response to committee questions, he said the company incurred unexpected costs when it had to reroute connections and build alternate network paths, including one school move that cost more than $50,000 to serve a site generating under $2,000 per month. He said outages and incidents are more frequent when Kentucky Wired access is unavailable, and that Zo could not have bid at its current price without access to Kentucky Wired. Committee members discussed the broader implications of the dispute and the state’s broadband structure. Senator Williams said the committee’s priority is avoiding disruption to students and noted concerns about infrastructure purchases and upgrades tied to the network, saying he had not seen clear contractual support for some of the expenditures. He also referenced a future audit and said the committee should preserve options and taxpayer funds. The committee then reviewed its report to LRC, including changes related to infrastructure purchases and water asset management technology, and agreed to submit the report without a committee vote. The chair announced the next meeting would be in January, with no December meeting scheduled, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um these uh standard would apply.
• We create standards. We set boundaries.
• Um, and I think it's something that's a really good standardized practice.
• Um, page six, uh, standardized practice.
• I also teach, and I teach to many, many people on average, about 1,200 people a year.

Bills: HB0076, HB0102, HB0115

Keywords: annexation, landowner rights, municipal law, city planning, property, local government, artificial intelligence, synthetic sexual material, child protection, self-harm, criminal liability, cardiac emergency, defibrillator, school safety, training, public health, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we have. these community learning collaboratives where they all teach each other.
• San Antonio State Hospital, this is a conversion for regular, standard forensic beds to a geriatric.
• Which is different than our standard forensic. Why?
• So that is the standard. So that's for the academic institutions, straight 10%.
• standards of care. Yeah, and I'll give you two examples right now.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But they're very intentional about teaching them.
• Cadizoso Library has a community member who comes to teach STEM for students, both from pre-K to fifth
• But they're very intentional about teaching them. those library books to buy prizes from the store, but
• they're very intentional about teaching them, you know, if you want this thing, how much do you have
• Cadizoso Library has a community member who comes to teach STEM for students, both from pre-K to fifth

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy presentation from the New Mexico Rural Library Initiative in support of fully funding the rural library endowment with an additional $29.5 million. The presenters described rural libraries as essential community infrastructure that provide not only books and internet access, but also early childhood programs, adult education, workforce support, telehealth, disaster response, and civic meeting space. They argued that the endowment would provide stable annual support for staffing and operations, help sustain libraries in very small towns and tribal communities, and support new or developing libraries. Members asked about eligibility, county coverage, how funds are distributed, and whether the state tracks broader outcomes such as job placements or certifications; the presenters said the State Library administers the funds and that the initiative itself is a nonprofit capacity-building organization, not the fund manager. Some members raised concerns about whether an endowment is the best long-term model versus recurring annual appropriations, and about the need for better reporting and state-library involvement. The committee then heard from food bank leaders Jill Dixon and Katie Anderson about food security and its economic impact. They said New Mexico’s five food banks and more than 500 partner agencies serve all 33 counties, distribute over 45 million meals, and rely mostly on philanthropy, with some state and local support. They emphasized that SNAP is a major economic driver, supporting grocery access, jobs, and local spending, and that recent legislative growth funding helped food banks respond to a surge in demand during a SNAP disruption. They also highlighted food banks as community hubs that can connect people to health care, job training, and other services, including through clinic referrals and closed-loop systems. In response to questions, they said food access gaps remain in some rural areas, that clients can generally seek food at other distribution sites without barriers, and that longer-term solutions should include more grocery access, healthy corner stores, and stronger broadband and health care infrastructure. The final presentations came from the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce and the Artesia Chamber of Commerce. Gallup-McKinley described a shrinking workforce, youth outmigration, crime, health care shortages, malpractice costs, and gross receipts tax burdens as major barriers to rural economic growth, and urged action on workforce pipelines, housing, public safety, malpractice reform, and tax/regulatory changes. Artesia highlighted its murals, library, sports tradition, oil and gas, agriculture, federal training center, and refinery, while also noting workforce shortages, health care recruitment challenges, housing constraints, and the need for quality-of-life investments and more flexible regulation. The committee also briefly heard a bill presentation proposing a New Mexico-Ireland Trade Commission to promote bilateral trade and investment, especially in technology, agriculture, and energy sectors. No votes were taken because quorum was not reached, and the endorsement item was not acted on.

Transcript Highlights:

• I teach business communications and ethics.
• ... ...at the San Diego Natural History Museum, where it continues to teach students and families about
• As a professor, what do you tell the future generation that you are currently teaching?
• And I will say I do not teach journalism. I mentioned I teach business communications and ethics.
• Thomas Tacky, and I teach audio production at Central Union High School in El Centro.

Summary: The hearing focused on the impact of the federal rescission of Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding on California public media, with Assemblymember Chris Ward and Senator Akilah Weber Pierson framing public media as essential civic infrastructure for education, local news, arts, emergency alerts, and underserved communities. Local officials from San Diego and La Mesa voiced support, emphasizing public media’s role in trusted information, children’s programming, and community arts access. Panelists from PBS SoCal, KCRW, Rebuild Local News, NPR, KPBS, Radio Bilingüe, and KVPR described significant budget losses, layoffs, reduced programming, and threats to rural and specialized services. They highlighted impacts on children’s educational content, local journalism, arts coverage, science and documentary production, and emergency alert systems. Several speakers noted that smaller stations in rural or low-broadband areas are especially vulnerable, while larger stations are also cutting staff and delaying projects. They also discussed possible responses such as shared services, cost reductions, philanthropy, and state support, while warning that one-time bridge funding is not a long-term fix. Committee members asked about operational changes, alternative revenue sources, the role of state programs, and whether public pressure could restore federal funding. Witnesses said the loss is already being felt, that restoration appears unlikely in the near term, and that any state support should be structured to protect editorial independence and provide stable, timely funding. The hearing concluded with a shift to labor and production testimony and then to station-specific testimony from KPBS, Radio Bilingüe, and KVPR, followed by public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• think it's been hard for cities to do that for the reasons that I mentioned, because I think the standard
• But we're talking about a standard that I think is not entirely clear.
• The courts are going to figure that standard out if the bill kind of plays out in the way that it was
• But at the same time, if you have a standard that isn't objective, then it's hard for a city to know,
• Or was there some rationale for deciding not to do these standard tolling...”

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're going to medical school versus getting a teaching master's. Yes, ma'am.
• We are doing the same thing for our standard undergraduate students.
• But then also, it standardizes those local practices across the state.
• However, we also show this because it is above the cleanup standard.
• So it's all above the cleanup standard.

Transcript Highlights:

• to provide engineering expertise to support the customization of AI tools across research, care, teaching
• ,</c><00:35:59.280><c> and</c> across research, care, teaching, and across research, care, teaching,
• And across campus, we're renewing facilities to support teaching, research, and service in many ways.
• /c><00:42:07.920><c> research,</c><00:42:08.319><c> and</c><00:42:08.560><c> service</c> support teaching
• , research, and service support teaching, research, and service in<00:42:09.119><c> many</c><00:42:09.440

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met without a quorum and postponed approval of the minutes. The committee first heard from Northern Kentucky University President Katie Short Thompson, who highlighted NKU’s enrollment growth, student success metrics, national recognition for value, lower student debt, and new programs tied to regional workforce needs, including AI, cybersecurity, supply chain analytics, cardiovascular perfusion, and the Norse Network Hub for employer access. She asked for a $5 million recurring base funding adjustment to align NKU’s general fund support with peer institutions, along with support for tuition waivers with FAFSA requirements, continued debt collection authority through the Department of Revenue, inclusion of fire and tornado insurance premiums in base funding, inflation and performance-funding support, and increased asset preservation funding. She also outlined capital priorities for the Hail College of Business building, Nunn Hall, and the MEP building, and requested $5.4 million to match private support for the Young Scholars Academy, a dual-credit program serving first-generation and low-income students. Representative Tipton questioned NKU about the number of older students using tuition waivers and whether the university could continue the program without a statutory age-based mandate. Thompson said the number of students over 65 using the waiver was small, that some students pursue degrees while others audit classes, and that external fundraising could potentially support the program if state funding changed. Tipton also confirmed NKU’s requested priorities and the $5.4 million match for the Young Scholars Academy. The committee then heard from University of Kentucky representative Dr. Cavallo, who framed UK’s request around accountability, workforce development, research, and health care impact. He described a patient story to illustrate UK’s medical mission, cited growth in enrollment, degrees awarded, hospital patients treated, and research grant revenue, and emphasized UK’s role in extension services and disaster response. He said UK is consolidating services for efficiency and is focusing on future workforce needs, especially artificial intelligence, noting the launch of the state’s first AI bachelor’s degree and a partnership with Microsoft to expand AI tools and training across campus and the Advancing Kentucky Together network. He also discussed demographic challenges, the need to retain graduates in Kentucky, and the importance of aligning programs and funding with long-term state needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have trainers who can teach them that. So it's been a great success. Next slide, please.
• So we have trainers who can teach them that. So it's been a great success. Next slide, please.
• We also teach development courses. Next slide, please. We also teach development courses.
• One of our mantras at Volt is we want to teach the attitude and the aptitude for success.
• And so we teach some really successful training leadership courses as well.

Summary: The committee held an information hearing on California’s economy and household affordability, with the first panel focusing on inflation, housing, energy, wages, and the likely effects of new federal tariff policy. PPIC’s Sarah Bone said Californians remain deeply pessimistic about the economy, with inflation the main driver of concern; she noted prices are still about 23% higher than in January 2020, with especially large increases in food, energy, and housing costs. LAO’s Brian Euler emphasized that housing is the largest household expense and pointed to insurance, electricity, gasoline, and health care as other major cost pressures, urging the Legislature to review whether existing policies are actually reducing costs and to consider studies of why recent housing laws have not produced more units. UC Davis economist Catherine Russ warned that tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico, and potentially broader imports could raise consumer prices, disrupt supply chains, and hurt California exporters, farmers, and small businesses; she suggested monitoring prices, strengthening food assistance, and preparing transition support for affected workers and producers. Members pressed the panelists for concrete, near-term policy ideas, especially on housing and tariffs. Questions centered on whether accessory dwelling units are making a meaningful dent in affordability, how to improve implementation of pro-housing laws at the local level, and how to measure the impact of tariffs on consumers, health care, and agriculture. Panelists said ADUs help but are limited, that state laws can be undermined by local implementation and litigation, and that tariff effects may show up quickly in prices and later in hiring and investment. Several members stressed that the tariff issue is not a minor disruption for constituents and asked for more data on consumer impacts, food aid needs, and crop-specific farm losses. The second panel shifted to regional economic development and small business support. Go-Biz’s Derek Kirk described California Jobs First and the state economic blueprint as a first-in-decades, regionally informed strategy to create good-paying jobs, support key sectors, and align workforce and business development across 13 regions. The California Association for Local Economic Development’s Gerbach Sahota argued that local governments need practical tools, stable policy, and stronger partnerships with the state, while warning that prosperity is not always perceived as shared and that rural communities can be left behind. He urged the Legislature to use hearings, local input, and existing funding streams more effectively, including for recovery and infrastructure. David Fitzgerald of the Small Business Development Centers said California’s SBDC network serves hundreds of thousands of clients, many of them women and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs, and has generated billions in economic impact, capital access, revenue, and jobs. He said the biggest gaps are outreach to the state’s many self-employed businesses with no employees, better labor data on those workers, and more flexible support for direct services. Committee members then asked what small businesses need most in the face of inflation and tariff shocks, including lower licensing costs and other relief, and the discussion continued on how to better target state support to businesses and households under pressure.

Transcript Highlights:

• When I started teaching 27 years ago, PSEO was reserved for high-achieving, highly motivated students
• When I started teaching several years.
• When I started teaching 27<00:19:55.280><c> years</c><00:19:55.520><c> ago,</c><00:19:56.200><c> PSEO
• They'll leverage the university's new AI hub and our established commitment to exemplary teaching to
• </c> teaching to generate deep learning. teaching to generate deep learning.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• something from a different space in the state because of your own research or because you want to teach
• Uh, we teach, but we are also responsible for the knowledge that we teach, which is why we don't teach
• The same skills libraries already teach—evaluating credibility, recognizing bias, and using information
• </c> Liz saw firsthand how her work teaching Liz saw firsthand how her work teaching students<00:12:33.760
• </c> today uh include a course that we teach today uh include a course that we teach across<00:15:09.519

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She practices general obstetrics and gynecology at three main teaching hospitals here in Phoenix.
• And additionally, Three main teaching hospitals here in Phoenix, and additionally helps with clinical
• focusing on priest formation and evangelization dedicated to spirituality, guiding, forming, and teaching
• focusing on priest formation and evangelization dedicated to spirituality, guiding, forming, and teaching

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the diversity of traditions that come together in this sacred space from my own tradition, which teaches
• 47.200><c> which</c> Sacred Space from my own tradition which Sacred Space from my own tradition which teaches
• 01:48.399><c> we</c><00:01:48.719><c> seek</c><00:01:49.119><c> with</c><00:01:49.320><c> Open</c> teaches
• that when we seek with Open teaches that when we seek with Open Hearts<00:01:50.280><c> we</c><00:01

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Still another layer by a lesser legal standard.
• And again, it bears mention that that's after the legal standard required to convict someone beyond a
• I point to Pennsylvania's standard criminal jury instructions.
• The 35-year sentence fits within the normal standard structures.
• You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk along

Keywords: Scheduler, 972, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, many of the levees do not currently meet the USACE standard as climate change impacts... ...
• levees do not currently meet the USACE standard as climate change impacts weather patterns.
• And our commitment as a state... ...the levees at today's standards, so that just isn't feasible.
• Its erasure disrupted the cultural teachings, the spiritual traditions, and the reciprocal stewardship
• This bill makes minor changes to the reporting requirements, ensures the reporting is standardized and

Summary: The committee first heard SB 872, which would direct $300 million annually for 20 years to repair subsidence damage in the State Water Project and to fund Delta levee repairs. The author and supporters said the bill is needed to protect water deliveries for 27 million Californians, prevent major infrastructure and flood risks, and address long-term threats to California’s water supply. Support came from a broad coalition of water agencies, local governments, environmental groups, and business interests; there was no opposition testimony. Members discussed the scale of the funding, the beneficiary-pays issue, and whether the bill should more clearly address risk and identify likely project areas. The committee adopted amendments, and SB 872 passed 5-0 to Appropriations and was placed on call. The committee then took up SB 1305, a study bill on the feasibility of reintroducing the California grizzly bear. The author, tribal sponsors, and conservation supporters framed the bill as a science-based roadmap that would examine habitat, impacts, and implementation, while recognizing the grizzly’s cultural significance to tribes and its ecological role. Opponents, including sheriffs, cattle groups, county representatives, and a former Fish and Wildlife law enforcement official, argued that California lacks the staffing, funding, and public-safety capacity to manage another apex predator and that the state is already struggling with wolves and mountain lions. Members raised questions about the scope of the feasibility study, local control, and whether the bill should address conflict risk earlier in the process. The author agreed to work on additional amendments, and the bill passed 4-1 to Appropriations and remained on call. SB 1079, creating a Cal Fire Fire Innovation Unit to speed the testing and deployment of wildfire technologies, was heard next. The author and supporters said California has strong wildfire innovation but lacks a formal pipeline to move promising tools from pilot projects into statewide use. Supporters included Megafire Action, Fireworks, the Orange County Fire Authority, and the California Association of Realtors, which sought amendments related to nonprofit administration of grants. There was no opposition testimony. The bill passed 5-0 to Emergency Management and was placed on call. The committee also heard SB 997, which would give the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency lien authority to collect fines and fees tied to its groundwater sustainability plan. Supporters said the change would allow more efficient enforcement and avoid lengthy civil litigation; no opposition appeared. Members asked whether the authority should be extended more broadly to other statutory GSAs, and the author said discussions were ongoing. SB 997 passed 2-0 to Judiciary and was placed on call. The committee later caught up on votes for the earlier bills and then moved to SB 894, a wildfire resilience loan program modeled on Go Green to help homeowners finance home-hardening measures; it passed 5-0 to Emergency Management and was placed on call. Finally, SB 1229 was introduced by Senator Allen to strengthen coastal protections for rebuilding after disasters, beginning with the Palisades fire context, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s full hearing concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, many of the levees do not currently meet the USACE standard as climate change impacts... ...
• levees do not currently meet the USACE standard as climate change impacts weather patterns.
• in which those same farmers or their descendants today could finance all of the levees at today's standards
• Its erasure disrupted the cultural teachings, the spiritual traditions, and the reciprocal stewardship
• This bill makes minor changes to the reporting requirements, ensures the reporting is standardized and

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• out of college, I guess, we still had to go to the legislature to get the personal exemption and standard
• From net income, we take two things that are important: obviously, the standard deduction in Section
• So, taxpayers can take the standard deduction or the itemized deduction, and the definition of itemized
• Just keep in mind on the next slide that these are important: standard deduction and itemized deductions
• So the standard deduction, again, New Mexico conforms.