Transcript Highlights:

• Bring peace to past generations and pave the way for a new wave of growth.
• May our future generation know and possess a spirit of kindness and compassion.
• It should not be coming from the general fund.
• generations of tribal members.
• To paraphrase a politician who I don't generally agree with, it takes a village.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Arizona Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the 4-H pledge led by Yuma County 4-H Ambassadors, followed by guest introductions and several recognitions. The chamber observed World Hearing Day with a proclamation honoring hearing health awareness and access to care, and also recognized the 100th anniversary of Sandy Corps VFW Post 1433 in Glendale. The Doctor of the Day was introduced, and additional guests included mobile food vendors who were present in connection with a discussion about food truck licensing remaining a city matter. The Senate then took up a series of third-reading bills, most of them transportation appropriations. SB 1062, 1063, 1064, 1154, 1204, 1207, 1245, 1250, 1455, and 1457 all passed, with members debating whether transportation funding should come from the general fund or the HURF fund, and several senators speaking in support of specific road projects in their districts or for tribal communities. SB 1461 also passed with broad support; it would fund an AHCCCS allied health care workforce pipeline, and supporters described it as a practical response to health care worker shortages. SB 1798 passed with bipartisan support to increase FAFSA awareness and support for students and families. The Senate also passed SB 1065, creating funding for hyperbaric oxygen therapy for military veterans, despite concerns from opponents about unproven claims for other conditions. SB 1088, 1156, and 1157 passed after extended debate over immigration enforcement, border security, and whether the appropriations were requested or necessary; supporters framed them as reimbursements or security measures, while opponents argued they targeted immigrant communities and duplicated federal responsibilities. SB 1019, which would have amended bottled water system law related to fluoridation, failed on a 14-11 vote after a lengthy debate over public health, informed consent, and fluoride safety. The Senate also announced committee meetings for the following Monday, withdrew HB 2110 from one committee and referred it to another, and then adjourned until Monday, March 23, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's for any general election, statewide for any general election, statewide for any general election
• publication or a point of general publication or a point of general publication or a point of general
• What's ever defined as a general publication is defined as a general publication is defined as a general
• a as a general advertisement of general a as a general advertisement of general a as a general circular
• Chair recognizes a gentleman from Mobile Pro Timing. Mobile Pro Timing. Mobile Pro Timing.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And a second and final part of the general fund proposal.
• fund and then through some adjustments became a big mixture of general fund and green.
• generally.
• Options, Clean Mobility in Schools, and the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project.
• Really the wrong time to be cutting this pot of general fund and using.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We added new capacity in what we call the general use lanes.
• In general, you've got great staff.
• We also regulate and license the mobile home installers, make sure that they're tying the mobile homes
• And we also, just in general, are looking at how do we support our small business?
• And it generates tremendous dollars. Our marketing is data-driven.

Summary: The committee met to receive a base budget overview for agencies under its jurisdiction, which include the Division of Emergency Management, Department of Commerce, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Military Affairs, and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Staff explained the budget format and noted that the Legislature appropriated more than $20.2 billion to these agencies in the current fiscal year, a 66.7% increase over 10 years. The Department of Transportation then presented on the Moving Florida Forward initiative, describing it as a $7 billion effort to advance 20 major congestion-relief projects statewide. Secretary Jared Perdue said the department is ahead of schedule, with 14 of 20 projects expected to be underway by the end of the calendar year. He highlighted major projects including I-4 in Polk and Osceola counties, I-75 improvements, Southwest 10th Street in Broward County, Fruitville Road, Capital Circle in Tallahassee, and I-275, and discussed innovations such as aggregate supply grants, modified phase design-build, workforce hiring events, and voluntary acceleration. Senators asked about business impacts from construction, tourism-related transit funding, aggregate sourcing, and labor shortages; the secretary said FDOT works with local businesses and that additional revenue sources for transit would require legislative action. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reviewed motorist services, revenue collection, licensing, vehicle titling, specialty plates, insurance compliance, driver safety, and commercial driver licensing. Officials said the department collected about $2.9 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2023-24 and described modernization efforts, including electronic verification systems, Real ID compliance, mobile licensing units, and a planned digital driver license. Members asked about the driver license backlog in Miami-Dade and Broward, and the department said service delays were driven by growth and staffing constraints but should improve with $7.5 million in recent funding and the eventual transition of services to county tax collectors. Questions also addressed temporary paper licenses and birth certificate fraud prevention. The Department of Commerce presented on the Job Growth Grant Fund and Visit Florida. Commerce said the grant fund, created in 2017, has awarded $257 million to 70 projects in 37 counties since 2019, with demand exceeding supply about four to one. Officials emphasized that the program supports targeted industries and workforce and infrastructure projects, and they highlighted examples in CDL training, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and health care. Senators raised concerns about small businesses affected by transportation construction, and Commerce said it has an Office of Small Business Innovation and other tools, though the grant fund is limited by statute to targeted industries. Visit Florida then described its public-private tourism marketing role, saying the state’s $80 million appropriation is matched by private investment and that the latest EDR review found a $3.30 return in tax revenue for every state dollar spent. Visit Florida reported record visitation and tourism spending, along with hurricane recovery marketing and rural promotion efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• From the Committee on Finance and Taxation General Fund, House Bill 91 receives a favorable report by
• <00:33:11.200> contractor regarding the general contractor regarding the general contractor
• Adopted. the general contractor licensing board. the general contractor licensing board.
• It pops that same pine tree and take that mobile home down the road.
• It, you know, mobile home down the road.

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sorry, Mobile, the hospital in Mobile was one of the letters of support I've received for this.
• So therefore, this is both a split credit with the general fund and the education trust fund.
• So the $20 million cap is $10 million out of the ETF and the other would come out of the general fund
• John Ho, you from Alabama School of Math and Science down from Mobile.
• My name is John Hoy, and we love being in Mobile.

Bills: SB1, HB176, HB86, SB1, HB176, HB86

Keywords: workers' compensation, public education, employee injury, insurance trust fund, on-the-job injury, administrative procedures, HB176, Alabama sales tax, use tax, sales and use tax exemption, optical aids, eyeglasses, contact lenses, prescription glasses, vision care, optometrist, ophthalmologist, optician, medical devices, local option tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair recognizes a gentleman from Mobile.
• I'm specifically talking about the state of Alabama, not a general report.
• What we had in Mobile was a divorce hearing.
• Chair recognized the General from Shelby, Representative Mooney.
• [Applause] The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mobile, Pro Tem Pringle. Mr.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a continuation and builds upon the great work that this General Assembly did in passing the Kentucky
• You'll also see that we've excluded mobile devices and voice assistant devices.
• You'll also see that we've excluded<00:04:21.120> mobile<00:04:21.440> devices<00:04:22.400
• > and<00:04:22.720> voice excluded mobile devices and voice excluded mobile devices and

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll Call: 00:28 HB 692 Discussion: 01:11 HB 692 Voting: 05:01, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Actually, it would be the general fund.
• We also have an Office of Inspector General. They do investigations.
• These are pretty big losses and pretty big policy impacts, really generational changes.
• And we just, in the last couple of months, formed a Red Hill Mobile Home Park Owners Association.
• That the situation exists; we have out-of-state owners of mobile home parks.

Transcript Highlights:

• parking authorities with the ability to provide out so they're charging jurisdiction within special mobile
• It allows cranes to apply for special blanka permits to transport oversize mobile cranes and their accessory
• And just as an that's why I blanket permits generally last for about 12 months, approximately 50% of
• Senators Florida is home to hundreds of thousands of residents who live in mobile home parks and communities
• Partnership program must include a strategy for providing program funds to mobile home owners including

