Transcript Highlights:

• Given these investments in school nutrition, the Legislature could explore whether some Farm to School
• , that are public schools.
• schools.
• schools.
• foods in schools.

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of Department of Food and Agriculture budget proposals, beginning with ongoing funding and trailer bill language for the Farm to School program and related climate-smart agriculture work. CDFA described the program’s goals of linking California producers with schools, expanding access to local and nutritious food, and supporting underserved farmers through technical assistance and outreach. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal as presented because of the state’s budget condition and suggested that some activities might instead be supported through Proposition 98. Members questioned whether the program is reaching the schools and communities with the greatest need, how grants are scored, and whether the proposal’s goals are measurable enough to justify ongoing funding. The item was held open. The committee also discussed CDFA’s climate bond expenditure plan, which would allocate remaining Proposition 4 funds to existing programs such as SWEEP, Healthy Soils, urban agriculture, fairground emergency response upgrades, and invasive species work, as well as new or developing programs including year-round certified farmers markets, mobile farmers markets, regional farm equipment sharing, and tribal food sovereignty. CDFA said the funds would be released in stages based on program readiness, with audits and performance metrics tied to each program. The LAO found the plan reasonable and consistent with bond requirements. Members asked about audit responsibility, performance tracking, and whether the bond programs should be front-loaded or spread over a longer period. A third CDFA item addressed the elimination of vacant positions under prior budget reductions. CDFA and the Department of Finance explained that the positions were selected because they had been vacant for long periods or were hard to fill, and that departments identified the positions based on their own operational knowledge. The LAO supported retaining the special-fund positions and suggested the General Fund positions be weighed on their merits. Members raised concerns about the impact on core functions such as audits, investigations, milk marketing, and grape pricing reports, and asked for follow-up on how the department determined which positions could be removed. The committee then heard a CDFA IT proposal to add funding and four positions for information technology operations; the LAO had no concerns, and members discussed cybersecurity, legacy systems, and future risks such as AI and quantum threats. The committee took public comment and then voted to approve items 9 through 13, which included CDFA dog importation certificates, livestock carcass disposal, Gambling Control Commission IT support and tribal grant funding, and an ABC district office relocation. The hearing then moved to the Department of Cannabis Control, which presented a request to strengthen enforcement against the illicit cannabis market by adding a North State field office in Redding and three non-sworn support positions. DCC said the illicit market remains far larger than the legal market, with a large backlog of cases and significant public safety and environmental concerns. Finance supported the targeted expansion, the LAO had no comment, and members asked about regional coverage, officer safety, and whether a larger, more transformational enforcement effort might be warranted in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• When you go to a school during the school day, if you want to get into the building, you have to be buzzed
• I think in some school districts you will find that they have facilities available that aren't in school
• First, the long-standing use of public schools as polling places is just one of the many ways these schools
• As we have had the opportunity to have school service days, i.e., no kids in school, that coincide with
• As we have had the opportunity to have school service days, i.e., no kids in school, that coincide with

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to college and law school.
• But law schools also have to work within law schools to help students recognize that rural careers matter
• As anyone on this panel can tell you, national criteria for law schools tend to bias law schools towards
• In terms of the schools, again, the goal is how do we incentivize our schools, other schools, to prioritize
• We could do that in Texas schools.

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• including measures related to certain school records and conduct referred to the committee on public
• Public School Accountability System, referred to the Committee on Public Education.
• counselors by school districts or for the Committee on Public Education, HB 1123 by Cameron.
• and to the repeal of positive behavior program for public schools.
• HB 1176 by Cunningham relating to the approval of an open enrollment charter school.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the superintendent of West Memphis Schools. Apologies for Dr. Wolf, our school board president.
• So previously, they were a school board... would be.
• So we do 197 school audits, and there are 38 schools that choose a private auditor. Okay.
• Any audit that a CPA firm does that involves a public open-enrollment charter school or public school
• , then we're going to do the audit of the school.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One, basically everyone except schools and then in a separate bucket school district.
• Go to the voters for a, with a new election to use old bond monies for school districts, the school board
• that we changed the scope of the elementary school a little bit.
• So we have $202 billion in school district debt.
• It's only $200 billion in school debt, right?

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Law school applications to ABA-accredited law schools were up.
• law school.
• , public service law schools.
• a law school.
• a law school.

