Transcript Highlights:

• We have already seen how complaint-driven laws disproportionately impact LGBTQ-plus educators, educators
• It prioritizes optics over education and control over trust.
• I am a proud product of public school education.
• I am a proud product of public school education.
• Education works best when all three stand together.

Summary: The Education Administration Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered several education-related bills. CS/HB 1085 on local government cybersecurity was presented as a measure to codify an existing grant program that has helped secure more than 200 local governments, especially rural and fiscally constrained ones; Florida League of Cities supported it, and it passed 15-0. PCS/HB 371 on patriotic displays at public schools would require, subject to appropriation, display of portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in school common areas for America’s 250th anniversary; one opponent argued it would create complaint-driven enforcement and pressure educators, but the sponsor said the PCS narrowed the original classroom requirement, and the bill passed 16-0. PCS/HB 833 on private school facilities would deem small private schools of 150 students or fewer a permitted use in commercial and mixed-use zoning districts and allow use of certain existing buildings if fire and occupancy standards are met. Supporters said it would reduce local red tape and expand school choice, while opponents warned it would divert public resources and weaken public education; several members raised concerns about local traffic and safety authority. The sponsor said she was open to further amendments, and the bill passed 13-3. PCS/HB 1147 on school district unimproved real property would require districts to submit annual inventories of vacant, unimproved land to the Department of Education for transparency and planning; some members and a Monroe County school board member questioned the need for a state registry, while supporters said it would improve data and accountability. The bill passed 12-3. The committee then considered HB 615 on individualized education plans (IEPs), which would strengthen parent notification and access to service logs, require individualized orientation for newly eligible students, and standardize district service logs. An amendment removed notification requirements when a missed service was due to student absence, and it was adopted. The bill drew emotional testimony from a student and parent describing missed accommodations, along with support from Disability Rights Florida and several members who emphasized parent partnership and accountability; one ESE teacher said the bill was a good start but more staffing and support are needed. The bill passed unanimously 15-0, and the meeting adjourned after all agenda items were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• , educ educational employment, educ educational opportunities<00:10:39.600><c> for</c><00:10:39.920><
• </c> for investigations of educators for investigations of educators um<01:04:38.079><c> pushing</c><
• misconduct</c><01:06:27.359><c> do</c> allegations of educator misconduct do allegations of educator
• </c><01:09:57.679><c> when</c> from the Department of Education when from the Department of Education
• We've educated. Thank you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Bill 894 sd1 relating to education Bill 894 sd1 relating to education appropriates<00:27:32.880>
• Education<01:09:02.239><c> Department</c><01:09:02.600><c> of</c><01:09:03.159><c> Education</c><01:09
• </c> children while preserving educational children while preserving educational Freedom<01:16:59.560
• This is not education. You cannot find any educational component in these books.
• </c><01:25:15.080><c> material</c> in to have this uh educational material in to have this uh educational

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard Senate Bill 659, which would exempt the Department of Education from the electronic procurement system for purchases of fresh local agricultural products and local value-added processed agricultural or food products up to $100,000, and require geographic preference guidelines for locally sourced products. The Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and State Procurement Office all testified in support or support of the intent. DOE said the bill would give it short-term flexibility to buy local items not currently on the vendor list, such as poi and limu, while procurement staff said they would provide written comments and a corrected version of their testimony. Committee members questioned why the bill was needed, why the threshold would rise from the current $24,999 small-purchase limit to $100,000, and whether the department should instead amend its vendor list or RFP process. Members raised concerns about efficiency, administrative burden, whether the bill was a temporary fix for procurement planning gaps, and whether purchases would remain compliant with federal USDA rules if federal school-lunch funds were used. DOE responded that the measure would help it expand local purchasing, support farmers, and allow purchases of products not currently available through existing distributors, and said it was working with partners on food-safety certification and federal compliance. The committees then voted to pass SB 659 with amendments. The Joint Committee on Education approved it 3-2, and the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Environment later approved the amended measure 4-0. The chair noted an amendment and a deferred effective date, and the motion was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• President: Education today, we'd ask our secretary to take a silent roll. No, no, sorry, sorry.
• After that, then we'll have a presentation by Brandon Wolfe, Transparent Idaho, Education Data.
• Peter Kohler to serve as a State Board of Education member. Thank you, Senator.
• Okay, here's our main home page, but I'm going to jump over here to education.
• We've had the educational salaries, so certified and classified.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first considered two gubernatorial appointments to the State Board of Education. Senator Ward-Engelking moved both Jennifer White and Peter Kohler be sent to the Senate floor with a recommendation for confirmation, and both motions carried without opposition. The chair then noted that sponsors for the nominees had not yet been assigned, and Senator Ward-Engelking indicated willingness to sponsor Jennifer White. Brandon Wolfe, Idaho State Controller, presented an overview of Transparent Idaho’s education data tools. He described the site’s financial, payroll, enrollment, salary, and transactional school-district data, including the recent addition of quarterly transactional data sourced through the State Board of Education. He explained that the site allows users to drill down from district-level information to individual schools and expenditures, and he emphasized the goal of increasing transparency and making education spending easier for the public and policymakers to review. Committee members asked whether the data could be broken out by funding source, such as federal versus state money or supplemental levies and bonds. Wolfe said those breakdowns were not yet available but would be useful future additions. Senator Cook also asked about an IRS-related line item in the transactional data; Wolfe said it was likely tied to employee benefit taxes but would need to verify the exact meaning and report back. The meeting ended with the chair asking Wolfe to follow up on that question and then adjourning the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: Education today, we'd ask our Secretary to take a silent roll. No, no, sorry, sorry.
• After that, then we'll have a presentation by Brandon Wolfe, Transparent Idaho, Education Data.
• Peter Kohler to serve as a State Board of Education...
• Okay, here's our main home page, but I'm going to jump over here to education.
• We've had the educational salaries, so certified and classified.

Summary: The committee first acted on two gubernatorial appointments to the State Board of Education. Senator Ward-Engelking moved to send Jennifer White and Peter Kohler to the Senate floor with recommendations for confirmation, and both motions carried without opposition. The chair then noted that sponsors for the nominees had not yet been assigned and asked for a volunteer to sponsor Jennifer White on the floor. Brandon Wolfe, Idaho State Controller, then presented an overview of Transparent Idaho’s education data tools. He explained that the site now includes annual financial, payroll, enrollment, and salary data, plus quarterly transactional education spending data received through the State Board of Education from the IC system. He described how users can drill down from district-level summaries to school-level and transaction-level detail, export data, and view audited figures from fiscal years 2019 through 2024, with fiscal year 2025 to be added soon. Committee members asked whether the site could separate federal from state funding and break out other funding sources such as levies and bonds; Wolfe said those breakdowns are not currently available but would be a useful future enhancement. Senator Cook also asked about an IRS line item in the transactional detail, and Wolfe said it likely related to employee benefit taxes but would need further review. Wolfe said his office is open to further ideas through the interim transparency committee, and the meeting adjourned after the presentation and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Education Committee of Reference is called to order.
• I apologize in advance for all the acronyms that we have, but I guess that's higher education.
• Madam Chair, I moved at the Senate Education Committee of Reference, thank you.
• All right, now we have a presentation by the Arizona Department of Education.
• By the Arizona Department of Education. Come on down.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> payment schedules for special education payment schedules for special education and<00:01:42.560
• </c> needed to provide education to students. needed to provide education to students.
• their education.
• 03:00:41.920><c> education.
• special education.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It starts with general education.
• Hawaii State Board of Education. >> The Board of Education offers comments.
• </c> director to the board of education. director to the board of education.
• </c> education will implement it. education will implement it.
• </c> Department of Education. Department of Education.

Bills: SB2003

Keywords: Mauna Kea, land management, University of Hawaii, astronomical observatories, leasable lands, natural resource management, stewardship authority, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees on Water, Land, Culture, and the Arts and Education heard testimony and discussed SB 20003, which would require the auditor’s report under Act 255 to include a recommendation on whether the Monarch Stewardship and Oversight Authority is fit to continue managing Monaca lands. Testimony focused on the bill’s reversion language, the role of the auditor, and whether the measure gave the auditor too much discretion without clear criteria. The Office of the Auditor’s position, read into the record, was that it had strong reservations because the bill did not provide standards for assessing fitness and asked that the requirement be held or amended. Other testimony suggested a work group with relevant agencies and Hawaiian practitioners to manage the transition and reduce conflict. Committee members debated whether the bill should simply restore the original reversion language or also require an audit-based fitness determination. Several members questioned the need for a 2031 audit when Act 255 already provides for a performance and financial audit in 2031 and noted that the bill could shift authority away from the legislature. In response, the committee chair explained that the measure was intended to restore language removed during conference and to address the transition back to the University of Hawaii if the authority was not meeting the act’s purpose. The committees ultimately recommended SB 20003 be passed with amendments. The amendments would strike the auditor/audit section, add language addressing timelines by providing a 10-year lease extension and sublease extension, and make technical changes including a defective date. The committees voted to adopt the amended measure and send it forward as an SD1. The transcript also included a separate Education Committee hearing on SB 3286, which would require the University of Hawaii to develop a facilities and student housing master plan and report to the legislature. University of Hawaii testimony said the system supports the intent but that the bill’s requirements are a heavy lift across 10 campuses and should follow development of a broader academic strategy. Members raised concerns about deferred maintenance, shifting priorities, and the lack of a systemwide plan, while the university said it already has a six-year capital improvement plan but acknowledged it does not fully incorporate the broader academic and housing strategy the bill contemplates.

