Transcript Highlights:

• . educators. educators.
• </c> Department of Education. Department of Education.
• </c> individual educators. individual educators.
• </c> educational divide. educational divide.
• . education. education.

Bills: HF3119

Keywords: teacher compensation, educational staff, unlicensed staff, minimum wage, inflation adjustment, education finance, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Education Committee will come to order.
• It's education, so we've got to use an acronym.
• Classical education and the CLT are based on the belief that education should be about producing well-rounded
• In higher education, it is self-disclosed.
• The Josie School of Vocational Education...

Summary: The committee heard and discussed several higher education and public school bills. Senator Burwell presented SB 1242 to remove an outdated Coordinating Board approval requirement for Texas State Technical College land and facility acquisitions, and SJR 59 to create a constitutionally dedicated endowment for TSTC capital needs; both drew strong support from industry and workforce groups and were left pending. SB 757, by Senator Middleton, would create a debt-to-earnings accountability system for public college programs, with supporters saying it would protect students from low-value degrees and opponents warning it could unfairly penalize programs with long-term value, especially graduate, medical, and public service fields; it was also left pending. SB 1241, by Senator Millington, would expand acceptable college entrance exams beyond the SAT and ACT, including the Classic Learning Test, and was left pending after testimony from CLT, homeschool, and student groups in support. SB 1085, by Senator Blanco, would let Sul Ross State University offer lower-division courses at its satellite campuses in the Middle Rio Grande region; it too was left pending. The committee then took up a series of public school and higher education measures, voting several out favorably. SB 605, as substituted, limits commissioner approval of charter school expansion amendments for schools under conservatorship or a management team and was reported favorably 9-0. SB 1871 and SB 1873, both by Senator Perry, were revised to narrow teacher immunity, clarify removal and suspension procedures, require periodic review of in-school suspension placements, and align discipline rules; both substitutes were adopted and reported favorably. SB 1872, SB 1874, SB 762, SB 1962, SB 1750, SB 2252, SB 2253, SB 2365, SB 1924, and SB 37 were also considered, with most reported favorably on party-line or near-unanimous votes. SB 1750 would replace a flat charter school facilities funding cap with an attendance-based formula; SB 2252 and SB 2253 address kindergarten readiness, early literacy/numeracy, and educator preparation; SB 2365 concerns student phone use during instructional time; SB 1924 restores local citation authority for certain school offenses and adds reporting, notice, and completion requirements; and SB 37 would expand state oversight of higher education curriculum, governance, faculty senates, and compliance with state law. Other measures heard included SB 769, which would require a Coordinating Board report on barriers faced by students with disabilities in higher education; supporters emphasized the need for better data and accessibility, while witnesses suggested broader reporting on race, disability types, and K-12-to-college transitions. SB 2231 would designate a Free College Application Week in October and was left pending. SB 1878 would modernize the Josie School statute and provide formula funding and aid eligibility for Polytechnic College. SB 1409 would authorize universities to offer self-funded student health benefit plans, with Rice University and Texas 2036 supporting the measure as a way to lower costs and expand coverage. SB 2431 would require universities to give foreign language credit for study abroad programs, SB 2314 would require schools to inform students about opting in or out of record sharing for direct admissions through My Texas Future, and SB 2138 would extend the state’s anti-ESG contracting restrictions to public higher education endowments and governing boards; these later bills were introduced and left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> department of education does. And um Mr. department of education does. And um Mr.
• or department of education.
• or department of education.
• or department of education.
• or department of education.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hb 875 educator preparation.
• period for those educators.
• Reinstatement that through that process, experienced educators, mate re qualify for that Florida educator
• The Florida educator accomplish practices.
• We look at attrition is not based off of certifications, but it's based off of and educate, educate us

Transcript Highlights:

• majority who receives special education services.
• We represent educators across Washington's P- through higher education system.
• We represent educators across Washington's P- through higher education system.
• Washington's P-20 system is strongest when early learning, K-12 education, higher education, and workforce
• Washington's education system for Washington.

