Transcript Highlights:

• The by helping them achieve better employment and educational opportunities.
• are nonprofit agencies and serve in their communities with a wide range of programs, resources, education
• Of course, our benefits that we should have our veterans and then our education that we do.
• You've gotten services through the education system, perhaps through Medicaid state plan, and then what
• The theme I'm hearing is about consumer education, client education, and patient navigation.

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee met to organize the new term, take roll, and hear introductory presentations from the six agencies under its jurisdiction: the Agency for Health Care Administration, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Families, Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Health, and Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The chair outlined the committee process, including assigning members to review agencies and make budget recommendations. Each agency head gave a high-level overview of their budget, staffing, major programs, and priorities, with recurring themes including Medicaid, long-term care, disability services, child welfare, mental health, aging services, public health, and veterans’ health care. Several agency leaders highlighted recent initiatives and funding priorities. AHCA emphasized Medicaid managed care, provider regulation, Hope Florida, hospital-at-home, and cancer-related efforts; APD discussed iBudget services, Hope Florida, a managed-care pilot, online applications, and forensic care costs; DCF focused on child protection, foster care, adult protective services, food/cash/medical assistance, mental health, and opioid treatment; Elder Affairs highlighted Alzheimer’s services, community-based senior care, guardianship, ombudsman services, and disaster outreach; DOH covered cancer innovation, maternal telehealth, cybersecurity, HIV/hepatitis/syphilis screening, and school nursing; and Veterans Affairs described benefits and health care access for veterans, long-term care, and federal reimbursement. Several speakers also raised concerns about rising costs, provider rates, disaster response, and access to services. The committee heard two public comments from disability advocates about Medicaid redeterminations affecting iBudget waiver recipients and provider payment delays. In response, AHCA and APD said they were coordinating on data sharing, early outreach, escalation processes, and efforts to reduce disenrollments and make recertification smoother. Members then asked questions about provider rates, opioid settlement spending, managed care quality measures, pediatric rare disease grants, group home transparency, senior outreach, ABA services moving into managed care, annual Medicaid recertification, veterans’ service utilization, waiting lists for elder services, and prevention spending. No formal votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, you have to have a master's in nursing education.
• Now, you have to have a master's in nursing education.
• Now, you have to have a master's in nursing education.
• </c> and what I learned is the more educated and what I learned is the more educated and<01:24:08.400
• </c> as the United States for educating as the United States for educating medical<01:42:17.000><c> graduates

Committee: Joint Labor, Health & Social Services

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> of Education, of Education, 300<01:23:57.560><c> million</c><01:23:58.000><c> dollars</c><01:23
• You got to bring education here. You got to bring human services here.
• You got to bring education here. You got to bring human services here.
• </c> Um Perpich Center for Arts Education. Um Perpich Center for Arts Education.
• We are entrepreneurs, health care workers, educators, and public servants.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > State</c> accessible education material State accessible education material State Services<00:42:55.400
• That's Minnesota Department of Education.
• Currently, both are undefined in education law.
• Currently, both are undefined in education law.
• </c> I have moved it through education I have moved it through education finance.<01:12:16.680><c> I<

Bills: HF4456 , HF4544 , HF3698

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: data broker, data brokerage, consumer privacy, personal data, data privacy, Minnesota attorney general, registration, public registry, civil penalties, enforcement, special revenue fund, privacy rights, data sales, data collection, consumer protection, chapter 325M, controller, processor, data broker registry, transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• experiences to uh work in educational experiences to uh work in the<00:04:35.280><c> contemporary</c
• We're among the only groups in the country that are providing this type of education. program that's
• As far as curriculum and education, there's nothing like that.
• :25.039><c> nothing</c><00:24:25.360><c> like</c> education, there's there's nothing like education,
• </c><00:52:00.240><c> in</c> on our team was trained and educated in on our team was trained and educated

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force met with a quorum, adopted the minutes from the previous meeting, and heard a presentation from Western Kentucky University’s Disaster Science Operations Center. WKU described its multidisciplinary disaster science effort, including meteorology, emergency management, the Kentucky State Climate Center, the Kentucky Mesonet, and the Disaster Science Operations Center, which was created in 2021 and serves as an operational hub for forecasting, emergency planning, crisis management, training, and decision support. Speakers emphasized applied learning, student field work, partnerships with industry and event venues, and a five-year NSF/UK-led research project focused on weather hazards, disaster preparedness, and building a statewide disaster database to improve mitigation and resilience. Members asked about flooding, the relationship to EKU’s program, Tennessee’s capabilities, and the timeline and goals for the research project; WKU said the data collection is underway and that the evidence suggests tornado risk is shifting east and occurring more at night. A WKU graduate student also described the value of hands-on storm-chasing and operational forecasting experience, saying it helped prepare her for work in forecasting and emergency management. Members asked about her motivation for joining the program and about the practical realities of storm chasing. The discussion also touched on whether Kentucky’s tornado risk is shifting east; WKU said the evidence from tornado observations and other studies points in that direction, with added concern about nighttime events and communicating warnings to vulnerable communities. The task force then heard from Amy Shaquinn of the Mayfield Graves County Long-Term Recovery Group, who outlined the county-level recovery process after the 2021 tornadoes. She said Kentucky ranks among the top states for federally declared disasters, has seen a high number of tornadoes in recent years, and also faces major flood risk and earthquake concerns along the New Madrid fault. Shaquinn stressed the distinction between immediate response and long-term recovery, explaining that response covers rescue, cleanup, temporary housing, and short-term assistance, while recovery is the longer effort to restore survivors to safe, sanitary, and secure housing through local long-term recovery groups. She said community-led recovery is essential and that preparedness and mitigation follow once immediate recovery needs are addressed.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> serve the Commissioner of Education. serve the Commissioner of Education.
• and set up our IG team at the Department of Education.
• In 2024, the legislature of Education.
• In fact, um, in the education department's student longitudinal education data system, SLEDS, is probably
• </c><01:06:25.520><c> In</c> In fact, um, in the education department's student longitudinal education

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Special education funding comes July 1; it gets drawn down by districts. How do we make a budget?
• Special education funding comes July 1; it gets drawn down by districts. How do we make a budget?
• And I am kind of wondering that in other places too, if we don't change special education laws in the
• state of Minnesota, but we don't have special education funding, then what happens and how long can
• My name is Willie Jett, and I have the privilege to serve as the commissioner of Education.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• RCTC, or Rochester Community and Technical College; Riverland; Mayo Clinic; Hawthorne Education Center
• This is not just about getting education; it is about the jobs that go with it, changing families and
• I'm not one who doesn't see the importance of high demand and, you know, high-education and IQ-driven
• and IQ driven you know high education and IQ driven job<00:37:30.680><c> but</c><00:37:30.839><c> I<
• educated, but training is also education, right?

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• changes from the General Assembly with laws that had been passed, and it also updates the continuing education
• And it also updates the continuing education hours for foster families within that rule.
• So just remind us, what are the education requirements for somebody to be a caseworker in Arkansas?
• I have an assistant director who has an education person underneath her, and so maybe we can work through

Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging, Children, and Youth first approved the February 11 minutes and then reviewed a DCFS policy manual update from Director Tiffany Wright. The rule changes were described as largely terminology and compliance updates to align with new laws, an executive order, and current practice, including moving internal procedures out of the public manual and into DCFS’s internal procedure manual. Members asked whether the changes altered practice or just wording, and Wright said they were mainly procedural and vernacular updates, such as changing terms like “protection plan” to “immediate safety plan” and “safety factor” to “safety threat.” The committee then reviewed and accepted the rule without objection. Wright also presented DCFS performance data for the third quarter of FY 2026, including hotline reports, investigations, foster care, in-home services, permanency, and adoption measures. She noted staffing shortages in some counties, lower timeliness in completing maltreatment reports, and efforts to support those areas with central office staff and daily calls. Members asked about neglect trends, sexual abuse/exploitation categories, behavioral issues, and workforce recruitment and retention. Wright said DCFS is expanding hiring support, outreach, retention efforts, trauma support through UAMS, and a new staff training model beginning July 1. She also presented the biannual overturned investigations report, which tracks hotline calls, true findings, appeals, and reversals by county, and answered questions about comparing it with prior years. Major Jeff Drew of the Crimes Against Children Division presented the 2025 annual report, saying the hotline received 67,987 calls and 37,986 were accepted for investigation, with 6,539 CACD investigations assigned and a 28% substantiation rate. He described hotline operator training, including a four-week program with policy review, scenarios, recorded calls, live call monitoring, and evidence-chain and decision-making instruction. He said the starting salary for hotline operators is $43,888 plus benefits and would check on comparisons with other states. Elizabeth Pooley of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas reported that the state’s 29 CACs and 64 multidisciplinary teams served 13,568 children and families in 2025, up about 3,000 from the prior year, and hosted 259 trainings. Members asked about funding, and she said state funding is the same for each center at roughly $70,000 to $75,000, supplemented by federal and community support, with work underway on Arkansas-specific best practices. The meeting ended after a brief unrelated question about Meals on Wheels and a Project Zero adoption event announcement.

Transcript Highlights:

• changes from the General Assembly with laws that had been passed, and it also updates the continuing education
• It also updates the continuing education hours for foster families within that rule.
• So just remind us, what are the education requirements for somebody to be a caseworker in Arkansas?
• I have an assistant director who has an education person underneath her, and so maybe we can work through

Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging, Children and Youth approved the February 11 minutes and then reviewed a DCFS policy manual update from Director Tiffany Wright. Wright said the changes move internal procedures out of administrative rule into DCFS’s internal procedure manual under an executive order, while also updating terminology, conforming to enacted laws, revising foster family continuing education hours, and removing obsolete requirements. Members asked whether the changes would alter practice; Wright said they were mainly terminology and process-location changes, intended to make the department more efficient and flexible. The committee then accepted the rule review without objection. Wright next presented DCFS quarterly performance data for the third quarter of FY 2026. She reported 8,610 hotline reports accepted, 6,919 assigned to DCFS, 22% of investigations found true, neglect as the most common substantiated allegation, and continued staffing shortages in some counties affecting timeliness. She also reported 3,420 foster care cases, 1,788 in-home cases involving 4,568 children, 72% monthly home-visit compliance, 36% permanency within 12 months, 4.5% re-entry into foster care, and 156 children available for adoption. Members asked about neglect trends, sexual abuse/exploitation data, behavior-related removals, staffing recruitment and retention, training improvements, and whether ACE-style testing should be considered for children; Wright said DCFS is expanding recruitment, retention, and training efforts and was open to further discussion on education-related assessments. The committee also received DCFS’s biannual overturned investigations report, covering July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, which tracks hotline calls, accepted reports, true findings, appeals, and overturned findings by county. A member asked for comparison to the prior year’s report. Major Jeff Drew then presented the Crimes Against Children Division annual report, saying the hotline received 67,987 calls in 2025, 37,986 were accepted for investigation, and CACD handled 6,539 cases with a 28% substantiation rate. Members asked about hotline operator training, qualifications, salary, and whether Arkansas compares with other states; Drew said operators receive a four-week training that includes law, policy, scenarios, recorded calls, live-call monitoring, and evidence-chain/decision-making instruction. Finally, Elizabeth Pooley of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas reported that the statewide network of 29 CACs and 64 multidisciplinary teams served 13,568 children and families in 2025, up about 3,000 from the prior year, and hosted 259 trainings for professionals. She said funding comes from a mix of state, federal, and community sources, with state funding set at roughly $70,000 to $75,000 per center and not based on caseload. Members asked about funding stability and standards of care; Pooley said CACs follow national standards and Arkansas is developing state best practices. The meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this bill still contained the resiliency project, water project, educational project, outdoor recreation
• :20:30.000><c> water</c><00:20:30.320><c> project,</c><00:20:31.440><c> uh</c><00:20:31.679><c> educational
• </c> project, water project, uh educational project, water project, uh educational project,<00:20:33.280

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There were no legislators on the task force, just higher education folks, and they've looked around and
• even Representative Cortez carried the bill to do exactly this with the retirement system in the education
• also have to address and make it clear, as you may, as those of you who have been involved in the education
• ...have to address and make it clear, as you may, as those of you who have been involved in the education

Bills: HB17 , HB21 , HB24 , HB41 , HB42 , HB45 , HB1134 , HB1237

Committee: Senate Retirement

Keywords: HB 17, District Attorneys' Retirement System, retirement system, reemployed retiree, reemployment, supplemental retirement benefit, service credit, benefit suspension, public retirement, district attorney, assistant district attorney, Louisiana District Attorneys' Association, employer reporting, annual report, retirement benefits, state employees, local funds, state funds, Municipal Employees' Retirement System, part-time retirees

Transcript Highlights:

• Insurance; 1733, Lee; 1956, Valencia; 2453, Michelle Rodriguez; 2458, Bennett; 2467, Committee on Education
• AB 1860 would authorize county offices of education to utilize design-build and progressive design-build
• procedures for construction projects within their jurisdiction. ...authorize county offices of education
• low-income student parents participating in the California Community College's CalWORKs recipient education

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Tristan Brown of CFT, a union of educators and classified professionals.
• group with the Superintendent of Public Instruction on trying to find workforce housing options for educators
• One of those options could be to turn existing properties owned by local education agencies into housing
• For instance, ridding our education workforce of housing insecurity can help see decreases in our budgets

