Transcript Highlights:

• Our next supplemental fund is declining enrollment funding.
• of declining enrollment.
• They do not receive both, like declining enrollment funding.
• Districts will continue to receive this amount once eligible.
• However, pursuant to Act 905 of the regular population increases or they'll continue to remain continue

Summary: The committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Department of Education on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, featuring three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central who are also teacher merit pay recipients. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long Zoom-based collaboration with about 23 educators statewide, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about the teachers’ experience, how they share what they learn with their districts, the range of grades represented in the fellowship, and the relationship between the fellowship and merit pay. The teachers emphasized building relationships with students, using data to drive instruction, early intervention, and collaboration across grade levels, while the secretary said the program is intended to identify and elevate high-performing teachers and spread their practices. A major portion of the discussion focused on third-grade reading, retention, and the new ATLAS testing system. Teachers and the secretary said students are screened and progress monitored throughout the year, families are notified early if students are at risk, and schools are using interventions, tutoring, and individualized reading plans. They said ATLAS results are now available much faster than in the past, often within 24 hours or a few days, allowing teachers and parents to respond quickly. Members asked about the impact of poverty, trauma, foster care, DHS involvement, IEPs, and critical shortage areas; teachers said relationship-building, small-group instruction, and coordination with counselors and special education staff are key. The secretary said the fellowship is a small subset of a broader merit pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is trying to build a coherent system with literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and clearer standards rather than teaching to the test. Members also discussed broader policy issues, including the need for more positive public messaging about public education, teacher input in decision-making, and support for early childhood education. Several legislators asked whether the state should expand funding for early learning and whether more literacy or academic coaches are needed in districts that improve and then lose eligibility for state support. The secretary said the state has committed literacy coaches to D and F schools and is still working through how to sustain support as schools improve. He also said the administration would look at data and return on investment before supporting additional funding, and he encouraged legislators to help recruit eligible teachers into future fellowship cohorts. After the teacher panel concluded, the committee moved on to the adequacy resource allocation study, where Bureau of Legislative Research staff began a presentation on state and local education funding sources, categorical funds, and district spending patterns.

Transcript Highlights:

• What do you want to achieve by May to allow them to continue? To be in May?
• Okay, so this is part two, continuing our resource allocation presentations.
• Our next supplemental fund is declining enrollment funding.
• of declining enrollment.
• The districts that have been identified will continue to use that.

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The Senate and House Education Committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship Program from Department of Education staff and three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central. The teachers described the year-long fellowship for high-performing merit pay recipients, saying it provided collaboration with educators across the state, shared resources, and ideas they brought back to their districts. Members asked about the teachers’ experience levels, how they shared information locally, and whether the program should be expanded to more teachers and districts. A major focus of the discussion was third-grade reading, the new ATLAS testing system, and the state’s third-grade retention law. The teachers said they do not teach to the test, but use standards, data, interventions, small groups, and relationships to help students grow. They described progress monitoring throughout the year, early screening in K-2, and interventions such as before-school tutoring, RTI meetings, and co-teaching. One teacher reported that six students in a small group improved 10 to 15 points on ATLAS, and another said a student who started the year reading four words per minute improved significantly with targeted support. Secretary Jacob Oliva said the state is trying to create clarity and alignment through Arkansas Learns, science-of-reading support, literacy coaches, and faster test-result turnaround, with student scores now available within about 24 hours and district-level results expected later in the summer. Members also asked about student poverty, trauma, ACEs, DHS involvement, social workers, community supports, and the role of counselors. The teachers emphasized that relationship-building is essential, especially for students facing unstable home situations, and described local supports such as backpack food programs, church donations, fire department incentives, and family assistance. Oliva said the fellowship was intentionally small in its first year because it targeted top-tier merit pay recipients, but he expects participation to grow. He also said merit pay and fellowship eligibility spans many grade levels and subjects, including kindergarten and hard-to-staff areas, and that D and F schools receive state literacy coaches. No additional committee votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've continued to see tremendous enrollment growth on our campus, and I think as we talk a little later
• We've continued to see tremendous<00:01:44.960> enrollment<00:01:45.439> growth<00:01:45.920
• As you can see, that enrollment has nearly tripled since 2018 as we continue to see this growth.
• As you can see, that enrollment has nearly tripled since 2018 as we continue to see this growth.
• As you can see, that enrollment has nearly tripled since 2018 as we continue to see this growth.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met to begin hearing budget requests from Kentucky universities. Eastern Kentucky University President David McFaden highlighted EKU’s enrollment growth, its large population of Pell-eligible and first-generation students, and its role in producing graduates for Kentucky’s workforce, especially in health care, public safety, manufacturing, engineering, and aviation. He said EKU is seeking support for a Center for Health Innovation, including a doctor of osteopathic medicine program, with a $50 million accreditation escrow and startup funding that would be returned to the state after accreditation. He also described EKU’s health programs, which have strong pass rates and high in-state employment outcomes, and said the university wants continued asset preservation funding, inflationary operating support, and other recurring budget items. McFaden also outlined EKU’s aviation request, including $10 million for new aircraft and support for an enhanced air traffic control program created in response to a legislative study. He said the program would enroll cohorts of about 30 students, likely attract out-of-state students, and require a $5 million startup investment plus $1.5 million in annual recurring support. He added that EKU’s lab school is seeking a revised funding model tied to enrollment rather than a flat mandated amount. Committee members asked follow-up questions about the medical school escrow, aircraft needs, and program capacity, and McFaden clarified that the escrow would remain intact until accreditation and then be returned to the general fund. Kentucky State University President Kakpo then reviewed prior capital support that helped repair a dorm and several leaking roofs, and said the university is still addressing campus infrastructure problems. He said KSU’s main request is a new health sciences building to house its growing nursing program and language program, along with $40 million for additional dorm renovations and a carve-out for its aquaculture program. Kakpo said the aquaculture PhD proposal would be federally funded and could bring in more revenue, while the new building would help relieve overcrowding and support KSU’s research role. In response to questions, he said KSU’s campus housing capacity would be about 1,334 beds if all dorms were repaired, and that the university is rotating students through renovated buildings while trying to keep them on campus. Committee members also raised safety concerns about the December campus shooting at KSU. Kakpo said the incident was isolated, expressed sympathy for the families affected, and said the university has reviewed campus procedures, added police and security positions, and is strengthening safety processes. The meeting did not include any votes or formal actions; it was a budget presentation and question-and-answer session.

Transcript Highlights:

