Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:43.880> Freedom relatively new uh education Freedom relatively new uh education Freedom
• my scholarship fellowship or education my scholarship fellowship or education grant<00:06:21.160
• education?
• on education statewide.
• education trust fund so the education education trust fund so the education trust<04:30:58.040><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on HB 402, a bill dealing with whether Education Freedom Account (EFA) payments should be described in state law as not constituting taxable income. The bill sponsor argued that the current statute is misleading because New Hampshire should not imply a federal tax result, and said the bill would remove that language and could also be amended to clarify that families should consult tax advisors. He emphasized that the measure was not intended to impose a state tax on EFAs, but to avoid giving inaccurate advice about possible federal tax liability. Testimony was divided. A retired representative and a tax preparer both opposed the bill, saying EFA payments are already treated consistently with IRS rules and that the bill would create confusion, administrative burden, and possible tax consequences for low- and moderate-income families. They argued the bill is a solution in search of a problem and warned that requiring 1099s could add costs for the scholarship organization and recipients. A tax attorney supported the bill’s repeal of the state language, saying New Hampshire should not put tax advice into statute and that the current wording is inaccurate because federal law, not state law, controls taxability. He cited IRS Section 117 and Publication 970, explaining that only some scholarship-like payments are tax-free and that many EFA-eligible expenses may not qualify for federal exemption. Members asked questions about what would be misleading, whether the bill was trying to tax EFAs, and the cost of issuing 1099s. The sponsor and witnesses repeatedly said the bill was not a state tax on voucher payments, but a clarification about federal tax treatment. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• been a Statewide general education been a Statewide general education Levy<00:17:28.600> um
• <00:33:00.320> uh 91 and 94% % of general education uh 91 and 94% % of general education uh
• educ education programs is in special educ education programs is also<00:42:06.079> kind<00:42
• gosh all of a sudden special education gosh all of a sudden special education costs<01:04:49.000
• deserve a good quality public education deserve a good quality public education in<01:05:22.200>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As well as we move on to the education and government, which was mentioned, we also need educational
• We have our own Santa Ana College educational comprehensive educational plan.
• We have our own San Anna College educational, comprehensive educational plan.
• But educational centers can be career technical education and workforce training centers.
• But educational centers can be career technical education and workforce training center.

Summary: The hearing opened the Select Committee on Effective Postsecondary Career, Technical Education, and Workforce Development Programs at Santa Ana College, with Assemblymember Mike Fong emphasizing the need for affordable, accelerated pathways into high-demand careers and noting his bill AB 1098 creating the California Interagency Education Council. Chancellor Marvin Martinez welcomed the committee and urged changes to AB 927 to remove the “duplication” barrier for community college bachelor’s degrees, arguing that applied baccalaureate programs can lead to high-wage jobs and expand access for low- and middle-income students. The first panel focused on statewide workforce trends and policy. California Community Colleges Vice Chancellor Anthony Cordova highlighted credit for prior learning, Strong Workforce funding, dual enrollment, and apprenticeship growth, asking the Legislature to restore and increase Strong Workforce funding and expand applied baccalaureate degrees. LAEDC’s Josep Bilayo described regional labor market data showing growth in health care, education, construction, bioscience, and clean energy, while stressing the need for employer-led, data-driven programs, wraparound supports, and flexible funding. Andrew Gonzalez of the Building and Construction Trades Council argued that registered apprenticeship must be paid, combine classroom and on-the-job training, and end in a portable credential; he also promoted apprenticeship readiness programs, community workforce agreements, and stronger exposure to trades starting in K-12. Eric Morrison Smith of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color discussed the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program and related youth apprenticeship recommendations, including bridge programs, intermediary infrastructure, reduced employer barriers, and better coordination of state funding. A later panel highlighted Santa Ana College’s fire technology and firefighting academy programs. President Annabelle Neri and Vice President Jeffrey Lamb said the college is one of the state’s largest fire training providers, with strong partnerships with local fire agencies, law enforcement, and the U.S. Forest Service, and with high job placement and six-figure starting salaries for some graduates. They also described related certificates, advanced officer training, wellness services, and workforce preparation such as mock interviews and sponsorships. Throughout the hearing, members and panelists repeatedly stressed the importance of aligning education with labor market demand, expanding apprenticeships and work-based learning, and using regional collaboration to connect students to living-wage careers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Instead of focusing fully on her education, Instead of focusing fully on her education, she was distracted
• Transitioning to higher education, whether from a K-12 school or as an adult returning to the education
• Transitioning to higher education, whether from a K-12 school or as an adult returning to the education
• I work in education as a paraprofessional supporting special education, so I have experienced this from
• I work in education as a paraprofessional supporting special education, so I have experienced from this

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard a series of bills focused on student access, equity, and campus safety. AB 2236 would require a streamlined system-level articulation process for California Community Colleges’ common course numbering so transfer students receive credit consistently across CSU and UC; it drew broad support from student groups and higher education advocates, with opposition from the CSU Academic Senate, and was moved on a do pass and re-refer motion. AB 2771, the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education sunset bill, would extend the bureau to 2031 and make technical and policy changes; it received support from the bureau and some advocates, but Vice Chair DeMaio opposed it over concerns about bureaucracy and potential fee increases, and the bill was advanced on a 4-1 vote. AB 2422 would require colleges and universities to protect students from penalties when financial aid is delayed for reasons beyond their control, including soft holds and enrollment protections; it was supported by student groups and moved forward on an amended do pass motion. The committee also approved AB 1669, which would create clearer medical and mental health leave-of-absence policies and a protected path for students to return without reapplying; testimony emphasized the strain on students facing mental health crises and the bill passed with support from students and campus advocates. AB 1713 would require colleges to accept an IEP or 504 plan as proof of disability for accommodation purposes, reducing the need for students to undergo costly re-diagnosis; it received strong support from disability advocates and students and was advanced. AB 1734, the Count Hunger Act, would fund and expand California’s food insecurity research through UCLA’s California Health Interview Survey to replace lost federal data; it drew support from food banks and anti-hunger organizations, but Vice Chair DeMaio opposed it over cost and procurement concerns, and it moved forward on a 3-1 vote. The committee also heard AB 2766, which would expand priority housing and related supports for current and former foster youth and students experiencing homelessness at California colleges and universities, including deferring housing deposits until aid is disbursed; it was backed by foster youth advocates and student groups and advanced. Finally, AB 2212 would update California’s sexual harassment laws for higher education to address AI-generated explicit material, deepfakes, cyberstalking, and other tech-facilitated abuse, and to require campus policies and resources; it was supported by student survivors, advocacy organizations, and campus groups, with no opposition noted, and was moved forward by the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• before education budget side.
• But state Board of Education course education. Local funds are very important education.
• There are numerous statutes and state Board of Education rules that govern exceptional student education
• Department of Education.
• Many of the bureau's in the Florida Department of Education, including be severe exceptional Education

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Paul Federation of Educators. Educators. Educators.
• <01:26:33.920> our educators that you are educating our educators that you are educating our
• We educate all children. I'm an educator, and that's what we do.
• So we educate Republicans. We educate Democrats. We educate independents. It doesn't matter to us.
• So we educate Republicans. We educate Democrats. We educate independents. It doesn't matter to us.

Bills: HF3435, HF3409

Keywords: school access, school site, school district, charter school, federal agents, DHS, Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, CBP, Customs and Border Protection, USCIS, immigration enforcement, judicial warrant, student privacy, school safety, sanctuary schools, warrant requirement, federal warrant, school grounds

Transcript Highlights:

• . education.
• and Higher Education.
• Technical Education and Higher Education.
• Accounts will grow through family contributions, incentives, and higher education or secondary education
• Welcome to the Higher Education Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• The orange slice will represent education for you.
• Similarly, again, education in orange here.
• Like I said, it's a $32.5 billion education budget.
• My goal in our community is to promote education. I think education is a great equalizer.
• I was raised by educators.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education received a presentation from the Governor’s Office and the Commissioner of Education on the proposed higher education budget. The presentation highlighted a $117.4 billion overall state budget, with education at $32.5 billion and higher education receiving a modest overall increase. Key items included no tuition or fee increases for Florida residents, major financial aid funding such as Bright Futures, Benacquisto, EASE, Open Door, and first responder scholarships, as well as workforce investments including apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, nursing pipeline funding, and performance-based funding for colleges and universities. Committee members asked questions about the proposed expansion of the Guardian program at state colleges and the $100 million university recruitment and retention fund. Officials said the Guardian funding would give colleges flexibility to use trained personnel for campus safety, sometimes alongside or in place of campus police or private security. The Chancellor explained that the recruitment and retention money would be distributed to universities with no specific directives beyond using it for faculty recruitment and retention, emphasizing Florida’s favorable demographics and the opportunity to attract faculty from states facing enrollment declines. The committee then heard testimony from multiple appointees and reappointees to boards of trustees at state colleges and universities, including Eastern Florida State College, Lake-Sumter State College, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, Miami Dade College, Northwest Florida State College, and St. Johns River State College. Each described their backgrounds and stressed themes of affordability, workforce alignment, nursing and technical programs, dual enrollment, and local community needs. Several cited strong nursing licensure pass rates and college outcomes. After hearing all appointees, the committee voted unanimously to confirm the full block of nominees, and the confirmations were reported favorably before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• educator preparation and the educate educator preparation and training<00:41:42.480> of<00:41
• I think that really is what a true educator, an effective educator, looks like.
• I think that really is what a true educator, an effective educator, looks like.
• English language educators as an incentive to attract and retain educators.
• education?

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 627, which concerns Department of Education school safety funding and staffing. DOE said the bill would restore two positions and related funding that had been removed from the governor’s budget: a targeted violence prevention and threat assessment program manager and a security technology manager. DOE described ongoing work on school vulnerability assessments, fire suppression measures, security camera research, panic buttons, and active shooter prevention training. Testifiers from DOE, the Department of Law Enforcement, fire services, HSTA, and an individual witness all supported the bill, with the individual citing a past school shooting experience as a reason to increase school resource officers and safety measures. Members asked about the positions’ duties, how the request differed from existing security funding, and the status of active shooter training; DOE said it would provide more information on training statistics. The committee then took up HB 249, relating to Executive Office on Early Learning family child interaction learning programs. The Early Learning Board, EOEL, Commit to Kids, Early Childhood Action Strategies, Partners in Development Foundation, and others testified in support. EOEL said it currently spends about $800,000 annually on FCI program contracts and supports expanding state funding for FCIL programs, including infant and early childhood mental health, if the appropriation covers the broader scope. Testifiers emphasized that FCIL programs are trauma-informed, evidence-based, and help families and children, with one provider sharing a long-term example of a parent and child benefiting from the program. Members asked how many programs are supported, whether FCIL exists on all islands, and whether the request was in the governor’s budget; EOEL said the expansion was requested by the office but not included in the governor’s budget. HB 429, concerning pre-K expansion, drew broad support from the Lieutenant Governor, EOEL, HSTA, and community groups. Supporters said the Ready Keiki initiative has already opened more than 50 classrooms and would add another 50 over the next two years, including Hawaiian immersion classrooms. EOEL said it currently administers 72 public pre-K classrooms across 74 campuses and that the bill’s funding was included in the governor’s budget request. Testimony stressed kindergarten readiness, affordability for working families, equity across islands, and inclusion classrooms. Members asked about national quality benchmarks, with EOEL stating Hawaii meets 10 of 10 benchmarks and that only five states had done so at the time referenced. The Lieutenant Governor also described construction and delivery efforts, including refurbishing existing classrooms, modular options, possible use of state buildings, and even collaboration with libraries to expand child care access. Finally, the committee heard HB 439 on J-1 teacher licensure. DOE supported the bill, while the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board opposed it, arguing licensure standards are not place-based and should remain rigorous and uniform for all educators. The Attorney General’s office offered technical comments, including replacing “educators” with “teacher” and clarifying the bill’s language on issuance and renewal conditions. Several organizations and individuals testified in support, including school, cultural, business, and educator groups. One witness, a teacher from the Philippines, said J-1 educators are highly qualified and described the rigor of teacher preparation in the Philippines. No votes were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• of educational opportunity.
• As far as what constitutes an adequate education, we do have the working definition of educational adequacy
• As far as its public education students or public school students, As far as its public education students
• Music and art education, excuse me.
• The adequacy definition was updated by the Joint Education Committee, or Joint Committee on Educational

Summary: The committee received a lengthy Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on Arkansas academic standards, accountability systems, and adequacy requirements. Staff reviewed how state curriculum and standards have evolved from the 1997 Public Education Act through the 2003 Quality Education Act and the 2017 Educational Support and Accountability Act, including required coursework, standards for accreditation, career and technical education, graduation requirements, and recent additions such as computer science, personal finance, firearm safety, and fetal growth and development instruction. Members asked for a chart comparing the major laws and repeals over time, and staff agreed to provide one. The presentation then turned to federal ESSA requirements and Arkansas’s state accountability system. Staff explained Arkansas’s long-term goals for proficiency, English learner progress, and graduation rates, and reported 2025 ATLAS proficiency results, which remained below the 80% goal across student groups. They also reviewed English learner progress, graduation rates, school support and improvement, and equitable access to educators. Data showed gaps by subgroup and by school poverty/minority concentration, with Title I and high-poverty schools more likely to have emergency/provisional teachers and less experienced staff. Members questioned the lack of recent data for some ESSA measures, including equity labs and school index calculations, and asked staff to follow up with the Department of Education. The committee also discussed NAEP results, ACT scores, and teacher quality measures under the state accountability act. Arkansas’s NAEP performance remained below national averages in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math, and ACT composite scores and benchmark attainment were also reviewed. Members asked for additional information on historical highs and lows, the number of assessments students take by grade, dropout data, and comparisons with other states. No formal votes were taken; the main action was agreement to request additional information from DESE and to schedule department follow-up at a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um so are you an educator? question. Um so are you an educator?
• the other education house education the other education committee.<00:57:49.680> Um<00:57:50.640
• home education and EFA. home education and EFA.
• > education.
• see that in education. see that in education.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am an education lawyer with a specialty in education equity for more than 25 years.
• My other question is, how has Prop 209 affected racial equity in education? in education.
• Now, one thing that we know is not happening in our higher education—I mean, not higher education, our
• higher education.
• Every day I witness, as an educator, the resilience of our student parents balancing education, work,

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Education is a civil right.
• Education has always been one of my prime interests. My parents were teachers.
• So my role is to study and analyze various education policy.
• I know what excellent education looks like, and I'm a firm believer in the power of public education.
• I grew up in Grenada, where public education is excellent.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a lengthy hearing on a large slate of bills focused primarily on charter school policy and vocational technical education. Committee members opened with ground rules for testimony, including a two-minute limit, written testimony acceptance, and a live-streamed format. The committee then heard testimony on bills to expand collective bargaining rights in Horace Mann and Innovation Schools, reform charter school funding and reimbursement, allow enrollment preferences for high-need students in charter lotteries, and require BESE to consider district impacts when approving new or expanded charters. Several witnesses, including union leaders, parents, educators, and legislators, argued that charter growth has strained district budgets and that funding formulas should be reworked to better protect public schools; charter advocates and alumni countered that charter schools serve high-need students well and should not be penalized for their success. A major portion of the hearing focused on vocational technical education bills, including proposals to expand access and capacity, create a large grant program, and increase MSBA reimbursement rates for vocational school construction. Supporters described long waitlists, strong labor-market demand, and the higher cost of building and maintaining vocational schools, while municipal officials emphasized the tax burden on local communities. The committee also heard testimony on charter school reimbursement bills that would extend the state’s reimbursement schedule, with witnesses from districts such as Boston, Worcester, Fall River, and New Bedford describing large net losses to charter tuition and arguing for longer reimbursement periods and structural reform. The committee took no final votes during the hearing. In one instance, the chair said a bill would be held open until a missing senator could testify. Members asked several detailed questions about charter admissions lotteries, special education placements, funding formulas, and the practical effects of proposed charter caps and reimbursement changes. The hearing remained informational, with witnesses and committee members presenting sharply different views on whether the bills would improve equity and opportunity or harm existing public school systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• One is just a reminder how the Education Code works.
• I decided to start Central Valley Holocaust Education.
• Thoughtful, passionate educators who pointed me toward Holocaust and genocide education events and professional
• that educators are supported in doing this work.
• education and pathways and for that they need resources.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It amends the education code.
• . education.
• Students in special education programs deserve tailored and supportive educational environments.
• Educational teacher preparation, is that not in this bill? Yeah, educator preparation.
• TRTA is strongly in favor of increasing public education funding and educator salary increases.

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• And I did contact the Board of Education.
• And I did contact the Board of Education.
• Defined by the State Board of Education.
• Development education.
• Most of us are about education.

Summary: The Pre-K Through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered four bills. CS/HB 1403, by Rep. Yeager, would allow child care facilities to participate in the school guardian program and clarify school perimeter and door security requirements. An amendment clarifying that private security companies would pay for training was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably 11-0. CS/HB 447, the Evan B. Hartzell Act by Rep. Salzman, would provide guidance for schools that choose to teach disability history and awareness during the first two weeks of October, including age-appropriate instruction by grade band. The bill received supportive testimony from advocates and was reported favorably 11-0. CS/HB 257, by Reps. Chambliss and Tramont, would expand on a prior pilot program to allow video cameras in certain self-contained classrooms serving nonverbal students and others with significant disabilities, as a safeguard against abuse and to improve accountability. The bill drew strong support from parents and disability advocates describing abuse concerns, and it was reported favorably 13-0. CS/HB 1255, by Vice Chair Trabulsy, was a broad education bill addressing teacher shortages, scholarship program screening, health and math instruction, corporal punishment policy, and restrictions on spending public funds on organizations tied to discrimination or political/social activism. A major focus of debate was the bill’s human embryologic development instruction and related video language, with supporters calling it science-based and opponents warning it could be medically inaccurate or ideological. After the sponsor said she would amend some language, including removing ABCTE-related text and clarifying the video language, the bill was reported favorably 12-1. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• 58.080> education<02:00:58.480> prep incoming teacher education prep incoming teacher education
• . education. education.
• special education educate receiving special education services.<02:38:39.200> They<02:38:39.600
• :32.160> education regarding career technical education regarding career technical education &
• the special education audit. the special education audit.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission meeting focused on reviewing and correcting draft minutes and then working through a draft report on the cost of special education. Members made mostly clerical corrections, including clarifying references to Spalding, fixing acronyms such as LETRS, and cleaning up membership titles and appointee roles to match SB 57. The minutes were approved as amended, with some members abstaining because they were not present at the prior meeting. The chair also noted the commission’s deadline to complete findings and recommendations by July 1 and said the final report must be delivered to legislative leaders, the governor, the state librarian, and others. The main substantive discussion centered on the report’s findings about special education funding. Members agreed the report should emphasize that the commission was created to study the cost of special education and reduce reliance on local property taxes. One draft section described FY24 special education funding as coming from three primary state and federal sources totaling about $152 million, or roughly 15% of annual costs, with the remaining 85% paid by local school districts through property tax revenue, estimated at about $825 million. Members discussed adding historical or longitudinal data to show trends over time, and some suggested attaching charts or tables showing funding over the last 20 to 30 years. A second major topic was demographic data. The draft noted that statewide K-12 enrollment has declined since 2003 while the number and share of students with IEPs has increased. Members questioned whether the data compared like with like, especially given the growth of Education Freedom Accounts and charter school enrollment, and whether the figures included or excluded those students. Several members asked for clearer sourcing from the Department of Education and suggested keeping a list of unresolved questions, including the impact of the shift from ADMA to ADMR and the effect of the EFA program. The discussion ended with agreement to continue refining the report and to gather additional attachments and clarifications before finalizing recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Courtney Solace Ford, Department of Education. Greg Rogers, Department of Education.
• IEP, or individualized education plan.
• in education.
• Most of these were for first-time licensure areas, with the exception of special education, adult education
• This included RPEP, the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway, followed by STEP, the Teacher Education

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• educators um to bring them there. educators um to bring them there.
• , I come from a whole family of educators, a long line of educators.
• researcher researcher with Education researcher researcher with Education Minnesota.<00:12:10.600
• 80,000 licensed and unlicensed educators 80,000 licensed and unlicensed educators that<00:12:14.560
• educators are getting what they want. educators are getting what they want.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• That said, the well-being of our educators and education support professionals is essential to that success
• This includes the rights to education.
• The only investment that pays for itself is education, education, education.
• Denise Dawson, Roswell Education Association.
• , and migrant student education.