Transcript Highlights:

• school participating in that federal program.
• In Virginia, we have 95 school divisions that are participating at all of their schools, allowing all
• of those schools to access no-cost school meals, and 22 other divisions that participate in a portion
• Out of those school divisions, 95 are participating division-wide.
• Out of those school divisions, 95 are participating division wide.

Transcript Highlights:

• Summer Bridge programs offer by school districts, the other children that are also eligible to participate
• We had and PM 3 at the end of this past school year, we had 2,482 children eligible to participate in
• I wanted to ask about school readiness plus, as well for school readiness.
• So would probably be during the school year because those same children may not be participating in that
• school the upcoming year. >> Ranking member, thank you, Madam Chair, on Slide 5, the Summer Bridge participation

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, I don't know your school district. I know my school district...
• I know my school district, the largest school district in the state. You pay for all those things.
• in activities or instruction for which no academic credit is awarded, participating in the public school
• , participating in the public school sports or other extracurricular activities.
• enrolled in the school district.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• At the high school level, students participate in virtual science labs, they collaborate on live documents
• At the high school level, students participate in virtual science labs, they collaborate on live documents
• At the high school level, students participate in virtual science labs, they collaborate on live documents
• At the high school level, students participate in virtual science labs, they collaborate on live documents
• Yes, they could not participate in their home school district, and they know that.

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with a quorum and heard first from the Washway Nicotine Youth Advocacy Group, which urged stronger enforcement of Kentucky’s Tobacco 21 law. Youth advocates described the harms of flavored vaping products, argued that nicotine use is targeting children, and called for retailer licensing, annual compliance checks, harsher penalties for illegal sales, and more funding for enforcement. Committee members praised the presentation, and one senator said he had heard a bill on licensed retailers may be coming soon. The committee then heard a lengthy presentation from Cloverport Independent School District and the Kentucky Virtual Academy about the state’s virtual school model. Superintendent Keith Haynes and principals Brandy Fagan and Sally Johnson said KYVA serves about 2,800 students, many of whom are at-risk or have health, safety, behavioral, or family reasons for choosing virtual education. They emphasized that the program uses live synchronous instruction, provides devices and materials, and offers special education and related services. They also said the school had a large wait list and that virtual programs need more flexibility in staffing ratios, scheduling, and testing windows. School leaders acknowledged criticism of KYVA’s proficiency scores and said many students entered far below grade level, with 59% not proficient in English language arts and 79% not proficient in math on recent state testing. They argued the program is too new to judge solely on one year of data and pointed to growth in MAP scores, as well as middle and high school rankings in the top half of Kentucky schools. Fagan and Johnson outlined improvement efforts, including daily interventions, small-group instruction, literacy programs, staff training, and expanded clubs and student activities. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Participation in school meals has increased, and consistent with similar programs implemented in other
• However, the state law now mandates that school food authorities participate in direct certification
• And we have also seen an increase in school enrollments to participate in the program.
• You talk about the school participation in school meals has increased, which is actually good news.
• They're really glad that kids in all schools can participate.

Transcript Highlights:

• This RS also does eliminate the option for virtual charter schools to participate in IDLA since they
• This RS also does eliminate the option for virtual charter schools to participate in IDLA since they
• For example, I'm sorry, I don't think you can participate in this protest during school.
• During school, why don't you plan it for after? ...participate in this protest during school.
• They do not have any history with kids leaving school to participate in any protests.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the low participation rate on high school MCA also leads to results that are not reliable and
• He said the low participation rate on high school MCA also leads to results that are not reliable and
• He said the low participation rate on high school MCA also leads to results that are not reliable and
• He said the low participation rate on high school MCA also leads to results that are not reliable and
• For schools with high opt-out and non-participation rates, Bloomington Public Schools, for instance,

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• students who participate in sports programs outside their school of record.
• For those who choose to participate in our athletic program at a school...
• state of Florida before they can participate in athletics at a public school?
• This bill deprives public school students of the opportunity to participate in sports when private school
• Now, fortunately, the school that we participated in had all of the sports that he wanted to participate

