Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:51.920><c> a</c> the first generation college student a the first generation college student
• </c> information on our students to KY stats. information on our students to KY stats.
• I mean, a student may get letters from more than one university on students that preliminarily qualify
• </c> not go out to every individual student. not go out to every individual student.
• </c> student has to opt in because a student student has to opt in because a student may<00:16:08.720

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :12:35.600><c> our</c> about teaching our students, our about teaching our students, our children<00:
• </c><00:17:42.000><c> who</c> into a a training for older students who into a a training for older students
• Every special needs student is different, just as every other student is different.
• Every special needs student is different, just as every other student is different.
• ><00:55:43.760><c> won't</c><00:55:44.079><c> stop</c> students in firearm safety won't stop students

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• students?" students?"
• But our students means all the students: the 90% who attend public schools, the students in towns that
• But our students means all the students: the 90% who attend public schools, the students in towns that
• But our students means all the students: the 90% who attend public schools, the students in towns that
• But our students means all the students: the 90% who attend public schools, the students in towns that

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• “It was asked, why would we allow families and students to use their dollars for college?
• I would ask, why are we confiscating funds from these students?
• The average per-pupil funding for a typical universal ESA student or a typical military student, for
• The students in public schools are tested constantly, as are the schools.
• So I support the program for special education for students with disabilities.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Appropriations, Transportation and Technology heard HCR 2048, as amended by a strike-everything amendment. The amendment would constitutionally prohibit the state from confiscating scholarship account monies from children of military families who are eligible for education scholarship accounts (ESAs) and can use the funds for tuition and fees at eligible postsecondary institutions. It also would make any later bill or voter-approved measure that violates that prohibition void in its entirety, with no severability, for measures enacted or approved on or after November 1, 2026. Representative Way, the sponsor, said the measure was intended to protect military families from having education funds taken away and argued that military children face unique disruptions because of deployments and frequent moves. Supporters including Matt Beinberg of the Goldwater Institute, Kevin Beasty of the Arizona Christian Education Coalition, Peter Gentala of the Center for Arizona Policy, and Senator Rogers said the amendment was needed to safeguard military families and preserve their ability to use ESA funds flexibly, including for college savings. Opponents, including Senators Alston, Fernandez, Kuby, and Epstein, argued the proposal was unnecessary, overly broad, and an attempt to preempt or invalidate a pending ESA-related citizen initiative. They also raised concerns about ESA accountability, public school funding, and constitutional issues involving voter initiatives and judicial review. After debate, the committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and then voted on HCR 2048 as amended. The final committee vote was 6 ayes, 4 noes, and 1 not voting, giving the measure a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• It would prohibit a student from participating in interscholastic activity or programs.
• Students deserve second chances, and oftentimes it is interscholastic activities or clubs in a school
• And I think this bill would rob them of that, and I don't think it would make students better or our
• We work for the state of Arizona, and our job is to provide those students in the state of Arizona a
• Arizona is currently 49th or 50th out of the 50 states in funding per student.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c> CTSOs, students gain leadership, CTSOs, students gain leadership, experience,<00:04:03.840><c> professional
• The students participate in knowledge.
• </c> dental students as well. So, welcome. dental students as well. So, welcome.
• ,</c> Maryland representing the students, Maryland representing the students, faculty,<00:09:08.959><
• ,</c> managerial group employees and students, managerial group employees and students, all<00:09:39.120

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate met on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, with a quorum present. The session opened with an invocation by Chaplain David Stadler, followed by journalization of his remarks and several introductions recognizing guests in the chamber, including dentists, an intern, a former legislative staffer, and representatives from the University System of Maryland and other groups. Senators also noted upcoming committee meetings and a Legislative Black Caucus photo the next day. The main floor action centered on a resolution honoring Maryland Career and Technical Student Organizations for Career and Technical Student Organization Week. The sponsor described the role of CTSOs in serving more than 12,000 students statewide and in building leadership, professional, and career skills. The resolution was read in full and adopted unanimously, with the Senate expressing congratulations and appreciation for the organizations’ work with young people. The Senate then took up layover items and calendar bills. Senate Bill 56, concerning Maryland Longitudinal Data Center external data sharing for multi-state reporting, was special ordered for one day after members raised privacy-related questions. Senate Bill 99, the Open Meetings Act/Local Board of Education Transparency Act measure, was also special ordered for one day after discussion of its committee amendment. The chamber also received administrative corrections from the Governor and referred them to the Executive Nominations Committee, and the majority leader later moved adjournment until February 19 at 10:00 a.m., which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and money, and the goal is to follow those students.
• I just want to make sure that we are prepared for those steps so that our students, our Missouri students
• Because one of the worst things that you can do is have students take on student loan debt and then not
• Which is about students and making sure we’re focused on students themselves.
• Seventy percent of their students remain in the state of Missouri.

Committee: House Budget

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > are</c> students eligible students who are students eligible students who are designated<00:29:22.880
• New Hampshire cannot set federal law requirements. student po thank you okay student po thank you okay
• Education saying this number of students Education saying this number of students received<01:16:13.760
• </c> for the program and I have one student for the program and I have one student who's<01:28:11.840
• </c> levels and yes New Hampshire students levels and yes New Hampshire students are<04:12:07.319><c>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 402, a bill to repeal a provision in RSA 194-F:2 stating that Education Freedom Account (EFA) funds “shall not constitute taxable income” to the parent or student. The bill sponsor argued the current language is misleading because the state cannot determine federal tax liability, and said the bill would simply remove inaccurate tax advice from state law. He cited IRS guidance and prior federal legislation, including a Ted Cruz proposal, to suggest some EFA uses may be taxable under federal law, while others may not, and said the bill could be amended if needed to avoid confusion. Testimony was sharply divided. Py Campbell opposed the bill, arguing it would unfairly single out EFA students and could amount to a tax on education funds, including for self-employed families, and recommended it be voted inexpedient to legislate. Stephen Matthew French, a tax preparer, also opposed the bill, saying IRS Publication 970 already makes clear that scholarship-type payments used for tuition and related expenses are not taxable, and that the bill addresses a problem that does not exist. He warned that adding tax reporting requirements could create administrative costs for families and the program administrator. Bill Ardinger, a tax attorney, supported the repeal of the statutory language, saying the state should not place potentially incorrect tax advice into law. He explained that under federal tax law, only certain scholarship-like uses are exempt, while many EFA-eligible expenses may not be, especially for families using the program for homeschooling or other nontraditional expenses. He said the current statute could mislead families into thinking all EFA payments are tax-free and could expose the state to future legal problems. The hearing ended after questions from committee members; no vote or final action was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:00:11.760><c> who</c> seeing the percentage of students who seeing the percentage of students
• But if you take a student that's an EBD student, that's a level five student, there are facilities down
• But if you take a student that's an EBD student, that's a level five student, there are facilities down
• But if you take a student that's an EBD student, that's a level five student, there are facilities down
• That's a level five student.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Adjust the CSF per-pupil calculations to exclude the weighted student count of any school district that
• more per student per year adjusted for inflation.
• That's $80,000 for a class of 20 students. ...thousand dollars more per student per year adjusted for
• That's $80,000 for a class of 20 students.
• The school I'm talking about is about 3,400 students.

Committee: Senate Senate Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The Senate Committee on Government considered only SCR 1032, along with a strike-everything amendment. The amendment would require school districts, subject to voter approval, to dedicate at least 60% of operational spending to teacher pay, with a phased-in increase beginning in FY 2028 for districts below that threshold. It also ties compliance to Classroom Site Fund eligibility, requires unexpended CSF monies to revert if a district is found out of compliance, and allows limited waivers from the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The sponsor argued the measure would correct what he described as a long-term misallocation of education funding and give voters a chance to prioritize teachers. Supporters, including representatives from Heritage Action, the Goldwater Institute, and the Center for Arizona Policy, said district spending has risen while teacher pay has remained flat in real terms, and argued the measure would increase transparency and accountability and ensure more money reaches teachers. Opponents, including a representative of the Rural Arizona School Coalition, said the proposal would be difficult for rural districts to meet and would squeeze out other necessary costs such as fuel, insurance, facilities, and minimum wage increases. A committee member also raised concerns that the measure could harm special education and other student support services by forcing districts to shift funds away from those areas. During discussion, the sponsor said charter schools were not included because he viewed them as private businesses, despite a member noting state law defines them as public schools. The committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and then approved SCR 1032 as amended. The final vote was 4 ayes, 3 nays, and 0 not voting, sending the measure out with a do pass as amended recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Adjust the CSF per-pupil calculations to exclude the weighted student count of any school district that
• In fact, compared to 1980, for example, we are now spending nearly 50% more per student, about $4,000
• more per student per year adjusted for inflation.
• That's $80,000 for a class of 20 students.
• The school I'm talking about is about 3,400 students.

Bills: HB2035 , HB2041 , HB2611 , HB2860 , HB4004 , HB4049 , SCR1032

Committee: Senate Government

Keywords: kinship care, child welfare, foster care, relative placement, child protection, child neglect, financial resources, behavioral health, Christian Science treatment, parental rights, group homes, children's rights, safety protocols, employee training, mental health, child safety, oversight, independent committee, transparency, accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• She had eight counts against her with an underage student that was 17.
• She was there at different hours of the day, but definitely when students were there.
• When we're talking about the safety of students, we want to make sure it's all students.
• And when we're talking about the safety of students, we want to make sure it's all students.
• We are just trying to create consistency so that we're protecting all students.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bills 1371 and 1372, which were described as measures to improve student safety by requiring more consistent disclosure and sharing of personnel information across educational entities, including public, charter, private, and micro schools. Senator Nichols said the bills would help ensure that allegations of misconduct, resignations during investigations, disciplinary actions, and other relevant employment history are not kept internal but are disclosed during hiring, and that cases involving covered individuals would be referred to the Idaho Professional Standards Commission. The State Superintendent said the department shared the goal of stronger mandatory reporting and hiring safeguards, and noted ongoing work with the Attorney General’s office and school attorneys to refine the language and align it with existing law and ethics training. Several committee members questioned how the proposal differed from current background checks and mandatory reporting laws, whether it would affect out-of-state applicants, and how it would apply to private schools and micro schools. Nichols said the bills were intended to fill gaps where information is not reported or transferred, and that the language would be adjusted to request records from prior employers over the last 10 years without automatically disqualifying applicants if information is unavailable. He also said the whistleblower language from SB 1372 would likely be folded into SB 1371 so the issues could be handled in one bill. The superintendent added that the department is also working on reinforcing the code of ethics and mandatory reporting expectations for educators. Testimony included statements from a friend reading a written statement for Dr. Laura Bolton, who said she had reported misconduct in the Boise School District and faced retaliation; the chair stopped that testimony when it touched on allegations tied to a current or previously settled case. Kathy Wilson testified that her son was assaulted in a Boise school restroom and said the district failed to report properly, while Tori Dole described retaliation after she reported concerns about a registered sex offender connected to a Boise school. After discussion, Senator Woodward moved to hold both bills in committee, and the motion passed unanimously, with the chair saying the committee would bring the bills back once the language was ready.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a federally funded program with schools, and so work-study is not awarded to every student; students
• Okay, so the use of work-study on line 40 interplays with Florida college student.
• Will we be asking—would your bill ask students to sign this waiver?
• Because they're in the student role? You're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• I oppose House Bill 221 because I myself have a working student who is in the workforce.

Transcript Highlights:

• Student health services on college campuses are often the only way college students are receiving their
• information, if not care, to their students, including referrals to abortion care for students that
• Student health services on college campuses are often the only way college students are receiving their
• information, if not care, to their students, including referrals to abortion care for students that
• students that need it.

Committee: House Government

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And in that sense, tragically, what happened to a student or students at Concord-Carlisle and the response
• and all types of students.
• on these issues and to craft local policies that protect Jewish students and all types of students.
• attack and harass students based on their identity.
• I don't have a fully formed view on this, but we've talked about education for students.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism met to review and discuss draft preliminary recommendations, with the co-chairs explaining that the draft had been released publicly and that the meeting was intended for open discussion and edits rather than a final vote. They emphasized the urgency of addressing antisemitism in Massachusetts, especially in K-12 schools, while noting that the recommendations are preliminary, may be revised, and will be supplemented by further testimony and a final report later. Several members also referenced recent allegations and incidents in local schools as examples of why the commission’s work is needed. Commissioners broadly supported the draft but proposed numerous refinements. Common themes included clarifying the distinction between antisemitic incidents and hate crimes; strengthening reporting systems and privacy protections; adding clearer guidance from DESE and the Attorney General on First Amendment issues, curriculum, and investigations; expanding Holocaust and genocide education; and improving professional development for educators, school committees, and administrators. Several members urged better links to mental health and victim services, more support for the Genocide Education Trust, and stronger language on bystander training, digital literacy, and the role of school committees in addressing bias. There was also discussion of how to frame antisemitism as a distinct form of hate, how to address antisemitism related to Israel and Zionism without restricting legitimate political speech, and how to avoid unfunded mandates for school districts and municipalities. Some commissioners suggested adding timeframes, a centralized reporting or investigative mechanism, and more explicit model policies for schools. The meeting ended with the chairs thanking participants and the public for their input, and the commission then moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Big round of applause for all of the FFA students who are here.
• She said Kaden is one of her favorite students, that he is an amazing young man, a great student, and
• Lada, FFA students from Gadsden, Independent School District.
• He is a student out of our Las Vegas FFA chapter.
• The students come across the state, all across the state.