• May your Founders' Day be filled with pride, purpose, and continued service.
• May your Founders Day be filled with pride, purpose, and continued service.
• My hope is that we continue to push this agenda forward.
• And I just appreciate that we continue to work through this, to look to improve it.
• And that's what we'll continue to do. But we did it.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions, including recognition of Alpha Kappa Alpha Founders’ Day and a visiting debate student. The chamber then took up a committee report on 52 executive appointments. After explanation by Ethics and Elections Chair Don Gates, the Senate adopted the report and confirmed the appointments by a vote of 39-0. The first major bill was SB 250 on rural communities. Senator Simon described it as a broad rural development package creating an Office of Rural Prosperity, a Renaissance Grant Program for counties losing population, housing and transportation investments, additional funding for rural education, and rural health care measures. Two amendments were adopted to remove overlapping health provisions in light of a new federal rural health grant and to update hospital funding estimates. Senators from both parties spoke in support, while also asking about eligibility and access to grant funds. The bill passed 39-0. The Senate then considered CS/SB 318 on educational scholarship programs. Senator Gates said the bill responds to Auditor General concerns by separating scholarship funding from public school funding, requiring student identification and enrollment verification, reducing administrative fees for scholarship funding organizations, requiring annual audits, and directing the Department of Education to develop a competitive selection and performance plan for those organizations. Three amendments were adopted, including removal of a declining-enrollment provision for later conforming legislation and changes to enrollment documentation and withdrawal procedures. Senators from both parties supported the bill while raising concerns about accountability, student oversight, and school quality. The bill passed 38-0. Afterward, the Senate waived rules so SB 250 and CS/SB 318 could be immediately certified to the House. The session ended with announcements, including Palm Beach County Day at the Capitol and a reminder about the chamber group photograph, followed by adjournment until the next scheduled meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh the chart that people enrolled.
• emergency, we know that the enrollment emergency, we know that the enrollment went<00:04:06.159>
• And so we'll continue to do that.
• just an indication of open enrollment. just an indication of open enrollment.
• probably going to continue for 2026. probably going to continue for 2026.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint informational briefing by the Health and Human Services and Commerce and Consumer Protection committees focused on projected impacts to Hawaii consumers from federal changes affecting Med-QUEST and the ACA marketplace, including the loss of ACA premium tax credits, OBVA/HR1-related Medicaid changes, immigrant eligibility restrictions, and new Medicaid work/community engagement requirements. Committee members noted the meeting was being streamed live and emphasized the need to explain potential coverage losses affecting a significant share of the state population. Med-QUEST administrators reported current enrollment at 390,766, about 27% of Hawaii’s population, and broke that down into major groups including roughly 128,000 ACA expansion adults and about 52,000 parent/caretaker relatives. They said the expansion adult population would be most affected by the new federal requirements, which will shorten renewal periods from 12 months to 6 months and impose community engagement rules beginning in late 2026 and 2027. They described the work requirement as 80 hours per month of work, community service, work program participation, or half-time education, with an income-based pathway tied to $580 per month at the federal minimum wage; they also noted a long list of exemptions, but said many details are still awaiting federal guidance and rulemaking. The administrators said federal changes to immigrant eligibility would eliminate Medicaid coverage for certain noncitizen categories, with an estimated 1,200 to 2,400 people affected, though about 200 may remain covered through a state-funded program for otherwise eligible individuals. They also said marketplace subsidies would no longer be available for some immigrants under 100% of the federal poverty level starting January 1, 2026, with further restrictions expected in 2027. For Hawaii overall, they estimated the new Medicaid work and renewal rules could push an additional 19,000 to 38,000 people into uninsured status, with another estimated 6,000 at risk from the six-month renewal process alone. Members asked about how exemptions would be determined, especially for medically frail and seriously mentally ill individuals, and administrators said they were still awaiting detailed federal rules and were working on data-matching and verification processes to reduce coverage losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• May your Founders' Day be filled with pride, purpose, and continued service.
• My hope is that we continue to push this agenda forward.
• I just appreciate that we continue to work through this, to look to improve it.
• And I just appreciate that we continue to work through this, to look to improve it.
• And that's what we'll continue to do. But we did it.

Summary: The Senate convened with a prayer, pledge, doctor-of-the-day introduction, and several recognitions, including a Founders’ Day tribute to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a welcome to a nationally ranked student debater in the gallery. The chamber then took up a committee report on 52 gubernatorial executive appointments; after explanation by the Ethics and Elections chair, the Senate adopted the report and confirmed the appointments by a vote of 39-0. The first major bill was SB 250 on rural communities. Senator Simon described it as a broad “Rural Renaissance” package creating an Office of Rural Prosperity, a Renaissance Grant Program, housing and transportation investments, education funding, and rural health care improvements. Two amendments were adopted to remove overlapping health-care provisions in light of new federal rural health funding and to update hospital funding amounts. Senators from both parties spoke in support, emphasizing the bill’s focus on rural infrastructure, health care access, and local flexibility. The bill passed 39-0. The Senate then considered CS/SB 318 on educational scholarship programs. Senator Gates explained that the bill responds to Auditor General concerns by separating scholarship funding from public-school funding, tightening enrollment verification, reducing administrative fees, requiring student identification numbers, improving reimbursement processes, and directing the Department of Education to develop a business plan for scholarship funding organizations. Three amendments were adopted, including removal of a declining-enrollment provision from the bill, with that issue expected to move elsewhere. Senators discussed transparency, accountability, and protections against overpayments and unverified enrollments, while also noting the need to preserve support for school districts. The bill passed 38-0. After both bills passed, the Senate waived rules to immediately certify SB 250 and CS/SB 318 to the House. The chamber also heard announcements recognizing Palm Beach County Day at the Capitol and scheduled a group photograph for the following Thursday before adjourning until January 22 or upon the President’s call.

