Transcript Highlights:

• This has to do with our foundational education and judicial, the foundation of both our education and
• We never do that in education. No, no. Because the point of education is to teach, right? Yes.
• And what this amendment does, it permits the recruitment and retention of Black educators, male educators
• , and other underrepresented educators.
• of Education.

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, heard an invocation and pledges, and approved several routine motions, including excuses for absent members, permission for committees to meet while the House was in session, and postponements of some bills. The chamber also received a Senate message listing measures passed by the Senate and adopted a memorial resolution honoring the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, with remarks entered into the House Journal after a moment of silence. The House then took up a long third-reading calendar and passed a series of Senate bills on topics including criminal justice and corrections sunset provisions (SB 2405, 2406, 2407), election equipment testing (SB 2166), electric grid reliability and attack-preparedness exercises (SB 2148), firefighter collective bargaining (SB 777), DFPS and foster care procedures (SB 1141 and SB 1398), Medicare durable medical equipment billing (SB 1330), property tax administration (SB 1453), probate cleanup and record transfers (SB 1448 and SB 1839), mental health filing procedures (SB 53), school residency for children in safety placements (SB 226), diabetes-related amputation study (SB 1677), rapid DNA analysis (SB 1723), utility rate transparency and capacity cost recovery (SB 1664 and SB 1856), community supervision eligibility (SB 552 postponed), and other measures. Several bills passed with broad support, while others drew notable opposition and narrower margins, including SB 777, SB 2137, SB 2111, SB 1677, SB 1936, SB 1453, and SB 38. Two bills drew especially extensive debate. SB 2148, dealing with electricity supply chain reliability and tabletop exercises for critical facilities, was discussed as a grid-security measure aimed at coordinating utilities, law enforcement, ERCOT, and the PUC in the event of physical attacks; it passed unanimously. SB 1936, changing how LSD is measured for criminal prosecution from dosage-based to weight-based calculations, prompted extended discussion about lab consistency, carrier mediums, and fairness in charging, with supporters saying it would help crime labs and law enforcement and opponents warning it could distort penalties depending on the medium used; it passed 108-26. The House also passed SB 36, creating a Homeland Security Division within DPS, after questions about overlap with TDEM and the cost of adding personnel. Late in the day, the House debated SB 38 on eviction procedures, with supporters saying it targeted squatters and streamlined removal of unauthorized occupants, and opponents arguing it would make evictions too easy and worsen homelessness; it passed 85-44. The chamber also began debate on SB 37, a major higher-education governance bill that would expand governing-board oversight of curriculum, hiring, and faculty senates; members raised concerns about academic freedom, faculty governance, and the impact on humanities programs, and debate was still underway at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to your Committee on Education.
• First up, we have the Department of Education offering comments.
• ><c> education</c><00:26:52.799><c> hearing?
• </c> latest board of education hearing? Sure. latest board of education hearing? Sure.
• We are back for decision education.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Education heard three resolutions. STR 53 SD1 sought to have the Legislative Reference Bureau work with the Hawaii State Public Library System to identify rural and underserved communities needing better telecommunications access so residents can participate in the legislative process. Testimony from the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the measure, emphasizing that many advocates cannot always travel to the Capitol and need better access. STR 117 SD1 urged the Department of Education to work with the Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee and the County of Hawaii to inventory bus stops on Hawaii Island used by students and develop safety improvements; DOE described an upcoming live route audit, noted the large number of routes and stops on the Big Island, and said some stops are on private roads. The Department of Transportation, Hawaii County Council, the mayor’s office, and others supported the measure, and members discussed whether the effort could eventually expand statewide. STR 134 asked the Department of Education to provide a detailed report on the true cost of producing school meals to improve transparency and avoid unnecessary price increases. DOE said it already tracks food, labor, benefits, supplies, equipment, and other costs to calculate per-meal costs, but does not currently include transportation costs in the same way; it stated its breakfast cost was $5.80 and lunch cost was $8.66. Support testimony came from the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Appleseed, the Hawaii Children’s Action Network, the Hawaii Hunger Action Network, and others, who said clearer cost information is especially important amid funding uncertainty. In decision making, the committee amended and passed STR 53 SD1, reverting it to the original draft by replacing the Legislative Reference Bureau with the Controller and adding coordination with the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office, while removing references tied to the LRB and the public access room outreach clause. The committee also amended and passed STR 117 SD1, shifting the lead role to the Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee and adding a request for the County of Hawaii to consider funding the effort. STR 134 was passed unamended. Representative Souza was excused for the votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're extending education through all kinds of processes.
• help from the Public Education Department.
• Ending with that 2%, the Public Education Department retains the 2% on behalf of the Public Education
• So, we make sure, and my expertise is in special education and...
• Am I correct that the boards of education...

Committee: House Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• They're called inclusive post-secondary education programs.
• it’s education or if it’s, you know, whatever it is.
• Jeff Adams, Office of Special Education.
• I'm the interim dean of the College of Education.
• We work with them closely in the College of Education.

Committee: All TASK FORCE ON AUTISM

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from November 17 by motion and voice vote. It then heard a presentation from Arkansas State University on its inclusive postsecondary education programs, HOWL and ATLAS, led by Dr. Kristen Johnson and Shane Broadway. The programs serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, by providing on-campus living, academic support, life-skills training, financial literacy, internships, employment support, and community integration. Johnson explained that HOWL is a comprehensive transition program that does not lead to a degree but is eligible for financial aid, while ATLAS is degree-seeking and provides additional supports. She reported strong outcomes, including high goal attainment and a majority of graduates working full time, and emphasized that the programs are designed to help students build autonomous adult lives. Members asked about recruitment, eligibility, costs, school outreach, business partnerships, and transition planning. Johnson said the programs have done extensive outreach through IEP meetings, transition symposia, email blasts, and school visits, but that awareness remains a challenge. She identified major roadblocks as business concerns about liability, fragmented collaboration, and difficulty navigating funding streams such as vocational rehabilitation and Medicaid. She also said more coordinated statewide communication and coalition-building are needed, and noted that ASU is helping launch a state alliance for similar programs, with new programs opening at ASU Mountain Home and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. The committee then heard from the University of Central Arkansas about Project Ascend, a new low-sensory living-learning community for neurodiverse students in Hughes Hall. Dr. Debbie Daly and Jeremy Gillum described it as a voluntary, self-identified program focused on community building, belonging, and retention rather than remediation or degree planning. The program has hosted a few low-sensory social events and plans to expand outreach through campus tours, orientation, and targeted communications. Members asked about recruitment, participation, success measures, and how to avoid duplicating ASU’s efforts; UCA said it is still in its infancy and will measure success mainly through participation, retention, and student engagement. The meeting ended with general support from members, discussion of collaboration across institutions and agencies, and adjournment of the task force.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Dair Education and education.
• . education. education.
• ><c> Education.
• </c><00:54:36.640><c> The</c> Department of Education. The Department of Education.
• </c> education that needs to happen there. education that needs to happen there.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and today I'm representing Education and today I'm representing Education Minnesota<00:18:12.039
• </c> important to the zumber education important to the zumber education district<00:45:45.040><c> and
• </c> the m from Minnesota rural Educators the m from Minnesota rural Educators Association<00:59:28.440
• </c><01:31:39.000><c> grants</c> are any K through 12 education grants are any K through 12 education
• </c> to minority leads um of the education to minority leads um of the education committees<01:35:57.040

Bills: HF56 , HF780

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: HF56, Minnesota bonding bill, capital investment, state bonds, bond proceeds fund, Hutchinson Area Transportation Services, Hutchinson, McLeod County, transportation facility, vehicle storage, equipment storage, fueling facility, temperate storage, local infrastructure, public works, general obligation bonds, education finance, school funding, state aid, appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• The education that comes out, and some of the monies that are supposed to be used, right, for education
• Additionally, we have our regional health educators: our Northeast Health Educator, Northwest Health
• Educator, and our Southern Health Educator, and then eventually we're hoping again to have the Community
• To provide statewide training and education, Karis Consulting is doing college and university education
• So we have three regional health educators. I'm assuming that the.

Committee: House Tobacco Settlement Revenue Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The Education Committee's amendments are purely technical. Questions?
• I will say that this chart was prepared by the Department of Education, and Mr.
• This came to us from the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education.
• As it came through Education, as it came from the House and came through the Education Committee, it
• As it came through Education, as it came from the House and came through the Education Committee, it

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum present and first approved the minutes from the prior meeting. It then reconsidered Committee Substitute for House Bill 5212, noting that an Education Committee amendment had been inadvertently omitted the day before; the vice chairman withdrew the prior motion to report the bill, and the committee returned to the bill with the technical Education Committee amendments pending. The transcript then moved through a long agenda of bills and supplemental appropriations, with the committee generally hearing brief explanations from counsel, occasional member questions, and then voting to adopt amendments and report measures to the full Senate. Among the substantive policy bills, the committee advanced House Bill 4007 on the Industrial Access Road Fund, allowing an additional possible $3 million transfer in a fiscal year, expanding eligible uses, and increasing county/municipal spending limits; House Bill 4765, which raises salaries for state police, teachers, and school service personnel and, via a strike-and-insert amendment, creates a market pay enhancement tied to county and regional income data; House Bill 5162, recodifying tax lien sale procedures and clarifying ownership and government-property tax treatment; House Bill 5382, extending the Neighborhood Investment Tax Credit Program to July 1, 2031; House Bill 5685, authorizing up to $150 million in revenue bonds backed by excess lottery funds for State Culture Center improvements; House Joint Resolution 42, placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot to raise the homestead exemption from $20,000 to $40,000; House Bill 4010, creating an airport hangar grant program and fund; House Bill 4404, increasing from $500 to $5,000 the amount volunteer fire departments may spend on training and fire prevention materials; House Bill 4592, requiring standardized campus safety mapping data for higher education institutions; House Bill 4784, extending and making retroactive a qualified opportunity zone business tax modification; and House Bill 5088, increasing retirement benefits for Division of Natural Resources police officers, with a one-time $4.25 million cash injection. The committee also reported several supplemental appropriations and originating bills, including Senate Bill 842 for the Spay Neuter Assistance Fund, Senate Bill 846 for Culture and History capital repairs, Senate Bill 872 for Natural Resources capital repairs (reduced to $10 million in committee substitute), Senate Bill 876 for Department of Health facilities, Senate Originating Bills 1 through 5 covering Culture and History, road funds, corrections IT and services, tobacco education, and the Adjutant General’s armory board transfer, respectively. Most items were adopted by voice vote; House Bill 4765’s strike-and-insert amendment was adopted after a division vote of 10-6. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• [Music] Welcome, everyone, to the fourth meeting of the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
• </c><00:06:13.599><c> to</c> in providing real Financial education to in providing real Financial education
• Um, we need this education. I'm personally ready for it, and frankly, so are my peers.
• </c><00:19:37.240><c> on</c> uh Kentucky Department of Education on uh Kentucky Department of Education
• ... ...limit the use of social media during the school day unless it's for educ...

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 342, which would require all Kentucky students to complete a one-credit financial literacy course for graduation, with the credit able to count toward math, social studies, or an elective. Representative Meredith and student advocate Patrick Rovi argued the current financial literacy mandate is too weak without a credit requirement, citing low implementation across schools and the need for practical instruction in loans, credit, investing, and budgeting. Members generally supported the bill, while Representative Tipton raised concerns about adding credit requirements and limiting dual credit options, and Representative Willner questioned whether it would create an unfunded mandate. Supporters responded that the bill is designed to fit within existing graduation requirements and that free curriculum and professional development resources are available through groups like Next Generation Personal Finance. HB 342 passed the committee unanimously with an expression of opinion that it should pass. The committee next considered House Bill 661, a technical cleanup bill related to the previously enacted nine-passenger van option for school transportation. Representative Emily Callaway said the measure only adjusts regulations needed for KDE to implement the earlier law effectively. The bill passed without opposition. House Bill 208, sponsored by Representatives Josh Bray and James Tipton, would require school districts to adopt policies limiting cell phone use during the school day and, in the updated version, restrict social media access as well. Supporters said the bill is intended to improve student attention, reduce cyberbullying and mental health harms, and address concerns raised by school disruptions and social media use. Members asked about exemptions for students with medical needs, emergency access, and whether districts would need new software; sponsors said existing district technology and local discretion should handle those issues. The bill passed unanimously. The committee then began taking up House Bill 430, which would let certain small-transportation districts seek an exemption from the KDE requirement for four annual bus safety trainings, provided they adopt a local safety policy and submit it to KDE. A district superintendent testified that the current blanket requirement causes significant instructional disruption for districts with very limited daily transportation needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• I urge you all to cut the government overreach out and leave higher education to higher education.
• I urge you all to cut the government overreach out and leave higher education to higher education.
• I urge you all to cut the government overreach out and leave higher education to higher education.
• I urge you all to cut the government overreach out and leave higher education to higher education.
• I urge you all to cut the government overreach out and leave higher education to higher education.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 305, which would clarify and expand a healthcare workforce bill to explicitly include physician assistants and dietitians in efforts to address shortages, especially in rural areas. Rep. Fleming said the change was intended to help with Medicaid-related needs such as diabetes care and noted a decline in dietitian internship applications. Rep. Roarx supported the bill, emphasizing the value of dietitians in helping patients make practical nutrition changes. The bill received a unanimous favorable expression, 14-0, and was reported to the House floor. The committee then considered House Bill 427, which would create statewide 60-credit-hour transfer pathways for high-demand bachelor’s degree programs under the Council on Postsecondary Education. Rep. Grossl explained the bill is meant to prevent students from losing major credit when transferring between KCTCS and four-year institutions, using nursing as an example. Questions focused on rigor, dual credit, how high-demand programs would be selected, and the July 1, 2026 implementation date; the sponsor said CPE and faculty would map curricula and align standards. The Kentucky Student Rights Coalition testified in support, saying the bill would help students complete degrees faster and make credits count toward majors. HB 427 also passed unanimously, 14-0, with favorable expression. The committee then took up House Bill 424, as amended by a committee substitute. Rep. Tipton said the substitute removed language allowing up to six-year contracts and instead set up a process for four-year contracts and periodic performance reviews for faculty, including presidents, at public postsecondary institutions. He said the bill is intended to give universities clearer authority to remove underperforming employees and be more efficient with taxpayer dollars. Several faculty witnesses opposed the bill, arguing it would erode tenure protections, create arbitrary performance standards, and harm recruitment, retention, and academic freedom. The committee adopted the substitute and heard testimony, but no final vote on HB 424 is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Consequently, the Plyler decision requires that Idaho public schools bear the cost of educating the children
• government to recognize this imposition and perform its own study to determine the full cost of educating
• government to recognize this imposition and perform its own study to determine the full cost of educating
• They didn't want to have to educate Black and brown kids.
• education modes.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first heard House Joint Memorial 20, sponsored by Representative Steve Tanner, which asks the federal government to study and account for the cost Idaho says it bears under Plyler v. Doe for educating children of non-citizens. Tanner argued the ruling functions as an unfunded mandate and estimated the annual cost to Idaho taxpayers at roughly $112 million to $220 million. Members debated whether the memorial conflicted with Plyler, whether undocumented status could even be studied, and whether the memorial unfairly targeted a vulnerable population. Supporters said it was simply a statement asking the federal government to make Idaho whole; opponents raised concerns about one-sided framing and the treatment of immigrant children. The committee took a roll call vote and passed the memorial 10-3, sending it to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 883, sponsored by Representative Doug Pickett, a school funding flexibility and earned autonomy proposal for both traditional public school districts and public charter schools. Pickett and Idaho Charter School Network representative Emily McClure explained that the bill would allow qualifying schools more discretion over funding and reduce reporting burdens if they meet academic, financial, and governance benchmarks. The bill includes a two-year grace period if a school has a bad year and a 2029 review date. Questions focused on the different standards for districts and charters, how many schools might qualify, how growth and socioeconomic factors are accounted for, and why virtual charter schools were excluded. Supporters said the bill rewards strong performance and innovation while maintaining accountability. Testimony in favor emphasized that high-performing schools need flexibility to allocate funds, hire experienced staff, and reduce compliance work; one charter school leader said a compliance position had become 95% paperwork. Some members praised the bipartisan effort and said the bill could be a useful experiment and a bridge to broader funding reform. Representative Veeley moved to send HB 883 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and the committee approved the motion by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• So our target audience isn't a traditional ag educator.
• I am a driver's education instructor in Caldwell.
• I am a driver's instructor, driver's education instructor in Caldwell.
• Those same rural areas have already been exempted from driver's education courses.
• And another note, the education being provided in public education is, I got news for you, it's about

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 663, which would allow Idaho Agriculture in the Classroom to redesign its specialty license plate and shift plate design authority from Food Producers of Idaho to the organization’s board of directors. The sponsor and Cassidy Plum, the state director, said the plate provides about 75% of the program’s funding and supports teacher workshops, grants, and ag-literacy curriculum. Samantha Parrott also testified in support, saying the redesign could help increase sales and that Food Producers of Idaho supports the bill. Representative Harris raised the idea of involving students in the design, and Plum said the organization may hold a student competition. The committee voted to send HB 663 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then heard House Bill 628, which revises Idaho’s driver’s education law to expand parental instruction options and remove the prior rural-only limitation, while also adjusting language related to approved online course providers. Representative Mendive said the bill is the latest step in a multi-year effort to give families more flexibility and to allow school districts to offer driver training if they choose. Robert Scoville, a Caldwell science teacher and driver’s ed instructor, testified in opposition, arguing that removing school-based instruction would reduce safety and increase teen crash risks, citing crash and fatality statistics and the value of professional instruction. In response, supporters argued parents are already responsible for much of the training, that private instruction remains available, and that the bill increases freedom and reflects what is already happening in many districts. After discussion, the committee debated whether the bill would improve parental choice or weaken driver safety. Several members supported the measure as a matter of local control and family discretion, while others expressed concern about urban safety and the loss of professional instruction. The committee ultimately voted to send HB 628 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• you're educating in the process.
• And education—the lack of education that has totally just been absent for the last number of decades—which
• We've been offering energy education for more than 50 years, and we've been delivering online education
• We've been offering energy education for more than 50 years, and we've been delivering online education
• We serve education on. We are the only institution. We serve education on this committee.

Summary: The committee met for its final meeting and approved the June 16 minutes. The main focus was policy development for advanced nuclear energy, including used fuel disposition, community engagement, and Wyoming’s legislative framework for nuclear development. Rod McCullum of the Nuclear Energy Institute briefed members on DOE’s “innovation campus” initiative for used nuclear fuel, explaining that DOE has narrowed responses to five states—Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Louisiana—and is seeking host agreements by September 30. He said the effort likely requires both federal and state legislation, and industry disputes DOE’s proposal to restart the nuclear waste fee, arguing the Nuclear Waste Fund should instead be used through appropriations for disposal-related work. He also answered questions about Yucca Mountain’s failure, deep seabed disposal, and international approaches to spent fuel, emphasizing consent-based siting and collaboration with states, localities, and tribes. Envoy Public Labs/GAIN presenters Chase Blazer and Austin Blanche described state-led community engagement models for advanced nuclear projects. They highlighted examples from Kentucky, Indiana, New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Connecticut, noting that successful siting depends on early public education, local government support, workforce planning, and, in some cases, state funding for early site permitting. Committee members asked how broad engagement should be, whether it should be countywide or regional, and how small modular reactors differ in public outreach; the presenters said the approach should match the project footprint and local concerns, but that even SMRs still require broad education and stakeholder involvement. Wyoming Senator K.L. Case and Wyoming Energy Futures CEO Rita Meyer then described Wyoming’s legislative history and TerraPower’s Natrium project in Kemmerer. They reviewed Wyoming’s earlier 1995 high-level waste law, which effectively froze nuclear development until reforms in 2022 allowed on-site storage of waste from an active in-state reactor and removed much of the state-level permitting burden. Meyer said the project is now in construction, with a sodium-cooled fast reactor and molten-salt storage system, but faces major supply-chain challenges—especially HALEU fuel—and relies on private investment plus a federal ARDP grant rather than state dollars. Members asked about water supply, investor motives, supply-chain bottlenecks, and state revenue; the presenters said water comes from a PacifiCorp surface-water contract, investors are seeking long-term returns, and Wyoming expects benefits through property and sales taxes and a per-megawatt-hour fee rather than direct state investment.

Transcript Highlights:

• IN ORDER TO BUILD THE FUTURE WORKFORCE OUR ORGANIZATION AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ADDRESS A KEY ISSUE
• FFA IS THE MOST RECOGNIZED COMPONENTS OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION BUT ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS ARE EQUALLY
• ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE COMPLETE AGRICULTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE IS CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.
• THE PROBLEM IS THE EDUCATION IS NOT THERE.
• WE CREATED A HEAVEN FOR PEOPLE TO GET EDUCATED ON PLACES THEY CAN AVOID ALCOHOL.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill reflects the Higher Education.
• </c> education committee on on fiscal note. education committee on on fiscal note.
• Office of Higher Education in here. Office of Higher Education in here.
• . education. education.
• </c> we support your education. We need you. we support your education. We need you.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Equity Act to Florida educational quality.
• within the Florida Department of Education.
• support education.
• I'm with the Panhandle Area, Educational Consortium.
• , driver, education, traffic safety class, of course.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Education dep Department of Board of Education dep Department of Education<00:13:46.959><c> 704</
• c> Education 704 Education 704 K3 K3 K3 535<00:13:51.720><c> this</c><00:13:51.880><c> regulation</c>
• </c><00:18:44.480><c> and</c> before the State Board of Education and before the State Board of Education
• , House Education, as well, at which time an agency amendment could be adopted.
• , House Education, as well, at which time an agency amendment could be adopted.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee met on February 10 with a quorum present, approved the minutes, and then reviewed a long agenda of agency regulations, most of which were accompanied by staff-suggested amendments for drafting conformity under KRS Chapter 13A. The Department of Financial Institutions’ 808 KAR 9:10, the Secretary of State’s 030 KAR 2:11, the Office of the Attorney General’s 04 KAR 5:10, the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology’s emergency 201 KAR 17:120, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ 301 KAR 2:41, the Department for Environmental Protection’s 401 KAR 47:110 and 48:320, the State Police regulations 502 KAR 1:012 and 1:121, the Department for Public Health’s 902 KAR 4:15, the Department for Medicaid Services’ 907 KAR 1:15, and the Department for Community Based Services’ 921 KAR 1:400 were all discussed and, where applicable, staff amendments were approved without objection. The Workplace Standards emergency regulation 803 KAR 2:320E was also presented without amendment, and the Department of Insurance’s 806 KAR 9:360 was taken up but ultimately deferred at the agency’s request. Several regulations drew brief substantive discussion. The Fish and Wildlife rule on foxhound training enclosures was explained as expanding both commercial and non-commercial provisions for training with dogs involving red fox and coyotes, with enclosure standards intended to protect wildlife inside and outside the facilities. The environmental protection rules were tied to House Bill 478 and addressed permit-by-rule timelines, reporting, and operating standards for certain construction and demolition debris landfills, including sites up to two acres; members asked whether these facilities were private or municipal, and staff said they were a mix, often tied to private demolition contractors or single projects. The State Police fee increase for hazardous materials endorsements was described as reflecting a federal TSA fee change, and the witness estimated the new fee at about $23. The most extended debate concerned the Board of Education’s 704 KAR 3:535 on full-time virtual and remote learning programs. The agency amendment would cap enrollment in such programs at 10% above a district’s prior-year in-person enrollment, while also clarifying accountability, staffing, and monitoring requirements. Education officials said the cap was intended to address concerns about district capacity and student performance, and they cited Cloverport as an example of a district with high virtual participation and participation-rate issues. Members expressed concern that the amendment was too open-ended for regulation and suggested the issue might be better addressed in statute; no motion was made to adopt the agency amendment, so the regulation was left to proceed to the committee of jurisdiction. The Department of Insurance also discussed implementation of Senate Bill 188, saying it had received more than 3,000 complaints since the law took effect and was still working through enforcement and complaint processing before asking to defer its PBM licensing regulation.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's post-secondary education.
• That's post-secondary education.
• A general education opportunity doesn't mean it's for only general education students.
• A general education opportunity doesn't mean it's for only general education students.
• Zreak, the new Secretary of Education.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Employment Subcommittee of the Permit Commission on Status of Persons with Disabilities met on April 27 and approved the prior meeting minutes before hearing a presentation from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE). Presenters from UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion, the Arc of Greater Haverhill-Newburyport, Northeast, and Lawrence Public Schools described LPTE as a five-year grant focused on improving transition outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Lawrence through community partnerships, work groups, and family engagement. A major focus was a family survey designed to better understand barriers to transition planning and IEP participation. Presenters said the survey response rate increased sharply after Lawrence Public Schools helped distribute it, rising from about a dozen responses to more than 200. Survey findings showed common barriers such as scheduling conflicts, language access, childcare, transportation, and limited understanding of IEPs and transition planning. The data also suggested that many families expect college or employment outcomes for their children, but fewer reported access to pre-employment training, indicating a communication gap rather than a lack of services. Lawrence school staff explained that the district has a five-person transition team, bilingual resources, workshops, and a developing online transition hub, and that they are using the survey results to improve visibility and access to existing supports. Committee members discussed the need to start transition planning earlier, expand real-world work experiences, improve outreach to Latino families, and better connect students with college, trade, and employment pathways. Several members suggested partnerships with summer youth employment, volunteer programs, and college or alumni panels. The presenters said the grant ends in September, but the resource hub will continue through the Arc and they are exploring ways to sustain the consortium model. The meeting ended with thanks to the presenters, an update that committee members would meet with Seed on Massachusetts as a model employer, and notice that the next meeting would feature the Office of Veteran Affairs before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Education is known as the great equalizer.
• And that's why education is a fundamental right in Minnesota's Constitution.
• </c> long lawmakers and then as Educators long lawmakers and then as Educators need<00:04:02.200><c>
• increase the amount of special education aid paid for by the state.
• </c><00:09:31.160><c> are</c> that things like special education are that things like special education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:15:59.240><c> um</c> of the committee on higher education um of the committee on higher education
• </c><00:16:39.920><c> workers</c> workers skilled and educated workers workers skilled and educated workers
• , sometimes even better education.
• education education program<00:54:28.640><c> up</c><00:54:28.880><c> first</c><00:54:29.280><c> we</
• </c> four-year college with an education four-year college with an education program<02:03:33.719><c>

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Bachman Hall and heard testimony on several UH-related bills. HB 542 would expand the Hawaiʻi Promise Program to provide unmet-need scholarships at four-year UH campuses. UH system officials, the UH Student Caucus, and a Honolulu Community College student testified in support, emphasizing college affordability, student retention, and workforce needs. Committee members asked about current program data, eligibility, transfer patterns, and cost; UH said it had data available, noted about 10% of current Hawaiʻi Promise students transfer to four-year campuses, and estimated the full expansion would cost about $12 million. UH also suggested a possible alternative of focusing on transfer opportunities from two-year to four-year campuses. The committee then heard HB 840, which concerns athletics appropriations for UH. UH Mānoa and UH Hilo supported the bill. UH officials said the funding would help cover recurring athletics operating costs, women’s sports travel and recruiting, Austin Awards, and a new nutrition fueling station, while Hilo said the money would help with travel, per diem, and conference-related costs. Members asked about the history of the athletics funding, the difference between Austin Awards and special talent waivers, NIL planning, and whether the appropriation should be restored to the base budget. UH explained that a $4 million athletics appropriation was originally made in 2018 or 2019, later removed from the base, and has been reappropriated annually since then. Finally, the committee heard HB 842, which would fund three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH Mānoa’s Counseling and Student Development Center. UH supported the bill, and Academic Labor United and a high school student testified in favor, citing student stress, overwork, and the need for more counseling access. In questions, members discussed the current counselor-to-student ratio, recruitment challenges in a tight labor market, and strategies for hiring, including looking at candidates on soft-money grants who may be seeking stable employment. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.