Transcript Highlights:

• They keep those dollars and spend them for specific purposes.
• So universities have to submit us a detailed spending plan and what they're going to spend those funds
• So they have to, universities have to submit us a detailed spending plan and what they're going to spend
• I’m going to spend it over two or three years.” “Here’s what I’m going to spend on X.
• Now, obviously, the spend on that's about 4%.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met to hear an overview of State University System finances from the Board of Governors and detailed budget presentations from Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of North Florida. The witnesses explained how university budgets are organized into fund categories such as education and general, contracts and grants, auxiliaries, local/designated funds, capital projects, and component units such as direct support organizations. They also described carry forward funds, the statutory reserve and spending-plan requirements, the PICO/HECO capital outlay process, and how universities use investment accounts, audits, and board oversight to manage restricted and unspent funds. The universities emphasized that most operating dollars are restricted to specific uses and that state support helps keep tuition low. Members asked about differences in funding levels among institutions, especially why FSU receives more funding than UCF despite lower enrollment. Officials said preeminence funding, performance funding, and special legislative appropriations explain much of the difference, and the Board of Governors noted that Florida now has four preeminent universities, with UCF nearing that status. Questions also focused on what happens to unspent carry forward money, how it is invested, and whether the Board of Governors or Legislature can require funds to be returned; officials said the money is invested conservatively, subject to board and audit oversight, and can roll forward under a detailed spending plan, though the Legislature can change funding levels. The committee also discussed capital projects, with members asking about delays, inflation, and whether more projects should be phased or funded faster; witnesses said PICO funds remain with the state until needed and are reimbursed as construction proceeds. A substantial portion of the discussion covered athletics, research, student fees, and endowments. The universities said athletics is generally expected to be self-supporting, though limited use of auxiliary or carry forward funds may be allowed for projects benefiting the broader student body. They also described the financial pressures from name, image, and likeness changes and new NCAA-related costs, and said institutions are planning for those changes now. On research, the universities explained sponsored research funding, indirect cost recovery, compliance obligations, and tech transfer, but did not provide specific commercialization revenue figures and said they would follow up. Members also asked about student fee increases, student input, counseling and wellness funding, and how housing costs affect affordability; the universities said student committees and boards review fees, and aid packaging is intended to keep student debt low. Endowments were described as being held in separate foundations/DSOs with independent investment committees and used mainly for scholarships, faculty support, and research.

Transcript Highlights:

• date contemplated in this extension order, such that that date be an outlier and not the ultimate benchmark

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up several final-passage matters, including adopting an emergency preamble for a sick leave bank for Maria Latendra of the Department of Transitional Assistance, passing a bill authorizing the Dartmouth Fire Department District No. 1 Prudential Committee to appoint a treasurer, and enacting a bill validating proceedings at the Town of Millbury annual town meeting by the required two-thirds vote. The Senate also passed to be engrossed local bills reorganizing the Town of Rochester’s government into a select board and town administrator form, and further regulating the term of the town moderator in Norwood. The chamber then considered and adopted a concurrent order from the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight extending the committee’s deadline to act on 58 bills until January 31. Senators discussed the extension’s size and the need to comply with Joint Rule 10, with assurances from the committee chair that the bills would be handled well before the new deadline. The Senate also suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer a House petition establishing a sick leave bank for Manny Jean Goldstein of the Department of Children and Families to the Committee on Public Service. Later, the Senate adopted an order to adjourn until Monday at 11 a.m. and then adjourned in memory of the Honorable Michael F. Flaherty, Sr., with remarks honoring his service as a former state representative, judge, Navy veteran, and advocate on public safety and substance use disorder issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just to give you an idea of how we're spending the funding.
• We benchmark our rates to what Medicare spent.
• You have your non-defense spending, which is about $960 billion, and then your defense spending, which
• It cut overall mandatory and discretionary spending by about $1.2 trillion, including reducing spending
• We shouldn't be spending lots of time debating over that.

Transcript Highlights:

• perpetuity instead of 140% as it given perpetuity instead of 140% as it given perpetuity Benchmark
• 46.120> comments<00:13:46.639> to<00:13:47.199> M<00:13:47.519> Senator Benchmark
• um any comments to M Senator Benchmark um any comments to M Senator Mel's<00:13:48.839> comment
• The ones in California got California Coastal Commission approval, so that's a pretty high benchmark

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 534, a measure concerning development in Kakaʻako Makai involving the Hawaii Community Development Authority and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The chairs explained that the hearing was decision-making only and no testimony would be accepted, though members could ask clarifying questions. The chair outlined amendments to clarify HCDA’s approval process, require an environmental impact statement before residential development proposals are submitted, require Department of Health documentation on hazardous substances, and specify that only OHA-owned parcels would be eligible for certain residential development with a 400-foot height limit and maximum floor area ratio of 10.0. The amendments also addressed affordability, owner-occupancy, association fees, and a special fund, while noting Attorney General concerns that the fee could be construed as a tax and suggesting further review by Judiciary and Ways and Means. Members discussed the affordability threshold, with one senator suggesting 160% AMI instead of 140% due to high housing costs and concern that essential workers could be priced out. Others raised concerns about Native Hawaiian affordability, the long-term effect of perpetuity restrictions, and whether the process would protect OHA’s interests. An HCDA representative said 140% AMI was used in existing reserve housing rules and that lower thresholds could make development economically infeasible. OHA and other supporters said the proposal was still early in planning and emphasized the need for public hearings, community input, and compliance with environmental and remediation standards. The committees voted to pass SB 534 with amendments: Water and Land approved it 4-1, and Hawaiian Affairs also adopted the chair’s recommendation, with one member excused and one voting no. The meeting then moved to SB 3, relating to water resource management. The bill would authorize the Commission on Water Resource Management to retain independent legal counsel, create an executive director position, allow challenges to emergency orders under certain conditions, establish fines for water use offenses, and revise emergency and shortage declaration procedures; Red Hill-related provisions were noted as removed from this version. Testimony was largely supportive, including from DLNR, the Board of Water Supply, OHA, and Sierra Club, with OHA stressing the measure’s importance to Native Hawaiian water rights and past litigation. A Department of Hawaiian Home Lands representative supported the bill with amendments and recommended explicit language directing the commission chair or designee to advocate for water rights and reservations for homelands. The chair indicated the committees would use the prior Senate-passed version as the basis for further action, and the discussion then moved on to SB 130, a search-and-rescue reimbursement bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is the benchmark. Any further questions on the amendment?
• We are at a place right now where businesses, designers, manufacturers, they spend more time trying to
• Businesses, consumers, individuals, innovators shouldn't have to worry and spend 90% of their time figuring
• We are at a place right now where businesses, designers, manufacturers, they spend more time trying to
• Businesses, consumers, individuals, innovators shouldn't have to worry and spend 90% of their time figuring

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first postponed CS for HB 781 at the sponsor’s request. It then heard and passed CS for HB 429, which codifies the existing process for terminating or cancelling motor vehicle dealer franchises and requires manufacturers to provide written sales and service performance criteria; the bill was supported by the Florida Automobile Dealers Association and was reported favorably 12-0. The committee next took up HB 983 on homeowners associations, where the sponsor described HOA fraud and abuse concerns and proposed expanding local law enforcement authority to investigate, inspect, and audit HOAs, easing recall procedures, and allowing prevailing-party attorney’s fees in recall disputes. Two amendments were adopted: one removing constitutionality-problematic Kaufman language, and another defining financial statements more comprehensively to improve HOA transparency. The bill drew support from Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and was reported favorably as amended 14-0. The committee also passed CS for HB 1343 on public nuisance abatement fines, which raises daily fines from $250 to $500, removes the $15,000 cap, adjusts foreclosure timing on unpaid nuisance liens, and allows attorney-fee calculations to include legal assistance time. Members discussed due process and notice concerns, and the sponsor said he would work on clarifying notice for both owners and nuisance-causing parties; the Orange County Sheriff’s Office supported the measure, citing violent crime tied to nuisance properties. CS for HB 643 on residual market insurers was then reported favorably without discussion. CS for HB 1183 on cybersecurity incident liability followed; it would shield government and private entities from liability if they substantially comply with cybersecurity standards, with the sponsor explaining that the bill was revised after a prior veto to define substantial compliance through policy letters, disaster recovery planning, and multi-factor authentication. Despite concerns about the breadth of the liability protection, the committee adopted an amendment and reported the bill favorably 13-1. PCS for HB 915, addressing advertisements for representation services, was also reported favorably 14-0. The bill targets misleading advertising by nonlawyers and notaries, especially in immigration-related services, requiring clear bilingual disclosures and allowing damages, fees, and injunctive relief for violations; it was supported by faith-based and civil rights groups. CS for HB 585 on former phosphate mining lands was then approved 14-0; the sponsor said it would create a defense to Water Quality Assurance Act strict liability for naturally occurring substances on former phosphate mine sites, require notice recording, radon surveys, and pre-suit radiation testing, and it would not apply retroactively to pending litigation. HB 6503, a claims bill for Mandy Penny Lemon, was also reported favorably 14-0 after brief sponsor remarks describing her severe injuries and homelessness following a 2018 incident. Finally, the committee considered HB 129 on pesticide-related products liability. A strike-all amendment was adopted that bars failure-to-warn claims for EPA-registered pesticide products when the label is consistent with EPA’s most recent human health risk assessment and carcinogenicity classification, while preserving claims if information was withheld, concealed, misrepresented, or destroyed to obtain or maintain the label. Supporters argued the bill provides certainty and respects EPA’s scientific labeling process; opponents warned it would effectively block access to courts and delay claims until after lengthy EPA investigations. After extensive debate, the committee reported the bill favorably as amended 13-1.

Transcript Highlights:

• year and actually utilized the remaining balance to transfer to the state grant this year, but did spend
• <01:25:45.040> So million did spend around $4 million.
• So million did spend around $4 million.
• <01:36:25.040> In putting spending on automatic pilot.
• In putting spending on automatic pilot.

Bills: HF2312

Keywords: higher education, college finance, student aid, financial aid, state grants, North Star Promise, scholarships, tuition relief, Minnesota State, University of Minnesota, Office of Higher Education, work-study, child care grants, Indian scholarships, tribal colleges, Hunger-Free Campus, student parents, pregnant students, parenting students, sexual misconduct

Transcript Highlights:

• basically have the lowest per per student spending.
• All school districts that have essentially the same amount of money to spend.
• The, the districts in the 44 box are spending $2300 per student.
• So if you compare spending, it looks like HEB is spending a lot of money and, and, and Higham Park is
• , but it's oh, no, no, the state is spending more.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is California's current ranking in per-pupil spending nationally, state by state?
• So, for example, I think Education Week is often cited as their per-pupil spending is often cited.
• increases and one-time spending increases because of that.
• of a very small portion of the spending from the Learning Recovery Block Grant.
• So there isn't the spending data we're collecting for the Learning Recovery Block Grant.

Summary: The committee heard presentations on the Governor’s education budget proposals for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Learning Recovery Block Grant, and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), followed by testimony from State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond. On LCFF, Finance outlined the proposed 2.43% COLA, repayment of prior deferrals, and a trailer bill penalty for LEAs that fail to adopt Local Control Accountability Plans on time. The LAO said its COLA estimate was slightly lower and raised concerns that the Governor’s proposed TK staffing ratio increase may be more costly than estimated. Members also discussed whether the current COLA formula should better reflect California-specific or district staffing costs, and whether TK should be more clearly separated from the K-3 grade span adjustment to avoid larger K-3 class sizes. The chair asked staff to work with the LAO on both the TK/K-3 issue and alternative COLA calculations. For the Learning Recovery Block Grant, Finance proposed restoring the first of three delayed payments, $378.6 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund, while the LAO recommended adopting the proposal but extending the expenditure deadline by at least a year. The LAO reported that districts had spent $1.6 billion of the $6.8 billion received through 2023-24 and said most districts were only now shifting from federal COVID relief to block grant spending. Members questioned whether the large state and federal investments were improving outcomes, citing declining reading and math trends, while Finance and the State Board president pointed to some signs of improvement, especially in math, attendance, and gains for some student groups. Darling-Hammond emphasized that student needs have grown, that recovery spending has gone to devices, ventilation, staffing, tutoring, summer school, and community schools, and that targeted interventions appear to be helping some districts recover faster than others. On ELOP, Finance proposed adding $435 million to expand universal access by lowering the Tier 1 threshold from 75% to 55% unduplicated pupils, bringing ongoing funding to $4.4 billion. The LAO said the estimate was reasonable but recommended delaying implementation for a year, aligning ELOP with ASES to reduce overlap, moving toward funding based on participation rather than enrollment, and considering a fixed Tier 2 rate. Members and witnesses discussed staffing challenges, the use of funds for students with disabilities, and uncertainty in Tier 2 funding caused by unspent dollars and opt-outs. Darling-Hammond supported ELOP as part of California’s broader after-school and summer learning strategy, said most districts are now offering full-day TK and expanded learning, and urged the state to reduce fragmentation across categorical programs and build more unified systems for funding, reporting, and support.

Bills: HB389, HB1166, HB1510, HB1541, HB1605, HB1661, HB1663, HB1678, HB1769, HB1785, HB1801, HB1802, HB1815, HB1824, HB1838, HB1840, HB1853, HB1860, HB1891, HB1952, HB1960, HB1969, HB1970, HB1972, HB1976, HB2050, HB2094, HB2104, HB2158, HB2165, HB2171, HB2208, HB2246, HB2271, HB2300, HB2310, HB2315, HB2319, HB2338, HB2339, HB2343, HB2443, HB2498, HB2551, HB2599, HB2606, SB17, SB83, SB99, SB148, SB411, SB709, SB847, SB874, SB888, SB1032, SB1166, SB2001, SB2014, SB2031, SB2041, SB2050, SB2057, SB2061, SB2074, SB2075, SB2089, SB2095, SB2101, SB2102, SB2108, SB2109, SB2110, SB2125, SB2135, SB2138, SB2140, SB2146, SB2151, SB2152, SB2175, SB2203, SB2239, SB2246, SB2247, SB2253, SB2261, SB2268, SB2271, SB2272, SB2320, SB2340, SB2347, SB2353, SB2363, SB2367, SB2372, SB2376, SB2386

Keywords: HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• housing.<00:42:04.240> And<00:42:04.400> so,<00:42:04.560> you<00:42:04.680> spend
• And so, you spend 4 months with housing.
• And so, you spend 4 months with 23-hour<00:42:06.720> lockdown,<00:42:07.720> 4<00:42:07.920
• department has been, to my understanding at least, a little bit limited in how much overtime they can spend
• department has been, to my understanding at least, a little bit limited in how much overtime they can spend

Bills: HB389, HB1166, HB1510, HB1541, HB1605, HB1661, HB1663, HB1678, HB1769, HB1785, HB1801, HB1802, HB1815, HB1824, HB1838, HB1840, HB1853, HB1860, HB1891, HB1952, HB1960, HB1969, HB1970, HB1972, HB1976, HB2050, HB2094, HB2104, HB2158, HB2165, HB2171, HB2208, HB2246, HB2271, HB2300, HB2310, HB2315, HB2319, HB2338, HB2339, HB2343, HB2443, HB2498, HB2551, HB2599, HB2606, SB17, SB83, SB99, SB148, SB411, SB709, SB847, SB874, SB888, SB1032, SB1166, SB2001, SB2014, SB2031, SB2041, SB2050, SB2057, SB2061, SB2074, SB2075, SB2089, SB2095, SB2101, SB2102, SB2108, SB2109, SB2110, SB2125, SB2135, SB2138, SB2140, SB2146, SB2151, SB2152, SB2175, SB2203, SB2239, SB2246, SB2247, SB2253, SB2261, SB2268, SB2271, SB2272, SB2320, SB2340, SB2347, SB2353, SB2363, SB2367, SB2372, SB2376, SB2386

Keywords: HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• have a stage where there's a re— I don't know if certification is the right word, but reestablish benchmarks
• have a stage where there's a re— I don't know if certification is the right word, but reestablish benchmarks
• certification is the right word but re certification is the right word but re reestablish<01:40:00.280> benchmarks
• to<01:40:01.119> make<01:40:01.360> sure<01:40:01.880> that reestablish benchmarks
• to make sure that reestablish benchmarks to make sure that Bonafide<01:40:03.760> agriculture

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , you know these doctors, they set the bar of excellence in the United States, making Kentucky a benchmark
• make money is through our time, and the time that y'all spent on this was time that you weren't spending
• 32.440> weren't spent on this was time that you weren't spent on this was time that you weren't spend
• 20:33.720> weren't<00:20:33.960> you<00:20:34.039> weren't<00:20:34.280> spending
• spend you weren't you weren't spending spend you weren't you weren't spending making<00:20:34.840

Keywords: Reuploaded to restore full meeting 00:00 – Meeting Start 00:37 – Attendance Roll Call 02:20 -Discussion on SB 69 18:10- Roll Call Vote, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Agriculture Committee met to reconsider a committee substitute for a bill dealing with equine dental care and the regulation of non-veterinarian dental practitioners. The chair reopened the bill after prior testimony, and members focused on how the bill would set standards for training, testing, insurance, continuing education, and a registry for practitioners. Discussion also centered on whether the measure would affect veterinary practice or create a precedent for other animal care areas; supporters said it was meant to preserve access and affordability for horse owners, especially in rural areas where veterinarians are scarce or unavailable for routine work. A major topic was the bill’s grandfathering or “legacy candidate” provision. Senators asked how existing practitioners would qualify, whether they would need to apply, and what documentation would be required. Committee witnesses, including a Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association representative and the Board of Veterinary Examiners executive director, said the board could set licensing terms by regulation, including an application process, background/history checks, and letters of recommendation from licensed veterinarians. They also said the process would include an application window to allow current practitioners time to comply. Several members explained their votes in favor, while noting lingering concerns they wanted addressed on the floor. Supporters emphasized that the bill was the product of years of work, surveys, stakeholder meetings, and multiple drafts, and that it was intended to legitimize existing practitioners while protecting animal welfare. The committee substitute was approved, the bill passed the committee unanimously, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We spend upwards of $400 million a year, or near that, on information technology.
• We benchmarked other states where they were.
• We benchmarked other states where they were.
• :35:10.720> money to spend some significant money to spend some significant money and<00:35:12.800
• We're anticipated to spend $110 million next year just on the systems that we have.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 24 February, 2026; 1:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: Legislative leaders opened the hearing by focusing on statewide technology issues affecting agencies, including rising IT costs, cloud migration, cybersecurity risks, procurement delays, and the need for better coordination across government systems. They said the meeting was intended to hear from agency directors about current challenges and possible legislative solutions. The ITS director described the state’s IT structure as decentralized but increasingly moving toward shared services. He highlighted recent legislative and executive actions on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, procurement modernization, and data sharing, including House Bill 1491, Senate Bill 2426, Senate Bill 2267, House Bill 958, and an executive order on AI. He said ITS has worked with large agencies on a cloud center of excellence, a procurement modernization advisory council, and a state data exchange, and noted plans for a master contract, potentially with OpenAI, that could be available to all public entities. He also emphasized cybersecurity, saying the state is seeking a secure operations center and a broader “cyber maturity” approach after recent incidents. On procurement, he said the goal is to speed up purchasing while keeping it safe, and on optimization he pointed to potential savings from consolidating duplicate agreements, such as multiple Microsoft enterprise contracts. In response to questions, he said exceptions to centralization would be based on business and technical architecture and regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, CISA, or FERPA, rather than ad hoc decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, an annual number, $7.1 billion that we spend in SNAP benefits.
• I'm going to say again, PBMs were supposed to be 3% to 4% of the spend.
• They were supposed to help us manage the spend.
• They are now representing over 20% of the spend, and this is probably old data.
• It might be 24 or 25% now of the spend in the medical world. And it is ridiculous.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are institutions that are using AI to track the amount of time we spend with our patients, and
• <00:58:47.240> with<00:58:47.400> our the amount of time we spend with our the amount
• of time we spend with our patients<00:58:48.799> and<00:58:49.160> they<00:58:49.400><
• Many AI systems require nurses to spend more time on data entry, documentation, and system oversight.
• Nurses to spend more time on data entry, documentation, and system oversight.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• By statute, if we meet certain bench benchmarks or if we achieve certain expansions, like much more data

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:37:35.680> of<00:37:36.079> 365 measure is that that benchmark of 365 measure is
• more than the expected and uh spend more than the expected and uh recommended<01:51:10.560> 30%
• <01:51:49.199> Um,<01:51:49.520> the<01:51:49.679> way Are willing to spend
• We spend over $300 million per year on our correctional system, or at least this year was that number
• We spend over $300 million per year on our correctional system, or at least this year was that number