Bills: SB6078, SB6089, SB5859, SB5861, SB6065, SB5956, SB5901

Keywords: SB 6078, child care, childcare, daycare, licensed child care provider, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, DCYF, prelicensing, licensing support, resource guide, child care center, family home child care, family home provider, outdoor nature-based child care, school-age child care, early learning, provider application, local permit notice, city permit, county permit

Transcript Highlights:

• Jacob Oliva, Department of Education. Stacey Smith, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education.
• an adequate education.
• and Technical Education, and the Division of Higher Education are required to provide assistance and
• Then we have educators.
• the components of an adequate education, and evaluating the costs of an adequate education.

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the previous minutes and then focused on an update from the Department of Education on early childhood programs, especially the state-funded Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. Secretary Jacob Oliva and Deputy Commissioner Stacey Smith said Arkansas had received a federal Preschool Development Grant and described ongoing work to review ABC slots, which have been flat for years at about 23,800 slots and roughly $114 million. They said about 1,000 slots statewide are currently unfilled despite a waiting list of more than 2,000 families, and the department is shifting toward paying based on enrollment rather than guaranteed slots. Members asked about school choice, income eligibility, year-round access, curriculum flexibility, transportation, and whether funding should be increased or rebalanced; the department said it is collecting data, may survey providers more formally, and is considering whether to modernize income thresholds, daily rates, and other program rules. The committee agreed to form an early childhood subcommittee and asked the Bureau of Legislative Research to help gather historical information on income limits and other program details. The second major portion of the meeting was a legal presentation on the framework for Arkansas school adequacy by BLR education attorney Taylor Lloyd. She reviewed the constitutional basis for a “general, suitable, and efficient” public school system, the Dupree and Lake View cases, and the principle that adequacy and equity are different but related: adequacy asks what resources are needed, while equity asks whether those resources are distributed fairly. She explained that the General Assembly must define adequacy, study it, and react to evidence over time, and that the current adequacy definition includes curriculum and career/technical frameworks, the 38 mandatory Carnegie units, state testing standards, and sufficient funding. She also described the matrix as a funding tool, not a spending mandate, and noted that categorical funds are separate from the matrix. BLR’s Elizabeth Bynum then gave the historical framework, tracing legislative responses from Dupree through Lake View and into the present. She highlighted major changes such as the creation of equalization funding, fiscal distress and academic distress laws, the adequacy study process, the Educational Adequacy Fund, facilities and transportation changes, declining enrollment and student growth funding, and later adjustments to teacher salaries, isolated funding, and categorical programs. She explained that the adequacy study has evolved through committee hearings, surveys, site visits, and outside consultants, and that recent changes include updates to accountability references and the addition or removal of certain funding categories. Members asked follow-up questions about how the matrix is used, whether homeschool or private-school funding raises comparable issues, whether stakeholders include private and homeschool participants, whether school board members should be surveyed, and whether the state should revisit average daily membership versus attendance-based funding. No votes were taken on the adequacy presentations, but the committee did agree to continue the early childhood discussion in a future subcommittee meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• George Washington once advised that the primary object of public education should be the education of
• , Then incorporating input from the State Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and
• And again, we worked with the Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and the AG's office
• I'm a special educator, a health educator.
• I'm a special educator, a health educator.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first approved minutes from March 9, 10, and 11, 2026. It then heard Senate Bill 1336 from Senator Anthon, which would update civics and American history education standards in light of the America 250 celebration. The sponsor said the bill needed more work to preserve local control and flexibility, and asked that it be sent to the 14th order for amendment. Testimony was generally supportive of stronger civics instruction, but several school representatives raised concerns about codifying standards in statute, the timing and staffing impacts of a Western civilization requirement, and the need for clearer language. The committee voted to send SB 1336 to the 14th order. The committee next considered Senate Bill 1412 from Senator Nichols, a school employee hiring and reporting bill combining earlier measures and incorporating feedback from education and legal agencies. The bill would require more uniform disclosure, employer verification, mandatory reporting to law enforcement, reporting to the Professional Standards Commission, and whistleblower protections, including for private school employees. Testimony from educators and advocates described cases where abuse reports were allegedly mishandled or retaliation occurred, and supporters said the bill would create consistent statewide safeguards. The committee passed SB 1412 with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 832, dealing with career technical education instructor recruitment, would replace a fixed 6,000-hour industry experience requirement with a more flexible standard set by the State Board of Career Technical Education by content area. It received little opposition and was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 711, an alternative administrator certification bill creating grow-your-own and executive leadership pathways for principals and superintendents. Supporters said it would help districts, especially rural ones, recruit leaders and provide local flexibility; opponents argued it lowered standards and that the real problem was retention, not recruitment. After extensive testimony, the committee sent HB 711 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee returned to House Bill 516, which would restrict classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and expand parent-rights provisions. The sponsor proposed amendment language clarifying that incidental references in subjects like literature, history, biology, health sciences, and CTE would not be prohibited. Testimony split sharply: supporters said the bill would strengthen parental control and prevent inappropriate instruction, while opponents warned it could suppress discussion of LGBTQ history and related topics. The committee was still discussing the amendment language when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Education is in session.
• side of nursing education as possible.
• We won on FAPE, Free and Appropriate Education.
• So whenever you have a child or a student in public education who can't be educated, they send them to
• Now, IDEA is an education bill, so committees can only place students for educational reasons.

Bills: SB205, SB582, SB625, SB1884, SB1903, SB2600, SB2617, SB2751, SB111, SB3061, SB1908

Keywords: fetal development, health curriculum, public schools, middle school health education, grade 7, grade 8, State Board of Education, school health advisory council, Texas Education Code, pregnancy, reproductive health, infertility, birth defects, prenatal development, unborn child, trimester, medically accurate instruction, age-appropriate instruction, drug and alcohol effects, lead exposure

Transcript Highlights:

• The House Education Committee will come to order.
• and special education.
• educators.
• My hope is that the bill will finally educate the adults entrusted with my child's education so they
• My hope is that the bill will finally educate the adults and trusted with my child's education so they

Summary: The committee first took up a motion from Ranking Member Root to promptly schedule public hearings on two citizens’ initiatives. Supporters argued the Constitution and public accountability required hearings so voters could hear pro and con arguments; opponents said the legislature was not obligated to act that way and the initiatives would still be heard at the ballot. On a voice vote, the motion failed. The committee then heard extensive testimony on House Bill 1295, which would require evidence-aligned, comprehensive literacy instruction for K-4 students, update teacher endorsement standards and preparation programs, and require literacy-related continuing education for some teachers. The bill also repeals several older literacy-related provisions. The sponsor and supporters said Washington’s reading results are too low and that structured literacy reflects the science of reading; districts such as Puyallup described strong gains after adopting evidence-aligned instruction. Opponents and alternative-program advocates argued the bill could narrow instructional approaches and exclude programs they say have worked well. PESB testified neutrally that much of the endorsement work is already underway but asked for clarification on recertification language. The hearing on HB 1295 was suspended and later resumed with additional pro testimony from students, parents, and literacy advocates. House Bill 2262 was then heard and completed. It would require high school civics instruction to include teaching students to produce a legible, repeatable official signature and explain how signatures are used in elections and ballot processes, while also requiring related outreach and reporting on signature mismatch ballot rejections. The sponsor and county auditor testimony emphasized that younger voters often have signatures that change over time and that better instruction could reduce ballot rejections; questions focused on whether the bill should account for printed signatures and diverse writing systems. The Secretary of State’s office and county auditors were reported as supportive, and the hearing closed after a large number of pro sign-ins. The committee also heard House Bill 2636, which would create a public education performance, operations, and funding review commission to evaluate whether education mandates and funding are effective, relevant, and adequately supported. Supporters said the bill would help identify unfunded mandates and reduce administrative burdens on districts; rural district testimony urged a narrower scope and earlier start date. Finally, House Bill 2007 was heard, proposing competency-based assessments as additional graduation pathway options in place of some existing course/exam requirements. Student testimony supported more flexible, equitable pathways, while the State Board of Education said it supports competency-based education but preferred to wait for its broader Future Ready graduation-requirements work and noted the bill would require additional rulemaking. The hearing on HB 2007 closed after testimony from students and a neutral statement from SBE.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of state education choice policies, starting with the broader considerations relating to state education
• As a reminder, education savings accounts cover a wider range of approved educational expenses, though
• education agencies.
• Though state education choice programs provide options for different forms of education, such that charter
• Getting a quality education, right?