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee met and first approved the consent calendar, which included AB 2028, AB 2425, and committee bill AB 2795, all sent to the Committee on Appropriations. The committee also noted that AB 2558 and AB 2746 had been pulled from the agenda. The chair reviewed hearing procedures, including acceptance of written testimony and rules against disruptive conduct. The committee then heard AB 2116, which would require registration and basic conduct standards for certain small-business financing providers, including merchant cash advance companies, and prohibit confessions of judgment and power-of-attorney provisions before default. Supporters argued the bill would close an oversight gap and improve transparency for small businesses; a small business owner testified that a purported 13% loan turned out to have a 235% APR. Opponents said the bill mixed consumer and commercial regulation and could restrict access to capital, though they supported banning confessions of judgment. The bill passed on a roll call vote and was sent to Appropriations. AB 2243, by Assembly Member Haney, proposed creating a state bank commission to study whether California should establish a state bank or other public financing tools. Supporters said a public banking model could reduce borrowing costs, keep more public money in-state, and better finance housing, infrastructure, and other public priorities; opponents from banking groups raised concerns about taxpayer exposure, deposit guarantees, and the use of public funds and existing lending structures. The bill passed and was sent to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 2350, which would set guardrails on rent-now-pay-later products for rental housing; supporters said these products can lead to high fees, debt, and eviction risk, while industry groups opposed the bill unless amended. AB 2350 passed as amended and was sent to Appropriations. At the end of the meeting, the committee completed roll calls for absent members and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tristan Brown of CFT, a union of educators and classified professionals.
• group with the Superintendent of Public Instruction on trying to find workforce housing options for educators
• One of those options could be to turn existing properties owned by local education agencies into housing
• For instance, ridding our education workforce of housing insecurity can help see decreases in our budgets

Committee: House Banking and Finance

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mary has been a long champion for public education, formerly serving on the school board before she was
• It's known for its entrepreneurial spirit, high value in education, and for being a premier destination
• fulfill its obligation to survivors while also providing essential public safety, public health, education
• House Resolution 106 by Assembly Member Elhawary relative to High School Voter Education Week.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an amendment from Governor's letter number 20 to the Department of Education.
• This is an amendment, again, from Governor's letter 20 to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
• This is for educational adequacy as well as for the LEARNS Act.
• There's no increase in funding to these except for the ones that are higher education.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, established a quorum, and received a Joint Budget Committee report on several bills. The chamber also recognized guests, including state troopers, a doctor of the day, visitors from civic and advocacy groups, and students from the Arkansas School for Math, Science, and the Arts. The House adopted House Resolution 1034, supporting Arkansas poultry producers in the Illinois River watershed and urging good-faith negotiations, by a 97-0 vote. It also adopted House Concurrent Memorial Resolution 1001 honoring Bishop Kenneth Liddell Robinson, Sr., by a 98-0 vote. The House then considered several amendments to appropriation bills, including changes affecting the Department of Education, public safety, county jail reimbursement language, Agriculture fee waivers, the Drug Task Force, pregnancy help organizations, and tire recycling fees. All of those amendments were adopted without recorded opposition. The chamber then moved through a budget calendar, with leadership explaining that some bills were general appropriations, some were reappropriations for ongoing capital projects, and four were supplemental appropriations. On final passage, House Bill 1006 passed 87-5; House Bill 1053, the appropriation for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, failed 71-19; House Bill 1086 passed 96-0; House Bill 1087 passed 81-8; House Bill 1088 passed 97-0; House Bill 1094 passed 96-1; House Bill 1084 passed 96-0; House Bill 1097 passed 75-16; and House Bill 1098 failed 0-85 after Representative Henley spoke against it and said leadership had not responded to questions. The House then adopted a motion to adjourn until 11 a.m. the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• President, the Senate Education Committee will meet at 1:30. Are there any further announcements?
• President, the<00:19:08.840><c> Senate</c><00:19:09.160><c> Education</c><00:19:09.720><c> Committee<
• /c><00:19:10.040><c> will</c><00:19:10.120><c> meet</c> the Senate Education Committee will meet the
• Senate Education Committee will meet at<00:19:10.320><c> 1:30.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the United States and Taiwan and between Arizona and Taiwan in the fields of trade, technology, education
• Madam Chair, your Committee on Education has under consideration Senate Bill 1004 and respectfully recommends
• Senate Bill 1754: Senate Bill 1754, amendment section 15-235, A.R.S., relating to the Department of Education
• Title 15, Chapter 2, Article 2, relating to the Department of Education.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Declining enrollment has created educational challenges for two small regional school districts and one
• municipal school district and has also ramped up financial pressures for the towns to support education
• because these towns would potentially be working collaboratively in the future to fund and support education
• , Working collaboratively in the future to fund and support education in the newly created Great River

Bills: H5171 , H5261 , H5294 , H5317 , S3026 , S3033

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Keywords: Holyoke, municipal governance, acting mayor, city council, local government, Oxford, town charter, municipal government, town manager, residency requirement, local approval, charter amendment, home rule, local governance, municipal administration, residence of officials, Worcester County, Worthington, solar, solar photovoltaic