Transcript Highlights:

• School food services directors work tirelessly to meet nutrition standards, stay within tight budgets
• Analysis Division at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion within the Food and Nutrition Service
• Analysis Division at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion within the Food and Nutrition Service
• Programs like SNAP and meal service options like the Community Eligibility Provision work in tandem to
• Because we don't have our whole lives to build our bone bank. We have the first 25-ish years.

Bills: SB222

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Keywords: whole milk, school lunch, school meals, National School Lunch Program, Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Child Nutrition Act, USDA, nutrition standards, dairy, nonfat milk, low-fat milk, reduced-fat milk, lactose-free milk, nondairy beverages, plant-based milk, milk substitution, parental consent, legal guardian, food allergies, allergic reaction

Summary: This meeting of the committee focused primarily on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, S222, which aims to permit schools to offer a fuller range of milk options, including whole, reduced, and low-fat varieties, that have garnered bipartisan support. Chairman Bozeman opened the session by highlighting concerns over children's nutrition and the obesity epidemic, emphasizing the significance of nutritious school meals in addressing these issues. Experts from various organizations were invited to discuss the implications of this bill as well as the current challenges facing school meal programs, including budget constraints and food supply issues. The meeting included passionate testimonies about the direct impacts of current dietary guidelines and federal funding reductions affecting schools' abilities to provide healthy meal options.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, please be aware that this hearing is being recorded and streamed live.
• Number two, transit. such as maintenance shops, flight schools, restaurants, and other service providers
• I live in Boston, and I am here to testify for H. 3082, an excise tax on guns and ammunition.
• It's 9/11, and that I was living with PTSD.
• Because it costs too much for us in health care, but also the lives that we lose every year.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a long hybrid hearing on a wide range of tax bills, with testimony covering cigarette and tobacco taxes, nicotine pouches, contractor rental equipment exemptions, aircraft sales tax exemptions, rolling stock, advanced sales tax payments, a gun and ammunition excise tax, a digital services tax, and a psilocybin cultivation/tax proposal. Committee chairs outlined the hearing process and noted that 39 House-filed sales and excise tax bills were being heard for required reporting by November 28. No votes were taken during the hearing. On tobacco-related bills, supporters including Senator Keenan, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and Tobacco Free Mass backed higher cigarette taxes and closing the synthetic nicotine loophole, arguing the measures would reduce youth initiation, encourage cessation, and offset health care costs. Retailers, wholesalers, and convenience-store groups opposed the increases, warning of smuggling, out-of-state purchasing, and harm to small businesses; premium cigar representatives argued cigars should be treated separately from cigarettes. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3067 and related bills concerning nicotine pouches, with public health advocates supporting taxation and industry witnesses urging a lower, more competitive rate. Several other bills drew sharply divided testimony. United Rentals supported H. 3065 to simplify contractor rental equipment exemption paperwork, while airport and aviation groups opposed bills to repeal the aircraft sales tax exemption, saying it would hurt airport competitiveness and jobs. The Transportation Association of Massachusetts backed rolling stock tax exemptions, saying the current tax discourages fleet investment and interstate commerce. Restaurant industry representatives supported repealing advanced sales tax payments and changing penalty rules, saying businesses were hit with retroactive penalties after unclear pandemic-era changes. On H. 3082, an excise tax on guns and ammunition, gun violence prevention advocates, Roca, and Giffords supported the bill as a dedicated funding source for prevention and survivor services, while sportsmen’s groups opposed it as unfair to lawful gun owners and harmful to conservation funding. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3208, a digital advertising services tax, with Representative Paulino supporting it as a way to capture revenue from online advertising and fund public needs, while the Chamber of Progress opposed it as costly and burdensome for small businesses and campaigns. Finally, multiple witnesses testified on H. 4050 regarding psilocybin cultivation and taxation: advocates from Mass Healing, Roca, the Reason Foundation, and individuals describing personal medical benefits urged a regulated, permit-based system, while the hearing ended after all signed-up speakers were heard and the chair adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• This hearing is being live streamed on the Legislature's website, and a recording will be posted shortly