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1768, which would prohibit state and county law enforcement agencies and officials from entering into federal immigration-enforcement agreements under 8 U.S.C. 1357(g) and from assisting in certain immigration enforcement actions except in limited circumstances. The Office of the Public Defender, Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the Legal Clinic, and the ACLU of Hawaiʻi all testified in strong support, arguing the bill would protect due process, reduce fear in immigrant communities, preserve trust in local police, and keep local resources focused on public safety. Testifiers said cooperation with immigration enforcement can chill court attendance, crime reporting, and cooperation with police, and they emphasized that the bill would not stop federal enforcement or affect other deputization agreements for environmental or other criminal matters. Committee members asked whether any 287(g) agreements currently exist in Hawaiʻi; testifiers said they were unaware of any and believed the bill would maintain the status quo. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up House Bill 1548, which would reduce the maximum sentence for misdemeanors from one year to 364 days and allow people previously sentenced to one year to seek sentence modification. The Office of the Public Defender, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Legal Clinic, the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, and the William S. Richardson School of Law immigration clinic all supported the measure, saying the one-day change could prevent severe immigration consequences such as detention, removal, and bars to relief that can be triggered by a sentence of 365 days or more. Testifiers stressed that the bill would not change criminal liability or public safety, but would align Hawaiʻi law with similar reforms adopted in other states. Members questioned whether the change would affect citizens or create an automatic immigration process; witnesses responded that the issue is the federal immigration consequence tied to the maximum sentence, not actual time served, and that citizens would not face that consequence. The transcript ends during continued discussion of HB 1548, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you know, as far as the question around numbers, um, you know, I'm sure there are industry benchmarks
• as, you know, as far as the question around numbers, um, you know, I'm sure there are industry benchmarks
• as, you know, as far as the question around numbers, um, you know, I'm sure there are industry benchmarks
• as, you know, as far as the question around numbers, um, you know, I'm sure there are industry benchmarks
• Um, you know, as far as the question around numbers, um, you know, I'm sure there are industry benchmarks

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The A-BEST framework provides a crucial benchmark for assessing our performance in student success.
• And that took you spending a lot of time.
• We could ask for advancements if we justified and recognized the expense, or we could spend the money
• So how much do you want to spend? How many lives do you want to save?
• Slide three is where we're going to spend the majority of the time.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't set a benchmark that we want our schools to achieve is beyond me.
• we don't set a benchmark that Why? Why?
• we don't set a benchmark that we<00:46:57.359> want<00:46:57.599> our<00:46:57.920>
• <01:26:28.000> is<01:26:28.320> also The vast majority of spending is also The vast
• Do you happen to know how much JCPS is currently spending on the programs and initiatives?

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call - 0:00:00 Approval of Minutes – 0:03:50 Robotics Education – 0:04:18 Canopy KY – 0:14:15 Comprehensive Support and Improvement – 0:23:20 Postsecondary Credit Alignment – 0:53:15 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in K-12 Settings – 1:21:25 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 2:05:15 Adjournment 2:05:41, 958, all

Summary: The committee opened with a roll call, confirmed a quorum, approved the minutes by voice vote, and recognized a guest of Senator Hickden, retired judge Dan Kelly. The chair then moved through a tight agenda and limited public presentations and questions. The first presentation was on robotics education in Kentucky, led by Representative Chris Lewis, Kentucky FIRST Robotics executive director Kelly Gowen, and students from Whitfield Academy. They argued that robotics should be expanded in high schools as a workforce pipeline for engineering, manufacturing, and advanced technology jobs. The presentation emphasized hands-on learning, industry certifications, teacher development, and a proposed framework to fund robotics education programs statewide. Committee members were not allowed to ask questions because of time constraints. The second presentation was from Canopy Kentucky, led by Adam Watson and founder Scott Collins. They described Canopy’s business and entrepreneurship education programs for fifth graders and high school students, including the NextGen Good Biz initiative and an eight-classroom high school unit. Canopy requested a one-time $750,000 appropriation for fiscal year 2026, matched by private funds, to expand into more schools and rural areas, train educators, and report outcomes. Members asked a brief question about how the programs fit into school schedules and the difference between the elementary and high school offerings. The final presentation, from KDE’s Kelly Foster and Todd Allen, reviewed the state’s school improvement classifications. Foster explained CSI, TSI, and ATSI status, the federal and state legal framework, and how House Bill 298 returned CSI identification to an annual cycle. She reported that Kentucky identified 50 CSI schools on the most recent release, with 53 CSI schools statewide, along with 39 TSI schools and 102 ATSI schools. She also outlined KDE’s support process, including education recovery staff, diagnostic reviews, turnaround plans, and required professional learning for CSI schools.