Keywords: Education - Room 409, 25 February, 2026; 1:30 P.M., 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I come from a family of five nurses and two doctors. We value education in our family.
• nursing program, which I'd like to make better.
• You know, I have a strong feeling about education.
• Education has always been a passion for me.
• In 2023, I earned my PhD in education.

Bills: S1694

Keywords: technology education, digital literacy, artificial intelligence, computer science, high school graduation

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met with a quorum present and first took up CS for SB 1694, which would require technology-integrated postsecondary general education core courses to include digital literacy and competency instruction, including use of artificial intelligence tools, and encourage high school computer science courses with AI content to teach how AI systems use data, their benefits and limitations, and responsible use in academic and personal contexts. The bill drew support from several speakers who emphasized the need for students to understand AI’s capabilities, limitations, ethics, and risks, while one speaker raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the loss of skills. Senator Davis said the bill was a good step toward preparing the future workforce and suggested earlier instruction might be worth considering later. The bill was reported favorably, and Senator Leek asked to be recorded in the affirmative. The committee then heard a long series of confirmation presentations for trustees at multiple Florida colleges and universities, including Tallahassee State College, USF, UNF, Palm Beach State College, the College of the Florida Keys, Hillsborough College, Miami-Dade College, Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of Florida. The appointees generally emphasized student success, workforce alignment, fiscal responsibility, access and affordability, and institutional growth; several members and senators offered supportive comments, with some asking about specific issues such as Tallahassee State’s NCLEX passage rates and the need for continued improvement. One appointee’s attendance was delayed or skipped for later consideration, but the committee ultimately took a block vote and reported the confirmations favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee. Finally, Chair Harrell gave a brief overview of the higher education budget, describing a total of $11.9 billion and highlighting increases for workforce education, Florida College System operating funds, workforce development capitalization, the Rural Incentive for Professional Educators program, the USF Center for Nursing, preeminent research universities, UCF’s community school grant program, UF’s Lassinger Center on Learning, the Florida Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, and campus security through a postsecondary guardian program. Senator Davis asked about a transfer related to the workforce development capitalization and incentive grant fund, and the chair explained it was a transfer of an existing program with new funds being added. There was no public comment on the budget, and the meeting adjourned after Senator Leek requested to be recorded in the affirmative on SB 1694.

Keywords: Education - Room 216, 3 February, 2026; 4:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It just seeks to have better communication between law enforcement and our educators and administrators
• If they're not aware of what the rules are of youth court, then they need to be educated on those immediately
• need</c><00:14:12.959><c> to</c><00:14:13.120><c> be</c><00:14:13.279><c> not</c><00:14:13.760><c> educated
• </c><00:14:14.240><c> on</c> then they need to be not educated on then they need to be not educated on

Keywords: Education - Room 216, 2 February, 2026; 1:45 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, there are six regional education service agencies throughout the state, and we thought they already
• Um, we want to strike the word, uh, RESA, and we want to be sure that it just says regional education
• service agencies or educational agencies. >> And it's my understanding that just clarifies and makes
• agency or educational agencies is my motion to amend.
• agency or educational agencies is my motion to amend. >> So you heard Senator McMahon's amendment.

Keywords: Education - Room 216, 29 January, 2026; 9:30 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> only in education but in their work. only in education but in their work.
• </c> education is used for special education. education is used for special education.
• </c> We have done a lot for our education. We have done a lot for our education.
• </c> growth and education, the bridge act. growth and education, the bridge act.
• </c><01:52:54.880><c> that</c> educator that he needed to educate that educator that he needed to educate

Keywords: Education - Room 216, 22 January, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This work session is designed to educate the Education Committee about the work that has been taking
• And thank you to my beloved education committees.
• It not only involves this education committee.
• And no further business in front of the Education Committee, the House Education Committee is adjourned
• And no further business in front of the Education Committee, the House Education Committee is adjourned

Bills: HB1634

Keywords: mental health, behavioral support, education, school districts, student assistance, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:08.800><c> groups</c> $5,000 as most of our education groups $5,000 as most of our education
• And the same with nursing homes.
• Go to a nursing home and everybody in town is sending their folks to that nursing home.
• And the same with nursing homes.
• Go to a nursing home and everybody in town is sending their folks to that nursing home.

Keywords: Education - Room 216, January 6, 2026; 12:45 PM, 925, all

Keywords: Education - Room 216, Oct. 28, 2025; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Keywords: Education - Room 216, October 10, 2025; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Keywords: Education - Room 216, October 9, 2025; 1:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

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

Bills: SB 37

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Improvement, and the Department of Education.
• Her background as a former property tax chair, education policy chair, and now in education finance,
• The education co-chair will move the H1049DE amendment, correct, Chair Joachim? Yes.
• I'm sure that in the education committees, you talk a lot about student mental health.
• The people who make up the ESPs are like nurses in hospitals.

Bills: HF1049

Keywords: school library aid, education finance, school districts, charter schools, funding eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• Article four is education statute.
• Article five is special education.
• </c><00:14:59.040><c> house</c> today to speak on the educ house today to speak on the educ house education
• For special education services.
• </c> through education. So, thank you chairs. through education. So, thank you chairs.

Bills: HF1306

Keywords: education, school policy, teacher training, student health, emergency response, 1183, house

Keywords: House Caucus of the Whole - Budget and Education, 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• kind of now in a post-COVID era and during the interim, I, I heard concerns from leaders in higher education
• this attendance, SB 724 requires that each member of a governing board of an institution of higher education
• Which passed unanimously out of the Education Committee and passed out of the Senate with bipartisan
• aims to prevent espionage and intellectual property theft at Texas public institutions of higher education
• Granting rulemaking authority to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules necessary

Bills: SB 37

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

Keywords: Education - Room 216, 10 March, 2025; 2:30 PM, 925, all

Keywords: Education - Room 216, 4 March, 2025; 11:00 AM, 925, all

Keywords: Education - Room 216, 27 February, 2025; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Bills: SB 26

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation