Transcript Highlights:

• get a little bit out of my depth here because there's different reimbursement structures under MA and IEP
• structures<01:01:08.160> under<01:01:08.640> ma<01:01:09.480> um<01:01:09.799> IEP
• reimbursement structures under ma um IEP reimbursement structures under ma um IEP services<01:01

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Special transportation is decided by the IEP team, which includes the student's parents, and once a team
• <01:13:31.639> decided<01:13:32.120> by<01:13:32.280> the<01:13:32.480> IEP
• transportation is decided by the IEP transportation is decided by the IEP team<01:13:33.520>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• front of the classroom, none of them able to stay long enough to truly know him or her or implement the IEP
• front of the classroom, none of them able to stay long enough to truly know him or her or implement the IEP
• of the classroom, none of them able to stay long enough to truly know him or hurt or implement the IEP

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• grievance procedures for disputes involving ID, evaluation, placement, or provision of services through an IEP
• It clarifies the relationship between IDEA and Section 504 by saying the implementation of an IEP is
• amendment clarifies the relationship between IDEA and Section 504 by saying the implementation of an IEP

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the journal, and received a series of engrossing/revising/enrolling notices and committee reports. Committee reports advanced several measures, including House Bills 1139 and 1263 from Business, Labor, and Technology; House Bills 1206, 1111, and 1014 from Finance; and later Appropriations reports on House Bills 1423, 1419, 1276, 1256, 1015, and Senate Bills 189, 188, 187, 180, and 125. The chamber also granted a brief recess for guests and later granted leave for the Joint Budget Committee to meet while the Senate was in session. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to tributes and personal privilege remarks. Senators recognized the University of Denver men’s hockey team for winning the 2026 NCAA championship and adopted a joint Senate-House tribute honoring the team’s 11th national title. Senator Kolker also marked Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Day/Week, describing the condition, the need for screening and treatment, and honoring a guest advocate living with TD. The Senate then moved through third-reading consent and final-passage votes on multiple bills. Measures passed included SB 181, HB 1338, HB 1344, HB 1336, HB 1227, HB 1314, HB 1282, HB 1317, HB 1078, SB 167, HB 1069, HB 1132, HB 1347, HB 1210, HB 1196, HB 1224, and HB 1028; HB 1028 was first removed from the consent calendar, amended with a conforming amendment, and then passed. Several bills drew notable opposition, including HB 1132 and HB 1210, while HB 1069 passed unanimously. The Senate also laid over the general order second-reading calendar to Friday, May 8, 2026, and took up special-order second-reading bills in committee of the whole, adopting the special-order consent calendar and reporting those bills back favorably for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• For a student<00:08:18.800> with<00:08:19.039> an<00:08:19.280> IEP,<00:08:20.240
• > consistency<00:08:20.960> isn't student with an IEP, consistency isn't student with an
• IEP, consistency isn't just<00:08:21.520> a<00:08:21.759> preference.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• special education for students who leave, including transportation and all services required by their IEPs
• special education for students who leave, including transportation and all services required by their IEPs
• member in Nashua, and I'm trying to understand the possible impact to my district if a student with an IEP
• that if that student in a wheelchair has those provisions for accessibility contained within their IEP
• that if that student in a wheelchair has those provisions for accessibility contained within their IEP

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 40.679> education Require an individualized education support for these students: 29% have an IEP
• pathologist or the physical therapist within the school is currently providing or responsible for in the IEP
• If the IEP, for instance, called for X number of hours, but the parent wanted to do more because of the
• pathologist or the physical therapist within the school is currently providing or responsible for in the IEP
• If the IEP, for instance, called for X number of hours, but the parent wanted to do more because of the