Summary: The work session began with a discussion of expanding opportunities in the legal profession, especially in response to shortages of lawyers in rural Washington and in public service roles. Washington State Bar Executive Director Tara Nevitt described a slowly growing but aging attorney population, noted that younger attorneys have declined, and outlined efforts such as supervised practice pathways to bar admission, reduced admission-by-motion experience requirements, expanded law clerk capacity, rural job fairs and grants, and a pilot program allowing innovative legal service delivery models. Members asked about bar passage score changes, loan repayment assistance, and the former Limited License Legal Technician program; Nevitt said the bar is monitoring other states and remains in dialogue with the court about paraprofessional licensing. Law school representatives from UW, Seattle University, and Gonzaga emphasized public service pipelines, financial barriers, and rural legal deserts, citing LRAPs, scholarships, stipends, clinics, and hybrid or regional programs designed to recruit and retain students in Washington. Seattle U highlighted its FlexJD and hybrid hub partnerships in underserved areas, while Gonzaga and UW reported substantial shares of graduates entering public service, though most still cluster in urban regions. The committee also heard from the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and the Office of Public Defense, both of which described severe recruitment and retention problems in rural counties, with vacancies, low applicant pools, and the need for higher salaries, housing help, internships, and loan support. The Office of Public Defense said its internship and fellowship program, created by SB 5780, has already placed interns in rural counties and produced some commitments to return after graduation. The Washington State Bar’s law clerk program was also presented as a pathway that helps people train locally and remain in their communities, including by supporting succession for aging solo practitioners. The committee then shifted to family law and guardianship issues. On Title 26 guardian ad litem practice, presenters from Northwest Justice Project and private family law practice said GALs can play an important role but that training, oversight, and consistency remain major concerns, especially in domestic violence cases. They described problems such as inadequate training, bias, inconsistent recommendations, high fees, and lack of accountability, and suggested stronger, standardized training, more use of mental health professionals for custody evaluations, and better oversight mechanisms. Members asked about county practices, including rotation systems for GAL appointments and whether King County’s family court assessors provide a useful model. The discussion then moved to minor guardianships under the Uniform Guardianship Act. A Superior Court judge said the 2021 changes increased the need for court visitors and appointed counsel, but courts are struggling to find qualified attorneys and visitors, especially in rural areas. A former commissioner said most of the bill under discussion was technical cleanup to align prior amendments, though it would add some fiscal burdens. Administrative Office of the Courts staff reported that the statewide reimbursement program for UGA implementation has repeatedly run out of money earlier each year, with minor guardianship costs making up most of the expense. The Office of Public Guardianship then described rapid growth in demand for adult guardianship and less restrictive alternatives, noting that referrals and caseloads have risen sharply, but that the office is constrained by a shortage of certified professional guardians and low compensation levels. Finally, the committee began an update on Blake implementation from the Office of Civil Legal Aid, which funds civil legal services related to the decision, before the transcript cut off.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> representative trit so of those schools representative trit so of those schools that<00:01:34.000
• </c> evaluations take place in every school evaluations take place in every school and<00:03:30.040><
• And I'll speak, going back to that comprehensive school improvement plan: for my school, it's about no
• comprehensive School Improvement plan for<00:08:43.120><c> my</c><00:08:43.320><c> school</c><00:08:
• </c> and if you're a high performing school and if you're a high performing school if<00:08:56.080><c

Keywords: This Live stream had a technical issue part way through and will be loaded fully later today., 958, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 48, which would reduce the state-required formal observation cycle for tenured teachers from once every three years to once every five years, while preserving local district authority to conduct more frequent observations if they choose. Supporters argued the change would cut paperwork and time burdens on experienced teachers and principals, while still allowing districts to monitor performance and place teachers on improvement plans when needed. Members also discussed the bill’s separate provisions on school improvement plans, with clarification that CSI/TSI low-performing schools would still be required to maintain comprehensive improvement plans and receive additional support from KDE, and that the bill was not changing the evaluation system for those schools. A second major topic was professional development and teacher induction/mentoring requirements. The bill would consolidate state-mandated PD requirements into a rotational schedule for tenured teachers, and members noted that teachers are already subject to federal and local PD obligations that the legislature cannot change. Several speakers emphasized that the bill was intended to reduce state-level mandates, not eliminate useful supports for new teachers, and one member raised concern that mandatory induction/mentoring could limit districts’ ability to use Title II funds; the response was that the program remains valuable and should be revisited with dedicated funding rather than discarded. There was also a brief question about suicide prevention hotline and Safe Haven Baby Box posting language, which was explained as existing statute consolidated into one place. The committee then voted on the bill and it passed, with members offering brief explanations of support and noting frustration with recurring annual training requirements such as bloodborne pathogens. After the vote, members thanked the bill sponsors and educators who helped shape the legislation, and the chair announced weekly office hours in Room 367. The meeting ended with congratulations to the new K-12 chair and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• supplies for public schools.
• supplies for for public and school supplies for for public schools. schools. schools.
• </c><01:10:07.199><c> We</c> public school students. We public school students.
• </c> program or Holy Name School for tuition. program or Holy Name School for tuition.
• They're public schools.

Keywords: This version of the House chambers was retrieved from back up and uploaded. The original live stream contained issues where audio and video got out of sync., 958, all

Summary: The House convened with an invocation and pledge, established a quorum, approved the prior journal, and received committee reports on several bills. Reported measures included House Bills 1 and 2 from Appropriations and Revenue, along with bills on animal control officers, emergency services revenue, postsecondary education, proactive postsecondary admission, vehicle lights, motor vehicle operation, motor vehicle dealers, and machine gun conversion devices. The chamber also took up Senate Bills 52 and 124 for concurrence, and House Bill 1 was moved from rules to the orders of the day for immediate action. The House then considered House Bill 568, which would regulate public adjusters by prohibiting new licenses, allowing renewals for current licensees, imposing conflict-of-interest and contract requirements, capping fees at 5%, and barring adjusters from negotiating claims. Supporters described it as a consumer-protection measure responding to complaints and investigations, especially after recent storm-related exploitation. The bill passed overwhelmingly, 95-1. The House next debated House Bill 1, which would opt Kentucky into the federal education freedom tax credit program and authorize the Secretary of State to administer the state’s participation without using state general funds. Supporters argued it would bring federal scholarship dollars into Kentucky for K-12 students, including public school students, and could generate significant private donations for scholarship-granting organizations. Opponents raised concerns about shifting resources away from public education, the speed of the process, and a proposed waiver of Eleventh Amendment immunity. A motion to table the bill failed by a wide margin, and members continued debating the bill and its implications for public schools and state sovereignty.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:11.519><c> support</c> impossible to fund our schools support impossible to fund our schools
• These are public schools.
• These are public schools.
• are issue at the schools the schools are having<00:29:28.919><c> the</c><00:29:29.080><c> funding</c
• Minneapolis public schools, but every school district in the state is dealing with the cross-subsidy.

Committee: House Rules and Legislative Administration

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• A new school. They're not growing.
• So an example to show comparison here, Pasco School District, Mount Baker School District.
• So an example to show comparison here, Pasco School District, Mount Baker School District.
• So the dark line represents Pasco School District, Mount Baker School District.
• new or modernized school facility.

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee heard presentations from the Department of Commerce, the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), and a consultant on the School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) study. Commerce officials described their agency’s role in housing, energy, local government, broadband, and other capital programs, and reported on a $5 million pilot under Senate Bill 5200 that used trusted community messengers and technical assistance to help historically excluded organizations prepare for capital funding. They said 18 organizations received direct support and 79 smaller projects were also funded, but emphasized that statutory match rules, reimbursement-based payments, site-control requirements, insurance and audit costs, and extensive contracting rules remain major barriers. Commerce outlined efforts to expand outreach, digital modernization, internal contracting improvements, tribal MOUs, and innovation centers, and members asked about small business support, housing program placement, and outreach to Eastern Washington and communities of color. RCO described its grant programs for recreation, conservation, education, and salmon/orca recovery, and reviewed equity work done before and after a 2021-23 proviso. The agency had already created a small-communities carve-out in youth athletic facilities, piloted stipends for advisory committee members, and reduced match requirements where allowed. Under the proviso, RCO completed an equity review and a planning program that funded 54 projects across 34 counties, with many applicants being new or long-absent grantees. Staff said the review led to changes in scoring criteria, clearer application guidance, more objective data measures, expanded technical assistance, and targeted community engagement. Members asked about application burden, project sizes, outreach, and how the agency is broadening participation and representation on advisory committees. The final presentation summarized a planning study on SCAP, which examined rising construction costs, fragmented grant programs, local funding barriers, and uneven district capacity. The report recommended nine major changes, including stronger planning support, a new minor-modernization category, a mechanism to use unused funds more quickly, an education-specification prototype, a SCAP enhancement program for low-capacity districts, acceptance of non-SCAP funds, phased modernization, streamlined D-form and reimbursement processes, and revisions to the SCAP formula to better account for grade-band differences, enrollment projections, and regional cost factors. Additional recommendations included ongoing monitoring and evaluation, facilities-impact reviews, matching SCAP increases to construction-cost inflation, earlier locking of funding estimates, flexible program spaces, and updated statewide building-condition assessments. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• So as part of our consortium is the Lawrence Public Schools.
• 13,000 students across 25 schools.
• Those trainings don't typically happen until high school.
• because we have a connection with Lawrence High School.
• I see some of you are in school.