• Today, the high cost of living, high rent, food prices, diapers, and meals, it makes it hard for us as
• This is critical to ensure that young children, ages 3 to 5, have access to equitable services across
• results in 49 seats not being counted during the school year for children transitioning out of early
• I live in Easton. Representative Plouffe is my representative.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its sixth public hearing and took testimony on a large slate of bills, with the chair moving H. 542/S. 341 on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care to the top of the agenda so young constituents would not have to wait. Witnesses from labor, community organizations, and FFN providers strongly supported the bill, saying FFN care fills critical gaps for families working nonstandard hours, especially in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities. Testimony emphasized that FFN providers are currently underpaid, often receive only about $24 per child per day, and should be guaranteed at least the state minimum wage. Witnesses also backed changes to the voucher system to allow families to combine formal and FFN care more flexibly, and they supported creating an FFN advisory council. Committee members asked about the difference between FFN and center-based care, registration requirements, fingerprinting/background checks, EEC’s ongoing study group, and the fiscal impact; witnesses said the current annual cost is about $1.8 million and could rise to about $6 million if all current FFN providers were paid minimum wage, still under 1% of the EEC budget. The committee then closed testimony on that bill. The committee next heard testimony on several preschool and universal pre-K bills, including H. 707 on public preschool facilities, H. 687/S. 339 on universal pre-K and mixed delivery, and related bills such as H. 606, H. 523, H. 618, H. 522, H. 510, and H. 615, many of which were later closed without additional witnesses. A Lowell school official testified that space and facilities funding are major barriers to expanding preschool and that the city has hundreds of children on voucher waitlists. Other witnesses and organizations, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and AFT Massachusetts, supported mixed-delivery universal pre-K and warned that public-school expansion should not undermine community-based providers, whose preschool tuition helps subsidize infant and toddler care. Several witnesses also urged stronger standards for preschool teachers, better staffing ratios, and more integrated special education and support services. The committee accepted written testimony on some bills and closed testimony on the others when no one else came forward. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 541/S. 373, which would ban school exclusion in pre-K through third grade. Advocates from Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mass Appleseed, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, AFT Massachusetts, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee argued that suspensions and expulsions at young ages harm learning, worsen inequities, and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. They cited data showing disproportionate impacts on Black and Latinx students, students with disabilities, and low-income children, and described personal stories of children whose behavior improved when schools kept them in class and addressed underlying needs. Committee members asked for updated data on the number of students and districts affected, and witnesses said they would provide more detailed written information. After testimony on this and a few other bills, including S. 372, S. 357, and H. 275/S. 133, the committee closed testimony and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• $70,000 for a live. musical event to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in Ireland
• Cutting off funding for religious charities and services that Americans rely on every day.
• CFPB has improved American lives by capping credit card late fees, bank overdue... draft fees, reduced
• So with CFPB shuttered, seniors, veterans, student borrowers are going to be at risk of unfair service
• To use just the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services as an example, last

Committee: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Keywords: fiscal responsibility, government waste, foreign aid, funding resolution, legislative oversight

Summary: The committee meeting addressed government spending and foreign aid, with a particular emphasis on perceived wasteful expenditures. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing a funding resolution for the committee, which received unanimous support from the members present. The chair noted a quorum at the beginning of the meeting, signaling that the committee was ready to conduct its business. Discussions highlighted ongoing debates concerning fiscal responsibility and the necessity of legislative oversight, notably regarding foreign aid allocations and their implications for domestic fiscal health.

Transcript Highlights:

• Paul, that's not Legislative Council Service. Sarah, we admire your Legislative Council Service. M.
• Green, Legislative Council Service. Thank you.
• I live in Los Lunas. I have a private well.
• They've been living with this year after year after year.
• Thank you for all your public service.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from the Environment Department on PFAS contamination in private wells in La Cienega, Santa Fe County. Staff said the plume likely came from historic use of firefighting foam associated with airport and National Guard fire-training activities, with possible additional contribution from septic systems and consumer products. They described the contamination as affecting about 200 private wells, the short-term response of providing residential filters through a $2 million legislative appropriation, and ongoing work to define the plume’s full extent, identify responsible parties, and consider longer-term regional water solutions. Members asked about filter costs, replacement schedules, disposal of used cartridges, follow-up testing, health studies, and whether cleanup or containment had begun; the department said cleanup would follow once the plume is fully mapped and that DOH is soliciting interest in a blood study. The committee also discussed the need to track disposal of PFAS filters and the possibility of broader statewide capacity for similar work. The committee then took up abandoned uranium mine cleanup. NMED and EMNRD staff reviewed the new uranium mine reclamation program created by HB 164, the state dashboard tracking sites, and the FY26 appropriation of $20 million for neglected contaminated sites, of which $12 million is being used for neglected uranium mines and the remainder for other contaminated sites. They said six contractors were hired, three priority sites in Grant County are moving forward quickly, and additional sites are being prepared for possible FY27 work. Members pressed for details on how funds are spent, why the revolving fund remains unfunded, how federal, state, tribal, and landowner requirements are coordinated, where contaminated material will be moved, and whether cleanup could also address homes built with contaminated materials. Staff said the work is governed by multiple regulatory layers, that the state is seeking an additional $25 million for FY27-FY28 plus a time extension, and that partnerships with tribes would require longer-term agreements. The committee also discussed federal cleanup efforts and the new Good Samaritan law, with members urging stronger advocacy for New Mexico sites, including tribal lands, and asking whether the Attorney General should pursue legal action against federal parties responsible for legacy contamination. Staff explained that some sites are already covered by settlement funds tied to responsible parties, while neglected sites are those with no responsible party and no other cleanup program. The committee then heard from EMNRD on Class VI carbon sequestration primacy. Staff said New Mexico currently has no operating Class VI wells, about 27 Class II acid-gas injection wells are operating, and only a small number might be candidates for conversion. They explained that the state’s primacy application would require more public outreach than federal rules alone, and that cost estimates for post-injection site care are based on long planning horizons, with some costs borne by operators and some by the state after closure. No votes were taken on the substantive items discussed; the committee approved the prior meeting minutes and took a brief recess between presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• By design, all of us are called to transition the clean energy economy to benefit everyone, and we are
• </c><00:09:21.079><c> the</c><00:09:21.240><c> clean</c> are called to transition the clean are called
• to transition the clean energy<00:09:22.040><c> economy</c><00:09:22.519><c> to</c><00:09:22.800><c>
• </c><00:20:01.720><c> or</c><00:20:01.960><c> measures</c><00:20:02.480><c> that</c> products services
• or measures that products services or measures that promote<00:20:03.039><c> Energy</c><00:20:03.559

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am owner of AMK Landscape Services.
• It's great for everyone to have a beautiful environment to live in, and that's what we provide.
• So, again, so you live in Batesville, you’re from Batesville, but go to school in Fayetteville?
• And the chair of the Public Transit Association, and it will add the executive director of the LSU Center

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Development met on May 12, 2026, approved the April 28 minutes, and heard extensive testimony on House Concurrent Resolution 77, which urges federal action to address labor shortages affecting Louisiana’s crawfish industry and other seasonal employers. Representative Butler, Commissioner Strain, industry representatives, landscapers, nursery operators, and Farm Bureau supporters argued that H-2A/H-2B visa limits and processing delays are hurting crawfish processors, landscapers, nurseries, and related businesses, causing lost production, higher costs, and broader economic harm. Members emphasized that the workers discussed are legal guest workers, not illegal immigration, and several senators voiced support. HCR 77 was reported favorably, with a motion to co-author also noted. The committee then considered House Bill 81 on property rights and accountability for violations. Representative Boyer presented the bill, but Senator Long asked that it be voluntarily deferred so he could work on possible amendments and improve the measure before it advances. The author agreed, and the bill was deferred. The committee also heard and acted on several bills related to agricultural policy and food systems. House Bill 512, concerning cell-cultured meat, was presented as a measure to protect livestock producers and allow continued research while prohibiting the product; after questions about research and labeling, it was reported favorably. House Bill 717, a labeling companion measure for cell-cultured meat, was also reported favorably. House Bill 1194, which would direct the LSU AgCenter to study food deserts and develop a plan, drew concern from the AgCenter over capacity and funding; members agreed to report it without action so it could be recommitted to finance and worked on further. Finally, House Bill 663, revising the membership of the Delta Economic Research and Sustainability District board, was presented on behalf of the absent author and reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• services they services professional services they contract<00:10:11.519><c> for</c><00:10:11.839><c>
• </c> legal services. legal services.
• How you evaluate who should live there and what services and what kind of security is on site.
• How you evaluate who should live there and what services and what kind of security is on site.
• </c> service before. service before.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the April 13 minutes and then turned to a large agenda of contracts. Chairman Douglas said there were 52 contracts totaling about $369.3 million, and noted that most vendors were registered with the Secretary of State except for item 118 on the routine personal services green list and item 19 involving Morehead State University and Kentucky State University. The committee voted to defer item 118 to the June 26 meeting and later also deferred the Kentucky State University contract on the deferred list to the June 26 meeting. The main discussion centered on a deferred personal services contract for the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners, involving outside legal counsel. Senator Meredith raised concerns about KRS 320 and whether the board had authority to hire outside counsel when the statute says the Attorney General shall provide legal services to the board. Dr. Mary Beth Morris, the board president, and Christopher Thacker of the Attorney General’s office testified after being sworn in. Thacker explained that the statute and related law allow both Attorney General assistance and independent counsel, and argued that outside counsel is appropriate for day-to-day legal work because it avoids conflicts, especially on open records issues, regulatory advice, and disciplinary hearings. Senator Meredith said he agreed with approving the contract but questioned how the board had reached this point and whether the current statutes reflect modern practice. He raised concerns about transparency and accountability, referencing a prior advisory opinion involving the board’s handling of exam requirements during COVID and saying the board should have consulted the Attorney General before acting. Thacker responded that the Attorney General’s office serves the Commonwealth as a whole, not as counsel to one board, and that the board’s use of outside counsel is a reasonable and economical arrangement. The exchange ended with Meredith suggesting that broader legislative action may be needed to clarify reporting relationships and oversight for the board.

Transcript Highlights:

• there, but also independent living services.
• And one three words, NFB News Live. NFB Newsline is the newspaper reading service. eBay.
• And what we do is To use these kinds of services to really transform people's lives.
• So as you can see, we provide really full service services to New Mexicans living with disabilities in
• services.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• shapes your career paths and lives in the future.
• Until finally they were able to secure services three minutes closer to home.
• These services are not luxuries.
• They're raising the cost of goods or services for everybody.
• Jean will be missed tremendously, and her impact will live on in the lives. that she has touched, the

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:31:00.320><c> New</c><00:31:00.559><c> Hampshire,</c><00:31:00.880><c> the</c><00:31:01.039><c> lives
• , the lives of our students.<00:31:02.080><c> We're</c><00:31:02.399><c> grateful</c><00:31:02.640><c
• of students and everything transition of students and everything else<00:32:08.640><c> in</c><00:32:
• And that now you're sort of living that daily.
• </c> now you're you're sort of you're living now you're you're sort of you're living that<00:53:55.280