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee considered a long agenda of claims bills, housing and business measures, and court-administration legislation. It reported favorably several claims bills, including SB 20 for J.N., a minor, SB 14 for the estate of Pennial Janvier, SB 10 for Sidney Holmes, SB 8 for Marcus Button, SB 22 for Eric and Jennifer Miles, and SB 26 for Kristen and Leah McIntosh. Members also approved SB 520 on curators of estates, SB 386 on self-storage lien-sale notices, SB 362 on reusable tenant screening reports, SB 316 creating series LLCs in Florida, and SB 1650 and SB 1652 on vexatious litigants and related public-records issues. SB 248, expanding eligibility for private school and homeschool students to participate in FHSAA sports at public schools, also passed after amendment. Most of the claims bills were described as settled cases with amounts above sovereign-immunity limits, and several senators spoke in support of compensating victims of catastrophic injury or wrongful conviction. SB 10 drew comments about the 34 years Sidney Holmes spent incarcerated after a wrongful conviction, and SB 8 prompted discussion about the long delay in resolving Marcus Button’s injuries from a 2006 school-bus crash. SB 26 was presented as an uncontested claim arising from a DACS employee’s fatal crash that severely injured two teenage girls, and the committee adopted an amendment placing funds for the minor claimant into trust. The policy bills drew more substantive debate. SB 386 would let self-storage operators use websites instead of newspaper ads for lien-sale notices, with newspaper representatives opposing the change and storage-industry witnesses supporting modernization and lower costs. SB 362 would let renters reuse tenant screening reports for 30 days, with the sponsor saying it would reduce repeated application fees. SB 316 would authorize series LLCs while adding record-keeping protections, and SB 1650/1652 would broaden Florida’s vexatious-litigant rules and create a public-records exemption for certain stricken filings. SB 248 passed over concerns from private-school and public-education witnesses about instructional time, funding, and fairness in athletic participation. All measures were reported favorably, with recorded votes ranging from 7-2 on SB 248 to unanimous or near-unanimous support on the other bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're talking about school, middle school, and elementary school sports.
• When students were asked why, the answer was often like this response: "I participate on my high school
• It subjects all children who want to participate in school sports to, at minimum, justify why they should
• Minnesota is a national leader for athletic participation rates in girls' high school sports, and this
• We have had participation standards in the state since 2014 when the high school league policy was enacted

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 248, private school student participation. Thank you. Let's take up tab one.
• So no, unless you're enrolled in that school and you're paying tuition in that school, no, you can participate
• If your school offers a sport, then you would have to... ...and participate in another school.
• If your school offers a sport, then you would have to participate at your school. Thank you.
• , could participate in FHSAA sports and transfer to a public school to participate in that sport.

Committee: Senate Education Pre-K - 12

Summary: The Pre-K-12 Education Committee took up a series of education, school safety, health, and student access bills. SB 754 on International Baccalaureate bonus funds was amended to clarify the theory of knowledge course and then reported favorably. SB 370 would allow routine non-invasive school health screenings, such as vision, hearing, and dental checks, to proceed with written notice and an opt-out process rather than active parental consent; supporters said it would improve participation and access, while opponents argued it was too broad and weakened parental rights. After debate over scope, funding, and consent, the bill was reported favorably. The committee also advanced SB 1070, which would require ECG screenings for student athletes under a phased rollout beginning in 2026, with religious and medical opt-outs. The bill was renamed the Second Chance Act in honor of Chance Gainer. Supporters described it as a life-saving measure to detect hidden cardiac conditions, while some members raised cost and implementation concerns. SB 508, the Family Empowerment Scholarship bill, would require private schools to disclose in writing what accommodations and services they will provide to students with IEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans before enrollment; it was supported by parents, advocacy groups, and some school representatives and was reported favorably. School safety measures were also considered. SB 1470 would refine campus locking and supervision rules, create clearer exceptions, expand training and security options for school safety personnel, and allow district-employed law enforcement officers to use canines for threat detection. Witnesses from school safety and Parkland-related advocacy groups supported the bill but urged caution on exemptions and implementation details. SB 1472 would extend a public records exemption to certified school security guards, matching the protection already given to school guardians, and it was reported favorably. Finally, SB 248 would expand participation in FHSAA sports for private school and home education students at public schools when their own schools do not offer the sport, and SB 1618 made broad changes to VPK through grade 12 policy, including reading instruction, financial literacy, school funds restrictions, teacher certification, and advisory council rules; both bills were reported favorably. Several members later recorded votes in support of specific tabs before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• and engagement in career and technical education during high school and their high school graduation
• Those schools offered about twice as many different pathways as lower-income schools.
• So if a school was counted as offering the pathway, if at least one A school was counted as offering
• of the high school.
• We did look at participation, and there’s a figure in the report for this that looks at participation

Committee: House Education

Summary: The House Education Committee heard status reports on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s implementation of 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, a Core Plus Maritime update, and a longitudinal study from Education Northwest on CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described work with health agencies and employers to develop allied health bridge programs such as home care aide to nursing assistant, update curriculum and equivalency frameworks, align CIP codes, and support schools with guidance and grants. The agency also reported strong results from nursing simulation investments, including a 97% first-time pass rate for nursing assistant certification among skill center recipients, and said the task force created by later legislation has expanded membership, is meeting remotely, and is due to report recommendations by November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession commissions, rural district access, employer partnerships, and data updates; OSPI said outreach is ongoing and that local program variation reflects regional labor markets. Core Plus Maritime presenters said the program is expanding from traditional maritime and manufacturing pathways into middle school and marine transportation, using low-cost ROV curriculum, ferry and Sea Scout experiences, and teacher training in marine safety. Employer representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group said the maritime sector needs a strong workforce pipeline, supports family-wage jobs, and is investing in student opportunities, including career fairs, materials for school shops, and a planned student welding competition. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said Core Plus Maritime gives students a clear pathway into maritime careers and has helped connect students to jobs and further training. The committee briefly discussed water safety instruction, and presenters said students are also encouraged to earn boater education cards. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented findings from a statewide longitudinal study of roughly 750,000 students from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found that CTE participation is very high and has grown over time, with nearly all students earning at least some CTE credit and about 45% earning two or more credits in a single pathway. Access to pathways is uneven: suburban, higher-income, and larger schools offer more pathways than rural, lower-income, and smaller schools. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within a single pathway, were more likely to graduate on time and, in several clusters such as manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and architecture/construction, had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and higher earnings years later. Riggs said the data suggest CTE is especially beneficial for male students and that the state should examine barriers to deeper participation and consider whether the graduation requirement should better encourage pathway depth while preserving flexibility and exploration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many parents have trouble participating in our children's education because the schools do not offer
• Today, Recognize 4-H participation as a valid and valuable reason for school absence.
• Due to my participation in robotics programs at school, I became aware of a STEM internship my school
• Every year, the number of awards in participating school districts has grown.
• Are you aware that girls participate in wrestling on a high school level? Yes.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a very full public hearing on the first Education Committee hearing of the session, with testimony taken on a large slate of bills, especially H. 650/S. 436 and related measures. The chairs explained the hearing rules, including two-minute testimony limits, live streaming, written testimony, and accommodations for interpreters and disabilities. The committee first heard extensive testimony on H. 460/S. 436 and later H. 650/S. 436, bills to affirm and maintain equal access to public education for all children, including immigrant students, English learners, and students with disabilities. Witnesses included parents, advocates, educators, attorneys, and state officials, many of whom described fears caused by federal policy changes and argued that Massachusetts should codify protections for school enrollment, special education, interpreter services, and due process in discipline cases. The Attorney General’s office, Mass Advocates for Children, Lawyers for Civil Rights, MIRA, the Children’s Law Center, the Disability Law/advocacy community, and others all urged favorable action, while committee members asked questions about Plyler v. Doe, manifestation determinations, interpreter qualifications, and how the bill would mirror or preserve existing federal protections at the state level. The committee also heard testimony on H. 702/S. 460, establishing an elementary and secondary school robotics grant program, which was supported as a way to expand STEM opportunities and help schools fund robotics programs. Representative Sweeney also testified on H. 713, a bill to support student participation in 4-H programming by allowing excused absences similar to those for athletics and other sanctioned activities; members noted bipartisan support and the bill’s long history. The hearing then moved to H. 543/S. 417, a recess bill requiring at least 30 minutes of free-play recess for K-8 students. Supporters included the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the League of Women Voters, educators, and parents, who emphasized recess as important for physical health, social-emotional development, attention, and academic performance, and noted that unequal local policies create disparities across districts. Several witnesses also tied recess to broader concerns about student well-being and screen time. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed testimony on the bills as it moved through the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• , what non-public schools are able to participate in the program, become a participating program or participating
• On page 5, 3, if the bank bars a participating school, then again, there's an opportunity for appeal
• Participating Schools Department Accountability Standards, so those are established there.
• The assessment is up to the school, the non- or the participating school.
• And on line 18.3, participating on public school or other education service provider is autonomous.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 1540, an education savings account bill. Senator Wobbema presented Amendment 040-003, describing mostly clarifying and reorganizing changes, including eligibility language, administrator duties, school participation standards, assessment provisions, and a correction removing a requirement that the department pay for state assessment materials if a parent selected that option. The committee adopted the amendment 4-2, then advanced HB 1540 as amended on a 4-2 vote and sent it to Appropriations, with Senator Wobbema designated as carrier. One senator opposed the bill, arguing it would divert resources from public schools and conflict with the state’s obligation to provide a free appropriate education while districts still face funding needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, there might be limitations to participating in an after-school school-age care program or
• school, where there’s literally almost just a barrier to having the ability to participate.
• For example, there might be limitations to participating in an after-school school-age care program or
• school, where there’s literally almost just a barrier to having the ability to participate.
• For example, there might be limitations to participating in an after-school school-age care program or

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment simply says that before participating in athletics, a school must submit a statement that
• in athletics a that before participating in athletics a school<00:29:50.799><c> must</c><00:29:51.000
• </c> quote I participate on my high school quote I participate on my high school team<01:26:18.880><c
• Minnesota is a national leader for athletic participation rates in girls' high school sports, and this
• Participation rates in girls' high school sports, and this is not new.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, regarding universal access, participation in school meals has increased and is consistent with
• However, the state law now mandates that school food authorities participate in direct certification.
• , and could be affected by these changes, reducing about 20 schools from CEP participation eligibility
• This seems to be a common practice among school districts to over-project participation among federal
• It is the number of schools we had staff represented from every school participate in the training at

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I got him at high school when I moved up to the high school, who now is an instructor at Puget
• and engagement in career and technical education during high school and their high school graduation
• Those schools offered about twice as many different pathways as lower-income schools.
• So if a school was counted as offering the pathway, if at least one A school was counted as offering
• We did look at participation, and there's a figure in the report for this that looks at participation

Summary: The House Education Committee received status updates on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s work under 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, an update from Core Plus Maritime, and findings from an Education Northwest longitudinal study of Washington CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described development of allied health guidance such as a home care aide to nursing assistant bridge, model curricula, updated course equivalency frameworks, and coordination with health agencies and employers. It also reviewed Core Plus framework work, task force expansion under later legislation, and the timeline for recommendations due in November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession outreach, equitable access for rural districts, data updates, and employer support for local programs; OSPI said it continues to work with agency and industry partners and that local labor-market alignment varies by region. Core Plus Maritime presenters described expanding maritime career exploration into middle school through low-cost ROV curriculum, student visits to ferries and vessels, Sea Scouts partnerships, and ship-based safety and welding experiences. Industry representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group emphasized the maritime sector’s economic importance, aging workforce, and need for hands-on training to build the pipeline for family-wage jobs. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said the program gives students a clear pathway and has helped connect them to careers in shipyards, fishing, and related trades. Vigor also noted support for a student welding competition and equipment donations for a Rainier Beach shop. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented a longitudinal study using state data from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found CTE access has been relatively steady statewide, but offerings vary by school size, locale, and income, with rural and lower-income schools generally offering fewer pathways. Participation is high: nearly all students earn at least some CTE credit, and more students are accumulating multiple credits over time, though fewer go deep within a single pathway. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within pathways such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, were more likely to graduate on time and later had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and earnings. Riggs recommended addressing local barriers to participation, considering whether the CTE graduation requirement should better encourage depth while preserving flexibility, and aligning offerings more closely with labor-market needs. Committee members asked about COVID-era trends, student motivation, early workforce entry, delivery settings such as skill centers, and how to interpret the comparison groups used in the analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the state law now mandates that school food authorities participate in direct certification
• from qualifying for CEP participation eligibility and reducing in an additional 60 schools from full
• School year 23 to 24, while the number of students participating only increased by 8.5 percentage points
• This seems to be a common practice among school districts to over-project participation among federal
• Schools that participate in the CEP program, 99% of them do not have to collect school lunch applications

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the schools that are not participating the schools that are not participating so<01:36:51.800><c
• meals or should be participating in C in order to participate in free school meals.
• meals or should be participating in C in order to participate in free school meals.
• meals or should be participating in C in order to participate in free school meals.
• in free school meals or should be participating in C in order to participate in free school meals.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• — five public K-12 schools — participating in their system.
• , and they say that the reported number of K-12 public schools participating is 37 schools.
• If there are 69 schools in Cochise County but only 60 are participating?
• The Auditor General says you have seven schools participating, but you have 28 schools in Hila County
• I still— the number of schools participating, you noted that three participating public schools decided

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee