Transcript Highlights:

• The sergeant at arms are here to ensure everyone's safety.
• The sergeant will let us know if these guidelines are not followed.
• staff for assistance with our sergeant staff for assistance with your<00:01:34.880> needs.
• The sergeant at arms are your needs.
• know<00:02:06.159> if<00:02:06.399> these sergeant will let us know if these sergeant

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is someone who would be kind of a bit comparable to what we have here with Lori Hodap, who's our sergeant-at-arms
• is someone who would be kind of a bit comparable to what we have here with Lori Hodap, who's our sergeant-at-arms
• Um, >> sergeant-at-arms. >> sergeant-at-arms. >> sergeant-at-arms.
• >> Sergeant-at-arms.<00:29:31.279> Thank<00:29:31.440> you.
• >> Sergeant-at-arms. Thank you. >> Sergeant-at-arms. Thank you.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 3874 and laid it over for possible inclusion in a finance bill. The Minnesota Judicial Branch, represented by State Court Administrator Jeff Shorba and Chief Judge Michael Fritz, presented a supplemental funding request focused on two main areas: judicial safety and security, and the employer share of Minnesota Paid Leave costs. Shorba said the branch was grateful for prior budget support but noted it did not receive salary increases for staff or judges and did not get funding for juror per diem. He explained that the branch is seeking funding for personal data protection, home security, two additional judicial security positions, security for the chief justice at public events, and a revived courthouse security grant program. Much of the testimony centered on rising threats against judges and court staff. Shorba and Fritz described increases in incidents, threats, and disturbances, and Fritz gave several examples of threatening behavior involving judges’ homes, personal information, and online doxxing. They argued that the branch needs better threat assessment, coordination with local law enforcement, and security measures at homes, courthouses, and online. Members expressed support for the concerns and asked questions about how threats are currently handled and whether state patrol officers assigned to security duties would need additional training. The second major topic was the judicial branch’s request for funding to cover its employer contribution to Minnesota Paid Leave, which took effect in January 2026. Shorba said the branch followed MMB’s calculations and expected the cost to be addressed through broader state government funding, but the branch did not receive an operational adjustment. He said the branch is now having to hold positions open to absorb the cost. Members questioned why the request was not included in the earlier budget process, and Shorba responded that the branch believed the issue would be handled centrally and later learned it had not been funded for the judiciary. No vote on the funding requests was taken in the discussion shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• They said no >> and they said master. They said no ma'am. ma'am. ma'am.
• I did a master in library of science.
• Is master library of science, or is there any experience, some administrative library experience?
• <01:39:44.400> So<01:39:45.040> you're master in library of science.
• So you're master in library of science.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• foremost, we're really putting a lot of effort into trying to maintain and update streets in the Master
• The maintenance of an address master list. We receive an address list from the Census.
• We received a master list from the Census under Title 13. We look at this list.
• .. ...end up with a list that is accepted by us and by the Census, so that we are pretty sure the master
• We work with the federal government on the master list.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on census preparation, focusing first on testimony from U.S. Census Bureau staff James Whitehorn and Andrea Grace Johnson. They described the Bureau’s decade-long geographic and redistricting programs, including the Boundary and Annexation Survey, School District Review Program, Participant Statistical Area Program, and Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA), along with the Block Boundary Suggestion Project and voting district collection. They emphasized that Massachusetts has been a strong partner in these efforts and explained how the Bureau is using updated street data, building footprints, machine learning, and change detection to improve address lists and track new housing. Whitehorn also reviewed the 2030 redistricting data program, the legal basis for it under PL 94-171, the role of state nonpartisan liaisons, and the expected timeline for data delivery. He noted that OMB’s revised race and ethnicity standards will merge those questions into one and add a Middle Eastern/North African category. Committee members asked about the new standards, state contacts, and how boundary updates are submitted, and the witnesses said they would provide the slide deck and contact information. Wendy Underhill and Helen Brewer of NCSL then testified about why census preparation matters for states, stressing its impact on data, federal funding, and political representation. They outlined optional steps states can take before 2030, including staying in touch with Census Bureau staff, identifying state and local personnel involved in census work, supporting local participation in Bureau programs, and creating complete count committees or commissions. They cited Massachusetts’s prior complete count committee and grantmaking efforts as an example and said such efforts can improve self-response and overall accuracy. They also noted that state legislatures can act as conveners and trusted messengers, and they discussed broader issues such as privacy protections, differential privacy, budget uncertainty, and the possibility of future litigation or a citizenship question. Secretary of State William Galvin then gave extended remarks on Massachusetts’s 2020 census experience and the need to prepare early for 2030. He said the state faced major challenges in 2020 from the pandemic, litigation, and rhetoric about citizenship, and that Massachusetts relied heavily on local records, university data, and community outreach to document residents, especially students and non-native-born populations. He argued that the state should strengthen local recordkeeping now through LUCA, annual resident lists, assessors’ and zoning records, and other local data sources, and he urged support for a proposed $500,000 appropriation for census-related grants and technical assistance. Galvin said better preparation is needed because housing patterns, population shifts, and local administrative capacity have changed since 2020, and he emphasized that the goal is to improve the completeness of the records the Census Bureau will use in 2030.

Transcript Highlights:

• of projects are our Level 1 projects out of Account 1, or new development, and we have the eight master
• The first one would be a Level 1 project, the Shoshone Irrigation District master plan with JUB for $470,000
• Shashonne level one project, the Shashonne irrigation<00:10:24.959> district<00:10:25.279> master
• ><00:10:25.680> plan<00:10:26.800> uh<00:10:26.959> with irrigation district master
• plan uh with irrigation district master plan uh with JUB<00:10:28.000> for<00:10:28.320> $470,000

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in any field, just if you can master the exam, um, if you've had two years of experience in the field
• So, in any field, just if you can master the exam, um, if you've had two years of experience in the field
• just<00:40:52.960> if<00:40:53.200> you<00:40:53.359> can<00:40:53.599> master
• <00:40:54.000> the<00:40:54.640> the field, just if you can master the the field, just
• if you can master the the exam,<00:40:56.640> um,<00:40:57.359> if<00:40:57.599> you've

Keywords: Business and Financial Institutions - Room 409, 2 February, 2026; 2:00 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2725, which would shorten the required hold period for pawn brokers on precious metal coins and bullion from 21 days to 3 days, change fingerprinting renewal from annually to every three years to match FBI requirements, and make a technical address update. The sponsor and a Mississippi Pawn Brokers Association representative said the change was needed because gold and silver prices are volatile and pawn brokers are disadvantaged compared with jewelry stores. After questions about whether the bill affected pawn loans, the committee adopted a do pass motion and passed the committee substitute. Next, Senate Bill 2530 on perpetual care cemeteries would raise the trust-fund threshold from $50,000 to $75,000 and allow longer-term CDs so cemetery funds can earn more interest. Members discussed Secretary of State oversight, annual reporting, and the fact that only interest, not principal, may be used for cemetery care. The committee then moved the bill out with a title sufficient do pass recommendation. The committee also considered Senate Bill 2712, which would allow small lenders to charge up to a $10 fee for insurance in lieu of filing a UCC on certain collateralized loans. It was described as a way to reduce costs and follow guidance from the Department of Banking and Consumer Finance, and it was passed out on a do pass motion. Senate Bill 2714, a major unclaimed property bill, drew extended discussion about creating a legal process for abandoned safe deposit boxes: banks would inventory contents with a notary and two officers, notify owners and heirs, transfer contents to the Treasurer after notice periods, and allow the Treasurer to auction items while preserving proceeds for claimants. Members raised concerns about notice methods, privacy, wills and other documents, and whether first-class mail should be changed to registered mail; the committee adopted a conceptual amendment to use registered mail and added a reverse repealer, then passed the bill out. Finally, Senate Bill 2732 was introduced to combat identity theft by allowing a child’s credit to be frozen at birth through a form provided with the birth certificate. The sponsor said the bill is aimed at protecting minors from fraud and noted that credit freezes and unfreezes are free. The discussion was brief, and the bill was presented as a consumer protection measure for children.

Transcript Highlights:

• I myself have a Master of Education.
• I myself have a Master of Education.
• I myself have a Master of Education.
• In addition, I spent a number of years serving... ...a Master of Education.
• all the members, all the funded positions, and law-related education training for our officers. a master

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Education Committee met as a committee of reference to complete required sunset reviews and hear a performance audit. Members and staff introduced themselves at the start of the session, and the chair outlined committee procedures, including limits on public testimony and the goal of adjournment by 5 p.m. The committee then heard the sunset review of the Credit Enhancement Eligibility Board. A governor’s office representative explained that the board was created in 2016 to help qualifying schools, mostly charter schools, lower borrowing costs through a credit enhancement fund. He said the board has approved 15 projects, has no dedicated staff or budget, and is now at its statutory leverage limit, so it is mainly monitoring existing obligations. Members voiced support, and the committee voted by voice vote to recommend continuation of the board for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The committee next reviewed the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE leadership described the interstate compact, its student exchange programs for undergraduate, graduate, and professional health care education, and related cost-savings and workforce benefits for Arizona. Testimony emphasized tuition savings for Arizona students, the return of many professional students to practice in Arizona, and the role of the compact in supporting higher education access and workforce needs. Commissioners from Arizona’s Board of Regents and Eastern Arizona College also spoke in support. The committee then voted by voice vote to recommend continuation of WICHE for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The committee also received the Arizona Auditor General’s performance audit of the Arizona Department of Education school safety program. The audit found that while the program has grown substantially and now funds more than 1,000 school safety positions, ADE did not ensure many sampled schools complied with requirements such as operational plans, safety teams, annual training, activity logs, and expenditure documentation. The Auditor General said the department relied too heavily on written attestations and reduced monitoring as the program expanded, and recommended stronger oversight, written procedures, and better reimbursement controls. ADE’s school safety director responded that the department accepts the findings, has already begun improving monitoring, and is moving to require uploaded documentation and more risk-based reviews; he also said the department will seek additional staffing and will meet with the Auditor General and ASU to strengthen evaluation of the program. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 2142, which would establish a school safety center within ADE, assign it responsibility for administering the school safety program and providing technical assistance, and allow up to 10% of program appropriations for administration. Members discussed whether the bill should also require monitoring of emergency operations plan compliance, better address students with disabilities, and clarify coordination with other state agencies. The sponsor said he planned to offer a floor amendment to make monitoring expectations clearer. The bill was discussed but no final committee action was recorded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• there was ever a conflict there, it felt like it would remove that feeling that they were serving two masters
• there was ever a conflict there, it felt like it would remove that feeling that they were serving two masters
• Commission so that they don't feel like the lawyers that are with those divisions are serving two masters
• commission so that they don't feel like the lawyers that are with those divisions are serving two masters
• . so that they don't feel like the lawyers that are with those divisions are serving two masters.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge, a quorum call, and approval of journal corrections. It then handled several House messages, appointing conference committees on Senate Bills 2004 and 2006 and House Bills 1018, 1019, and 1363, and re-referring House Bill 1216 to Appropriations. The chamber also adopted amendments to House Bill 1601, which would have expanded special assistant attorney general authority for certain offices, but the bill failed on final passage after strong opposition centered on preserving the Attorney General’s control and avoiding a solution in search of a problem. A major portion of the day focused on education funding. House Bill 1369 was amended to raise per-pupil aid from 2% and 2% to 3% and 3% and to increase the school construction loan transfer from $75 million to $100 million; supporters said this would help local schools and military base projects, while opponents raised questions about special education placement language and state coordination. The bill passed 44-3. House Bill 1013, the DPI budget, was also amended extensively to adjust staffing, funding sources, grants, meal assistance, teacher training, and other education programs; it passed 45-2. House Bill 2234, dealing with Choice Ready grants, was amended to shift funding away from general funds and toward federal or other sources, but then failed on final passage after the sponsor urged a red vote. The Senate also approved House Bill 1482, restricting bond and indebtedness elections for counties, cities, school districts, and park districts to primary or general election days, and House Bill 1332, creating a value-added agriculture facility incentive program with an emergency clause. House Bill 1010, the Insurance Department budget, passed unanimously after amendments reflecting the merger of the Securities Department into Insurance and adding staff and fee changes, while House Bill 1011, the separate Securities Department budget, failed because its funding was already included in HB 1010. House Bill 1584, a major pharmacy benefit manager reform bill, passed with an enforcement fund and new licensing/enforcement structure despite debate over ERISA and market transparency. In other action, the Senate concurred in House amendments and passed Senate Bills 2226, 2230, 2069, 2082, 2387, 2385, and 2186, with SB 2186 on parenting time interference and a child custody task force passing 27-20 after debate over whether the issue should be left to the courts. Senate Bill 2234, on Choice Ready grants, and Senate Bill 2243, on driver’s license points and traffic penalties, both failed after concurrence motions were adopted but final passage votes were overwhelmingly negative. The chamber also advanced Senate Bill 2291 to conference committee consideration near the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• before they can succeed on the master before they can succeed on the higher<00:14:37.920> level
• Students must master a sequence of foundational skills to be prepared for future content in math.
• Now, to actually master those skills, you must have already mastered 22 skills in preschool to fourth
• And when students are missing any of these skills, it's impossible to master the new skills.
• these skills, it's impossible to master the<01:18:11.920> new<01:18:12.080> skills.