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met to review the annual report on collaboration between the University System of New Hampshire and the Community College System of New Hampshire, and the meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and a gubernatorial proclamation recognizing the community college system’s 80th anniversary. Both chancellors praised the proclamation and described the report as a statutory follow-up to the public higher education task force. They said the two systems have built a close working relationship and that the collaboration is intended to continue, though progress may be limited by resources and staffing changes. Much of the discussion focused on transfer pathways and new academic models. The chancellors said House Bill 1530 helped drive the creation of more than 100, and possibly about 130, “universal pathways” between the systems, with a reported 30% increase in community college associate-degree graduates transferring to the university system in the last academic year. They also discussed direct-admit outreach for community college graduates, early college and CTE-to-workforce pathways, and the development of three-year bachelor’s programs at Plymouth State and in some health-care fields. Members asked about nursing, allied dental health, and radiologic technology, and the chancellors said they are exploring whether some programs can be streamlined, while noting that nursing’s requirements may limit how short a pathway can be. Members also raised concerns about whether transfer pathways could affect university enrollment, but the university chancellor said declining enrollment is more likely due to a smaller pool of college-age students and broader competition, not the transfer programs. Another topic was the ERP/technology platform recommendation from the task force: the university system is moving to Workday, while the community college system is working to align business practices and move from an on-premises system to a cloud-based solution. Officials said a shared enterprise system could create efficiencies in the future, but it is not expected in the short term; student-facing tools like Canvas are already shared. The committee also discussed House Bill 112, which would require passing a civics test for graduation, and the chancellors said they support civic education but see implementation challenges. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• Multiple Listing Service, looking at the average sales price of homes in Albuquerque, the average sales
• So with that, I'll transition to Mackenzie, unless you want to open for questions now.
• So, it's a living, breathing number that can move with the market, and the state doesn't have to do anything
• So while water is a challenge, my ditch in Corrales, where I live.
• I knew never before lived in does have some substantial improvements and qualities associated with it

Committee: House Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• We live in just an extraordinary world.
• Not when so many lives hang in the balance.
• Why can't NIH live with 15 percent overhead?
• and change our lives moving forward.
• We're going to pay for this not just in lives and children's lives right now but we're going to pay for

Committee: Senate Senate Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so if I live in Murray.
• Um, so if I live in Murray.
• Um, so if I live in Murray.
• Um, so if I live in Murray.
• </c><01:14:49.120><c> If</c> Um, so if I I live in Murray. If Um, so if I I live in Murray.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:07 Chair Comments 00:00:36 Approval of Minutes 00:04:01 Volunteers of America 00:04:21 Soil and Water Conservation/Energy and Environment Cabinet 00:14:52 Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy/Justice & Public Safety Cabinet 00:21:05 Kentucky Department of Agriculture 00:26:01 Early Childhood Advisory Council 00:45:18, 958, all

Summary: The Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee met to review how tobacco settlement dollars are being used and to press recipients for detailed information on total funding, administrative versus program spending, and measurable outcomes. The chair emphasized that the committee was not there for general program overviews, but to assess return on investment and whether each program should continue to receive tobacco settlement support. The committee approved the minutes from its December 22, 2025 meeting and then heard presentations from several agencies and organizations. Volunteers of America Mid-States described its southeastern Kentucky restorative justice program, which uses an evidence-based New Zealand model for juvenile cases in nine counties. The group reported tobacco settlement funding of $516,000 in FY24 and $233,500 in FY25, representing about 17% and then about 5% of the program budget, respectively. It said the funding helped expand the program from 13 cases in 2021 to 180 youth served, and cited an independent evaluation showing recidivism of 24.5% compared with 40.4% in AOC data, along with a cost of a little under $20 per day versus detention and other placements. Some members questioned whether the program fit the tobacco settlement funding categories and suggested it might be better supported through other justice-related funding sources. The Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Division of Conservation explained that tobacco funds support $1 million in direct aid to conservation districts and $2 million in cost-share projects for farmers, with 5% of the cost-share appropriation allowed for administration, or about $100,000 in FY26. Officials said the direct-aid line was moved into tobacco funding in 2019, reducing money available for farmer cost-share, and described a multi-year project approval and reallocation process. Senator Webb asked for a more specific breakdown of the $850,000 direct-aid amount, and the cabinet said it would provide that information. The Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy reported that in FY24 it expended just under $30 million across tobacco funds, general funds, restricted funds, and a one-time federal grant, with less than 2% used for administration. Officials said most tobacco settlement money goes to Kentucky ASAP local boards in all 120 counties, supporting prevention, treatment, and some law enforcement work. The Department of Agriculture then began its presentation, describing strategic investments, loan programs, county funding, administrative costs, and a reported return of about $2.30 for every dollar spent, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our mission is simple: to empower people to choose how they live as they age, but financial fraud is
• They're using new technologies, including cryptocurrency kiosks, to move stolen money quickly and Live
• And by the way, these people probably have ailing parents and transitioning relatives as well.
• It allows a caregiver or family member to live next door.
• It allows a caregiver or family member to live next door.

Committee: House Business

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from March 25 and March 27, then took up Senate Bill 1359 as amended, which would regulate virtual currency kiosks/crypto ATMs. The sponsor and supporters from AARP, law enforcement, and the Attorney General’s office said the bill was aimed at reducing scams that target older adults by requiring operator registration, money transmitter licensing, fee and exchange-rate disclosures, fraud warnings, transaction records, and cooperation with the Department of Finance. The bill passed the committee on a due-pass recommendation, though one member noted possible Fourth Amendment concerns about blockchain analytics and data retention. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1353 as amended, a housing bill allowing twin homes and duplexes in single-family residential zones in cities over 10,000 people, with limits on local bans, lot-size restrictions, fees, and parking requirements. Supporters argued it would expand affordable “missing middle” housing, help families and older adults stay in their communities, and restore property rights; opponents, including an Eagle city council member, argued it would override local control and worsen density and traffic concerns. After testimony from residents, housing advocates, and local officials, the motion for a due-pass recommendation failed on a 7-7 tie, so the bill was held in committee. Next, the committee considered Senate Bill 1254, which would clarify that certain chiropractors with clinical nutrition training may prescribe the limited vitamins, minerals, fluids, epinephrine, needles, and related products they are already authorized to obtain and administer. The sponsor said the change would fix a technical problem that prevents chiropractors from buying these items from pharmacies, while some members raised concerns about scope of practice and noted opposition from the Idaho Association of Chiropractic Physicians. The committee passed the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. Finally, Senate Bill 1313 was heard, expanding Idaho’s dual-licensure naturopathic doctor provisions to include pharmacists who also meet the existing naturopathic licensing requirements. The sponsor said the bill would let pharmacists with the proper additional training practice under dual licensure without violating scope-of-practice or insurance rules, and the committee approved it for the floor with a due-pass recommendation before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Skipping down internal services, so internal services were asking for an increase.
• This will be our landing page, which is already live and operational.
• I live in this region. Can I go observe or take a look and talk to somebody in person?'
• They're asking for fiber to transition to NextGen 911.
• grant that you approved today, we're hoping that will be the final item needed to get them up and live

Keywords: 914, all

Summary: The Oklahoma 911 Management Authority met with a quorum and approved the April 2 regular meeting minutes and financial reports for February through April 2026. The board then adopted the FY 2027 budget, which included a 5% staff increase, reclassifying the 911-98 liaison into a training coordinator role, adding a GIS specialist position, higher funding for training, travel, NG911 deployment, cybersecurity training, recruitment, and the 911 coordinator workshop, along with increased GIS repository funding and a new technology roadmap allocation. The budget also set aside $3 million for a one-time PSAP distribution and maintained grant closeout and reserve funding levels. The board approved the $3 million PSAP one-time distribution and its guidelines, using the statutory population-and-land-area formula, with funds restricted to GIS, eligible technology items, or grant matching rather than salaries or construction. Members also denied Washington County 911’s request to waive the 20% match for a radio console grant after staff found the county had sufficient carryover and other funding sources. The board approved an in-person 911 telecommunicator training curriculum and simulator for technical schools, with a requirement for a full simulator and NENA-approved certification, and approved a $249,820 statewide recruitment campaign with ICG Advertising to promote 911 careers. On GIS compliance, the board authorized staff, with legal counsel, to begin enforcement steps against PSAPs that do not complete required GIS data remediation and repository uploads by the June deadline, including notice and possible escrow action by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. The board also approved several individual grants, including projects for fiber/NextGen 911 transition, ADA furniture, NextGen 911 equipment, a consolidation feasibility study, recorder upgrades, and radio console upgrades for multiple counties and PSAPs. Committee and staff reports highlighted 911 Day at the Capitol, upcoming POP grant availability, new grant categories for FY 2027, cybersecurity training planning, NG911/GIS tool development, 988 outreach, and ongoing project and standards work.

