Transcript Highlights:

• </c> deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom. deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• to a foreign 10 service for deployments to a foreign combat<01:03:04.559><c> zone.
• </c> not stop emergency response nor overseas not stop emergency response nor overseas training<01:03
• Now Title 10 is for deployment overseas.
• That's what this bill is talking about: deploying overseas under Title 10.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the past year, the Air National Guard participated in four overseas training exercises.
• We deployed more than 620 members in support of six missions overseas.
• He asked whether the same was true for the World Cup deployment.
• Is the same true about the World Cup deployment?
• The role requires substantial additional training and involves deployment situations.

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The committee first heard the Missouri National Guard’s FY 2027 budget request in House Bill 2008. Brigadier General Bob Payne outlined the Guard’s dual state and federal mission, recent deployments and state activations, counter-drug work, and the need to maintain readiness and aging armory infrastructure. Members questioned several items, including a proposed internal auditor position required by statute, a World Cup-related NDI, the use of general revenue versus other funds, and a federal match for base operations support at Rosecrans Airport. The presentation then shifted into executive session, where the committee reviewed a House committee substitute and several amendments. One amendment to fund the Missouri State Fair’s Great American State Fair participation with ag and tourism funds was rejected, while an amendment reducing $50,000 in House and Senate legal contingency funding was adopted. Another amendment directing budget information to all committee members rather than only chairs was rejected. The committee then adopted the substitute and voted House Bill 2014 do pass by a 24-0-1 vote. The committee next took up the Department of Corrections FY 2027 budget in House Bill 2009. DOC described a new CERT stipend increase, a reduction in the Office of Director’s Staff, and several core items including professional standards, federal funds, community treatment programming, education grants, population growth pool, restitution payments, human services staff, telecommunications, general services, fuel and utilities, food purchases, food service, staff training, employee health and safety, overtime, adult institution staff, institution E&E, wage and discharge, and individual institutions. Members asked about the CERT stipend, PREA allegations, education funding, restitution payments, the population growth pool, the working capital revolving fund, food service costs, overtime, retention, warden turnover, the prison nursery, and the use of inmate canteen funds. DOC said CERT members are full-time employees who volunteer for additional duty, that staffing has improved but remains a challenge, that the food service increase reflects the end of inventory credits and inflation, and that the department generally spends non-GR funds first when possible. Discussion also turned to whether DOC facilities could be repurposed for pretrial or mental health populations; DOC said it is legally limited to post-sentence inmates and that staffing and labor-market constraints make reopening closed facilities difficult.

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the past year, the Air National Guard participated in four overseas training exercises.
• We deployed more than 620 members in support of six missions overseas. 620 members in support of six
• missions overseas and along the southern border, with an additional 337 service members preparing to
• He asked whether the same was true for the World Cup deployment.
• It is substantially additional training requirements and, obviously, deployment situations.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• Whether responding to hurricanes, supporting law enforcement, or defending national interests overseas
• That was unique because of the three hurricanes, obviously, and some of the deployments and extended
• of days that National Guardsmen have worked this year or in prior years, you have to think about deployments
• of days that National Guardsmen have worked this year or in prior years, you have to think about deployments
• You have to think about deployments in pretty much virtually every single continent.

Summary: The committee met to hear the Governor’s proposed budget for the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development silo and to consider one bill. The Governor’s Office outlined a $117.4 billion state budget, including $18.3 billion for the TED area, with major allocations for the Department of Transportation, Commerce, Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, State, Military Affairs, Emergency Management, and the Florida State Guard. Agency heads then presented their priorities, including housing and disaster recovery funds at Commerce; pay, vehicles, aviation, and data systems at Highway Safety; facility modernization, recruitment, retention, and maintenance at Military Affairs; election audit, conservation lab, and historic preservation funding at State; transportation, aviation, seaport, and safety investments at DOT; and emergency response, flood mitigation, grant systems, and alerting at Emergency Management. Members asked questions about Visit Florida’s private match, FHP’s role in immigration enforcement and body cameras, National Guard deployment tempo and staffing, State Guard staffing and facilities, arts grant rules, rail funding, and the number of detainees at the Everglades detention site. Several notable positions were expressed during questioning. Visit Florida said it met and exceeded its private match requirement and described the match as important to ensuring value from public dollars. The Highway Patrol said its aviation assets have been used more heavily in immigration enforcement and that in-vehicle camera systems were a higher priority than body cameras at present. The National Guard and State Guard both emphasized heavy operational demands, readiness needs, and the importance of additional funding for facilities, personnel, and equipment. The Department of State said its audit funding would help counties move to automated post-election audits and that its arts grant rule changes were intended to create more consistent scoring rather than reduce access. The committee then took up CS/SB 48 on accessory dwelling units. The bill requires local governments to allow property owners to voluntarily create ADUs, preserves homestead treatment for the primary residence portion, limits parking restrictions, and extends density bonus incentives to housing for military families receiving basic housing allowance. An amendment was adopted removing reusable tenant screening reports and clarifying that compliant ADUs are allowed by right without a separate hearing or permit. Testimony from the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association supported the bill, especially the long-term rental requirement, as a tool to help workforce housing. The committee reported the bill favorably by a roll call vote, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, on the wine part of it, there's a significant export, whether it's domestic or overseas.
• And part of what I have seen is that when I went overseas, let's say, to Taiwan, when I told them I was
• from Washington, Overseas, let's say, to Taiwan, when I told them I was from Washington State, they
• But if the bill passed, then there would be no deployment... ...if the bill passed, then there would
• be no deployment of it in the state.

Bills: HB2278 , HB2325 , HB2481 , HB2503

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: tourism, promotion areas, state funding, economic development, community engagement, tourism promotion, Washington Tourism Marketing Authority, assessment, self-supported assessment, visitor economy, destination marketing, statewide marketing, lodging, hotels, restaurants, travel services, attractions, recreation, retail, beverage producers

Transcript Highlights:

• The final 6% will be served by the federal BEAD program, Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program
• deployments.
• What I'll tell you, I just recently returned from a trip overseas to see our National Guardsmen that
• are deployed overseas in the Horn of Africa.
• Even if you look back at the years, the 20 plus years of deployments, Overseas in the counterterrorism

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we generally see an increase of attrition after deployments like that.
• Uh, we'll send um four C-130 tails overseas in a deployment and they too also experience the same attrition
• </c> attrition after deployments like that. attrition after deployments like that.
• coming up here experience a deployment coming up here in<00:02:41.040><c> about</c><00:02:41.360><c>
• /c><00:02:48.959><c> they</c><00:02:49.200><c> too</c> overseas in a deployment and they too overseas

Bills: HB0078 , SF0012 , SF0013 , SF0052 , SF0069 , SF0070

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• I did two deployments to Afghanistan with those dogs and those Marines. The dogs never missed.
• our effort to try and correct that, because just because someone doesn't get called up to serve overseas
• our effort to try and correct that, because just because someone doesn't get called up to serve overseas
• our effort to try and correct that, because just because someone doesn't get called up to serve overseas
• There's because I think most of our folks are going to qualify already because of the deployment cycles

Summary: The committee heard an introductory presentation from Sam Daily of Believe It Canine Service Partners, a nonprofit that trains service dogs free of charge for disabled veterans. Daily described the organization’s work with veterans, including placements with MACV and a service dog at Veteran Village in Eagan, and said the group has placed 80 teams so far. Senator Howe asked whether the organization had pursued Support Our Troops grants, and Daily said it had received two SOS grants. The first bill taken up was Senate File 4172, as amended, which would expand eligibility for burial in Minnesota state veterans cemeteries to honorably discharged reservists, National Guard members, and Air National Guard members, and would allow some honor guard use for eligible people. Senator Howe said the bill corrects an inequity for Guard and reserve members who served honorably but are not currently eligible. Glenn Pence testified in support, saying the bill recognizes National Guard service and should allow those veterans to be buried with others they served alongside. MDVA’s David Swantek supported the concept but warned that expanded eligibility would increase demand, especially at Little Falls, and could shorten its projected capacity timeline from about 48 years to about 30 years. The committee adopted the A1 amendment and then laid the bill over for inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance Omnibus Bill. The committee then heard Senate File 4026, which sets standards for MDVA competitive grants and adds accountability and residency requirements. Senator Koran said the bill would help the department review grants and ensure funds serve Minnesota veterans and families. MDVA chief of staff Dave Belfi supported the bill, saying it reflects agency feedback, aligns with existing residency rules, and does not affect CVSO, VSO, or Support Our Troops grants. The A1 amendment was adopted, and the bill was laid over for inclusion in the omnibus bill. Next, Senate File 4807 was heard, a bill to update pay for National Guard soldiers and airmen called to state active duty. MDVA and National Guard officials said the bill would simplify statute language and raise the minimum base pay for lower ranks to the E5 level, with future adjustments tied to federal pay tables. Senator Kunesh asked about funding, and staff explained the cost would come through an open general-fund emergency appropriation, estimated at about $30,000 annually but varying with activations. The committee adopted amendments to incorporate SF 4172 and SF 4026 into SF 4807, made technical corrections, and then recommended SF 4807, as amended, to pass and be referred to the full committee. Finally, the committee heard Senate File 3603, which would create a program allowing school districts to issue high school diplomas to Minnesota veterans who left school to serve during the Korean conflict or Vietnam War. Senator Rasmussen said the bill recognizes veterans who interrupted their education for service. MDVA’s John Kelly supported the bill, noting it reflects input from MDVA and the Department of Education and that similar programs exist in other states. The committee voted to recommend the bill to pass and refer it to the full committee. The meeting also began discussion of Senate File 4560, which would formalize the Commander's Task Force, but the transcript cuts off before that bill was acted on.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is kind of what I alluded to just a second ago, but it enhances deployment.
• Code and typically deployed overseas, we're federalized.
• Same thing if I were being deployed overseas.
• Even in the context of a Title 10 deployment, the governor has a role in objecting to that deployment
• The other topic we've discussed a little is Title 32 deployment.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the first sergeant was killed overseas in a deployment that he volunteered to go on, and that
• So I had 77 missions overseas and a couple hundred inside the state because of my background in anti-terrorism
• I would tend to believe, and it's my personal opinion after 21 years in multiple deployments, I would

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Summary: The Special Committee on Veterans heard House Bill 2535 from Representative Don Mayhew, which would provide property tax relief for disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, and certain surviving spouses, with the bill’s main distinction being a funding mechanism based on tobacco-related taxes, including a cigarette tax increase and taxes on vape and other tobacco products. Mayhew said the bill is intended to fund the benefit at the state level rather than shifting the burden to counties, and he emphasized that it is a state property tax benefit, not tied to federal veterans benefits. Members discussed whether surviving spouses should keep the benefit if they remarry, whether the language should be narrowed or reduced, and whether dependent children or Gold Star families should be included more broadly. Testimony in support came from veterans and veterans’ advocates who said the bill would help disabled veterans and surviving spouses remain in their homes and would spread the cost statewide instead of leaving counties to absorb it. Some supporters also urged keeping Purple Heart recipients in the bill and expanding protections for surviving spouses and dependent children. One veteran witness said the funding mechanism made the bill more workable for local governments, while another said the benefit should not be reduced if a surviving spouse remarries. Opposition focused mainly on the tax structure. The Missouri Petroleum and Convenience Association opposed the funding mechanism, arguing that cigarettes are already heavily taxed, that Missouri’s border-state competitiveness could be harmed, that federal changes to hemp-derived products could undercut projected revenue, and that voters have rejected prior tobacco tax increases. A small-business witness also objected to the vape and hemp tax burden. The Department of Revenue provided fiscal information, estimating that the bill could raise significant state revenue but also noting that some projected revenue depends on current hemp law and that cigarette-tax increases could reduce cigarette sales and shift purchases to other products. No vote was taken, and the hearing was concluded after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is what is labeled non-deployment funds at the federal level.
• This is what is labeled non-deployment funds at the federal level.
• And non-deployment has always been contemplated by the original legislation.
• Started planning for, you know, what will we do with non-deployment funds?
• soon what you can do with non-deployment funding.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• As a young White House staffer 20 years ago, I served on multiple trips overseas. efforts were made to
• should evaluate the status of the international market for U.S. nuclear developers and supply chains. overseas
• working with the Arizona Department of Energy to talk about creative solutions for energy and fast deployment
• There are a lot of communities that actually are very excited about the deployment of this technology
• So will you commit to visiting Arizona and working together on fast deployment of SMRs, including the

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, then, I guess our intent for this was to have those plants overseas and out of the country.
• Is that going into regulating the plant overseas, or is that going into a project-specific procedure?
• And look, excuse my ignorance, I've never been to one of these plants overseas.
• Do we regulate plants over, or do we inspect plants overseas when it comes to iron and other...
• Or do we inspect plants overseas when it comes to iron and other things that we import?

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and the chair noting it was the committee’s last meeting of the session. The committee first considered Senate Bill 254, which would prohibit certain excess debit card surcharges and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General. After adopting technical amendments and a committee amendment requiring written notice before a private right of action, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up Senate Bill 80 on broadband administration fees and GUMBO program closeout. Members questioned the proposed increase in administrative and contractor fees, the timing of project completion, and how withheld reimbursements would work for utility damage. After adopting several amendments, including cleanup language and a provision to restore the reimbursement process, the bill was reported favorably as amended, though the Louisiana Telecommunications Association voiced concerns about the withholding language and lack of a clearer fault-determination process. The committee next considered Senate Bill 469, updating the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Technical amendments were adopted, along with amendments clarifying that the bill’s 30-day notice to utility owner-operators is separate from existing GUMBO notice requirements and creating a rapid dispute-resolution process involving the Office of Broadband, the utility operator, and the local governing authority. Testimony from broadband and municipal stakeholders emphasized the need for quicker responses to excavation damage and better enforcement, while some witnesses raised concerns about the late amendment and the need for clearer recourse and standards. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 468, dealing with fuel rewards programs and fuel discount limits, was also amended to allow such discounts while capping them at $1 below the advertised price; it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 131, concerning attorney’s fees and costs in professional licensing disciplinary proceedings, drew testimony from a cosmetology board representative and the Pelican Institute. Supporters argued the bill would curb incentives for boards to generate revenue through enforcement and give licensees a fairer opportunity to resolve cases; board testimony noted that some boards already have fee caps and that enforcement actions are relatively limited. After adopting an amendment clarifying when a licensee is the prevailing party, the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 251 on critical infrastructure protection also received technical amendments and several substantive changes, including adding ports and airports to the definition of critical infrastructure, clarifying “significant access,” adding a knowledge requirement, and adjusting exemptions and enforcement timing; it was reported favorably as amended after testimony from State Armor representatives about foreign adversary threats. Finally, House Resolution 253 was introduced to create a task force to study how post-2005 building code additions and inspection requirements affect residential construction costs, with the sponsor explaining the goal was to gather industry input and return recommendations next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the last bullet there about deployments.
• These folks are extremely overseas.
• We have a deployable joint incident site communications capability called JISC.
• Our folks are very busy with the humanitarian mine action overseas.
• And that's standard for these immediately deployable units.

Summary: The task force met on October 14, confirmed a quorum, and adopted the September 16, 2025 minutes. Members then received a Kentucky Air National Guard 101 briefing from Brigadier General Bruce Bancroft, commander of the Kentucky Air National Guard, who described the Guard’s structure, missions, and statewide role. He emphasized that Kentucky is a single-wing state centered at Louisville’s 123rd Airlift Wing and highlighted several unique capabilities, including the Contingency Response Group, critical care air transport teams, medical detachment for chemical environments, explosive ordnance disposal, fatality search and recovery, and special tactics personnel. General Bancroft also discussed staffing and readiness, saying the Guard has 1,273 authorized positions, with a mix of AGR, Title 32, and Title 5 personnel. He noted that AGR positions are funded at about 96 percent, while technician positions are funded at about 53 percent, leaving the organization to operate at roughly 75 percent of authorized manpower overall. He said the wing converted from the C-130H to the C-130J in 2021 and completed the transition in about 2.5 years, ahead of the original three-year timeline. The briefing further covered the Guard’s operational tempo and community role. Bancroft said the unit has earned 21 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, has deployed about 500,000 days since 9/11 across 45 countries, and routinely supports federal and domestic missions. He described the C-130J’s tactical airlift, airdrop, and blacked-out operations as directly useful for disaster response in Kentucky, and he pointed to strong ties with UPS and other aviation employers. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approval of the prior minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh at full deployment, the the process.
• The American people are sick of billions of dollars going for overseas wars.
• Battery storage deployment is absolutely taking off.
• </c> it out and sell it to overseas? it out and sell it to overseas?
• . overseas. overseas.

Bills: HB4758

Keywords: home electrification, taxpayer subsidies, energy efficiency, rebate programs, public law repeal

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:14:13.400><c> military</c><01:14:13.800><c> deployments</c><01:14:14.240><c> in</c><01:14:14.320>
• <c> the</c> overseas military deployments in the overseas military deployments in the '80s.<01:14:15.160
• <01:14:20.720><c> or</c><01:14:20.880><c> overseas</c><01:14:21.360><c> opportunities,</c> deployments
• or overseas opportunities, deployments or overseas opportunities, which<01:14:22.160><c> I</c><01:14
• </c><01:14:27.560><c> patch</c> nearly everyone had a deployment patch nearly everyone had a deployment

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• He deployed twice overseas, once to Bosnia and later to Iraq in the early 2000s.
• Jerry Hudgkins or JJ, served honorably for 10 years in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, deploying overseas
• She passed away on April 29, 2018. while she was preparing for her third deployment.

Bills: HB3522 , HB4300 , HB4359 , HB4363 , HB3467 , HB2987 , HB3076 , HB4427 , HB3026 , HB3288 , HB3315 , HB3711 , HB3885

Keywords: alcoholic beverages, ABLE Commission, licensing, regulation, annual reporting, child care, criminal history, background checks, child safety, Oklahoma laws, advisory committees, statewide assessments, student testing, testing window, end-of-year testing, Oklahoma Academic Standards, Oklahoma School Testing Program, State Board of Education, grade 3-8, alternate assessment

Transcript Highlights:

• Allo and Terry's, Radiant, Deployable Energy, Valor is in Utah. There's some... Valor is in Utah.
• Well, so that is from a deployable company called Deployable Energy.
• Yeah, Deployable Energy. It's a small reactor, self-contained and can be easily brought into a...
• And this is, again, the fuel has been fabricated overseas that's coming here this summer.
• Again, the fuel has been fabricated overseas that's coming here this summer.

Summary: The meeting was an extended briefing from Idaho National Laboratory officials on the lab’s mission, its role in nuclear energy research, and the federal push to accelerate advanced reactor deployment. Speakers described INL’s size and capabilities, including test reactors, fuel and materials facilities, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure work, and partnerships with DOE, the NRC, the Department of Defense, and private companies. They emphasized that the lab is supporting both commercial nuclear development and national security work, while also training a large intern workforce. A major theme was the current federal effort to streamline nuclear regulation and speed up licensing and demonstration. The speakers said recent executive orders and DOE/NRC coordination are reducing redundant requirements, shortening environmental review timelines, and aiming for three new nuclear systems to reach criticality by July 4, 2026. They argued that regulatory uncertainty has been a major driver of nuclear cost and that the administration’s actions, along with DOE’s pilot and demonstration programs, are intended to rebuild the domestic supply chain and industrial base. The discussion also focused on advanced reactor types, including small modular reactors, microreactors, molten salt concepts, and liquid-metal designs. Officials said these technologies are being developed for data centers, military bases, remote communities, industrial heat, hydrogen production, and other nontraditional uses. They highlighted several projects and companies, including Oklo, Aalo, Radiant, X-energy, TerraPower, Kairos, and DOE’s MARVEL and Project Pele efforts, and said some reactors are expected to reach criticality or operation in the next few years. Questions from attendees covered safety, public health impacts, materials and heat management, waste or used fuel handling, costs, and whether nuclear could remain competitive against other energy sources; the speakers responded that advanced reactors are designed with passive safety features, that used fuel should be viewed as a resource, and that cost remains highly design- and supply-chain-dependent.

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, on the wine part of it, there's a significant export, whether it's domestic or overseas.
• from Washington, Overseas, let's say, to Taiwan, when I told them I was from Washington State, they
• , for eight years, seven and a half years... ...marketing overseas while we had basically, for eight
• But if the bill passed, then there would be no deployment...
• If the bill passed, then there would be no deployment of it in the state.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2325, which would create a tourism self-supported assessment program to fund statewide tourism promotion. Staff explained that the bill would let the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority develop and administer an assessment program overseen by a 10-member ratepayer board, subject to a referendum of affected businesses, and would add a public records exemption for business financial and commercial information. The prime sponsor and supporters from State of Washington Tourism, the hospitality industry, the Port of Seattle, breweries, and wine interests argued that Washington is underinvesting in tourism compared with other states and that an industry-led assessment would provide sustainable, competitive funding. Opposition testimony from a taxpayer group objected to new assessments and unelected authority over tax-like charges. No vote was taken on the bill in the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2481, which would prohibit surveillance-based price discrimination and surge pricing for certain retail goods, require clear price posting, and temporarily bar electronic shelf labels in larger grocery stores while Commerce studies their effects. The sponsor said the bill is intended to ensure that customers in the same store pay the same price and to prevent AI-driven pricing based on personal data. Labor, privacy, and consumer advocates supported the bill, citing concerns about hidden price discrimination, worker stress, and consumer harm. Grocery and retail groups, along with an ESL manufacturer and a tech association, opposed the bill as written, warning that the definitions were too broad and could interfere with loyalty programs, discounts, inventory management, and electronic shelf label systems; several said they were working with the sponsor on amendments. The chair indicated amendments were expected and asked stakeholders to submit language soon, but no vote occurred. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 2503, which would require developers of generative AI systems to post high-level documentation about training data before public release and make violations a Consumer Protection Act issue. The sponsor described the bill as a transparency measure meant to function like an ingredients label for AI, helping consumers, researchers, and creators understand what goes into a model. Supporters from TechNet and Chamber of Progress said they generally backed the concept but wanted the bill aligned more closely with California’s recent law, especially on enforcement and the private right of action. Members raised questions about trade secrets, applicability to large versus small developers, and whether the bill could affect medical or other specialized AI uses; the sponsor said amendments were anticipated and that the bill was still early in the process. The hearing on HB 2503 then moved to public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• CHILDREN PLACEMENT FLEXIBILITY AND PROVIDES RELIEF IF THE CHILDREN ARE ALSO ABSENT FOR PERIODS OF DEPLOYMENT
• PROMOTE SOLUTIONS THAT EASE TRANSITIONS AND ADDRESS CHALLENGES RELATED TO FREQUENT MOVES AND PARENTAL DEPLOYMENT
• THE STATE, IEP, LEARNING DISABILITIES, MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES, NOTICED MOVES, MULTIPLE YEAR LONG DEPLOYMENTS
• QUESTIONS FOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION I WAS A TEACHER FOR 22 YEARS IN OHIO AND ALSO FLORIDA AND ALSO OVERSEAS
• WHEN I LIVED OVERSEAS AND NEVER KNEW HOW IMPORTANT THIS ROLE OF SCHOOL LIAISON WAS BECAUSE WE DID NOT