Bills: HM19

Keywords: New Mexico Aviation and Aerospace Day, aviation, aerospace, space industry, missile programs, Spaceport America, White Sands Missile Range, White Sands Test Facility, Kirtland Air Force Base, drone, unmanned aircraft systems, commercial space transportation, NASA, aircraft, STEM education, research laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, flight testing, medical evacuation

Transcript Highlights:

• First, I'll start off with students and faculty members and administration from my alma mater, a high
• </c> today first I'll start off from students today first I'll start off from students andc<00:02:29.879
• Ethan serves as student representative of the Hawaii State Board of Education, and he also serves as
• Kaiser's student body president.
• </c> innovative ideas Ethan serves as student innovative ideas Ethan serves as student representative

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or private school, including vision screening information, reporting for public school students, and
• The goal is to ensure students understand what government government bodies do, who's responsible for
• has taken, but that acknowledgment does not mean the student is bilingual and biliterate.
• It simply means the student has taken certain language other than English classes.
• Under this bill, students will retain their First Amendment rights.

Bills: HB178

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: efficiency audit, political subdivision, tax rate, fiscal management, government accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the students, teachers, and parents from Animas High School.
• President, it was It was great to meet with these students yesterday evening.
• and effort, but our student region, and that is Mr.
• to go ahead and be best not only for student government but for the university. life.
• She cares about our students. Lastly, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're a Chinese student visiting here, you're going to be recruited into a Chinese Students and Scholars
• If you're a Chinese student visiting here, you're going to be recruited into a Chinese Students and Scholars
• Do these students, are they paid by the other countries to be here?
• We want to have more students going to college.
• We expand faculty-to-student ratios.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 399 by Senator Bass, which would create the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council to review and potentially block certain gifts, contracts, academic partnerships, and research partnerships involving foreign adversary sources. Bass said the bill is intended to protect university research, intellectual property, and students from foreign influence, and would also require public disclosure of certain foreign-linked arrangements and a plan to eliminate foreign-adversary-linked software. Supporters from State Armor argued Louisiana universities have been vulnerable to Chinese Communist Party influence and intellectual property theft. Representatives from Tulane University and Lenovo raised concerns that the bill could create duplicative review, delay research, raise costs, and sweep in legitimate private or multinational entities; a proposed amendment to exempt entities operating under a CFIUS national security agreement failed 4-8. After debate, the committee moved SB 399 favorably. The committee then considered Senate Bill 310 by Senator Cloud, presented by Representative Carlson, which would require public school and college health centers to display information about pregnancy resources available in Louisiana. Supporters from Louisiana Right to Life said the bill would help connect pregnant students with existing state and private assistance programs, while the ACLU submitted a red card in opposition without speaking. The bill was moved favorably without objection. The committee also advanced House Resolution 171 by Representative Turner, which calls for a study of the workforce-oriented TOPS Tech and M.J. Foster programs, with business and workforce groups supporting the study as a way to measure outcomes and return on investment; it was moved favorably. Next, the committee took up House Bill 1084 by Representative Turner, a tuition autonomy bill for public post-secondary institutions. An amendment was adopted to add a conceptual framework for tuition-setting considerations, but the bill would still remove the existing 10% over two years cap and allow institutions to set tuition more freely. Turner argued universities need more flexibility because state funding has declined and campuses face deferred maintenance and operating pressures. Several members, especially Representative Carlson, warned that higher tuition could reduce access and that the bill did not address broader structural problems in higher education. Despite those concerns, HB 1084 was moved favorably by an 8-3 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 351 by Senator Jackson Andrews, which would let families apply for child care assistance through CCAP once pregnancy is known, rather than waiting until after birth, to help move them up the waiting list. An amendment was adopted to have BESE, rather than the department, handle rulemaking and to allow the House and Senate education committees to approve the implementation process. The bill was then discussed as a way to help parents return to work sooner, and the hearing continued with questions from members.