Transcript Highlights:

• The time it takes and your service to all Texans is appreciated.
• You know, it allows for transitioning in the marketplace.
• We are living on fixed incomes for a longer period of time.
• The breadbasket, the cost of living... I think this bill is great.
• I live in Austin.

Bills: SB4 , SJR2 , SB 4 , SJR 2

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: property tax, homestead exemption, school funding, state aid, constitutional amendment, SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption, senior tax relief, disabled exemption, tax year 2025, voter approval

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that kind of service for this product still available? Mr.
• But I would say when you transition from one employer to another employer and you are an employee, this
• Payment is not due at time of service.
• In a matter of minutes, our lives changed.
• I’m wondering why we aren’t capping all services then, on procedures.

Committee: House Business

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• first thing you've got to understand is the intertwining... ...of government institutions with our lives
• Government has become more and more intertwined with our lives, so there will be pushback.
• I am the Director of Information Services for Austin Public Schools.
• As the Director of Information Services, I provide the technical and academic measurement expertise to
• And if you are able to see some of the places that you can work in the same place that you live, then

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The transition is also difficult for parents' work schedules.
• pieces of our literacy policy that are intended to support and catch students so that when they do transition
• to grade four, when they transition from learning to read to reading to learn, they're best equipped
• effort to allow school districts to focus on teaching students as opposed to filling out forms and living

Committee: Senate Education Pre-K - 12

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 296, as amended by strike-all, on middle and high school start times. Senator Bradley explained that the amendment would repeal the statewide mandate for later start times and return scheduling decisions to local school boards, while still requiring districts to inform the community about the health, safety, and academic effects of sleep deprivation and to consider later start times when setting transportation schedules. Testimony and debate were largely in support, with several school district and education group representatives waiving in support, and members citing transportation, staffing, family logistics, and cost concerns under the existing mandate. The strike-all was adopted, and SB 296 was reported favorably by roll call vote, with Senators Berman, Osgood, and Chair Calatayud voting yes and Senator Gaetz voting no; other members were absent or not recorded in the excerpt. The committee then heard Senate Bill 356, which would designate January 27 as Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida. Senator Berman said the date matches the UN’s Holocaust Remembrance Day and would require the governor to annually proclaim it, while allowing public observance and instruction about the Holocaust’s harms and its impact on the Jewish community and humanity. There was no substantive opposition in the excerpt, and the bill was reported favorably by roll call vote with yes votes from Senators Berman, Gaetz, and Chair Calatayud. Finally, the committee considered Senate Bill 166 on administrative efficiency in public schools. Senator Simon described a broad deregulation package affecting student assessments, grade promotion, teacher evaluations, contracts and certification, school board operations, instructional materials timelines, internal audits, facilities planning, cost-per-student-station limits, emergency make-up days, federal fund timing, and VPK oversight. Testimony was mixed: school district and education organization representatives generally supported the flexibility, while some groups opposed or urged changes to the grade 4 promotion and graduation-related provisions, arguing they could weaken academic standards. After debate focused especially on third-grade promotion and testing requirements, the bill was reported favorably by roll call vote. At the end of the meeting, members recorded their votes on SB 296 and SB 356, and the committee adjourned.