Transcript Highlights:

• She will continue this fall.
• But I think the money that we are now putting for dual enrollment is... ...now putting for dual enrollment
• . ...the ability to do dual enrollment.
• Ladies and gentlemen, this bill simply continues... gentlemen, this bill simply continues the Board of
• And so, after having a year, and the committee has continued to work... ...and the committee has continued

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is based on enrollment rather than credits completed, and only the enrollment for the fall semesters
• Okay, continue.
• Okay, continue.
• Okay, continue. Okay.
• But we continue to clean up on the bill. We will. We continue to clean up on the bill.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• an open enrollment school.
• um representative cordellia continue um representative cordellia continue could<01:20:22.560>
• enrollment enrollment<01:33:30.920> course<01:33:31.920> um<01:33:32.360> so<01
• > enrollment open enrollment open enrollment experience<02:28:06.479> um<02:28:06.640><
• We can't even get enrollment.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 695, relating to school districts and medically related grants. The sponsor argued the bill was vague and could undermine existing law, and another member said it would add an unnecessary mandate for school districts. The committee voted to recommend inexpedient to legislate, and the motion passed 18-0. Next, House Bill 765, which would consolidate school administrative units and make superintendent jobs elected positions, was also recommended inexpedient to legislate. Members said the bill raised too many questions, could duplicate other legislation, and would move away from local control. That motion likewise passed 18-0. House Bill 768, allowing public school districts to contract with approved private schools, drew more debate. Supporters described it as a language cleanup and an expansion of educational opportunity, while opponents raised concerns about the placement of the language and pending Supreme Court cases. The committee voted 10-8 to recommend ought to pass, and then 10-8 to recommend ought to pass as amended, with a minority report noted. The committee then considered House Bill 446, dealing with parental notice for non-academic surveys. An amendment was offered to make the Youth Risk Behavior Survey opt-in rather than opt-out. Supporters said parents should be informed and should choose whether their children participate, while opponents argued the survey is an important tool for mental health data, grants, and school programming, and that opt-in would reduce participation and data quality. The amendment passed 10-8, and the bill as amended also passed 10-8, with a minority report noted. Finally, the committee began House Bill 741, which would allow parents to send children to any school district they choose and expand open enrollment. The sponsor described it as broadening choice and keeping public funds in public schools, and an amendment was proposed to restore provisions for children of military personnel. Discussion on the amendment began, but the transcript cuts off before any vote on House Bill 741 or the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:24:35.440> period choice when an open enrollment period choice when an open enrollment
• <00:24:36.880> in comes out you can you can enroll in comes out you can you can enroll in
• enrollment period. enrollment period.
• <00:25:44.640> to country is not working and continuing to country is not working and continuing
• This is a top concern enrollment period.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But we must continue to be focused on providing support for our students.
• So whether that's continuing students or incoming students, I'm not exactly certain.
• Have that uncertainty in the continuous repackaging of student aid.
• A one-time $20 million investment will allow us to rebuild and expand enrollment.
• Without this investment, our ability to serve our students, expand enrollment, and continue to lead in

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• its best wishes for continued success. its best wishes for continued success.
• Lunstead who continued to push us throughout the year and continues to push us as we go on to nationals
• Lunstead who continued to push us throughout the year and continues to push us as we go on to nationals
• Okay, if we open up open enrollment, then that if we open up open enrollment, then that shifts<00:37:
• If we are serious about open enrollment, let's get serious about open enrollment.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please feel free to continue.
• There's going to be a new um hurdles to enrollment and re-enrollment. I call it the hassle factor.
• And We tend to be kind of like our enrollment projections tend to track more with actual enrollment.
• Medicaid enrollment on slide 25.
• That's why enrollment matters.

Transcript Highlights:

• Increase our enrollment. Modernize our workflow.
• People need to be going out and to them we need to get people enrolled in doing them.
• We'll head 95 people enrolled which was not a lot and their water quality problems.
• >> The map is currently enrolled in best management practices.
• But what are you seeing as you probably get more bang for your buck enrolled?

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're going to be continuing to have those conversations.
• So we switched over to a continuous improvement model.
• And would this impact your enrollment and at what point does...
• And would this impact your enrollment, and at what point does that increase in tuition reduce your enrollment
• We'll continue to have this conversation as we look at various funding models, as we look at how we continue

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on higher education funding, focusing on how Florida’s university system should be financed and whether a new funding model is needed. University system financial officers and Chancellor Ray Rodriguez discussed major cost drivers, including wages and benefits, utilities, maintenance, financial aid, research, and the effects of geography, institutional mission, and student mix. UF highlighted the cost of research and graduate programs; UCF and FAU pointed to growth, location, and cost of living; FAMU emphasized recruiting top-tier talent while relying on other revenue sources; and UNF noted the challenges of growth and long-term planning. Members also discussed the role of internal controls and audits in addressing excessive spending and questioned whether out-of-state tuition should be adjusted to help offset costs. On revenue sources beyond state appropriations and tuition, the panel described auxiliaries, restricted funds, capital projects, and component units such as foundations and health systems. Several universities noted that some revenues are restricted to specific purposes and cannot be used for general operations. FAMU explained that a large share of its capital project funding reflected active campus construction, while UF said its component-unit revenue is largely tied to UF Health. The Chancellor emphasized that the system’s low tuition and strong state support are central to Florida’s national standing, but also noted that some auxiliary revenues are pledged to debt and must be managed carefully. When discussing the current funding process, witnesses praised Florida’s performance-based funding model for aligning incentives with student success, transparency, and accountability. They also raised concerns about non-recurring appropriations, rising employee benefit costs, unfunded mandates, deferred maintenance, and the difficulty of multi-year planning. Suggestions for improvement included more recurring funding, better coverage of mandated costs, greater flexibility in fee-setting, and possible weighting for mission, geography, and institutional type. The Chancellor said the Board of Governors is considering a “version 3.0” of performance-based funding that would benchmark institutions against peers and Carnegie classifications, but any changes would require legislative action. On out-of-state tuition, most universities said they would prefer local board flexibility, while the Chancellor cautioned that increasing out-of-state enrollment or fees could affect future state support and should be balanced carefully.

Transcript Highlights:

• enrollment each year since 2020. enrollment each year since 2020.
• than 2400 student athletes are enrolled than 2400 student athletes are enrolled in<00:49:42.960>
• While I will say mentioned dual enrollment, we allow our adult learners also to dual enroll.
• <00:55:46.880> mean students enrolled in dual enroll I mean students enrolled in dual enroll
• <00:56:38.960> So, continue to award credentials. So, continue to award credentials.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our state continues to grow and get older.
• So I think that one of the things is that we make sure that we continue to manage our enrollment, that
• our enrollment stays healthy, and find ways to do that to promote our enrollment, to promote our advising
• side of our enrollment.
• And I want to continue, as a board of trustee, I want to continue supporting enrollment growth, but keeping

Bills: S0720, S1246

Keywords: tuition, resident status, incarceration, education, equal access, nursing shortage, health care, education funding, workforce development, LINE Fund, monetary contributions, nonmonetary contributions

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to consider one bill, a postponed bill, and a slate of trustee confirmations. The committee first took up CS/SB 1246, which expands the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) fund to support health science workforce shortages beyond nursing, including allied health programs. The bill also broadens eligible uses of funds, revises matching requirements and grant criteria, and updates reporting requirements. A strike-all amendment was adopted without objection, and the committee then reported the bill favorably after supportive testimony from Florida State College at Jacksonville, the Florida Hospital Association, the College of Central Florida, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Senator Davis also noted a favorable vote on the bill for the record. The committee then temporarily postponed SB 720 at the sponsor’s request. Chair Harrell explained that the bill had been incorporated into a larger committee measure and would likely be heard later in another form. Public witnesses who had come to speak on the bill were not heard because of the postponement. The remainder of the meeting focused on confirmations for trustees at several state colleges, including Chipola College, Tallahassee State College, Pensacola State College, Palm Beach State College, Pasco-Hernando State College, and St. Petersburg College. The appointees emphasized themes of affordability, workforce training, nursing and allied health success, dual enrollment, community partnerships, and local economic development. After hearing from the appointees, the committee approved a block motion to recommend confirmation of all appointees on tabs 2 through 25. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this committee will continue to do just that.
• So that is work that will continue.
• We are continuing to review these proposals and are happy to continue conversations, both with our stakeholders
• So I will continue to push... ...like, continue to say that enough is enough, and I'm saying that enough
• Thank you very much for your continued support.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a hearing on the Governor’s May Revision, with no votes taken. The first major topic was child care and early education, where the Department of Social Services and Department of Finance outlined proposed changes to absorb federal Child Care and Development Fund and Proposition 64 revenue reductions, shift some funding between child care programs, end funding for prospective pay implementation now that the federal requirement has been rescinded, adjust the alternative payment administration structure, and fund child care infrastructure grants and a Low-Income Investment Fund contract closeout. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the budget makes progress on the structural deficit but recommended maintaining the administration’s solution level, making reserve deposits, and avoiding new ongoing commitments; it also raised concerns about shifting reductions to the California Alternative Payment Program and about the proposed administrative-rate change. Committee members strongly criticized the proposed loss of child care slots and said they would oppose eliminating those slots, while also expressing support for child care as essential infrastructure. The committee then reviewed California State Preschool Program proposals. Finance and CDE described reductions to the preschool COLA from 2.41% to 2.01%, removal of prospective pay funding, and increases for the QRIS block grant, audit support, and rate reform implementation. Trailer bill language would codify age-based rate categories, inclusion-rate documentation, family fee collection rules, portability, and excused absences. CDE supported the QRIS increase and some attendance and family-fee changes, but warned that aligning three- and four-year-old rates could reduce support for three-year-olds and that the budget does not fully cover enrollment growth. Members also questioned whether the preschool and child care slot reductions should be reallocated rather than terminated, and the administration said the reductions were intended to reflect current utilization and avoid harm to currently enrolled families. The hearing then moved to CalFresh and nutrition programs. CDSS said the May Revision includes a one-time CalFood augmentation, funding to cover federal SNAP administrative cost-share pressures, and additional staffing and technical assistance to implement HR 1 changes, including the able-bodied adults without dependents time limit and new non-citizen eligibility rules. The department estimated HR 1 could cut CalFresh funding by $2.3 billion to $3.7 billion annually and affect about 500,000 people, with roughly 806,000 adults potentially subject to the time limit and about 34,000 non-citizens expected to lose eligibility once fully implemented. Members pressed for stronger harm mitigation, including a $98 million backfill to protect families from losing food benefits, and raised concerns about county workload and the “chilling effect” on immigrant participation. The final portion of the transcript began the IHSS presentation, noting a revised budget of $33.7 billion total funds and $12.8 billion General Fund, with proposed reductions tied to Medi-Cal asset-limit changes and other federal conformity items.

Transcript Highlights:

• that has meant and continues to mean so much to the state of Florida as we continue to serve.
• We continue to fund the Rural and Family Lands Act, so we are continuing to purchase land and conserve
• Let's make sure that we can continue to have the AP and dual enrollment funding.
• , because dual enrollment... ...because dual enrollment helps kids access college and helps them save
• fluctuating enrollment.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present, then adopted the special order report and moved into a series of budget-related bills. The chamber first took up HB 5011/SB 2506 on environmental resource management and natural resources funding, where Democrats argued the bill would reduce recurring support for the Resilient Florida program, the Florida Wildlife Corridor, invasive species removal, and other conservation efforts. Supporters said the change would shift money from recurring to nonrecurring funding so the Legislature could reassess priorities each year and rely more on private-sector stewardship. After a strike-all amendment and conference posture change, SB 2506 passed 97-12. HB 5013, reducing state-funded property reinsurance reserves, passed 108-0, and HB 5501, redirecting documentary stamp tax distributions from housing and transportation trust funds into general revenue, passed 82-26 after extended debate over its impact on affordable housing and transportation funding. The House also passed HB 5015 on state group insurance, which requires DMS to develop a formulary management system and was described as producing significant savings; members raised concerns about prescription access and implementation, but the bill passed 109-0. HB 5201 on state financial accounting and HB 5203 on the Capitol Center both passed unanimously, as did HB 5009, which creates a Florida Accountability Office and reorganizes audit functions. The chamber then passed HB 7031, a major sales tax reduction bill lowering the state sales tax rate and several related rates; supporters framed it as permanent relief for all Floridians, while opponents said property tax relief would be more meaningful and that the sales tax cut would also benefit tourists and out-of-state visitors. HB 7031 passed 112-0. The House then began consideration of HB 501, the proposed fiscal year 2025-26 budget, totaling $112.9 billion and emphasizing reduced recurring spending and large reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined their budget silos: K-12 education at $20.6 billion with teacher raises, school hardening, literacy, transportation stipends, and security funding for Jewish day schools; health care at $47 billion with full Medicaid and KidCare funding, opioid settlement spending, mental health beds, and senior services; transportation/economic development at $18.5 billion; agriculture and natural resources at $5.8 billion with reduced Everglades spending but continued water, resiliency, and land management funding; higher education at $8.7 billion; state administration at $2.9 billion; justice at $7.3 billion; and IT at $529 million for Florida PALM, FX, and other systems. Members then began questioning the K-12 budget, focusing on FEFP funding, proration, voucher growth, stabilization dollars, mental health and school safety funding, and whether districts would be held harmless under the proposed allocations.

Transcript Highlights:

• “Enrollment cap means the total number of students that may be enrolled in the EFA program in a given
• whom enrollment is always open.”
• <00:27:03.039> And whom enrollment is always open. And whom enrollment is always open.
• <00:28:01.039> on enrollment cap and shall be enrolled on enrollment cap and shall be enrolled
• enroll to decide make decisions. enroll to decide make decisions.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session on SB 145, which would require sexual assault evidence kits to be delivered to the state forensic lab within seven business days and analyzed more promptly. Pamela Kyle of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence said the bill was developed after survivor concerns and extensive discussions with the Departments of Safety and Justice. She explained that most agencies already deliver kits quickly, but some kits sit for months, and the bill is intended to add structure without penalties while preserving chain of custody. Members discussed the use of common carriers or courier services for transport, the need for clear rules, and whether carriers would know what they were transporting. Representative Papovich offered amendment 2025-2301H to remove the reimbursement program for police shipping costs, arguing it would add administrative overhead and was unnecessary. The amendment was adopted on a roll call vote, and the committee then voted OTPA on SB 145 as amended, with members voting yes on the roll call. The committee then opened a work session on SB 295, and the sponsor presented a replace-all amendment intended to simplify and clarify the Education Freedom Account bill without changing its purpose. The amendment would remove income-cap language, define priority enrollment groups, establish an enrollment cap for the EFA program, and create rolling enrollment rules. It would set a 10,000-student cap for the 2025-2026 school year, allow the cap to increase by 25% if enrollment exceeds 90% of the prior cap, and ensure current participants can remain enrolled. The amendment also provides that certain sections would later be repealed once the Department of Education certifies that applications have not exceeded the cap for two consecutive school years. The sponsor walked through the amendment section by section, explaining that the bill is structured in two phases: one while caps exist and another after they are no longer needed.