Transcript Highlights:

• the chairman brought when he joined us some years back, bringing everything—our health care, our academic
• Since joining the board in July, I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Academic and Student Affairs
• We have two new academic buildings, and just two weeks ago we had the ribbon cutting on our Gary C.
• We've expanded academic programs with a focus on in-demand undergraduate programs, as well as growing
• These roles have shaped a governance approach that is fiscally disciplined, performance-oriented, and

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to hear confirmation testimony for a large slate of university and state college trustees. Most of the discussion centered on the nominees’ backgrounds, ties to their institutions, and priorities such as student success, workforce development, financial sustainability, research growth, housing, and maintaining or improving university rankings. Several University of Florida trustees emphasized campus improvements, “One UF” integration, institutional neutrality, and ambitions to move UF into the top tier nationally. Other nominees highlighted goals for Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, UCF, Florida State, Florida Poly, the Florida Prepaid College Board, and several state colleges, with recurring themes of affordability, economic mobility, cybersecurity, and keeping Florida students in-state for college and careers. Public testimony was heard on the Florida A&M appointment, where Elijah Hooks spoke in opposition to the current administration and described his expulsion, arrest, and trespass from the university after protesting the selection of President Marva Johnson. During questioning of FAU nominee Tina Vidal-Duart, senators asked about her prior service on the Hope Florida Foundation board and about reports concerning CDR Health’s contracting practices; she said she was not aware of the foundation issues at the time and noted that CDR’s state contract was a flat daily rate, so subcontractor pricing affected only the company’s internal margins. Other nominees received little or no questioning. At the end of the meeting, the committee voted to confirm all nominees except Tina Vidal-Duart separately. Senator Bracy Davis requested the separate vote and opposed her confirmation, citing concerns related to her Hope Florida Foundation board service. Despite that objection, the committee ultimately voted to report Vidal-Duart favorably as well. The committee also noted that one University of West Florida nominee would be taken up at a later hearing because he was unable to attend.

Transcript Highlights:

• support increases, recommendations reflect an increase of $2.2 million across two strategies: A-1-3, Academic
• **Commissioner.** I would say the institutions performed well and yes, ma'am, we will be coming forth
• **Collin Brock.** I'll just be presenting from the General Academic Summary packet. Good morning.
• **Collin Brock.** Item four on page seven outlines recommendations for the performance-based funding
• costs at currently approved levels for the next two academic years.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• WE HAVE THIS PROGRAM UNDERWAY THAT IS FUNDED BY A VERY GENEROUS DONOR FOR ACADEMIC FOR FAMILIES WITH
• THEY REPRESENT A WIDE RANGE OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND PAST EXPERIENCES.
• WE ARE SERVING A PRETTY DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION IN TERMS OF ACADEMIC NEEDS AND INTERESTS BEYOND HIGH
• WE WANT TO CREATE AND IMPLEMENT APPROVED ACADEMIC PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE ASSOCIATES OF ARTS
• THE CENTER HAS CREATED A BLUEPRINT FOR THE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND LIVE HEALTHY FUNDING.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And our whole thrust is to create academic, high scholactic, academic opportunities for African American
• For the 2022-2023 State Performance Plan Annual Performance Report, Part B, Florida received a 95% for
• For the 22 2022 state performance plan annual performance report, Part B, Florida received a 95% for
• My question goes to performance. Imagine how fortunate those foster children were to have Dr.
• Where are we going in terms of measurable student performance? Dr. Ronnie? Thank you.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting and received an overview of the Pre-K-12 education appropriations jurisdiction and base budget. Staff explained that education funding is driven largely by enrollment and per-student formulas, with most money coming from state and local sources. The presentation highlighted the major budget areas: early learning, the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), non-FEFP K-12 programs, federal programs, and the State Board of Education. Members asked about instructional materials funding and how scholarship students who return to public schools are counted and funded; staff explained that instructional materials remain in the base and that funding depends on survey timing, with districts ultimately funded through the enrollment count process. The committee then reviewed federal IDEA funding for students with disabilities. Department of Education officials explained how IDEA Part B funds are split between state set-asides and local educational agencies, and noted that Florida ranked fourth nationally in total IDEA Part B funding and received a 95% state determination for meeting IDEA requirements. They also described the bureau’s responsibilities, including monitoring, dispute resolution, instructional support, and the Hope Florida unit for ages 3 to 5. Members asked for more information on student performance outcomes and how the state measures success beyond compliance, and the department agreed to provide follow-up data. The final major topic was the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS), including associate centers, multidisciplinary centers, and specialized centers for deaf/hard of hearing and visually impaired students. Presenters described services such as child find, family support, assessments, professional learning, accessible instructional materials, and technical assistance. Committee members focused on whether families and schools have equal access to services across the state, how IEP disputes and reevaluations are handled, and whether more support is needed for parents, teachers, and rural districts. FDLRS representatives said they do not write IEPs but help connect families to districts, provide training and assessments, and support compliance and data collection; they also emphasized staffing and resource needs, especially for low-incidence disabilities and multilingual family outreach.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, the first one I'd like to talk about is the student performance tracker.
• Housing insecurity, food scarcity, as it relates to student attendance and performance.
• We did not receive a lot of complaints from parents about performance.
• And I think I understand now why the online performance was so poor.
• Kind of not just academic, but social and emotional turmoil that was happening.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tsc is proving that rigor academic river can be engaging.
• Of course, that, of course, approving our performance on metrics established by the Board of Governors
• Best academic community ever sense. I'm a dermatologist here in Gainesville.
• Aye no to that along with his residency status out of state and lack of academic relationships in terms
• of his own academic history to Florida, I would really love.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the struggle with who pays for academic the struggle with who pays for academic testing,<01:00:56.200
• An option to show academic achievement, demonstrate academic achievement attainment.
• <01:54:35.720> standards approval and how the academic standards approval and how the academic
• academic standards. academic standards.
• academics the schools are applying the academics at<02:16:47.840> the<02:16:47.960> local

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• performance?
• performance?
• performance?
• performance?
• what we add here is student performance what we add here is student performance is<05:13:37.440>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session and first took up HB 193, which clarifies that dual and concurrent enrollment courses may not exceed four credits. Members said the bill came from the community college system and was intended to preserve the program’s high school-to-college pathway. An amendment changing the effective date to passage was adopted 18-0, and the committee then voted 18-0 to recommend OTPA on the bill as amended, with the bill placed on the consent calendar. The committee then retained HB 295 and HB 366, both related to school building aid, after members said the issues were complex and needed more work. Both motions to retain passed 18-0, leaving the bills in committee without reports. The chair also said HB 354 would not be taken up that day because of possible changes from the Department of Education and others. HB 494, funding the math learning communities program, was then amended to flat-fund the program rather than increase it, with members citing budget uncertainty. The amendment passed unanimously, and the committee then voted 18-0 for OTPA on the bill as amended, placing it on consent. Finally, HB 515, which would repeal charter public school eligibility for state school building aid, drew debate over whether charter schools should be treated differently from traditional public schools. The committee voted 10-8 for inexpedient to legislate, sending the bill to the regular calendar; Representative Damon was assigned the minority report and Representative Popovic the majority report. The committee then began HB 716, an appropriation for the dual and concurrent enrollment program, where members discussed flat-funding the program at $2.5 million per year and the potential impact on course availability, but the transcript cuts off before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm glad you mentioned performance indicators.
• So we're data-rich, and we use performance indicators throughout our system.
• performance measures say.
• performance measures say.
• Kids today thrive on that immediate feedback about how they're performing.

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice budget area and then received performance-measure presentations from the Department of Corrections, the Commission on Offender Review, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Staff reviewed the roughly $7.4 billion criminal justice and judiciary budget, noting major funding areas such as corrections, law enforcement, victim services, courts, and due process, along with recent investments in prison health care, security equipment, fentanyl enforcement, court staffing, and juvenile justice salaries and education programs. Secretary Dixon of the Department of Corrections described staffing and population pressures, including growth in inmate population, overtime-driven deficits, and the opening of additional housing units. He emphasized the department’s use of performance measures and highlighted reforms such as incentivized prisons, administrative management units, reentry planning, faith-based programs, and expanded education and vocational training. Members asked about teacher hiring, public defender pay parity, fentanyl funding, staffing capacity, and the role of the National Guard; Dixon said teacher vacancies had improved, public defenders had received comparable pay increases, fentanyl funding would be addressed further by FDLE, and the Guard had helped stabilize staffing. The Commission on Offender Review reported on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and revocations, saying its recidivism/success rates had improved over a three-year measurement period. Senator Rouson pressed the commission on clemency and pardons, saying that work was omitted from the presentation and asking for backlog and case data; the commission said it did not have those figures on hand and would follow up. The committee also discussed a conditional medical release pilot study, and members questioned the report’s conclusion that no suitable elderly inmate population could be identified, asking what criteria were used and whether stakeholders were consulted. Secretary Hall of the Department of Juvenile Justice outlined the agency’s prevention-to-residential continuum and its emphasis on education, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based programming. He said salary increases had reduced vacancies, juvenile arrests and residential commitments had fallen sharply over time, and tools such as civil citations, risk assessments, and quality-improvement reviews were being used to guide placements and services. Hall also described the department’s use of dashboards, monthly data check-ins, and the dispositional matrix to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, Without restricting political speech or academic inquiry.
• This was attempted right here in Boston when Matisyahu tried to perform here.
• You shouldn't engage with our academics.
• I went to the Batchewa dance company performance here in Boston.
• I went to the Batchewa dance company performance here in Boston.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, approval of the May 5 minutes, and opening remarks thanking commissioners and the public for their attendance. The commission then heard testimony from former Ambassador Alan Solomont, who argued that antisemitism is rising in multiple forms, including white nationalist antisemitism and antisemitism tied to anti-Israel rhetoric after October 7. He said campus antisemitism should be addressed with nuance, distinguishing protected political speech from conduct that targets Jewish students, and warned against weaponizing antisemitism to attack higher education, civil liberties, or federal research funding. He urged the commission to use multiple definitions and frameworks, including IHRA, Nexus, and the Jerusalem Declaration, and to focus on campus-specific solutions, civic education, and civil discourse. Commissioners asked him about Tufts’ antisemitism training, the role of the federal government, the use of the IHRA definition, and how to improve civic education; he emphasized local campus responses, broader civics instruction, and protecting democracy and due process. The second major witness was Professor David Weber of Boston University, who testified on the BDS movement and anti-BDS laws. He described BDS as a campaign targeting Israeli businesses, universities, and institutions, and argued it functions as a propagandistic and discriminatory effort that fuels antisemitism and chills dialogue on campuses and in public life. He cited examples such as SodaStream, Ben & Jerry’s, and Brown University, and said anti-BDS laws in 37 states have been effective and constitutional because they regulate government economic activity rather than suppress speech. Weber urged Massachusetts to adopt an anti-BDS statute or executive order, saying the state’s large Jewish population and economic ties to Israel make the issue especially important. Commissioners questioned him about which states have such laws, the impact on dialogue and campus culture, possible legal frameworks, and whether BDS is really aimed at the Israeli government or at individuals and institutions; he maintained that BDS targets people and entities connected to Israel and that anti-BDS measures can help draw a line against illiberal conduct.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:25:57.840> the<00:25:57.919> area<00:25:58.440> of performance the area of performance
• I am a retired veteran and someone who is deeply invested in the academic success of all students.
• PA professionals play a vital role in supporting students' academic and social growth.
• PA professionals play a vital role in supporting students' academic and social growth.
• of the components in the performance of the components in the performance reporting<01:14:01.159

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It reflects the Legislature's commitment to addressing both the academic needs and the full set of conditions
• To addressing both the academic needs and the full set of conditions that our students need to be able
• comparing how those two groups, the community schools and the very similar non-community schools, performed
• parents say major changes are needed, specifically around student mental health, school safety, academic
• And sense of belonging is highly correlated with academic achievement. So, like, one thing...

Summary: The joint informational and oversight hearing focused on community schools in California, with members emphasizing that the purpose was to examine effectiveness, implementation, and sustainability rather than the Governor’s budget proposal. The California Department of Education described the California Community Schools Partnership Program, created in 2021 and funded with more than $4 billion, including planning, implementation, extension, and county coordination grants. Officials said nearly 2,500 schools are participating and highlighted the statewide technical assistance structure, including the State Transformational Assistance Center, eight regional centers, county offices, and CDE support. Researchers from the Learning Policy Institute and UCLA presented early findings and implementation data. LPI reported reductions in chronic absenteeism and suspensions, along with gains in math and English language arts, with especially large benefits for Black students and other historically underserved groups. UCLA described the Annual Progress Report as a statewide improvement tool showing growth in capacity-building, shared decision-making, whole-child supports, and continuous improvement. Members asked about how the reports measure outcomes, how to interpret outliers, and how to distinguish community schools effects from other concurrent initiatives; presenters said matched comparison methods and deeper case-study work are being used, with additional statewide findings expected in June. Panelists from Oakland Unified, LAUSD/UTLA, San Diego Unified, and advocacy organizations described key elements of success: integrated student supports, strong family and student engagement, collaborative leadership, community partnerships, and school-site decision-making. They gave examples such as wellness centers, dual enrollment, student senates, parent leadership, and community campaigns that built trust and increased participation. Members also raised concerns about sustainability, implementation fidelity, and whether community schools improve participation in LCAP processes. Presenters said major barriers include unclear early guidance, the need for a mindset shift away from top-down models, and uncertainty about long-term funding for coordinators and other staff. The panel’s recommendations centered on stable ongoing funding, stronger technical assistance, shared governance, and embedding community schools practices into district and county systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• Disruptions in any of these services can negatively impact their academic progress and social-emotional
• Disruptions in any of these services can negatively impact their academic progress and social-emotional
• and what they've realized in the pilot program is that there was reduced absenteeism, increased academic
• The internship hours are allowed to be performed within behavioral settings, so this is appropriate to
• I'm clear to perform all necessary duties and responsibilities required of an aerospace instructor as

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Will the committee please assemble and perform the duties assigned to it?
• :02:56.160> please<00:02:56.480> assemble<00:02:56.959> and<00:02:57.280> perform
• committee please assemble and perform committee please assemble and perform the<00:02:57.920>
• The financial and<00:23:48.799> academic<00:23:49.360> quality<00:23:49.760> benchmarks
• <00:23:50.320> it<00:23:50.480> puts and academic quality benchmarks it puts and academic

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we start measuring TEA's performance. Currently, it is F.
• Evidence includes loss in schools, including lives, teachers, student behavior, academic performance,
• And I know that, uh, that, or we all agree as well that that will support their academic success in the
• to a Christian school, um, a school where your counselor wasn't able to talk about anything but academics
• Poor academic performance and excessive absences, and it goes on.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the academic side, we understand why families many times across the state are.
• And then we also have relied on studies from Ed Choice that not just couldn't cover academic performance
• that a child in a low-performing school has a random shot at it.
• Yes, a public school can. charge a tuition bump increase and higher academic performance. requirements
• You've done a great job of the academics, the IT. use the term iron sharpens iron.

Bills: SB2, SJR36, SB2, SB2, SR29, SB2

Keywords: Maverick County, recognition, economic development, Texas Senate, community celebration, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• information regarding academic information regarding academic standards,<00:52:56.640> social
• Our academic standards.
• alignment of each required academic alignment of each required academic standard<00:54:37.680>
• <01:16:00.320> um instruction meets the academic um instruction meets the academic um standards
• make sure this isn't a performative make sure this isn't a performative exercise.<01:21:48.880><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, yes, I think our performance has been quite good.
• Our performance measure is a minimum of two departments every three years.
• But I would kind of say that's academic recruitment.
• Obviously, with academic research, we're investing even earlier than that.
• I'm a director of Government Performance and Fiscal Policy for Texas 2036.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard budget presentations for the Texas Historical Commission, the Pension Review Board, the Employees Retirement System (ERS), Social Security and benefit replacement pay, the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System (TESSRS), and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The Legislative Budget Board outlined recommendations and major changes for each agency, including reductions tied to one-time projects at the Historical Commission, continued funding for courthouse grants, heritage trails, and Holocaust/genocide education, as well as new or modified riders and capital items. For the pension-related items, LBB described funding changes for PRB, ERS, Social Security, and TESSRS, including ERS health plan cost growth driven largely by pharmacy costs, the status of pension funding reforms, and TESSRS’s request for additional state support to address its unfunded liability and staffing needs. Members asked extensive questions about the Historical Commission’s one-time funding, unexpended balance authority, courthouse preservation, the Presidio La Bahia and National Museum of the Pacific War projects, and coordination of Texas history messaging across sites such as the Alamo, San Jacinto, Washington on the Brazos, and other heritage locations. The Historical Commission chair emphasized heritage tourism, economic development, and the need for continued investment in historic sites, staffing, IT modernization, and vehicles. On the pension items, senators discussed PRB oversight of local systems, including the Dallas police and fire pension situation, and ERS investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health costs. ERS officials said the plan remains well funded overall, noted a 2021 cash balance reform and a planned supplemental legacy payment, and explained that GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro are a major driver of pharmacy spending; they also said the agency is working with the Texas Pharmacy Initiative and that rebates are contractually returned to ERS. For TESSRS, LBB and agency staff said the system serves volunteer and part-paid emergency personnel, is facing an infinite amortization period, and is requesting additional appropriations, staffing, and IT funding, along with a statutory change to allow an actuarially determined state contribution. The agency said it may otherwise need to cut benefits for volunteer firefighters. For CPRIT, LBB reported about $600 million in recommended funding for the biennium and a 10-FTE increase, while the agency described its $6 billion voter-approved program, $3.75 billion in grants awarded to date, and $10.4 million in revenue sharing since 2011. CPRIT’s only exceptional item was a request for a 10% salary increase for two exempt positions. No committee votes or formal actions were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know we've got people performing in the rotunda at noon, so they may already be out that way.
• I'm going to probably scoot out in a minute and go listen to McKinney perform in the rotunda.
• But fine arts and choir and those other parts of the academic world we live in in public school make
• I played a lot of sports, but my wife figured out he was a performer.
• I played a lot of sports, but my wife figured out he was a performer.

Summary: The Senate began with a quorum call, prayer, approval of the previous journal, and messages from the House, then moved through several recognitions and resolutions honoring visiting groups. Members adopted resolutions recognizing the Texas chapters of Blue Star Mothers of America, Fine Arts Education Day, Donate Life Texas Day, Baha’i Capitol Day, County Government Day, Jack County Day, Crockett County Day, and a recognition of Navy Petty Officer Simon Urbanik for service during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The chamber also heard remarks from visiting doctors, students, county officials, and community groups, with multiple senators speaking in support of military families, arts education, organ donation, and local government service. The Senate then took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2779, relating to the allocation and use of certain hotel occupancy tax revenues. Senator Birdwell said the bill would stop local governments from conditioning HOT funds on race- or class-based priorities and would require Galveston to transfer the full state rebate for beach cleaning and maintenance to its park board. After questions, the Senate suspended the rules, passed the bill to engrossment, suspended the three-day rule, and finally passed it, though the final vote showed significant opposition. The chamber also passed Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2322, described as a cleanup bill removing the compelling-factor test for dispatchable generation from the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act. A major debate centered on Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2253, which would phase out uncertified teachers in core classrooms and strengthen educator certification requirements. Senator Creighton argued the bill responds to a teacher pipeline crisis, adds parent notification, creates multiple preparation pathways, and provides financial incentives for certification; Senator West and Senator Sparks pressed for rural flexibility and implementation details. An amendment from Senator Gutierrez to add a teacher student-loan repayment program failed on a 11-17 vote, while other technical and fiscal amendments were adopted. The bill then passed to engrossment, the three-day rule was suspended, and it was finally passed. The Senate also passed Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2371, updating skimmer-reporting rules to cover electronic terminals beyond fuel pumps, and Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2351, relating to the construction of certain concrete plants under a standard permit. Senate Bill 619, a conscience-protection bill for health care workers, drew extended questioning from Senators Cook, Eckhardt, and Menendez about patient abandonment, scope, and whether it could allow refusals of legal services such as vaccines, antibiotics, contraception, or personal care; despite those concerns, the Senate suspended the rules and passed the bill to engrossment. Finally, the chamber began consideration of Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1169, which would allow public entities to form public utility agencies to cooperate on water and wastewater projects without eminent domain or cross-collateralization, with Senator Hinojosa explaining it as a tool for small and rural communities facing utility infrastructure problems.

Transcript Highlights:

• They perform alongside Afro-Caribbean musicians, improvise with professional songwriters, dance along
• To be exposed to this breadth of music alone is incredible, but again, going beyond just performances
• <01:10:32.760> in not State funds but go and perform in not State funds but go and perform
• We call these performance measures; they call them measurable outcomes.
• We call these performance measures; they call them measurable outcomes.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all