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not going to release any sensitive information to the general public, not anything that would
• School staff tell us to respond from a mobile app or a silent panic button.
• So we have a mobile app, and we have somebody that's curating all the best camera feed.
• And then they can see them through their mobile device.
• In short, the mental health of our next generation should be a priority for this legislature.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met with a quorum and announced a full agenda, including combined public testimony for two bills related to student personal communication devices. The committee first took up Senate Bill 1262 by Senator Nichols, a school safety cleanup bill following House Bill 3. The bill would allow TEA to commission peace officers for school safety purposes, require annual renewal of good-cause exceptions to armed guard requirements, create a new report based on intruder detection audits and vulnerability assessments, and require behavioral threat assessment teams to include someone with specific knowledge of a special education student’s disability. Committee members asked about the difference between TCOLE licensing and TEA commissioning, the scope of the officers’ authority, and how the good-cause exception would work. The committee substitute was adopted, and public testimony included support from school safety and drone-response advocates, Disability Rights Texas in favor of the special education provisions, and a student witness raising concerns about the mental health impact of repeated lockdowns and the need for immediate, reliable school safety responses. The bill was left pending after testimony, then the committee briefly recessed and later reopened testimony to hear the student witness. The committee then laid out Senate Bill 2252 by Senator Creighton, a major early literacy and numeracy bill for kindergarten through third grade. Creighton said the bill builds on prior literacy efforts by funding teacher stipends for literacy and math academies, providing free and clearly administered screeners and assessments, expanding screening options, clarifying how results are used, supporting high-quality pre-K, and increasing the early education allotment. He emphasized low reading performance and the need for early intervention. Members discussed how the bill differs from earlier academy models and whether the assessments are diagnostic or high-stakes; Creighton and witnesses said the tools are intended to identify students needing support, not to serve as punitive testing. The committee adopted the substitute. Witnesses for SB 2252 largely supported the bill. A Uplift Education representative described strong gains from small-group literacy tutoring and said students receiving targeted support can make more than a year of growth in a year. An education specialist explained that the bill aligns general education screening with existing dyslexia and special education practices and helps districts identify students who need intervention before a disability evaluation is required. A Commit Partnership witness cited statewide reading data, the importance of high-quality pre-K, and the need for transparent, consistent progress monitoring and parent engagement. Members asked about the meaning of the growth data, how dyslexia screening works, and how the bill would help identify struggling students earlier. Before finishing all questions, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair after the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill 2224, Produce Incentive Program Annual Appropriation, appropriates $2 million from the State General
• members, House Bill 2228 requires timely status and outcome reports be submitted to the Attorney General
• Area A generally refers to the Phoenix metro area, and Area C is the...
• It outlines requirements for the Attorney General to pay damages and civil penalties.
• It outlines requirements for the Attorney General to pay damages and civil penalties.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee worked through a very long minority caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items being described and then either left on consent, pulled from consent, or noted for votes. Topics included bullion and state depository proposals, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget change, veterans services funding, driver licensing and traffic enforcement measures, procurement and public records changes, school board and school facilities rules, SNAP work requirements and verification, child welfare and juvenile justice provisions, housing and homelessness measures, energy and fuel policy, election administration, and several tax, commerce, and licensing bills. Members repeatedly raised concerns about constitutionality, federal preemption, duplication of existing law, and whether some measures were policy priorities that had been vetoed in prior sessions and were returning unchanged. Several bills drew extended debate. Members objected to English-proficiency requirements for commercial drivers and motor carriers, arguing federal law and the supremacy clause would bar them. Earned wage access regulation prompted strong opposition over consumer harm, overdraft cycles, and high effective APRs. School-related bills were criticized for overregulating public schools while not imposing similar requirements on ESA/private-school programs, especially on fingerprint clearance and reporting. SNAP-related bills were also opposed as setting unrealistic mandates and repeating vetoed proposals. Other contested measures included a drag-show criminalization bill, a bill restricting photo enforcement, a bill limiting local regulation of unmanned aircraft, and a bill conforming Arizona tax law to federal changes, which members said would benefit wealthy taxpayers and corporations without a clear funding source. The committee also heard a number of supportive or less controversial measures, including bills on veterans awareness, dementia care telemonitoring, Braille transcription funding, CPA licensure pathways, cash acceptance by retailers, and some child safety and court administration changes. Several bills were pulled from consent for further discussion, while others were noted as having unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The meeting ended with caucus announcements, including an affordability award presentation, an upcoming Latino Caucus discussion on community land trusts, and an invitation to African American Legislative Day activities, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Like I said, you can get the houses, mobile homes, manufactured houses, mobile homes, manufactured homes
• Like I said, you can get the houses, mobile homes, manufactured houses, mobile homes, manufactured homes
• houses, mobile homes, manufactured houses, mobile homes, manufactured homes,<00:29:42.799> tiny
• We aren't talking about mobile homes.
• <00:45:33.200> homes<00:45:33.599> of grandmother's mobile homes of grandmother's mobile

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• God, leadership here in Mobile, Alabama.
• generation. A resolution is powerful. generation. A resolution is powerful.
• going to help the the general public. going to help the the general public.
• lady from Mobile. lady from Mobile.
• in Mobile. in Mobile.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And from doing a mobile mass during the early part of the pandemic to a number of other charitable activities
• And from doing a mobile<00:04:07.800> mobile<00:04:08.240> mass<00:04:08.680> during
• <00:04:08.960> the<00:04:09.320> early<00:04:09.560> part mobile mobile mass
• during the early part mobile mobile mass during the early part of<00:04:09.800> the<00:04:09.880
• This is the same bill that the Salary Commission put forward for the Attorney General, Comptroller, Secretary