Bills: HF3421

Keywords: early literacy, reading instruction, teacher preparation, teacher candidates, teacher licensure, educator licensing, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, field experience, supervised practicum, evidence-based reading, science of reading, literacy methods, teacher training, preservice teachers, school-based experience, reading intervention, Minnesota education policy, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Puahala from my office, the Senate Clerk, Clerk, and the Sergeant at Arms actually did all of the hard
• at<00:30:29.399> Arms<00:30:30.159> actually<00:30:30.519> did and the Sergeant
• at Arms actually did and the Sergeant at Arms actually did all<00:30:30.880> of<00:30:31.000>
• Villaflor, Sergeant at Arms; and C.M.
• clerk bian venito C villaflor Sergeant clerk bian venito C villaflor Sergeant at<01:12:52.800>

Keywords: Order of the Day: PENDING, 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, our first testifier is Jake Lans, Sergeant with the St. Cloud Police Department.
• I'm a sergeant with the St.
• Uh, if you guys would bear with me, Sergeant Latz, thank you, Chair.
• Uh, if you guys would bear with me,<01:02:00.559> Sergeant<01:02:00.960> L.
• <01:02:02.240> Uh, me, Sergeant L. Thank you, chair. Uh, me, Sergeant L.

Bills: HF3642, HF2700, HF3615

Keywords: virtual currency, kiosks, prohibition, customer payouts, cryptocurrency regulation, consumer privacy, data privacy, health data, sensitive data, Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act, personal data, data broker, targeted advertising, geofencing, location tracking, health care privacy, patient privacy, consent, minor privacy, children's privacy

Summary: The Commerce Finance and Policy Committee met on House File 3642, which would prohibit virtual currency kiosks in Minnesota. The bill was laid over, and the committee adopted a DE1 author’s amendment. Chair Kaggel and Representative Perryman described the measure as a response to widespread scams using crypto kiosks, especially against older adults and other vulnerable people, and said they would continue working with the Department of Commerce and other stakeholders. Testimony from law enforcement and advocates strongly supported the ban. A St. Cloud police sergeant and a Woodbury detective described cases in which victims lost large sums, said the current safeguards and refund rules are being bypassed, and argued that the kiosks are difficult to investigate because funds move quickly and often overseas. An AARP Minnesota volunteer also supported the bill, saying kiosks are a preferred tool for scammers and that existing protections have not kept pace with the problem. The Department of Commerce said it strongly supports the bill and reported that it has received 120 complaints over three years involving nearly $1 million in reported losses, with 2025 the worst year so far. The main opposition came from CoinFlip’s general counsel, who argued that the problem is fraud generally, not kiosks themselves, and said Minnesota already has consumer protections, including refunds for eligible victims. He urged stronger regulation rather than a ban, citing blockchain analytics, hold periods, and 24-hour customer service as alternatives. Committee members then asked questions about how long kiosks have operated in Minnesota, how many there are, who owns them, and the scale of losses; Commerce said there are hundreds statewide, operated by a variety of companies, and that reported losses are likely undercounts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Shawn McMccurman, Executive Director, Office of Budget and Fiscal Management; and Ron Riggnney, the master
• 00:02:16.480> Ron<00:02:16.879> Riggnney,<00:02:17.920> the<00:02:18.239> master
• management, and Ron Riggnney, the master management, and Ron Riggnney, the master of<00:02:19.200
• We just finished our master terminal area planning process recently.
• We just finished our master terminal area planning process recently.

Keywords: This meeting was recovered from a back up copy and uploaded after the original meeting took place., 958, all

Summary: The committee received an update from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on the FY 2025 road fund. Officials reported road fund revenues came in $38.5 million above the enacted estimate, but were down about $11 million from FY 2024, largely because a motor fuels tax rate reduction took effect at the start of FY 2025. Motor vehicle usage tax receipts were stronger than expected, and the cabinet said the road fund ended the year with a $61.6 million surplus, which the budget bill directs to state highway construction. Members also discussed how the motor fuels decline affects formula distributions to cities, counties, and rural/secondary roads, with officials saying about $122.8 million had been planned for revenue sharing but was not distributed because receipts were lower than forecast. Members asked about broader revenue trends, including fuel efficiency, electric vehicles, and the removal of a hybrid fee. Cabinet officials said improved fuel efficiency and CAFE standards reduce gasoline consumption and therefore fuel tax receipts, while EVs and plug-in hybrids are subject to a user fee. They also said toll revenues from the Louisville bridges are covering bills and commitments, though they did not have detailed figures at hand. On project delivery, officials said delays are often caused by right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, and the large volume of projects in the highway plan, and that much of the work happens behind the scenes before construction begins. The committee also reviewed the cabinet’s cash management approach, which was adopted after 2000 to avoid setting aside full project costs all at once and to keep the road fund cash balance above a required minimum. Officials said the balance typically rises in winter and falls in summer as project bills come due, and that the current balance was about $166 million. They also reported that project awards for the year were nearing $998 million and expected to exceed last year’s total. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken beyond approving the prior meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• But there isn't really an association that helps schools master the entirety of Medicaid.
• And I think part of it is that, you know, districts have challenges mastering the program.
• And I think part of it is that, you know, districts have challenges mastering the program.
• And I think part of it is that, you know, districts have challenges mastering the program.
• And I think part of it is that, you know, districts have challenges mastering the program.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to begin work on HB 742, which would require catastrophic special education aid to be drawn from the education trust fund, and more broadly to study special education aid/differentiated aid and related costing issues. The chair said the group was starting early because the issue has been debated for years without resolution, local districts are being forced to absorb prorated costs, and the committee wants to send the Department of Education and HHS Medicaid a clear request for data and recommendations before retained bills return in the fall. A committee clerk was also selected, with Representative Reverend volunteering to take notes for the meeting. Members reviewed background materials on special education enrollment, high-cost students, and possible funding formulas, including data on students in high-cost brackets and prior ideas such as category-based funding and caseload-based approaches. The chair also referenced research on other states, including Arkansas, which uses a different special education funding structure and audits IEPs. The committee emphasized that it was focused on the funding mechanics and costs, not on questioning whether services should be provided. Henry Lipman of HHS explained how Medicaid-to-schools currently works in New Hampshire. He said 172 school districts participate, but utilization dropped during the pandemic and remains below historical levels, in part because districts need the capacity to bill Medicaid. Under the current system, schools receive reimbursement based on half of the Medicaid fee schedule, with the school district effectively providing the state share. He said the federal government is requiring a shift by July 1, 2026, to a true certified public expenditure model based on actual costs, which should allow schools to recover 50% of their true costs and some administrative overhead. The department has received a roughly $2.5 million grant to hire a vendor and support districts through the transition, and an RFP and stakeholder meetings are underway. Committee members asked about how costs would be determined, whether the new system would use actual district-specific costs rather than averages, and how the department would support districts that do not currently participate. Lipman said the cost model would be based on each district’s own reasonable costs, subject to audit standards, and that the department expects to provide templates and technical assistance through the vendor because its staff is limited. He also said about one in four New Hampshire children are enrolled in Medicaid, that child enrollment has been relatively stable, and that continuous coverage rules should reduce churn. No votes or formal actions on HB 742 were taken during the meeting beyond organizing the subcommittee and beginning testimony and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also have one more quick mahalo to House Comms, as well as Print Shop and, of course, to Sergeant at
• :56.160> to as well as Print Shop and of course to as well as Print Shop and of course to Sergeant
• 57.440> Thank<00:24:57.640> you<00:24:57.760> again<00:24:58.040> for Sergeant
• Thank you again for Sergeant at Arms.

Bills: SCR21, SCR75, SCR50, SCR149, SCR47, SCR163, SCR169, SCR170

Keywords: healthcare, rural clinic, feasibility study, access to care, community health, Volcano community, Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation, emergency services, health assessment, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, health care, interdepartmental collaboration, public awareness, support services, education, health insurance, affordable healthcare, working group, Hawaii Health Plan, Medicaid expansion

Transcript Highlights:

• If an accommodation is needed, communicate with the sergeant staff.
• Thank you to the sergeant and our staff who are present for helping maintain decorum in the committee
• If an accommodation is needed, communicate with the sergeant staff.
• Thank you to the sergeant and our staff who are present for helping maintain decorum in the committee

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So when you're under a master teacher for that long, you're more than day-one ready going through your
• So when you're under a master teacher for that long, you're more than day-one ready going through your
• So when you're under a master teacher for that long, you're more than day-one ready going through your
• Do we want to do a graduate<02:18:37.439> masters<02:18:37.840> program?
• So we we look graduate masters program?

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Dwayne Nauman, who recently retired from the Texas State… Guard as Commander Sergeant Major that was
• Sergeant Major Nauman officially relinquished his position of senior enlisted leadership on February
• Commander Sergeant Major the great state of Texas for 21 years, especially in time of several natural
• Sergeant Major Nauman, thank you so much for the service you have given to the State of Texas.
• Sergeant Major, you won't remember this.

Bills: SJR3, SB5, SB21, SB72, SB703, SB764, SB790, SJR36, SJR3, SJR34, SJR18, SCR9, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB5, SB21, SB72, SB140, SB262, SB370, SB372, SB495, SB627, SB703, SB764, SB842, SB971, SB790, SB767, SB480, SB1066, SB929, SB765, SB523, SB62, SB19, SB18, SB666, SB688, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB869, SB890, SB992, SB1145, SB494, SB290, SB766, SB11, SB10, SB13, SB263, SJR3, SB5, SR172, SR176, SR177, SR190, SR193, SR194, SR202, SR203, SR208

Keywords: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, research institute, funding, grants, state health initiatives, cryptocurrency, bitcoin, investment reserve, economic resilience, financial security, vehicle rental, damage waiver

Transcript Highlights:

• Sergeant-at-Arms.
• I just received breaking news: the seventh soldier to die in the Iran war is Sergeant Benjamin Pennington
• I just received breaking news: the seventh soldier to die in the Iran war is Sergeant Benjamin Pennington
• I just received breaking news: the seventh soldier to die in the Iran war is Sergeant Benjamin Pennington
• <01:11:15.320> Benjamin Iran war is Sergeant Benjamin Iran war is Sergeant Benjamin Pennington

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a master advocate for children. And some of the... well, let me answer, sir. Thank you.
• And yeah, I work for master advocate for children, helping other people. That is the question.
• However, with support from his job coach and myself, William was able to master not only his assignment

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Massachusetts Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities hosted “Strength and Support,” a networking and resource-sharing event focused on employment for youth and young adults with disabilities, with ASL interpretation, CART, recording, and livestreaming provided. The panel featured self-advocates, job coaches, and employment support staff who shared personal employment stories, including internships and career services through MassAbility, community advocate work at an independent living program, advocacy and podcasting, supported employment in retail and food service, and examples of successful placements through job coaching and clubhouse programs. A major theme throughout the discussion was the barriers people with disabilities face in finding and keeping work, especially repeated rejection, lack of experience, inaccessible hiring and training processes, weak communication, and employers’ assumptions about disability. Panelists described the importance of accommodations, flexible scheduling, clear communication, patient supervision, and ongoing job retention support. Several speakers emphasized that networking and in-person connections often helped them secure interviews or jobs when online applications did not. In response to questions about making employment more inclusive and sustainable, panelists recommended person-centered support, accessible applications and onboarding, opportunities to gain experience through internships and fellowships, and stronger employer education about the value of job coaches and disabled workers. They also stressed self-advocacy, patience, and taking chances on people. The event ended with audience Q&A and closing thanks to the speakers, interpreters, tech staff, and attendees.

Transcript Highlights:

• PROGRESS MONITORING SYSTEM, EACH COURSE THERE IS A SET OF STANDARDS THAT THE STUDENT IS SUPPOSED TO MASTER
• DIFFERENT SET OF STANDARDS THAT ONCE THEY START BY THE SECOND TIME THEY LEAVE A SHOULD BE ABLE TO MASTER
• ASSESSMENT FOCUSED ON THOSE SPECIFIC THINGS BECAUSE AGAIN WHAT THE TEST ITSELF IS MEASURING IS HOW THEY MASTERED