Transcript Highlights:

• Our schools are using AI to help educate.
• Specifically, this legislation...
• And this legislation is a very good start.
• and protect the rights and autonomy of our educators.
• What legislation was that in Colorado?

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity

Summary: The committee held a hearing on several artificial intelligence bills, opening with remarks about the 9/11 anniversary and then broad statements from the co-chairs about AI’s promise and risks. Chair Farley-Bouvier and Senator Moore emphasized the need for guardrails, transparency, and worker and consumer protections, while Senator Finegold described Senate Bill 37, which would create a framework for AI model training with safety assessments, audits, incident reporting, Attorney General oversight, and workforce reporting. Members also discussed Massachusetts’ position relative to other states and the need for state action in the absence of federal regulation. A large portion of the hearing focused on the Fair Act, House 77 and Senate 35, which would limit workplace surveillance, restrict collection of biometric and location data, require notice and human review for automated employment decisions, and protect workers from retaliation. Labor leaders, including AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, SEIU, building trades, and other worker representatives, testified in support, describing harms from bossware, automated benefits denials, hiring and promotion screening, scheduling, and monitoring in workplaces ranging from health care and education to manufacturing and construction. They argued that AI systems are already affecting wages, benefits, safety, and job security, and that Massachusetts should act now to set clear rules. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 74, which would require informed consent and clear contract terms for digital replicas of voices and likenesses, with SAG-AFTRA representatives supporting the bill as a protection for performers and creators. Another major topic was Senate Bill 51 on social media algorithm accountability and transparency; child safety advocates, researchers, and a public health expert described harms from engagement-based algorithms, including exposure to harmful content, eating disorders, and youth mental health impacts, and supported independent audits and public reporting. A few industry and civil liberties witnesses supported regulation but urged balance, warning against overly burdensome rules while acknowledging the need for privacy, transparency, and accountability. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the hearing excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, this bill calls for the Legislative Education Study Committee to take a deep-dive study in collaboration
• with the Public Education Department and the Legislative Finance Committee to really look at all the
• Speaker and kind lady, my expert witness, which includes John Sena from the Legislative Education Study
• But as state legislators, we were willing to pass this legislation.
• And so I think that as a legislative body... ...training and education.

Bills: HB145 , HB164 , HR1 , HB20 , HB65 , HB66 , HB80 , HB306 , SB29 , SB37 , HB99 , HB206 , HB213 , HB270 , SB104 , SB193 , HB38 , HB254 , HB256 , SB58 , SB64 , HJM1 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM32 , HM13 , HM47 , HM20 , HM51 , HM1 , HM31 , HM35 , HM36 , HM46 , HM53 , HM54 , HM39 , HM29 , HM43 , HM59 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50 , HB253

Summary: The House opened with quorum, invocation, pledge, and several announcements recognizing guests and Early Childhood Day at the Roundhouse, including remarks supporting New Mexico’s universal child care efforts. The chamber then received and adopted a long series of committee reports, moving multiple bills forward, including HB 303, SB 96, HB 195, HB 279, HB 292 (with a Judiciary substitute), SB 30, HB 234, SB 35, SB 40, SB 43, HB 153 (with an Appropriations substitute), HB 253, HB 255, HB 287, HB 371 (with an Appropriations substitute), SB 143, HB 248 (with a Taxation and Revenue substitute), HB 309, SB 48, and enrollment/signing reports for memorials. The House also received Senate Judiciary Committee substitute for SB 41, which would eliminate the statute of limitations for certain sexual crimes and was referred to Judiciary. The main floor debate centered on House Judiciary Committee substitute for HB 99, a medical malpractice reform bill. Supporters said it would balance patient compensation with provider stability by capping punitive damages, raising the burden of proof for punitive damages, and limiting when such claims can be pleaded. Several members described the bill as the product of months of bipartisan work and argued it would help retain doctors, especially in rural areas. The House passed HB 99 on final passage by a vote of 16-3. The House also passed HB 66, expanding the health care provider loan repayment program, by 69-0; HB 306, addressing unexpected patient-facing facility fees, by 69-0; HB 38, adding wheelchairs to insurance coverage for certain prostheses-related benefits, by 69-0; HB 20, allowing Native American applicants to request a distinguishing designation on driver’s licenses and ID cards, by 66-3; and HB 253, preserving and regulating virtual education with an emergency clause, by 69-0. The chamber then took up HB 213, which expands optometrists’ scope of practice to include certain laser eye procedures. A proposed amendment requiring patients to sign a disclosure acknowledging that optometrists are not MDs or DOs and did not attend medical school was debated at length, with supporters framing it as informed consent and opponents calling it demeaning and unnecessary. The House tabled that amendment 35-19, and the underlying bill continued in debate at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a school on the grounds so they can be educated.
• There's a school on the grounds so they can be educated and need all the needs they need to be educated
• You're well educated on the issue. You've done your homework.
• I've been an educator at Pappas for six years.
• Mobility equipment, and appropriately licensed educators.