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Father Mark Bilek of Westminster, introduced by the Senator from the 42nd District and praised by members for his community service and Lenten message of reconciliation. The prayer was journalized. The chamber then recognized several guests, including interns, family members, a shadowing student, and the doctor of the day, Dr. Ann Benfield, before moving to floor business. A scheduling note indicated a light floor agenda, with committee work later in the day and a longer floor session expected the next day. The Senate considered several second-reading committee reports and moved multiple bills to third reading, generally without objection. These included House Bill 229, increasing Maryland Transportation Authority bond capacity from $4 billion to $5 billion; House Bill 266, allowing resource-sharing revenues to support state communications infrastructure, with an amendment conforming it to Senate Bill 85; House Bill 472, extending and adjusting the theatrical production tax credit; House Bill 607, setting constitutional officers’ salaries; House Bill 810, creating a study on blockchain-based lease recordation verification with an amendment adding the Maryland Blockchain Association; House Bill 1095, granting a Calvert County property tax credit for former tobacco barns; House Bill 1142, creating a task force on county and municipal revenue structures; and House Bill 1165, addressing apprenticeship program accountability and completion. The Senate also advanced Senate Bill 956, authorizing the Maryland Transportation Authority to waive portions of video tolls or civil penalties on delinquent accounts, with a sponsor amendment. Members briefly joked about April Fools’ Day during the proceedings, but the chamber continued to adopt reports and amendments without recorded opposition. At the end of the session, leaders announced committee schedules for the afternoon and the next day, including Finance, Triple E, Budget and Taxation, and Judicial Proceedings meetings. The Senate then held a quorum call, confirmed 45 members present, and adjourned until Thursday, April 2 at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• With finally being able to pass the Office of Inspector General, we are sending a clear message to Minnesotans
• anonymous threat reporting, school-linked mental health, which is absolutely a need across the state, mobile
• crisis teams, and we were state, mobile crisis teams, and we were able<00:03:15.600> to<00:03
• Our House File 1, our highest priority bill, was to create an independent office of Inspector General
• because we had seen Inspector General because we had seen the<00:04:55.880> way<00:04:56.040>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House Republican leaders held a brief end-of-session update describing a negotiated agreement with the governor and legislative leaders that they said would make Minnesota more affordable and improve fraud prevention. They highlighted passage of an independent Office of Inspector General, which they said was a top priority to combat fraud and waste in state government, along with county IT modernization as another fraud-prevention measure. They also said the deal includes $125 million in property tax cuts, $250 million in car tab fee reductions, and no extension of the Hennepin County ballpark tax, which they said allowed help for HCMC without raising taxes. The leaders also described additional spending and policy items in the agreement, including $30 million for distressed hospitals statewide, higher MA rates for HCMC, a nine-month delay in PFAS reporting requirements for businesses, and school safety funding. The school safety package was said to include anonymous threat reporting, school-linked mental health, mobile crisis teams, and security improvements for public officials and the Capitol campus. They said a $1.2 billion bonding bill remained part of the broader negotiations and would support infrastructure projects. In response to questions, the leaders said the House would continue to follow a single-topic committee process and would not take up broad omnibus bills. They said gun-violence-related bills had already been heard in committee and on the floor, where they failed on party-line votes, and argued that the school safety measures moving forward were bipartisan and did not include gun bans. They also said the car tab fee relief was only secured for one year, and expressed hope that future elections would give Republicans more leverage to continue the affordability agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Kentucky Press Association, the Kentucky Association<00:07:37.520> of<00:07:37.680> General
• <00:07:37.919> Contractors,<00:07:39.199> uh Association of General Contractors, uh
• Association of General Contractors, uh related<00:07:39.919> to<00:07:40.080> a<00:07:
• Um, during the 2025 interim, I was honored to serve as co-chair of the Air Mobility and Aviation Economic
• <00:11:11.600> and co-chair of the Air Mobility and co-chair of the Air Mobility and Aviation

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll call: 01:22 HB 577 discussion: 03:04 HB 577 vote: 05:26 HB 392 discussion: 06:55 HB 392 vote: 09:54 HCR 16 discussion: 11:00 HCR 16 vote: 14:07, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Economic Development and Workforce Investment met for its first meeting, reviewed housekeeping procedures, and established a quorum. The committee first considered House Bill 577, relating to economic development. The bill sponsor and a representative from Blue North said it would modernize Kentucky’s economic development statutes to better support startups and high-growth companies, rename the innovation center program as the Kentucky Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub program, clarify statutory definitions, expand the Kentucky Enterprise Fund, allow certain out-of-state companies to qualify if they commit to becoming Kentucky-based within 180 days, and broaden the angel investment program to include pass-through entities. The committee approved HB 577 with a favorable expression. The committee then took up House Bill 392, relating to local public agency transactions, and adopted a committee substitute negotiated with stakeholders including the Kentucky Press Association and the Kentucky Association of General Contractors. The sponsor said the substitute removed the original bill’s best value and reciprocal bidder provisions, lowered the small purchase threshold from $60,000 to $50,000, and would increase that threshold by $10,000 every five years to account for inflation. It would also allow local governments to use certain state contracts with price ranges, permit independent evaluation of some small non-evaluative equipment, and exempt law enforcement vehicles and related equipment from procurement code requirements. HB 392, as amended by committee substitute, passed with a favorable expression. House Concurrent Resolution 16 was then heard. The sponsor, who had co-chaired the Air Mobility and Aviation Economic Development Task Force, said the task force held six meetings and heard from airports, aviation and education stakeholders, logistics companies, and others. She said the group found there was no real strategic plan for advanced air mobility and recommended that state agencies study infrastructure needs and that the General Assembly develop a strategic plan and legislation for AAM vehicles. Members discussed airport and drone-related issues, and the resolution passed with a favorable expression. Finally, House Bill 593, relating to data centers, was announced but passed over for a later hearing, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will start with the presentation on advanced air mobility.
• As advanced air mobility represents a new dimension of transportation, a new dimension of safety, a new
• dimension of mobility, a new dimension of autonomy.
• So what would be a situation where you cannot use the Attorney General?
• The Attorney General is there to represent the interests of the state, not necessarily the interests

Bills: HB2148, HB2993

Keywords: federal funding, state budget, appropriation, block grants, noncustodial funds, legislative authority, Arizona attorney general, Department of Public Safety, DPS, consumer fraud revolving fund, consumer protection fund, gang and immigration intelligence team enforcement mission fund, public safety appropriation, supplemental appropriation, outside counsel, state agency legal representation, legal services, state settlement proceeds, general fund, A.R.S. 41-192

Summary: The Committee on Appropriations, Transportation and Technology heard a presentation on advanced air mobility, featuring video and remarks about new aircraft technologies, including drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing craft. The presentation emphasized potential uses such as medical delivery, rescue operations, passenger and cargo transport, quieter flight profiles, and the need for coordination among industry, government, NASA, the FAA, and other partners. Members also noted an upcoming display of a Pivotal aircraft on the Senate lawn. The committee then considered House Bill 2148, which would grant the legislature authority to appropriate non-constitutional federal monies and require the legislature to specify the purposes for which those funds are spent, with a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. Supporters described it as a transparency and separation-of-powers measure, while opponents argued it would interfere with existing federal funding structures and state programs. The bill received a do-pass recommendation on a 6-4 vote. House Bill 2993 was also heard. It would appropriate $6.4 million from the Consumer Protection/Consumer Fraud Revolving Fund to the Department of Public Safety for FY 2026 and exempt DPS from the statutory restriction on employing legal counsel without approval. Testimony from the Arizona State Troopers Association supported the funding as an emergency need to avoid cuts to recruit classes, overtime, and patrol car purchases, but several members objected to combining the appropriation with the outside-counsel policy change. The committee approved the bill on a 6-4 do-pass vote. The meeting concluded with announcements about upcoming committee events and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• that the Community Services Block Grant is vital to leading our communities on the path of economic mobility
• their operational continuity, overcoming internet challenges, power outages, and evacuations, and mobilizing
• economic safety net, including child care, child protective services, Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs, General
• It is the difference between instability and stability, between generational poverty and the chance at
• 33,000 low-income households turned to us for services that stabilize families, foster economic mobility

Summary: The Senate and Assembly Human Services Committees held a special oversight hearing on California’s 2026-27 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) state plan, a federal anti-poverty funding stream. Committee members opened by citing statewide poverty and homelessness data and said the hearing was meant to review how CSBG dollars are used, how local agencies respond to community needs, and how the state is preparing for possible federal funding cuts. Jason Wimbley of the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) explained that California’s CSBG network works through 60 organizations in 58 counties, serving about 1.5 million low-income Californians in 2023, and that the state received $68.4 million in federal CSBG funds in fiscal year 2025. He described the program as flexible funding used for housing, employment, education, food, health, transportation, and emergency response, and noted that the federal administration had proposed eliminating CSBG, though the Senate Appropriations Committee had voted to fully fund it for the coming year. Representatives from the California Community Action Partnership Association and several CSBG-funded agencies described how the program supports local anti-poverty work and leverages other funding. CalCAPA emphasized local flexibility, workforce development, partnerships, and data systems such as ROMA, while also warning that agencies are preparing for possible reductions by tightening budgets, planning staffing contingencies, and seeking private foundation support. Agency witnesses from Contra Costa County, Northern California Indian Development Council, Proteus, and Sacred Heart Community Service described services including housing assistance, food distribution, utility help, employment training, youth programs, and culturally specific services for Native communities and migrant farmworkers. They repeatedly said CSBG is essential because it funds staffing and infrastructure that allow them to braid other grants and serve people who do not qualify for standard safety-net programs. Members also asked about the impact of federal staffing changes and the Los Angeles fires. Wimbley said federal layoffs had affected some CSD programs but not CSBG administration, and that the department coordinated disaster response with state agencies and used CSBG-funded supply distribution, food, water, clothing, and documentation support during the fires. Witnesses said they were preparing for possible future cuts by diversifying funding, reducing expenses, and considering service changes, while county officials warned that state and federal reductions could not be backfilled locally. During public comment, one speaker urged stronger oversight of community action agencies and raised concerns about transparency and compliance with state law. The chair then thanked the witnesses, emphasized the importance of CSBG for low-income seniors, youth, and people with disabilities, and adjourned the hearing without any votes or formal action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• will be charged with tackling generation will be charged with tackling soon. soon. soon.
• can continue to form the next generation can continue to form the next generation of<00:11:07.440
• I'd like to call on General Bullard to come up.
• like to call on General Bullard uh to<01:29:56.000> come<01:29:56.159> up.
• 01:30:07.440> Steve >> I'm Brigier General, retired Steve >> I'm Brigier General,

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard presentations from the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and the Governor Scholars Program. The FCCLA student speaker described how career and technical education helped her gain certifications, work in early childhood settings, and recognize a child who needed speech help, emphasizing support for CTE, FCCLA, and related student organizations. The Governor Scholars Program presentation, led by Dr. Jennifer Price with student speakers Max Corbett and Abigail Ziggler, focused on the program’s role in serving about 1,500 rising seniors each summer, its history since 1983, its statewide reach, and its impact on leadership development, college readiness, and keeping students connected to Kentucky. Members praised the students and program, and several shared personal stories about the program’s long-term benefits. Representative Camuel asked about funding, and Dr. Price said the program’s request was $2.1 million to maintain current enrollment levels of about 1,020 scholars for 2026; no vote was taken on that request during this segment. The committee then took up House Bill 498, sponsored by Representative Duvall, with Aaron Looper of Graduation Alliance testifying in support. A committee substitute was adopted after explanation. The substitute broadened eligibility for accredited providers to include public and nonprofit entities, allowed each county an opportunity to provide services with a $200,000 aggregate maximum per county, reduced the dollars per credit to serve more students, and made date corrections. Representative Duvall said the bill was a workforce measure developed from the Workforce Attraction and Retention Task Force and aimed at adults who lack a high school diploma but have two years or less remaining to graduate. Looper said the bill would create a pathway for adults to earn a regionally accredited high school diploma, paired with workforce and industry-recognized credentials, and stressed that it would not compete with GED programs, which are better suited for adults farther from graduation. He said the model is pay-for-performance, with providers paid only after milestones are completed, and that it would be available online, in person, or in hybrid form to improve rural access. In response to questions, he said students would not be charged fees, providers would handle transcript retrieval and remediation, and the program would include built-in accountability measures. He also said the budget request is $2 million per year, with the goal of maintaining the current level of service and eventually expanding if successful. Members asked about how the program differs from existing adult education options, access in all counties, and whether there are deserts in service availability; Looper said the online model and provider outreach are intended to address those gaps.