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> current issues that home education current issues that home education educators<00:17:38.960><c>
• home education.
• </c> and families who were home educating. and families who were home educating.
• in educational science.
• </c> Education. Thank you. Education. Thank you. &gt;&gt; Thank<00:50:16.720><c> you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• College Bound is education.
• College Bound is education.
• College Bound is education.
• College Bound is education.
• College Bound is education.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Revenue. one uh department of education. Revenue. one uh department of education.
• </c> students, educators, and families. students, educators, and families.
• And with this special education.
• </c> our educators, families, and schools. our educators, families, and schools.
• Oh the special education director education transportation. education transportation.

Bills: HF2430, HF2433

Keywords: education finance, teacher training, Read Act, state aid, school funding, education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And Penny is the new Republican caucus staff member on my side for education, far more educated than
• No, that's not physical education.
• Physical education is the core part of a student's basic education.
• It takes the education out of physical education.
• Disabilities Education Act must have an individualized education program, or IEP.

Summary: The committee began with a work session on Washington’s child care oversight and subsidy system, focusing on Working Connections Child Care, licensing, audits, and fraud prevention. DCYF officials said the program serves over 63,000 eligible families, with about 6,600 licensed providers and roughly 2,200 license-exempt family, friend, and neighbor providers. They described annual unannounced licensing visits, complaint investigations, attendance tracking, eligibility verification, random and focused audits, and referrals to the Office of Fraud and Accountability or Office of Financial Recovery when needed. Senators asked about voucher amounts, visit frequency, and what happens when children are not present; officials said the average subsidy is about $2,200 per month, providers are paid directly, and repeated failed visits can lead to license closure. Child Care Aware and provider testimony emphasized the quality system, Early Achievers, and a virtual provider described the practical realities of home-based care and unannounced inspections. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5952, which would standardize the process for waiving high school physical education requirements. The bill’s sponsor said the goal was to make PE waiver decisions consistent across districts so students who move schools are not disadvantaged, especially in six-period schedules with limited room for electives. Student supporters said a uniform process would improve fairness and help students fit in AP, career, or other coursework. Opponents, including PE teachers and the Washington Association of School Principals, argued that PE is a core academic subject, that athletics is not interchangeable with PE, and that local flexibility should remain. The State Board of Education supported the bill, saying current district policies vary widely and a standardized process would improve equity and transparency. Next, the committee took testimony on Senate Bill 5961, which would transfer the Imagination Library of Washington from DCYF to OSPI. The sponsor called it a simple administrative move to align the book-gifting program with early literacy and K-12 education, noting the program serves about 120,000 children in all 39 counties. OSPI and program representatives supported the transfer, saying it better fits the birth-to-grade-three literacy continuum and strengthens accountability. Testifiers highlighted the program’s role in school readiness, early brain development, and access to physical books for young children. Finally, the committee opened Senate Bill 5969, which would allow a student’s IEP transition plan to satisfy high school and beyond plan requirements if the IEP team chooses. The sponsor, a special education teacher, said the bill would reduce duplication and better support students with disabilities as they transition to postsecondary life. The committee then began hearing testimony on the proposal.

Transcript Highlights:

