Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:31:15.039><c> so</c> for the third party reviewer program so for the third party reviewer program
• program, created in 2000.
• program is that we have to this program program is that we have and<01:52:54.800><c> we</c><01:52:55.280
• </c><02:26:43.600><c> it</c> the counties to run this program it the counties to run this program it
• , and programming.

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Programs that help everyday Obamacare.
• </c><00:26:00.000><c> that</c> convince Americans these programs that convince Americans these programs
• </c><00:30:25.520><c> like</c> beloved government programs like beloved government programs like Medicare
• </c><01:09:06.319><c> as</c> essential democratic public programs as essential democratic public programs
• Homeless while we're cutting Section 8 programs in housing.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, November 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Number two, the second goal out of that program is to get them into FHA loans because it's a lower rate
• Number two, the second goal out of that program is to get them into FHA loans because it's a lower rate
• protecting the public, ensuring integrity in gaming, and supporting problem gambling prevention and treatment
• The state is already well equipped with that through the PageUp program.

Bills: SB1108 , SB1205 , SB1241 , SB1286 , SB1366 , SB1431 , SB1473 , SB1477 , SB1478 , SB1479 , SB1492 , SB1517 , SB1563 , SB1586 , SB1665 , SB1671

Committee: Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency

Keywords: cash transactions, mandatory rounding, swedish rounding, public notice, Arizona Revised Statutes, motor vehicle booting, private property, fees, dispute process, regulations, SB1241, private permitting provider, private permit, private certificate of completion, building permit, building plan review, inspection, single-trade residential construction, residential construction, municipal permitting

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, I know what that is because my staff received similar treatment during my investigation.
• Do you know how much was paid to him from your program?
• Policies and programs are in place for a reason.
• and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries, United States nuclear programs

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• blind program, and our supported employment program.
• VR&E program.
• A highlight of this program has been the intensive community wraparound program.
• new programs.
• So I can speak about the program that the program is amazing.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was a FY27 budget session on Health and Human Services held in Mattapan, hosted by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Opening remarks from Senator Lydia Edwards, Representative Brandy Fluker-Reed, Representative Russell Holmes, and Boston Public Library President David Leonard emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing in Mattapan, the importance of community access, and the role of libraries as human services institutions. Committee members and attendees introduced themselves before agency testimony began. MassAbility testified first, describing its mission to support people with disabilities through employment, independent living, and disability determination services. The agency highlighted federal funding uncertainty, a modest FY27 budget reduction, and a proposed reworking of its home care program, which it said is outdated and should better target those most in need. Members questioned the home care cut, staffing reductions, and federal coordination. MassAbility also shared a participant story about recovery and community support to illustrate the impact of its services. The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing then presented its FY27 request, focusing on interpreter and captioning access, workforce development, emergency communication, aging-related hearing loss, and transition services for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. Members asked about interpreter shortages, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL education, and community training; the commission said it is expanding mentorship and referral systems but still faces staffing and vendor challenges. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind followed with a $30.8 million request, describing services for nearly 9,000 consumers, peer support groups, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 services, while noting federal funding uncertainty and a 7% budget cut. Members raised concerns about maintaining services with fewer resources, and the commissioner said the agency had trimmed overhead and could manage the proposal. The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the segment, outlining expanded legal, housing, workforce, citizenship, and financial literacy supports for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, legal defense initiatives, and the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative. Members discussed the effects of federal policy changes, the loss of refugee resettlement funding, and the need for state support to fill gaps. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the hearing consisted of agency presentations and committee questioning.