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The Employment Subcommittee of the Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met on April 27 and approved the prior meeting minutes. The main presentation was from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE), a five-year grant project focused on improving transition outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Lawrence. Presenters described the project’s community conversations, consortium, and four work groups, with emphasis on the family-partnership work group and a family survey designed to better understand engagement barriers and transition needs. The survey results showed that family participation increased sharply when Lawrence Public Schools helped distribute the survey, rising from about a dozen responses to more than 200. Key findings included barriers such as scheduling conflicts, language access, childcare, and limited understanding of the IEP and transition process. Many families said they wanted their children to pursue college or employment after high school, but fewer reported access to pre-employment training, suggesting a gap between expectations and awareness of available services. The Lawrence team also described a bilingual transition website, workshops offered at different times with interpretation and childcare, and efforts to make transition planning more visible and accessible. Committee members responded with questions and comments about cultural barriers, early transition planning, college and community college pathways, trades, summer youth employment, and how to reach families earlier, especially in middle school. Presenters said Lawrence has a strong transition team and existing resources, but needs more real-world work experiences and better communication so families understand and use them. The meeting ended with thanks to the presenters, a note that committee members would meet with SEED later in the week about Massachusetts as a model employer, and an announcement that the May meeting would feature the Office of Veterans Affairs.

Transcript Highlights:

• The definition of the student support specialist includes school-based probation officers, school-based
• I can't get my kid to come to school. child that I need help. I can't get my kid to come to school.
• And it's attending school, passing your classes, following the rules of the school, and following your
• , such as mental health counseling at the school-based health center, Communities in Schools, and programs
• Well, going off of last school year, the 2024-2025 school year in Greenbrier County, we had 211 truancy

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its prior meeting and then took up House Bill 5537, a bill to repeal several obsolete or outdated code sections. Counsel explained that the bill would remove provisions related to professional development, a behavioral interventionist pilot program, county lists of facilities for child daycare, and high school graduation rates, with a proposed amendment adding another outdated education code section from 1923. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 5537 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass as amended. The committee then considered House Bill 4656, which would shift truancy policy toward chronic absenteeism and earlier intervention. Counsel said the committee substitute would replace punitive status-offense treatment with wraparound services, student support specialists, and a new child-in-need-of-supervision process, while also ending compulsory attendance at age 18 and removing criminal penalties for 18-year-olds. Members questioned how the new thresholds would work, including the role of attendance directors, prosecutors, judges, and the Department of Human Services, and whether the bill would change current diversion funding or court authority. Witnesses from Fayette County, Greenbrier County, and Taylor County largely opposed the bill or urged caution. The Fayette County attendance director said current truancy procedures, including school-based probation and court involvement, help secure family participation and services, and warned that removing the status offense would weaken enforcement. A Greenbrier County probation officer said diversion programs are effective and that court involvement often leads to needed services. A Taylor County juvenile prosecutor said status-offense jurisdiction gives courts meaningful leverage and flexibility, and asked that counties be allowed to keep existing approaches that work locally. After testimony, the committee voted to report HB 4656 to the full Senate without recommendation and with a recommendation that it be re-referred to the Committee on Education, then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The definition of the student support specialist includes school-based probation officers, school-based
• It's attending school, passing your classes, following the rules of the school, and following your parents
• , such as mental health counseling at the school-based health center, Communities in Schools, and programs
• Well, going off of last school year, the 2024-2025 school year in Greenbrier County, we had 211 truancy
• diversions held in the secondary schools.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• School, whichever is later.
• FAU is an R2 school. FAMU is an R2 school.
• districts, school boards, and charter schools, to develop type 1 diabetes information materials and
• Again, we've worked with every stakeholder along the way: district school boards, schools, the Office
• Schools, the Office of Safe Schools, Sheriff Gualtieri, I'm just obviously Senate staff, even families