• and private higher education.
• The idea of education, the idea of public education, first formed in the neural paths of a Bostonian
• We know that students, whether they're in K-12 or higher education, want their education to be engaging
• I mean, I feel like when it comes to education in the state, and I brag as much as anybody about education
• And I thank you for your commitment to public higher education, to our students, and our educators.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its second public hearing of the 194th General Court on capital investments in higher education, focusing primarily on H.54, the Bright Act, along with H.1426/S.949 on green and healthy public colleges and universities and deferred maintenance, and H.1424 on capital investment in Gateway Cities. Chairs and administration officials framed the hearing as a response to aging campus infrastructure, climate goals, workforce needs, and federal pressures on higher education, and explained that testimony would be taken from pre-registered speakers in person and virtually. University of Massachusetts leaders strongly supported the Bright Act, describing large deferred maintenance backlogs, aging buildings, and the need to decarbonize campuses while modernizing research and teaching facilities. UMass officials said the bill would help keep tuition and fees lower by reducing the need for campuses to finance capital work themselves, and argued that the investments would improve competitiveness, support research, and create construction jobs. Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary of Education Tuttweiler, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Gorzkowicz also backed the bill, saying it would leverage Fair Share surtax revenues for a proposed $2.5 billion in campus investments plus additional targeted grants, and that it would support affordability, economic growth, and climate resilience. Committee members asked about the balance between deferred maintenance and decarbonization, the role of grant programs versus direct spending, the impact on tuition and fees, and how the plan would help campuses respond to federal cuts such as NIH and NSF funding. Administration officials said the proposal was designed to be phased in quickly, with some projects ready to start immediately and others taking longer, and that the grant programs would be structured to include all campuses equitably. They also said the plan would build on an existing financing model similar to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and could help campuses avoid future tuition increases tied to capital costs. Additional testimony came from MassBay Community College, where President David Podell and recent nursing graduate Deanna Cavazos described the benefits of a new Framingham campus building and said community colleges need modern labs, better planning capacity, and deferred maintenance support to serve the enrollment growth from MassReconnect and MassEducate. State university leaders, including President Mary Grant, President Linda Thompson, and President John Keenan, said their campuses face outdated classrooms, insufficient electrical capacity, and aging facilities, and urged passage of the Bright Act as a long-overdue investment in student success and workforce preparation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Make Texas higher education, do not put a wrench in the works and make Texas higher education not the
• Without these certain "liberal arts" classes, my education and my peers' education will suffer.
• post higher education.
• It's bad for higher education.
• in higher education.

Bills: SB 37

Keywords: fetal development, education, public health curriculum, middle school, age-appropriate instruction

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I've worked in education.
• Um, I've been on the Board of Education. I am not a teacher or an educator.
• Um, I've been on the Board of Education. I am not a teacher or an educator.
• By education, you're talking about education background, background.
• </c> board of education? board of education?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> checks for home educators. checks for home educators.
• . educators. educators.
• . education. education.
• . education. education.
• Education. There was nothing in the RSA Education.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 69, including a germane amendment about local school boards’ acceptance or rejection of gifts and donations and a non-germane amendment creating a virtual early childhood readiness family engagement program for preschool children not yet in kindergarten. Rep. Cordelli said the early literacy proposal was a modified version of an earlier kindergarten readiness bill, would rely on gifts and donations rather than state appropriations, and would include reporting requirements. Members questioned the shift from a broader technology program to an online-only model, the lack of detailed evaluation metrics, how long children would use the program, and whether it was appropriate for very young children. Cordelli said the change was intended to avoid government dependence and still allow the program to be offered next school year. Several members raised concerns about the gift-acceptance language on the underlying bill, including whether school boards would need to vote on small donations, whether gifts could be handled in blocks or at regular meetings, and how anonymous donations would work under right-to-know laws. Rep. Han noted that some gift discussions might belong in non-public session under RSA 91-A, while Rep. Cornell said acceptance or rejection of gifts could be handled at regular meetings and suggested a dollar threshold could be added later. The New Hampshire School Boards Association said it was not taking a position but wanted clearer guardrails, policy guidance, and clarification on timing, anonymity, and public-meeting requirements. Supporters of the early childhood program, including Waterford.org, said the proposal would provide an evidence-based, adaptive online literacy program with family engagement for four- and five-year-olds, and that it could help close early learning gaps. Waterford said it could work collaboratively with school districts and IEP teams, and that it would provide devices and internet access for families who need them. Committee members pressed on how the program would interact with existing special education services and whether districts could use it as part of an IEP; the response was that it would be supplementary and not an approved special education service. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chair indicated the committee would later executive the bills and try to get reports filed promptly.

Transcript Highlights:

• So all these kids who are in special education who qualify for special education who are in private schools
• I forget the Education service provider? Education... no, that's the private school. Yeah.
• Educational assistance organization? Educational assistance... educational assistance organization.
• else would be regular education.
• , we want to support public education, and this is not going to hurt public education.

Bills: HB 3

Keywords: emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management, public safety infrastructure, Project 25, P25, broadband emergency alerting, outdoor warning sirens, homeland security, disaster response

Transcript Highlights:

• , not special education.
• Are there any talks about general education programming possibly being targeted if special education
• Again, I think what I relate this to in both the general education and the special education is looking
• , not special education.
• Are there any talks about general education programming possibly being targeted if special education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all