Summary: The hearing focused on the future of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and the work of the special legislative commission studying whether and how the facility should continue. Senators and representatives said the Legislature has continued funding Pappas, that the hospital cannot be closed before the commission reports, and that they are seeking to extend the commission’s deadline. Multiple commissioners and witnesses described Pappas as a unique setting combining inpatient medical care, residential programming, special education, therapy, and campus-based activities for children with complex medical needs. Union leaders, staff, parents, and local officials argued that Pappas is being quietly depopulated through blocked admissions and continued discharges despite the formal pause on closure. They said the hospital’s integrated model cannot be replicated elsewhere, that families and staff are being left in limbo, and that the state should invest in repairs, modernization, and possibly temporary modular space to reopen admissions. Several witnesses emphasized the impact on children who have benefited from Pappas and on workers who fear losing a specialized workforce built over decades. Department of Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein said the state is committed to keeping Pappas open and stable while the commission works, but that admissions must meet hospital-level-of-care standards and the current infrastructure limits who can safely be served. He said the administration has been expanding outreach, hiring staff, and exploring ways to broaden services, including outpatient and therapy programs over time. Commissioners pressed him on why admissions remain so limited and whether the facility is being effectively depopulated, while Goldstein maintained that the restrictions reflect legal and safety requirements rather than an effort to close the hospital.

Transcript Highlights:

• Wilkes II, assistant professor of mathematics education at the School of Education at UC Davis.
• I am an assistant professor of math education in the School of Education at UC Davis, and I'm here to
• It's about the warning signs that were there and the opportunities that our education... ...education
• And I think in the education system, right, and you have many folks here that have worked in education
• And I think in the education system, right, and you have many folks here that have worked in education

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 1067, which would require annual early math screening for K-2 students beginning in 2028-29 to identify learning gaps and connect students to evidence-based support. Senator Weber and supporters, including EdVoice and UC Davis researcher Dr. Charles Wilkes, argued that California’s low math performance and persistent achievement gaps justify early identification and intervention. Opponents, including the California Mathematics Council, county superintendents, and CTA, said the bill could create a new mandate, encourage narrow skill-based instruction, and divert attention from implementing the California Mathematics Framework and investing in teacher training and coaching. Committee members discussed how the screener would work, whether it would identify disabilities or simply flag students needing further evaluation, and cited examples of districts already using early screening tools. No vote was taken because quorum had not yet been established at that point. SB 1110, a child care subsidy administration bill, was presented next. Senator Becker and co-sponsors from the Child Care Resource Center and EveryChild California said the measure would stabilize the child care system as the state moves to enrollment-based funding by clarifying funding for administrative and family-service functions and helping providers maintain staffing, payment timelines, and compliance. There was support from several child care and education organizations and no opposition testimony. The bill was not voted on because the committee still lacked quorum. After recess, the committee heard SB 1374, which would allow public higher education institutions to seek temporary restraining orders on their own behalf when they face credible threats of violence. The CSU Chancellor’s Office and San Diego State police described incidents where threats were directed at campuses broadly rather than specific individuals, leaving institutions without a legal remedy under current law. UC and independent colleges supported the bill, and there was no opposition. The bill was held on call pending quorum. The committee then took up SB 1321, which would direct the State Auditor to review remedial course use and student preparedness at selected UC and CSU campuses. Senator Nila and supporters argued that recent UC San Diego data show severe gaps in incoming students’ math preparation and that the audit would help assess admissions and placement practices; there was no opposition testimony. Members raised concerns about the scope and timing of the audit request, and the bill was held on call. The committee also heard SB 1086 on microschools, which would define microschools in statute and direct model ordinances for local land use regulation. Supporters said microschools are growing but face inconsistent zoning treatment, while some members questioned whether the Legislature had enough information to define the model or direct state guidance without more study. After quorum was established, the committee voted SB 1086 out on a 4-1 vote to the Senate Appropriations Committee, with Senator Perez voting aye, Senator Ochoa Bogh aye, and Senator Cabaldon no; the remaining votes were not fully recorded in the transcript. Finally, SB 1181 was presented as a voluntary pilot program in Central Valley counties to allow schools to share credible safety concerns with regional threat assessment centers. Senator Hurtado and supporters, including the mother of a student killed in a shooting and Corcoran High School students, said the bill would improve early intervention and communication around threats. Members expressed support while also raising privacy and federal-sharing concerns about fusion centers; the bill was discussed but no vote was taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• He was a legislative fellow, and he was a U.S. Senate congressional intern.
• He has built financial models, including even drafting some legislation.
• Again, this is an informal bipartisan, bicameral networking and educational opportunity for staff, legislators
• But of course, the highlight for me is one of our freshman legislators, Mr.
• Will not be able to support your legislation again today.

Bills: HB111 , HJR1 , HB61 , HB8 , HB30 , HB43 , HB156 , HJM2 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50 , HB70 , SB3 , HJM3

Summary: The House convened for a special American Indian Day celebration, with prayers, flag citations, a Navajo national anthem, and many members introducing tribal leaders, students, veterans, and community guests. Speakers emphasized Native sovereignty, government-to-government relations, cultural preservation, education, and the importance of representation in state government. The Speaker announced plans for a future tribal summit to discuss funding, capital, and policy priorities with tribes and nations. After the celebration, the House received executive messages, including gubernatorial authorization for new bills and notice that House Bill 9 had been signed into law. Committee reports were adopted on several measures, including House Bills 128, 285, 20, 52, 57, 58, 206, 109, 38, 66, 178, 198, 202, 224, 257, 103, and 247, with several health-related bills advanced via committee substitutes and referred onward. The House also adopted House Memorial 32 and enrolled House Bill 50 with a certificate of correction. On the floor, House Joint Resolution 1, as amended, passed 67-0. The resolution would create nominating committees for certain constitutionally named institutions, require no single party majority on those committees, and shift the student regent appointment to an elected student government body; members discussed the one-year party-registration requirement and the timing of implementing legislation. House Bill 8, which creates and funds the Major Capital Projects Fund for higher education projects, was then debated at length over its graduation-rate criteria and waiver provisions, and an amendment was offered to require Higher Education Department waiver findings to be reported to and approved by the State Board of Finance for added oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think many of us in this chamber, and myself, wish I had this education.
• There was, and still hasn't been, any education.
• It's about ensuring that everyone in our... ...education system can read.
• This bill gives our students and teachers the education...
• When we drafted this legislation, we were looking for precision.

Summary: The House took up several procedural orders early in the session, including extending the reporting deadline for the Housing Committee on H.4655 and suspending Joint Rule 12 for a petition seeking to rescind prior Article 5 constitutional convention applications. It then advanced three Ways and Means bills on education-related topics: personal financial literacy education (H.4670), expanded access to the state seal of biliteracy (H.4671), and teacher preparation and student literacy (H.4672), each moving through amendment adoption and third reading or engrossment procedures. A major portion of the meeting focused on H.4670, which would require personal financial literacy instruction in middle and high school and establish a financial literacy trust fund for curriculum and teacher training. Members spoke in support, emphasizing budgeting, credit, student loans, and long-term financial planning, and the bill passed to be engrossed by a 154-0 roll call. H.4671, which broadens access to the seal of biliteracy for students in public and private schools, also drew support and passed to be engrossed 155-0. The most extensive debate centered on H.4672, a literacy bill requiring evidence-based reading instruction, DESE-approved curricula or approved local alternatives, screening and progress monitoring, professional development, and related implementation measures. Members described concerns about declining reading scores and argued for a shift away from three-cueing toward phonics-based, science-of-reading approaches. Several amendments were considered: a proposal to change intervention language from “significantly” to “at risk of falling behind” failed, while amendments adding funding language, stakeholder collaboration, and other implementation details were adopted. One amendment clarifying that pictures may be used as a supplement in literacy curricula was also adopted, and the bill ultimately passed to be engrossed 155-0. The House also observed moments of silence for former Judge Leslie Harris, former Representative Mark Carron, and former Representative Dennis Rosa, and adjourned to meet the next day at 11 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Carlos Silva, Bureau of Legislative Research.
• Daryl Smith, Arkansas Department of Education. Greg Rogers, Department of Education.
• And maybe you can educate me about that.
• I sat multiple times on the Education Committee in the Senate, and I've said on the Educational Institution
• If you want to run a bill in the next legislative session to abolish it, I'll hear that in Education

Committee: All ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ALC)

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Council meeting began with approval of the December 2025 minutes and a presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research on the December revenue report. Dr. Carlos Silva said gross collections were about $4.02 billion, up slightly from the prior year, and net available for distribution was also above last year but down modestly from the previous month because of higher-than-expected corporate income tax refunds. Members asked about corporate tax trends, tariffs, and inflation, and Silva said it was too early to call the corporate decline a trend and that tariff effects would likely show up mainly in sales tax collections. The council then adopted several subcommittee reports, including the Executive Committee Subcommittee, Administrative Rules, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Occupational Licensing Review, PEER, Review, State Insurance Program Oversight, and Personnel. The PEER report drew the most debate because of a Department of Agriculture grant tied to Perry County and Central Arkansas Water; members discussed whether removing the Perry County portion would affect the grant’s competitiveness, and the report was ultimately adopted with the item included. The Review Subcommittee also heard questions about a BDO contract for the rural health transformation program, with DFA explaining that the contractor would manage the program while state agencies would make funding decisions consistent with the state’s application. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Education Freedom Account appropriation tied to LEARNS. Senators and representatives debated whether the program helps families or diverts money from public schools, with supporters arguing it funds students and choice and opponents arguing it is costly, vulnerable to fraud, and harms public school funding. Department of Education officials said roughly 28,000 private school students and 17,500 homeschool students were participating, that EFA students must submit standardized tests annually, and that the requested $32 million was to cover existing participants. After multiple substitute motions and extended debate, the body rejected a motion to strip out the $32 million and then adopted the report and related motions. The meeting ended after routine approvals of additional agency items and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• My passion for education is deeply personal.
• We need to drug test our legislators. Read between the lines. We need to drug test our legislators.
• I've also had a passion for education.
• education.
• And so I am familiar with American higher education and even with Florida's experience of higher education

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The committee heard and voted on two higher education bills before moving to a long series of university and college board appointment confirmations. CS/SB 742 would let charter schools directly access the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program for career and technical education programs tied to industry certifications, and would expand the money-back guarantee requirement from three to six programs at career centers and Florida College System institutions. A question was raised about whether the charter school access could reduce district funding or grant availability; the sponsor said it could, depending on available funds. The bill was supported by one appearance form and was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 892, which codifies the Florida State University Election Law Center so it can continue and receive recurring funding. The sponsor and FSU witnesses said the center is nonpartisan and focused on evidence-based research, especially on election administration issues related to natural disasters and public confidence in elections. After testimony and questions, including about the center’s scope and funding, the bill was reported favorably. The remainder of the meeting consisted of testimony from numerous appointees to boards of trustees for state colleges and universities, including Tallahassee State College, Valencia College, New College, Pensacola State College, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of North Florida, St. Johns River State College, Palm Beach State College, Santa Fe College, Daytona State College, and Florida Atlantic University. Most nominees emphasized their personal ties to the institutions, support for workforce education, student success, and local economic development. Several highlighted priorities such as keeping tuition affordable, expanding internships and career pathways, strengthening nursing and other workforce programs, and improving graduation and retention rates. Some appointees also described campus-specific goals, including research growth at FAU and Harbor Branch, community engagement at New College, and continued support for health care workforce partnerships at FGCU. The most notable exchange came during testimony from Dr. Joel Rudman for the Pensacola State College board, where Senator Leek questioned him extensively about prior public comments that appeared to reference threats and drug testing legislators. Rudman said his remarks were aimed at Florida House members and not the Senate, denied any knowledge of illicit drug use by current or former senators, and said he was speaking candidly as a private citizen. Public testimony on his nomination included both support and strong opposition, with one speaker praising his community service and another warning about his alleged disruptive behavior and social media posts. The committee also heard from several supporters and appointees who were not questioned further, and the meeting ended with plans to vote on the appointments after all testimony was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a school on the grounds so they can be educated and need all the needs they need to be educated
• So we are not putting that through the education system.
• You're well educated on the issue. You've done your homework.
• I've been an educator at Pappas for six years.
• She was educated in our public schools, which I greatly value.

Summary: The hearing focused on the future of Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, with commissioners, agency officials, workers, and families describing the hospital as a unique integrated setting combining medical care, rehabilitation, education, residential services, and adaptive engineering. Opening remarks from legislators emphasized continued budget funding, the legal requirement that Pappas not close before the commission reports, and a request to extend the commission’s deadline. Several commissioners and witnesses argued that admissions have effectively been curtailed while discharges continue, creating what they described as a de facto closure. Union leaders from AFSCME, SEIU, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association said staff are experiencing uncertainty, morale problems, and loss of confidence because referrals are being discouraged and the census is shrinking. They urged immediate action to stop admission denials and unnecessary discharges, and some proposed temporary modular units or other short-term investments to restore admissions while longer-term plans are developed. Parents and former patients testified that Pappas provided life-changing opportunities and supports that they could not find elsewhere, and that alternative programs or proposed Western Massachusetts options would not meet the same needs. Department of Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein said the administration supports keeping Pappas open and stable during the commission’s work, but argued that admissions must comply with hospital-level-of-care rules and that the campus’s deteriorating infrastructure limits who can be safely served. He said DPH is continuing admissions where appropriate, backfilling staff, and exploring ways to expand services, including outpatient therapies and adaptive engineering, while also acknowledging that Pappas is a one-of-a-kind system with no true in-state duplicate. Commissioners requested de-identified admissions and denial data and continued to press the department on whether the current operational changes amount to a silent closure.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an education lawyer with a specialty in equity education.
• I'm a concerned parent and educator. I strongly oppose ACA 7. I'm a concerned parent and educator.
• So this ACA 7 goes far beyond educational strategies, educational strategies which indeed are untouched
• Board of Education has already decided the notion that educating people separately based on race because
• Board of Education was about.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments heard several measures, beginning with SCA 5, which would create an Equalization Reserve Account to help reduce long-standing per-pupil funding disparities between basic aid and non-basic aid school districts. The author and supporters argued the measure would create a stable, endowment-style funding source using only interest earnings, while charter school advocates opposed it, saying the bill would exclude charters and could raise equal protection concerns. After the quorum was established, SCA 5 was approved and sent to Appropriations. The committee then heard SJR 18, a resolution condemning Citizens United and urging limits on corporate money in politics. The author argued that unlimited independent expenditures have increased corporate influence and dark money in elections, while there was little testimony in opposition. The resolution was approved and referred onward. The committee also considered two consent items, AB 1736 and AB 2421, which were approved together without debate. ACA 7 generated the most extensive discussion. The measure would revise the state constitution’s application of Proposition 209 in education, with supporters saying it would allow race-conscious tools to address persistent racial inequities in student outcomes and resource allocation, especially for Black students. Opponents argued it would weaken Proposition 209, invite discrimination, and likely fail politically and in court. After lengthy debate, the measure was approved and sent to Appropriations. The committee also approved ACA 18, which would add a second student voting seat on the UC Board of Regents, with supporters emphasizing student representation and opponents absent. Finally, AJR 29, opposing a federal executive order affecting vote-by-mail administration, was approved and sent onward. All measures on the agenda were ultimately advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to Senate Education today.
• Can you educate me? Mr.
• Was the money spent educating them wasted? No. Was the money spent educating them wasted? No.
• Part of being the Education Committee is we love to be educated, and we love to see the great things
• Education, to a certain degree, if it moves in this direction, is kind of an education in freedom as

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• On Workforce Education by Senator Simon. Good afternoon.
• My passion for education is deeply personal.
• So education is a topic very near and dear to me.
• I've also had a passion for education.
• I started off as an educator, educating our youth in our public school system.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:06:20.880><c> that</c> Last year, we passed legislation that Last year, we passed legislation
• </c> educate the most students. It's a city. educate the most students. It's a city.
• . education. education.
• I hope educate a child. So it's a simple educate a child.
• That seems to me to be a philosophical question about educational legislation in general rather than

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• That one is the education programming component, the SNAP education that is no longer a federal program
• Higher Education Department.
• education major project fund.
• Chair, just on the Hispanic Education Act, the Black Education Act, and the Bilingual Education Act not
• Monday will be our LFC discussion about endorsed legislation and other legislation.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:16.399><c> It's</c> education. It's around our busing. It's education.
• </c> to the county as educational neglect. to the county as educational neglect.
• Um, that's Department of Education.
• </c> Education. Plain and simple.
• </c> Committee on Rules and Legislative Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration.

Transcript Highlights:

• The legislation was very complex when it happened.
• CTE educators, school nurses must have the same level of professional service.
• and who continue to stand up for educators and for public education.
• It was in those classrooms that I learned the transformative power of education.
• We were asking for Group 4... ...classification for correctional educators.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service held a hearing on a wide range of credible service and retirement-related bills, with testimony largely focused on allowing public employees to buy back prior service time or receive more appropriate retirement classifications. Bills discussed included retirement buyback for Joint Base Cape Cod firefighters (H. 4317), clarification of call firefighter buyback rights (H. 2883/S. 1915), veterans’ buyback (H. 2957), a Bridgewater State University police death-benefit/heart-law issue (filed by Rep. Gallagher), unpaid parental leave buyback for municipal employees (H. 2946), school nurse creditable service (H. 2887/S. 1787), former private/parochial school teacher buyback (S. 1900/H. 2873), Massport police retirement classification (S. 1888), contract employee buyback (H. 2795), Retirement Plus late entry (H. 2792), CVTE/teacher-related buyback issues (H. 2762), Peace Corps/AmeriCorps creditable service (H. 2927), and institutional school teacher retirement fairness (H. 2757). Several speakers also referenced related bills for teachers and nurses that had been heard previously or were filed in parallel in the other branch. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers argued that the measures would correct inequities, recognize prior public service, and help recruit and retain workers in hard-to-fill public jobs. Firefighters described the unique federal-to-state transition at Joint Base Cape Cod and said some members were left out of earlier buyback opportunities. Veterans, teachers, school nurses, correctional educators, and Massport police all described service requirements, administrative gaps, or outdated statutory language that they said unfairly limited retirement credit or placed them in the wrong retirement group. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals were fiscally responsible because employees would pay the cost of the buybacks, and some noted that similar bills had been filed repeatedly in prior sessions. Committee members asked a few clarifying questions, mostly about why certain employees had been excluded under current law or how the retirement provisions would work. No opposition testimony was presented. The hearing concluded after all scheduled witnesses testified, with the chairs thanking participants for their service and the committee voting to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• As Chair of the Legislative Women's Caucus, it's a pleasure.
• Currently, she is the Director of Education for Area 1 in the USD.
• Eileen Mitro is a climate advocate and former public educator.
• A long-time public servant and educator, Dr.
• Arts and Education.

Transcript Highlights:

• that the early childhood education programs and our colleges of education are aligned with science of
• But it really does seem like the Secretary of Education, who comes from a higher education background
• I mean, I think in my conversations with the Secretary of Education and deans of colleges of education
• My recommendation though to those educators, because this is feedback actually from educators.
• With my house counterpart and working with educators that were on the senate education committee, as

Bills: SB1778 , SB1570 , SB134 , SB1966 , SB1636 , SB1725 , SB1726 , SB259 , SB504 , SB592 , SB2030 , SB1572 , SB843 , SB1242 , SB1255 , SB1262 , SB1264 , SB1286 , SB1581 , SB1290 , SB1316 , SB1319 , SB1369 , SB1379 , SB1381 , SB1400 , SB1427 , SB1436 , SB1461 , SB1496 , SB1509 , SB1534 , SB1553 , SB904 , SB1592 , SB1645 , SB1684 , SB1767 , SB1772 , SB1813 , SB1894 , SB1928 , SB1946 , SB1980 , SB2040 , SB2060 , SB2061

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> curriculum and so all of those Educators curriculum and so all of those Educators um<00:13:51.240
• One was the legislative work group for the deaf, blind, and hard of hearing; that legislative report
• One was the legislative work group for the deaf, blind, and hard of hearing; that legislative report
• One was the legislative work group for the deaf, blind, and hard of hearing; that legislative report
• He is an education issue specialist with Education Minnesota.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.
• Budget-level dispute with California Education Board of Education. That's lawsuit number two.
• Budget-level dispute with California Education Board of Education. That's lawsuit number two.
• Right after the gold rush, when the Orange County Board of Education and the other 57 boards of education
• The Orange County Board of Education, like all other county boards of education, derives most of its

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee because it initially lacked a quorum, heard a status update from State Auditor Grant Parks, and reviewed several new audit requests. Parks reported that 10 previously requested audits were underway, with most expected to be released in spring/summer and one pesticide audit still pending; he also noted ongoing litigation with Huntington Beach over a 2024 audit. He said the office had grown to just over 200 employees and could start about five new JALAC audits between April and July. The committee also noted that one Prop. 28 request was being held and one PUC-related request was moved off consent to the regular calendar. Senator Cervantes presented an audit request on California fusion centers, arguing they operate with little public oversight and may collect, share, and store sensitive information without adequate transparency or safeguards. Supporters, including former FBI agent Mike German and ACLU California Action, said fusion centers function as secretive intelligence-sharing hubs that can produce inaccurate or biased reports and may undermine privacy and civil liberties. Parks said the audit would examine the State Threat Assessment Center and two local fusion centers, focusing on oversight, legal authority, data quality, unauthorized disclosure controls, use of private vendors, funding, and performance metrics, while warning of likely access and public-disclosure limitations. The request drew sharp opposition from Assembly Member DeMaio, who called it a politicized “witch hunt,” but public comment included support from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Senator Allen then presented an audit of the Public Utilities Commission’s enforcement of Rule 21 interconnection timelines for customer-sited solar and storage projects. He and witnesses said utilities have repeatedly missed deadlines, causing long delays and added costs for schools, nonprofits, and other customers; CPUC staff responded that the commission adopted timelines and compliance benchmarks in 2020, publishes quarterly data, and is already pursuing the issue through workshops and an open proceeding. Parks said the audit would assess CPUC monitoring, enforcement tools, and reasons for utility noncompliance. Public comment was mixed, with solar advocates supporting the request and PG&E objecting on process grounds and arguing the commission’s ongoing proceeding should address the issue. Senator Perez, with Senator Fong, requested an audit of Caltrans’ administration of the former SR 710 corridor property sales and affordable housing program. They described tenant complaints about mold, pests, deferred maintenance, inconsistent pricing and eligibility information, and possible failures to inform residents of purchase rights; Caltrans said it is working to complete sales and has already closed 59 properties since fiscal year 2024-25. Parks said the audit would examine compliance with the Roberti Act, pricing, appraisals, communications, rent accounting, property maintenance, and follow-up on prior recommendations. Finally, Senator Umberg requested an audit of the Orange County Board of Education, citing transparency, litigation spending, charter authorization, procurement, and whistleblower concerns; after quorum was established, Parks said the audit would review Brown Act and Public Records Act compliance, public resource use, contracting, litigation costs, charter oversight, and retaliation complaints.