Transcript Highlights:

• blind program, and our supported employment program.
• , VR&E, program.
• A highlight of this program has been the intensive community wraparound program.
• new programs.
• So I can speak about the program. The program is amazing.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held an FY27 Health and Human Services budget hearing in Mattapan, hosted at the Boston Public Library branch. Chairs Lydia Edwards and Russell Holmes, along with Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid, emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing ever in Mattapan and highlighted the importance of bringing state budget deliberations into a majority-Black neighborhood. Several legislators introduced themselves as they joined, and the committee noted that public testimony was not part of the format, though agencies were invited to discuss priorities and challenges. MassAbility opened the agency testimony. Leadership described the agency’s mission to support people with disabilities through employment, training, home and community life services, and disability determination. They said Governor Healey’s FY27 budget funds MassAbility at $93.3 million, a 1% reduction from FY26, and explained that the agency is responding to federal funding uncertainty and shifting program needs by redesigning services internally. Members questioned a proposed $1.3 million reduction to the Home Care Program, staffing changes, and whether services could be maintained with fewer resources. MassAbility said it was reviewing data on who uses the program, that it does not provide nursing or personal care, and that it is working with a transition plan and a working group. The agency also discussed federal uncertainty around vocational rehabilitation funding and said it had received delayed federal awards but remained in contact with national associations and federal partners. The testimony included a personal story from a participant, Joshua Corcoran, to illustrate the impact of services. The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing testified next, requesting $11.27 million, about a 6% increase over FY26. The commission said it serves about 1.4 million residents and focuses on communication access in health care, courts, public safety, and other public systems. It highlighted interpreter and captioner workforce shortages, a mentorship program to expand the provider pool, and a modernized referral platform funded through capital contingency money. Members asked about interpreter availability, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL access for students and families, and training for police and emergency responders. The commission said staffing remains limited, especially for after-hours services, but that it is expanding training, school outreach, and partnerships with DCF and other agencies. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind then presented its FY27 budget request of $30.8 million. The commissioner said the agency serves nearly 9,000 legally blind residents, provides training and peer support, and placed 190 consumers in competitive integrated employment this year. It also described services for older adults, vocational rehabilitation, and the Turning 22 program for young adults with additional disabilities. Members raised concerns about a 7% cut from the prior year and asked how the agency could maintain services; the commissioner said the agency had no waiting list, had trimmed overhead, and could manage the budget through internal efficiencies and strong partnerships. The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the session, describing expanded legal and support services for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative, citizenship and financial literacy programs, and the Family Welcome Center in Mattapan. Members asked about federal funding losses and the structure of the new legal services program; ORI said FY26 funding is stable but FY27 federal cuts remain uncertain, and that the legal program uses a centralized intake system with priority for emergencies and first-come, first-served access.

Transcript Highlights:

• And anybody, me, anybody, anybody can make an accusation that you got favorable treatment in your personal
• Representative Simmons never put on her timesheet that she was working on any programs that were funded
• I sought advice at both junctures: when I first got elected, when it was a program under PDA, and then

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The hearing resumed on day two of the Legislative Ethics Board fact-finding matter involving Representative Tara Simmons. After opening remarks and confirmation that board members had not engaged in outside research or ex parte communications, Simmons’s counsel moved to dismiss two allegations at the close of the board staff’s case: that Simmons pressured the Administrative Office of the Courts to alter a contract in favor of her employer, and that she improperly combined a legislative proviso for AEJG with a personal donation to the organization. Board staff opposed the motion, arguing the evidence showed Simmons’s legislative and private conduct were intertwined and that the board had enough evidence to require a defense. After deliberation, the board denied the motion to dismiss and proceeded to hear defense testimony. The first defense witness, Sharon Navas, testified that she met Simmons through advocacy work, later hired her at the Equity and Education Coalition (EEC), and maintained written employment policies intended to separate Simmons’s legislative role from her work for EEC. Navas said Simmons was never compensated for lobbying or legislative acts, that EEC paid her from unrestricted funds, and that Simmons did not work on the AEJG dashboard project or participate in the contract dispute with Anthony Powers and Chris Stanley. Navas described the proviso request and later contract issues as separate from Simmons’s legislative duties, and said she continued to pay invoices while the project was being completed. Simmons then testified about her background, legislative career, disability accommodations, and extensive efforts to seek ethics advice before taking outside employment or pursuing provisos. She said she repeatedly consulted House ethics counsel and reviewed prior board decisions to ensure her outside work and legislative actions were separated. Simmons described her relationship with Anthony Powers, the dashboard project, the proviso process, and her understanding that the work was distinct from her legislative role. The hearing paused for lunch after part of Simmons’s direct examination, with testimony set to continue after the break.

Transcript Highlights:

• And anybody, me, anybody, anybody can make an accusation that you got favorable treatment in your personal
• Representative Simmons never put on her timesheet that she was working on any programs that were funded
• into independence, and I sought advice at both junctures: when I first got elected, when it was a program

Summary: The hearing resumed in the Legislative Ethics Board matter involving Tara Simmons after the board confirmed no ex parte communications had occurred overnight. Respondent’s counsel moved to dismiss two allegations at the close of the board staff’s case: that Simmons pressured the Administrative Office of the Courts to alter a contract in favor of her employer, and that she violated ethics rules by combining legislative support for AEJG with a personal donation to the organization. Board staff opposed the motion, arguing the evidence showed Simmons’s legislative and personal dealings were intertwined. After a recess for deliberation, the board denied the motion to dismiss, and the hearing moved into the defense case. The first defense witness was Sharon Navas, executive director of the Equity and Education Coalition (EEC). Navas testified that she met Simmons in 2018, later hired her, and took steps to separate Simmons’s legislative duties from her work for EEC. She said Simmons was never paid for lobbying or legislative acts, that her compensation came from unrestricted funds, and that the organization used written ethics-compliance language and a formal scope of work. Navas also described the proviso-funded dashboard project involving Anthony Powers and Chris Stanley, testifying that Simmons was not involved in the project’s day-to-day work, did not attend the meetings about the dispute, and was not part of the alleged contract disagreement. On cross-examination, staff focused on the contract documents, the dashboard work, and whether the scope of work matched the parties’ understanding. Tara Simmons then testified in her own defense. She described her background, legislative career, disability accommodations, and extensive efforts to seek ethics guidance from House counsel and board-related materials before taking outside employment or supporting provisos. She said she relied on prior ethics advice when separating her legislative role from outside work and when seeking provisos for AEJG and EEC. Simmons also addressed her relationship with Anthony Powers, describing it as a friendship rooted in criminal justice reform work and prior collaboration. The hearing was still in the middle of Simmons’s direct testimony when the transcript excerpt ended, with no final ruling on the merits or disposition of the allegations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I stand before you as the second Black woman in the doctoral history program at Auburn University
• As a young Black voter, I'm not asking for special treatment. I'm asking for consistent standards.
• I kind of pity you because you are looking just like a robot, that you're being programmed to say this

Bills: HB1

Committee: House Ways and Means General Fund

Keywords: HB1, Alabama, elections, primary election, special primary, runoff, congressional districts, redistricting, reapportionment, district boundaries, federal court, injunction, judgment, Governor proclamation, nominee certification, party nominee, general election 2026, election calendar, voting rights, congressional race

Transcript Highlights:

• Number two, the second goal out of that program is to get them into FHA loans because it's a lower rate
• protecting the public, ensuring integrity in gaming, and supporting problem gambling prevention and treatment
• The state is already well equipped with the PageUp program.

Summary: The committee first considered the reappointment of Troy L. Campbell to the Arizona State Liquor Board. Campbell described his nearly 10 years of service, his role as chair since 2019, and his focus on fairness, public safety, and applying the law consistently. He answered questions about the board’s workload and authority, noting it hears roughly 40 to 50 cases a year and does not issue fines. With no public testimony, the committee voted 6-0 to recommend his confirmation to the full Senate. The committee then heard several liquor and consumer-related bills. SB 1478, an annual liquor-policy cleanup bill, made technical changes to liquor statutes, including conforming the definition of cider to federal tax law and clarifying other terminology. The bill drew support from industry stakeholders and neutral testimony from the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control; the committee adopted a clarifying amendment and recommended the bill do pass as amended. SB 1108 would require Swedish rounding of cash transactions when pennies are unavailable, with signage and enforcement provisions; an amendment removed an individual-item exemption and clarified tax calculations, and the bill passed as amended with support from business groups. SB 1205 would regulate private-property vehicle booting by setting signage, notice, fee, and recordkeeping requirements and making violations a misdemeanor; members raised concerns about appeals and signage on non-parking property, but the committee adopted a technical amendment and recommended the bill do pass as amended. The committee also took up SB 1241, which would allow private permitting providers to conduct plan reviews and inspections for single-trade residential projects without municipal or county approval. Supporters argued it would reduce delays and costs for homeowners and help cities focus on higher-priority work, while cities and counties opposed the bill on public-safety and local-control grounds, warning about private incentives and inspection quality. After adopting an amendment granting immunity to municipalities that rely on private providers, the committee recommended the bill do pass as amended by a 5-2 vote, with some members explaining their votes and asking for further stakeholder work. Finally, the committee heard SB 1366, which creates a Public Property Towing and Impound Practices Study Committee to review towing fees, standards, insurance, background checks, and related DPS policies, and to report recommendations by the end of 2026. Supporters said the study would help address inconsistent standards and consumer concerns before permanent changes are made. Some members objected that the study committee did not include minority-party appointments, but the sponsor said that could be addressed later. The committee adopted a strike-everything amendment and recommended the bill do pass as amended. The committee then began SB 1431, a housing-design bill limiting municipal design standards and restrictions on certain shared features, but the transcript cuts off during extended debate and no final action on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• the elected figures today who are talking in a very wide fashion with the evidence from some news program
• It advocates not just for Muslims, but for immigrants, voters, and all people seeking equal treatment
• West Virginia ran a pilot program years ago on blockchain voting.

Bills: HB2009 , HB2022 , HCM2001 , HCM2002 , HCM2004 , HCR2001 , HM2001 , HM2004

Committee: House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Keywords: campaign contributions, foreign contributions, constitutional amendments, public disclosure, Arizona Revised Statutes, elections, voter registration, provisional ballots, primary election, voter participation, Muslim Brotherhood, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, national security, Islamist extremism, Congress, Arizona, domestic security, CAIR, terrorist organization

Transcript Highlights:

• blind program, and our supported employment program...
• , VR&E, program.
• A highlight of this program has been the intensive community wraparound program.
• new programs.
• I can speak about the program. The program is amazing.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> grant program grant program this<00:03:51.360><c> is</c><00:03:51.440><c> a</c><00:03:51.599><c>
• the gate<00:31:32.320><c> program</c> gate program gate program and<00:31:33.760><c> he</c><00:31:33.919
• Own Teacher program.
• Own Teacher program.
• my licensure program.

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met remotely on February 16, 2022, with a quorum present and approved the minutes from the previous day by voice vote. Chair Dabney said the committee was spending the week on public school staffing shortages, especially efforts to increase and retain BIPOC teachers, and introduced testimony on the Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color Grant Program (CUGMEC) and the broader Increasing Teachers of Color Act. Testifiers from St. Thomas, Augsburg, and Hopkins described the history and impact of the legacy educator-of-color programs. Kathleen Campbell said the original Q program was created to address underrepresentation, remove financial barriers, and provide mentorship and culturally relevant support; she argued that when the grant became competitive in 2017 without additional funding, support was spread too thin and student capacity dropped. Audrey Lensmeyer described Augsburg’s East African Student-to-Teacher Program, rooted in community advocacy in Cedar-Riverside, and said it has produced strong completion and licensure outcomes. Keenan Jones shared his path from paraprofessional to teacher and district leader, emphasizing the importance of scholarships, mentorship, and outreach to high school students, including a statewide co-enrollment Intro to Teaching course. Representative Hassan then presented House File 3079, saying the bill aims to attract, prepare, complete, and retain more teachers of color and American Indian teachers through several grant and program changes, including Closing the Educational Opportunity Gap grants, Cook Mac funding, teacher mentorship and retention updates, and revisions to CUGMEC. He said the bill responds to a severe shortage of BIPOC teachers and that the requested investment is small relative to the state surplus. Student and educator testimony followed, including a third-grade student from Crookston and Ava Roots, both of whom described the importance of having teachers who reflect students’ cultures and experiences. Natalia Benjamin, the 2021 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, also testified about retention challenges for educators of color and racialized workplace treatment. The committee indicated it intended to lay over HF 3079 for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill, and Representative Richardson moved the bill to be laid over for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• . program. program.
• . programs. programs.
• . program. program.
• </c> grant program. grant program.
• . program. program.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first program we'll talk through is the Minnesota Family Investment Program, or MIP, which provides
• In the second program, the child care assistance program provides assistance to MIP families who are
• > the</c><00:05:23.199><c> childcare</c> In the second program, the childcare In the second program,
• assistance</c> assistance program provides assistance assistance program provides assistance to<00:05
• . program. program.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:28:42.200><c> or</c><00:28:42.799><c> are</c> address confidentiality program or are address
• confidentiality program or are protected<00:28:43.600><c> by</c><00:28:43.919><c> domestic</c><00:28:
• for certain election systems uh program for certain election systems uh I<03:48:52.800><c> will</c><
• I'm Autumn Rashik Goodwin, the program coordinator for Open Democracy, and I live in Manchester, New
• </c><04:54:03.558><c> coordinator</c><04:54:04.040><c> for</c><04:54:04.320><c> open</c> the program

Committee: House Election Law

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The program does exactly what it's instructed.
• Sometimes you can have surprising results of a program running, but in general, the program is not going
• They're closer to trained or grown than programmed.
• a program to draw pictures of apples.
• You know, make a program to draw pictures of apples.

Summary: The committee met at Minot State to continue its study of artificial intelligence, with a focus on child safety, sexual exploitation, chatbot risks, and education policy. Members first approved the minutes and then received a Legislative Council overview of AI-related harms to children, including AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, extortion, and chatbot companion risks. The memo reviewed North Dakota and federal law, recent state enactments, First Amendment limits, and examples from other states, including Connecticut’s AI companion safeguards and federal efforts such as the Take It Down Act. Members discussed whether North Dakota’s existing 2025 laws on minors and harmful material are strong enough in light of recent court decisions, and Legislative Council indicated it would provide additional comparison material before the next meeting. Superintendent Levi Bachmeier then presented on AI in education, arguing that schools need guardrails but should not ban AI outright. He said AI should be treated as a tool that can support instruction, teacher efficiency, and digital literacy, while warning against passive use, academic integrity problems, and overreliance on machines. He suggested embedding AI and digital literacy across subjects rather than creating a standalone class, and said schools should provide basic instruction when students receive one-to-one devices. Members asked about parent concerns, local control, higher education partnerships, and how to balance access with safety; Bachmeier emphasized a “threading the needle” approach and said the department would likely seek more guidance on digital literacy and cybersecurity. Special Agent Hellseth of BCI followed with testimony on AI and child exploitation. He said AI is already being used in North Dakota to create explicit images from innocent photos, impersonate children and adults, and facilitate grooming, harassment, and extortion. He described several cases involving AI-generated sexual images and said victims often suffer lasting trauma even when the images are fake. Hellseth explained that investigators use AI tools themselves to process large volumes of data and identify synthetic images, but that the workload is growing and victim services need expansion. He urged stronger accountability for companies, more resources for law enforcement and victim support, and continued training and public education. Members asked about cyber tip volume, staffing, false accusations, and corporate reporting obligations; Hellseth said every tip is reviewed, the unit is small but expanding, and current federal reporting laws are not proactive enough. Representative Porter suggested combining the Legislative Council memo and Bachmeier’s recommendations into a comprehensive bill draft for the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:01:22.960><c> by</c> Commonwealth 1915 C waiver programs by Commonwealth 1915 C waiver programs
• You battle for the state program rights. It is a constant thing.
• </c><01:08:35.759><c> It</c> battle for the state program rights.
• It battle for the state program rights.
• Our private insurance blocked autism treatment.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee opened by adopting its mission and priorities for reviewing Kentucky’s 1915(c) home- and community-based services waiver wait lists, including evaluating current capacity and bottlenecks, comparing other states’ practices, and considering a tiered priority system based on urgency of need. The chair also announced that, although public comment was not on the agenda, the committee would allow 30 minutes for comments and asked speakers to keep remarks brief. He noted that public comment would not continue in the smaller subcommittees after this meeting, but could still be made at the larger MOAB meetings or by email. Department for Medicaid Services officials Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock then gave a detailed overview of Kentucky’s waiver programs: the acquired brain injury waiver, ABI long-term care waiver, home and community-based waiver, Model 2, Michelle P. waiver, Supports for Community Living waiver, and the newly approved child waiver. They explained each program’s eligibility and level-of-care requirements, described funded, filled, allocated, reserved, and available slots, and said the state had already added new slots from House Bill 500. They emphasized that available slots can coexist with a wait list because of reserved slots for money-follows-the-person transitions, emergency slots, annual slot churn, and waiver-year reconciliation. They also reported that the unduplicated wait list total was 18,948, and gave current wait-time figures by waiver, noting that the numbers change constantly. Members asked about how level-of-care determinations are made, whether all people on the wait list have been assessed, and whether undocumented individuals appear in the counts. The department said full level-of-care assessments are done only when a person is moving off the wait list into a reserved slot, and that only Medicaid-eligible individuals can reach the wait list. Senators and representatives also pressed on the meaning of “churn,” why slots cannot be reissued immediately when someone leaves, and whether people who receive even a small amount of service keep their slot for the rest of the waiver year under CMS rules. Officials said that once a participant receives service during the waiver year, the slot generally cannot be reassigned until the next waiver year, even if the person later disengages. The department also presented county distribution, annual member growth, average total cost per member, and total annual waiver expenditures, saying fiscal year 2025 closed at about $1.8 billion in waiver services. In response to questions, officials said they would provide additional churn data for other waivers, including Michelle P., and would look into the average wait-time calculations requested by members. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I had seen these programs in many regards as programs that would, you know, cost the state our
• after the pilot program whether this program is working effectively, that we should implement it for
• short-term programs...
• California has launched program after program, but these programs are often too disconnected and operating
• coordinate these types of programs.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I had seen these programs in many regards as programs that would, you know, cost the state our
• pilot program whether this program is working effectively, that we should implement it for the rest
• short-term programs H.R. 1 expanded the types of educational programs that are eligible for Pell Grants
• California has launched program after program, but these programs are often too disconnected and operating
• coordinate these types of programs.

Summary: The committee began without a quorum and first heard AB 302, which would prohibit schools from requiring students to use addictive social media feeds as a condition of participating in extracurricular activities and would require schools to offer a non-social-media way to communicate with students and families. The author and a student witness argued the bill protects minors from being forced onto addictive platforms, while senators asked how coaches and clubs would communicate; the author said email, built-in messaging, and other direct methods would still be allowed. The bill was held on call for absent members. The committee then took up AB 2504, creating a pilot program to train creative-industry workers for AI-related changes through partnerships among community colleges, employers, unions, and tech companies. Supporters from WME and the Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office said the program would help workers adapt to rapid industry change, while senators discussed the pilot’s size, geographic diversity, and sunset date. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 1534 followed, adding state guardrails for federal Workforce Pell short-term training programs, including limits on tuition, restrictions on certain financing products, and transparency rules for partnerships with unaccredited entities. Support came from TICAS, EdTrust-West, and the Campaign for College Opportunity; senators questioned the scope of state authority and why private institutions were not clearly included, and the author said the broader approval framework was being handled in trailer bill language. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. The committee also heard AB 1381, a gut-and-amend proposal to strengthen screening for school teachers with histories of egregious misconduct while balancing due process and privacy concerns. Supporters and opponents both emphasized student safety and the need for reliable information-sharing, and members noted the bill was similar to a previously held measure; the author said amendments were still being worked out. The bill passed to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 2202, which would create a Closing the Achievement Gap Commission to coordinate statewide efforts, drew broad support from school board and education groups but also concern that it could duplicate existing work and add bureaucracy; after extended debate about whether the commission would identify causes or solutions, it passed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Finally, AB 1547, requiring a UC feasibility study for a branch medical school in Kern County, drew local support but opposition from a senator who argued the Legislature cannot direct UC’s internal operations under the state Constitution; the chair said the Legislature can make recommendations and the bill remained under discussion.