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session and first took up HB 193, which limits the maximum credits per course eligible for the Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Program. Representative Ladd said the bill clarifies that eligible courses may not exceed four credits and was requested by the community college system. Representative Earth offered an amendment to make the bill effective on passage, which the committee adopted 18-0. The committee then approved HB 193 as amended by an 18-0 OTPA vote and placed it on the consent calendar. The committee next retained HB 295, concerning School Building Aid program funds, after Representative Spillsbury said the building aid bills were complex and needed more work. The motion to retain passed 18-0, with the chair explaining that retained bills can be revisited later and that related language could be moved among building aid bills. HB 354 was not acted on because the chair said the Department of Education and others had suggested possible changes that should be worked out first. HB 366, another school building aid bill, was also retained 18-0 for the same reasons as HB 295. The committee then considered HB 494, which funds the math learning communities program. Representative Earth offered an amendment to flat-fund the program, reducing the proposed increase by a net $50,000 and keeping funding at current levels for the biennium. After discussion about budget pressures and the program’s role in supporting math instruction and professional development, the amendment passed 18-0, and the bill as amended was approved 18-0 and placed on consent. Finally, the committee took up HB 515, which would repeal charter public school eligibility for state school building aid. Representative Popovici-Muller moved inexpedient to legislate, arguing charter schools should not be treated differently from other public schools, while Representatives Luno and Damon opposed the motion, saying charter schools differ in governance and financial risk and should not receive limited state building aid. The motion failed 10-8, so HB 515 was sent to the regular calendar. The committee assigned Representative Damon to the minority report and Representative Popovici-Muller to the majority report, with a noon deadline the next day. The committee then began HB 716, an appropriation for the dual and concurrent enrollment program. Representative Ladd described the program as a successful affordability measure that saves families money and supports college access. Representative Earth offered an amendment to flat-fund the program at current levels, reducing the proposed increase by $500,000 in each year of the biennium. Shannon Reed of the Community College System said the change could limit enrollment or the number of funded courses, though students could still take additional courses at their own expense. Representative Ladd explained the program’s tuition structure and said the funding would help meet demand; the transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 716.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not talking about IEP.
• We're not talking about IEP.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up Senate Bill 206, which requires public schools to adopt policies limiting student cell phone use. Supporters argued that cell phones and personal devices contribute to student mental health problems, bullying, distraction, and disruptive behavior, and said teachers and administrators want a clear statewide rule rather than having to enforce policies themselves. Opponents raised concerns about local control, the breadth of the term “personal communication device,” and whether the bill would interfere with instructional uses of devices, especially in schools that rely on bring-your-own-device or have limited access to school-issued laptops. Members debated Amendment 2249H, which added an exception for teacher-led instruction and clarified that superintendent-approved exceptions could still apply for medical, disability, or language-proficiency needs. After discussion about whether the amendment was too restrictive or too broad, the committee adopted the amendment on a 9-8 vote, with one member not voting. The committee then voted 9-8, with one not voting, to recommend Senate Bill 206 ought to pass as amended. The committee then moved to Senate Bill 96, concerning mandatory disclosure by school district employees to parents. The sponsor offered Amendment 2199H to replace language that would have required referral to DCYF whenever an educator withheld information due to concern about possible abuse at home. The amendment instead allows a district to withhold information if a reasonably prudent person would believe disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect, and requires the decision to be documented in the student record. The amendment was discussed as a narrower, more workable safeguard, and the committee was still in discussion on the bill at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• unique challenges that we face and that we're going to be able to, instead of shoving them all in the IEP

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Kindergarten Literacy Assessment as a pre-kindergartner, and there's hope that she can be released from her IEP

Transcript Highlights:

• Major medical issues in their IEPs or Section 504 plans.

Transcript Highlights:

• and Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting during which the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP

Bills: HB1022, HB2856, HB3114, HJR5, HB6, HB120, HB210, HB1458, HB1188, HB3126

Keywords: HB 1022, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Texas State University System, Education Code, higher education, course levels, upper-level college, lower-division courses, community college-style courses, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Uvalde, Board of Regents, academic programs, university expansion, HB 2856, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, clinical training placements, clinical rotations

Transcript Highlights:

• So, people who evaluate kids for their needs and create IEPs and all that sort of thing, that's a specialist
• :42.159> create kids for their their needs and create kids for their their needs and create IEPs
• 44.079> sort<02:10:44.239> of<02:10:44.320> thing,<02:10:44.960> that's IEPs
• and all that sort of thing, that's IEPs and all that sort of thing, that's a<02:10:45.440> specialist

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:

• They didn't have time to read the students' IEPs, didn't even know how to find the classroom.
• 18.320> students didn't have time to read the students didn't have time to read the students IEP
• 01:23:20.719> how<01:23:20.880> to<01:23:21.120> find<01:23:21.480> the IEP
• didn't even know how to find the IEP didn't even know how to find the classroom<01:23:23.280> so<