Summary: The committee took up a series of bills and amendments, reporting several measures favorably. Early in the meeting, CS for CS for SB 344 modernizing the Telecommunications Access System Act was approved without opposition. The committee then adopted amendments and passed CS for SB 714 on non-opioid advanced directives, CS for SB 738 updating child care and early learning provider regulation, CS for SB 756 revising health insurance coverage for individuals with developmental disabilities, and CS for CS for SB 1356 creating a Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at FSU and a newborn genetic testing pilot. Later, the committee also approved CS for SB 1624 on higher education, CS for SB 1626 on child welfare, SB 178 on an agronomic study for emerging crops, SB 1162 on water access facilities and boat ramp parking, CS for CS for SB 958 creating a type 1 diabetes early detection program, CS for CS for SB 1402 expanding dropout retrieval eligibility, SB 774 requiring electronic transmission of certain court orders, SB 1516 creating an international aerospace innovation fund, and SB 994 revising driver education requirements. Most of these bills were reported favorably by roll call votes after brief explanations and, in several cases, amendments. Several measures drew substantive discussion and public testimony. CS for CS for SB 1624 prompted questions about replacing “minority” with “underrepresented,” the role of the Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education in overseeing private religious postsecondary institutions, and whether the changes could affect access for students at institutions such as FAMU and FIU. CS for CS for SB 1070 on ECGs for student athletes received extensive emotional testimony from parents and advocates describing children lost to sudden cardiac arrest and urging mandatory screenings; the sponsor said the bill would be cost-neutral for districts by encouraging partnerships with screening groups. SB 994 on driver education was discussed as a vehicle to add distracted driving instruction, and the sponsor agreed to work on that issue. SB 774 was presented as a response to a fatal delay in transmitting an ex parte order, with support from clerks and sheriffs. The most extended debate centered on SB 810 on stormwater management systems. The sponsor said the bill, as amended, would narrow annual inspections to infrastructure identified as vulnerable by MS4 entities, but the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, and Florida Stormwater Association warned the proposal could impose major costs and duplicate existing MS4 permit requirements. Committee members questioned the fiscal impact, whether the bill would apply to FDOT or other entities, and whether annual inspections were feasible for large and small jurisdictions alike. Despite those concerns, the sponsor and several members emphasized flood prevention and public safety, and the bill remained under discussion with the sponsor indicating continued willingness to work with stakeholders.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> attending a public school. attending a public school.
• </c> left the school with. left the school with.
• </c> public schools or special ed schools public schools or special ed schools certified<02:49:01.680
• </c> school district. school district.
• . schools. schools.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission meeting focused on reviewing and correcting draft minutes and then working through a draft report on the cost of special education. Members made mostly clerical corrections, including clarifying references to Spalding, fixing acronyms such as LETRS, and cleaning up membership titles and appointee roles to match SB 57. The minutes were approved as amended, with some members abstaining because they were not present at the prior meeting. The chair also noted the commission’s deadline to complete findings and recommendations by July 1 and said the final report must be delivered to legislative leaders, the governor, the state librarian, and others. The main substantive discussion centered on the report’s findings about special education funding. Members agreed the report should emphasize that the commission was created to study the cost of special education and reduce reliance on local property taxes. One draft section described FY24 special education funding as coming from three primary state and federal sources totaling about $152 million, or roughly 15% of annual costs, with the remaining 85% paid by local school districts through property tax revenue, estimated at about $825 million. Members discussed adding historical or longitudinal data to show trends over time, and some suggested attaching charts or tables showing funding over the last 20 to 30 years. A second major topic was demographic data. The draft noted that statewide K-12 enrollment has declined since 2003 while the number and share of students with IEPs has increased. Members questioned whether the data compared like with like, especially given the growth of Education Freedom Accounts and charter school enrollment, and whether the figures included or excluded those students. Several members asked for clearer sourcing from the Department of Education and suggested keeping a list of unresolved questions, including the impact of the shift from ADMA to ADMR and the effect of the EFA program. The discussion ended with agreement to continue refining the report and to gather additional attachments and clarifications before finalizing recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public School, Sharon Murray.
• And one of the school board members for this school is actually here.
• And one of the school board members for this school is actually here.
• , not just as school board members, but also everyone involved in our school system.
• be on that school board.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ABOUT'S DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARDS, SOME OF THE FINDINGS RELATED TO SAFE SCHOOL OFFICERS.
• THAT IS SOME OF THE ITEMS AND ONCE WE POINT OUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS REMOVE ACCESS.
• THEY ARE REQUIRED TO POST AT LEAST 45 DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
• THEY DID HAVE FOUR SCHOOLS THAT HAD FINDINGS IN THE STUDENT AREA.
• DOES THAT MEAN UNDER EACH ITEM, THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAD FINDINGS?

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the general thought behind the National School Lunch Program.
• Uh, it is now up to 21% after they mandated skim milks in the school districts.
• And so there doesn't school districts.
• It just opens up for choices for schools to offer whole milk and other milks.
• But I'm wondering, does the impact of your bill reach beyond our school walls?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for another public district school, open enrollment for a public charter school, and private school
• my school district.
• But in 2010, I remember as a school board member, all the teachers taken into the school buses, School
• Why is it private schools and charter schools? The kids, right?
• Why is it private schools and charter schools have better results?

Keywords: 1182, all