Transcript Highlights:

• . education.
• CEO of the Texas Higher Education coordinating board.
• Wynn Rosser, Texas Commissioner of Higher Education as well. as CEO of the Higher Education Coordinating
• Unusual the points of contact between the community students education, public education, because you've
• As we continue to serve our state and educating our citizens, Texas A&M will remain a model education

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• evidence-based education.
• </c> hard to support you know the education hard to support you know the education and<03:15:11.680><
• </c> supped supposed to backfill the educ supped supposed to backfill the educ education<03:16:19.120
• ><c> and</c><03:16:39.040><c> so</c> into educ education trust fund and so into educ education trust
• So these are Department of Education-related sections. The first is the education trust fund law.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. The Department of Education testified that the bill’s definition would conflict with federal definitions and be very restrictive, potentially affecting a wide range of instructional methods, curriculum materials, teacher training, civics requirements, suicide prevention training, and other programs. The department said the bill could force a broad overhaul of school practices, create local implementation burdens, and require at least one new state position, with a fiscal note estimating roughly $118,000 in FY 2026 rising in later years. Members also raised concerns about possible impacts on federal pass-through funding and whether the bill was workable. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0. The committee then heard HB 133, a Department of Safety/DMV bill involving follow-up when a person votes using an out-of-state license or non-driver ID and then does not obtain a New Hampshire credential within the statutory timeframe. DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology upgrade plus a new full-time position, and that the fiscal note did not include postage or fully account for the manual work needed to match records, send notices, and review responses. They said the proposal also raised broader tracking issues because it would apply not only to voters but to anyone who had not obtained a New Hampshire license within 60 days, and they questioned whether DMV was the proper agency to make those inquiries. Committee members pressed the department on how the 60-day clock would be determined, whether the bill could amount to a kind of poll tax or raise privacy concerns, and whether voter ID cards or other exceptions would avoid that problem. The department explained that New Hampshire offers a free voter identification card through town clerks for people without a license or state ID, but said the bill did not exempt those cards and that the DMV would still be asked to investigate status after voting. Officials also said the bill would be difficult to enforce, that some cases would be ambiguous, and that any response from the DMV would likely amount to a request for information rather than an enforceable consequence. No vote on HB 133 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The exemptions found in the boating education statute 327.395 do not apply.
• The exemptions found in the boating education statute 327.395 do not apply.
• So what the statute says is they have to meet minimum requirements for education.
• That can be a boating safety education course, but it also can be a temporary certificate.
• It is SB 472, Education and Correctional Facilities for Licensed Professionals.

Summary: The Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met with a quorum present and first received an implementation update on CS for SB 606, the Boating Safety Act of 2022, from FWC Lieutenant Colonel Robert Roe. He described the livery permit system, safety and insurance requirements, required pre-rental and pre-ride instruction, recordkeeping, overdue-vessel reporting, accident reporting, and penalties for violations. He also reported enforcement results since the permit requirement took effect in January 2023, including 1,428 permits issued, 1,093 liveries operating, three 90-day suspensions, one revocation, and two pending revocations. Members asked whether liveries may require boating safety education even for people exempt under current law; Roe said they may do so as a business decision, but current law does not require it unless the statute is changed. A member noted concern that many accidents involve boaters in the older exempt age group and said the issue may be revisited this session. The committee then considered SB 878 by Senator Martin, which extends probation for misdemeanor offenders who were using controlled substances when they committed the offense, allowing supervision for up to one year and aligning those cases more closely with existing alcohol-related misdemeanor probation rules. With no appearance forms or debate, the bill was voted favorably. Next, the committee took up CS for SB 538 by Senator Bradley, the state court system package. The bill updates statutes to reflect current court operations, including duty judge procedures, removal of a location limit for duty hearings, repeal of a cap on arbitrator compensation in court-ordered non-binding arbitration, and an alternative method for judicial authentication when a court seal is unavailable. An amendment shifting certain clerk reimbursement requests through the Justice Administrative Commission was adopted, and the bill was then reported favorably with support waivers from several court-related entities. Finally, the committee heard SB 472 by Senator Truenow, which provides that inmates who complete classes meeting required curriculum standards may receive credit toward licensure requirements for those classes. Several organizations waived in support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm really struck by your emphasis on education for the educators, but I also am hearing that some of
• You cannot legislate good educators.
• But you can absolutely legislate bad education—education that is too afraid of challenge and honesty
• Holocaust education optional, and has to be a failure.
• If one thing that you can fix, it’s public education. Okay. It is public education.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Combating Anti-Semitism opened by approving the minutes from its November 5, 2025 meeting and outlining plans for its next meeting on November 20, when it expects to vote on the draft master report and recommendations. The chair explained that revised drafts would be circulated, changes would be handled by motion, and the final vote would be by roll call. The meeting then moved through several public panels focused on prevention, education, workplace support, and community safety. Parents for Peace testified that anti-Semitism and extremism should be treated as a public health crisis and urged state funding for training in K-12 schools, healthcare, and law enforcement. The panel described its intervention work with radicalized youth and families, argued for early-warning training for educators, and recommended diversion resources for courts and prosecutors so cases can be addressed before they escalate. Commissioners asked about the origins of radicalization, the need for school-based training, and how to connect courts and police to available resources. Project Shema’s Orrin Jacobson argued that effective anti-Semitism education must be nuanced, pluralistic, and grounded in a better understanding of Jewish identity and contemporary anti-Semitism, especially in conversations about Israel and Palestine. He said the group has run dozens of workshops in Massachusetts and emphasized that institutions should adopt content-neutral norms, train staff and administrators, and measure whether trainings lower tensions and increase willingness to intervene. Commissioners asked about handling activists who reject nuance, the role of faculty versus students, and whether classroom norms should limit teachers from advancing personal agendas. A workplace panel from Klaal and Combined Jewish Philanthropies presented survey data showing many Jewish employees feel unsafe being openly Jewish at work and that antisemitism training is the top requested support. They described rapid growth in Jewish employee resource groups, existing programming and stipends for ERG leaders, and recommended mandatory anti-Semitism training, support for Jewish affinity groups in public and private sectors, and broader convenings of major employers. The commission also heard from Truah rabbis and educators, who urged stronger interfaith solidarity, a state office of faith-based and neighborhood partnerships, and explicit attention to democracy and civil rights as part of anti-Semitism strategy. After a recess, the commission heard from Israeli-American, Russian Jewish, and Persian Jewish witnesses who described antisemitism as a lived, personal, and civic issue affecting immigrants and their families. They called for inclusion of diverse Jewish voices in state initiatives, stronger protections for Israeli-American businesses, and recognition that anti-Zionist rhetoric often becomes direct harassment of Jews. The chair said the testimony and suggested edits would be incorporated into the draft report, and the meeting ended with plans for further revisions before the final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jacob Beliva, Department of Education.
• Like, I like to say our entire educational family, right?
• Being an educator myself, I really appreciate you all.
• We've had several go to the Department of Education.
• Every single education cooperative... Every single education cooperative has literacy coaches.

Summary: The committee first approved the March 9 and 10 minutes, then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship Program featuring three third-grade teachers from Poyen, Drew Central, and Cabot, along with Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long collaboration among 23 merit-pay recipients from across the state, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about teacher experience, how the fellowship information is shared locally, the role of merit pay, and how teachers are addressing third-grade reading and retention concerns under the ATLAS assessment system. The teachers emphasized early intervention, relationships with students, small-group instruction, progress monitoring, and communication with families; they also described community supports such as churches, food backpacks, and local donations. Several members raised broader questions about poverty, trauma, social services, DHS involvement, and whether similar professional learning should be expanded to more teachers. Secretary Oliva said the fellowship is a small subset of a larger merit-pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is working to improve literacy supports, clarity, and alignment across grades. He also said ATLAS results are now available to schools and families much faster than in the past, often within 24 to 72 hours, and that the state is using the data to identify at-risk students earlier and support intervention before retention decisions are made. The committee then moved to the adequacy/resource allocation presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research. Staff explained that the report is part of the statutory adequacy review and focuses on state funding sources beyond foundation aid, including categorical and supplemental funds. They noted that districts and charters spent more than $7 billion in the 2025 school year, with roughly 49% from foundation funding and 51% from other sources over the last three years. The presentation outlined the four categorical funds—Alternative Learning Environment, English Learners, Enhanced Student Achievement, and Professional Development—describing their restricted uses, student-based funding formulas, and the ability of districts to transfer some money among categoricals while keeping it within allowable purposes. Staff said categorical funds account for about 4% of total spending, or less than $300 million, and reviewed superintendent feedback on whether those funds met district needs, with responses varying by category and district.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> all the other different education all the other different education organizations<00:03:29.439><
• </c><00:14:59.040><c> ERS</c> year this is a time when educator ERS year this is a time when educator
• </c><00:48:48.119><c> in</c> to the office of higher education in to the office of higher education in
• </c> within reach and that higher education within reach and that higher education is<00:53:11.200><c
• </c> have access to the higher education have access to the higher education opportunities<00:59:59.240

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:13:23.680><c> Um</c> education. So, thank you. Um education. So, thank you.
• </c> post-secary school education post-secary school education commitments,<00:14:21.839><c> apprenticeship
• </c> made up of superintendents and educators made up of superintendents and educators and<00:56:14.799
• want</c><01:07:23.920><c> from</c><01:07:24.160><c> the</c> of education, I want from the of education
• </c> passionate and champion for education passionate and champion for education for<01:29:36.719><c>

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• educational resources is inequitable.
• DESE has already documented inequities in higher education by race, parental income, and parental education
• get an education.
• I think K-12 education is different than higher education.
• I think K-12 education is different than higher education.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the previous day’s journal by a 126-0 vote, and suspended business for the Speaker to sign several bills and substitutes. Members then spent much of the day introducing guests, including county assessors, students, civic groups, and visitors from local schools and universities. The chamber then took up House Bill 2002, the elementary and secondary education budget. Members adopted several amendments, including technical fixes to allow board-operated schools to use personal service funds for career ladder payments, clarifications to child care subsidy language, and changes to Parents as Teachers rules so that enrollment remains voluntary and virtual visits are not reimbursable. An amendment to shift $1 million from one child care facilities line to Child Care Works passed, as did an amendment to fund a new Success-Ready Student Assessment with $2 million to help replace the MAP test. A proposal to pay child care subsidies for foster children based on enrollment rather than attendance failed 53-93, and an amendment to divert $10 million in Title I funds into a competitive grant program also failed. A later amendment to send budget reports to the ranking minority member passed, while an attempt to remove child care subsidy language from the bill failed. The House then moved to higher education and workforce development appropriations. Members approved an amendment broadening a pre-apprenticeship program statewide and supported funding for Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries through a transfer from dual credit scholarship funds. The most extensive debate centered on House Bill 2003’s higher education funding model, where the chair defended an FTE-based approach as more transparent than the long-standing status quo, while opponents warned it would sharply cut funding for institutions such as Harris-Stowe, Lincoln, Truman State, and some community colleges, and would ignore factors like graduation rates, research, and workforce needs. A compromise amendment to soften the transition was withdrawn, and a separate amendment to restore the governor’s recommendation was also debated at length, with members arguing over the fairness and consequences of the proposed model.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.
• I don't have higher education in my portfolio.
• And I really like that about the higher education space.
• We want it to be part of the applied education.
• We want it to be part of the applied education here.

Summary: The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee first waived the five-day notice rule and held a public hearing on Substitute House Bill 2525, which would establish a Heritage Orchard Program at Washington State University. Staff explained the bill was narrowed from the original version and would require WSU to maintain a registry of heritage orchards and a list of rare and lost apple varieties, with a null and void clause and fiscal note available. Representative Gloria Mendoza testified in support, describing Washington’s apple history and the effort to identify and preserve old apple trees still found on farms and trails around the state. Members asked questions about how the program would locate trees and preserve historic varieties, but no vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then heard several gubernatorial appointments to higher education boards. Representative Deborah Inteman was nominated to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, Bryce W. McKibben to the Pierce College Board of Trustees, former Senator David Frockt to the Western Washington University Board of Trustees, and former Senator Christine Rolfes to the Olympic College Board of Trustees. Each appointee described their background in higher education, public service, and community college or university advocacy, and members asked about attendance, board service, and how they would help bridge legislative and institutional priorities. The committee also held a work session on Central Washington University’s geothermal and decarbonization efforts, with staff explaining the university’s open-loop geothermal system, planned geo-eco plants, and climate action goals tied to state clean building and decarbonization mandates. CWU officials said the project is intended to reduce emissions, support campus heating and cooling, and serve as a living laboratory for students. In executive session, the committee moved to report a panel of gubernatorial appointments, including the higher education appointments heard that day, with a recommendation that they be confirmed. The motion passed by voice vote, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• More funding for educational committees.
• </c> enhancements to the educational enhancements to the educational experience,<00:05:01.560><c> they
• IDEA sets the Education Act, IDEA.
• </c><00:26:02.800><c> So,</c> ending disparities in education. So, ending disparities in education.
• ><c> we</c><00:57:17.960><c> heard</c> And our educators, because we heard And our educators, because

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3493, the Safe Schools Revenue Increase bill, and first adopted the DE amendment before moving the bill on for re-referral to Ways and Means. Representative Lawrence described the bill as a multi-layered school safety package for all students and schools, including public, nonpublic, charter, and tribal schools, with increased safety funding, mental health support, anonymous threat reporting, school safety plans, and student discipline changes. Several supporters emphasized the need for flexible safety funding and cited real-world safety concerns, including anonymous tip systems that had generated many reports, classroom evacuations, staff injuries, and the need for more resources for mental health and safety infrastructure. Some supporters, including charter school leaders and Catholic Conference testimony, argued the bill’s flexibility and broader safety approach were important, while others supported the K-3 suspension language as a needed tool in severe cases. Opponents focused heavily on the bill’s repeal of Minnesota’s K-3 suspension ban and non-exclusionary discipline requirements. Legal aid, disability advocates, and education groups argued that suspensions harm young children, worsen disparities, and disproportionately affect students of color and students with disabilities, and they urged the committee to keep restorative and non-exclusionary practices in place. Disability advocates also asked that any safety planning explicitly account for students with disabilities and that the bill remain aligned with IDEA protections and individualized education decisions. Several testifiers opposed using public funds for private schools, saying public money should stay in public programs. Other testimony came from school administrators and staff who supported restoring limited suspension discretion, describing serious elementary incidents, classroom evacuations, and injuries that they said required a short-term removal option to stabilize classrooms and plan for students’ return. Mental health and school support personnel witnesses stressed that safety and mental health funding should remain distinct and that more counselors, social workers, and related staff are needed to address student crises. No final vote on the bill itself was taken in the portion provided beyond adoption of the DE amendment and the motion to re-refer the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've got to say, in 11 years, this is my first time in education. Oh, welcome to education.
• We don't need no education. Yes, ma'am.
• Yes, guidelines and education. Okay.
• From athlete and family NIL contract education programs to athletic tax education programs, financial
• I'd like to speak in support of education on fetal development.

Summary: The committee first took up HB 987, which would move the Louisiana Geological Survey under the LSU Energy Institute to streamline energy-related programs. The author and members described it as an efficiency measure, and the committee reported the bill favorably without objection. Members then heard HB 513 on name, image, and likeness rules for intercollegiate and interscholastic athletes. The bill was presented as a product of a task force and was supported by the Attorney General’s office, coaches, and a student athlete, who emphasized the need for guardrails, education, and protections against exploitation by agents or third parties. Questions focused on high school enforcement, parental consent, and what students may legally do; the committee ultimately reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered HCR 26, which asks BESE to incorporate the science of human growth and development, including prenatal development, into science or health standards and to provide instructional materials. Supporters said it would improve science education and show fetal development more clearly, while opponents raised concerns about medical accuracy, political influence, and lack of safeguards. An amendment requiring parental consent for instruction was offered but failed on a roll call vote, and the resolution was then reported favorably. Later, the committee reported HB 608 favorably as amended to protect confidentiality of documents tied to intercollegiate athletics revenue-sharing, while preserving public disclosure of overall institutional spending. It also advanced HB 380, creating a pilot program to expand CDL workforce training through a community college and school partnership, and HB 392, which would require suicide hotline information on school websites, student ID cards, and, through amendment, visible signs in schools. The committee then reported HB 476 as amended, requiring Safe Haven law flyers in school restrooms, and began discussion of HB 682 to authorize veterans as school resource officers, with amendments addressing qualifications and training.

Transcript Highlights:

• Calling this informational hearing of the Assembly Education Committee to order.
• Miyabata for another tour of duty with the Education Committee.
• And then we get data from the Department of Education.
• Garcia, another one of our new members to the Education Committee, a career educator.
• When I got an education, 9% of students with special needs.

Keywords: 988, house, all