Bills: HF957, HF877

Keywords: education, mandate relief, school funding, local control, state laws, fund transfers, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But several other examples, for example, individual education programs, or IEP services, that's actually
• example uh individual education programs example uh individual education programs or<01:03:30.960> IEP
• Services<01:03:32.160> that's<01:03:32.400> actually<01:03:32.599> done or IEP
• Services that's actually done or IEP Services that's actually done through<01:03:33.039> What's

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:19:24.239> Then<01:19:24.480> you<01:19:24.640> look specifically under an IEP
• Then you look specifically under an IEP.
• an example of within the current structure, you know, Manchester had 209 additional children with IEPs
• an example of within the current structure, you know, Manchester had 209 additional children with IEPs
• The budget impacts of this ... ...with IEPs this year for a total of 3,040, something like that.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, my daughter is on an IEP, and she attends school in a neighboring town.
• Uh my daughter is on an IEP and filing.
• Uh my daughter is on an IEP and uh<01:19:44.000> she<01:19:44.400> attends<01:19:44.880
• I think it would be fact-specific because I believe there is another exemption for school IEP meetings
• Witness: You're welcome. another um exemption for school IEP another um exemption for school IEP meetings

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• young children, ages 3 to 5, have access to equitable services across program types so that children's IEP

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its sixth public hearing and took testimony on a large slate of bills, with the chair moving H. 542/S. 341 on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care to the top of the agenda so young constituents would not have to wait. Witnesses from labor, community organizations, and FFN providers strongly supported the bill, saying FFN care fills critical gaps for families working nonstandard hours, especially in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities. Testimony emphasized that FFN providers are currently underpaid, often receive only about $24 per child per day, and should be guaranteed at least the state minimum wage. Witnesses also backed changes to the voucher system to allow families to combine formal and FFN care more flexibly, and they supported creating an FFN advisory council. Committee members asked about the difference between FFN and center-based care, registration requirements, fingerprinting/background checks, EEC’s ongoing study group, and the fiscal impact; witnesses said the current annual cost is about $1.8 million and could rise to about $6 million if all current FFN providers were paid minimum wage, still under 1% of the EEC budget. The committee then closed testimony on that bill. The committee next heard testimony on several preschool and universal pre-K bills, including H. 707 on public preschool facilities, H. 687/S. 339 on universal pre-K and mixed delivery, and related bills such as H. 606, H. 523, H. 618, H. 522, H. 510, and H. 615, many of which were later closed without additional witnesses. A Lowell school official testified that space and facilities funding are major barriers to expanding preschool and that the city has hundreds of children on voucher waitlists. Other witnesses and organizations, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and AFT Massachusetts, supported mixed-delivery universal pre-K and warned that public-school expansion should not undermine community-based providers, whose preschool tuition helps subsidize infant and toddler care. Several witnesses also urged stronger standards for preschool teachers, better staffing ratios, and more integrated special education and support services. The committee accepted written testimony on some bills and closed testimony on the others when no one else came forward. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 541/S. 373, which would ban school exclusion in pre-K through third grade. Advocates from Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mass Appleseed, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, AFT Massachusetts, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee argued that suspensions and expulsions at young ages harm learning, worsen inequities, and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. They cited data showing disproportionate impacts on Black and Latinx students, students with disabilities, and low-income children, and described personal stories of children whose behavior improved when schools kept them in class and addressed underlying needs. Committee members asked for updated data on the number of students and districts affected, and witnesses said they would provide more detailed written information. After testimony on this and a few other bills, including S. 372, S. 357, and H. 275/S. 133, the committee closed testimony and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• COMMUNITIES OUR FAMILY EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND DEALING WITH MULTIPLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE, IEP

Transcript Highlights:

• who receive blood glucose medical alerts on their phones, and special education accommodations under IEPs

Bills: HB322, HB126, HB3062, HB1481, HB2310, HB2674, HB121, HB2243, HB3627, HB1178, HB367, HB5515, HB126, HB121

Keywords: JET Grant Program, career education, technical education, community colleges, technology solutions, high demand jobs, student athletes, name image likeness, compensation, intercollegiate athletics, representation, fentanyl prevention, drug poisoning awareness, higher education, mental health resources, substance abuse education, student policy, communication devices, school regulations, disciplinary measures