Transcript Highlights:

• look like 40% of our students qualify look like 40% of our students qualify for<00:03:11.840>
• I have next year planned out already for everything I'm going to do.
• I have next year planned out already for everything I'm going to do.
• I have next year planned out already for everything I'm going to do.
• <01:46:14.560> and wonderful uh and put the planning and wonderful uh and put the planning

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Policy Committee approved the minutes from January 21, 2025, and then heard testimony from several school superintendents about the financial and operational impact of recent education-related mandates. Chair Bennett framed the hearing as an opportunity to hear from districts about the effects of more than 65 new mandates and restrictions adopted in recent years. The first witnesses were Corey McIntyre of Anoka-Hennepin, Michael Thomas of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, and David Law of Minnetonka Public Schools. The superintendents said districts are facing rising costs, flat or declining enrollment, the end of federal pandemic aid, and mandates they described as unfunded or underfunded. McIntyre cited major budget cuts in Anoka-Hennepin, including reductions in central office staff, and said the district faces continuing shortfalls tied to special education, multilingual learner costs, unemployment claims, paid leave, transportation, literacy materials, and the K-3 discipline statute. Thomas said Prior Lake-Savage is balancing growing student needs against limited revenue, and argued that mandates such as REACT and other requirements should be delayed or better funded so districts can implement them with fidelity. Law said the concerns are statewide, not just metro-based, and criticized the accumulation of expectations around food service, mental health, sick and safe time, unemployment, and family leave without corresponding resources. Several witnesses emphasized that school budgets are heavily committed to staff costs and that new obligations create administrative burdens as well as direct expenses. They urged lawmakers to reduce, delay, or better fund mandates, adjust timelines, and provide more flexibility in local revenue tools and equalization aid. No votes were taken on legislation during this portion of the meeting beyond approval of the prior day’s minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• students are not Catholic, 28% of our students are students of color, while 133% of our students qualify
• <00:09:31.320> for programs that have been allocated for programs that have been allocated
• Our students set academic goals and make action plans and celebrate success.
• Our students set academic goals and make action plans and celebrate success.
• She reviews the medical histories of our scholars and develops things like diabetes action plans.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met on February 5, 2025, to hear testimony from representatives of Minnesota’s Catholic and other nonpublic schools, focused on state nonpublic pupil aid, transportation, counseling, nursing, and related support programs. Meg Forette of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis argued that Catholic schools serve more than 30,000 students across many districts, educate a diverse population, and achieve strong academic results while operating at far lower per-student costs than public schools. She urged lawmakers to reject proposed cuts to nonpublic funding, saying they would be inequitable and harmful to lower-income families, and also raised concerns about state teacher-licensing requirements conflicting with Catholic values. Trisha Menshu, principal of St. John Paul II Catholic School in Northeast Minneapolis, described a student body with high levels of poverty, learning needs, and academic gaps, and said state-funded nurse and guidance-counseling services are essential to keeping students safe, healthy, and on track for high school. She said the school absorbs many costs itself, including medical supplies and significant staff time, and credited the support programs with helping students make strong academic growth and graduate on time. In response to a senator’s question, she clarified that the school uses the nursing aid for limited nurse time and pays other medical-related costs from operating funds, with no billing back to public school districts. Committee members asked follow-up questions about the relationship between teacher licensing and Catholic values, and about how medical needs for nonpublic students are funded. Forette said the concern was not with welcoming all students but with how DEI-related trainings and language are presented in ways that conflict with Catholic teaching. The committee then moved on to the next testifier, Andrew Hiliker of Stella Maris Academy in Duluth, who began by describing his school’s growth and the state’s role in supporting all students, regardless of school choice.

Transcript Highlights:

• So how do you specifically plan on helping them?
• So how do you specifically plan on helping them?
• So how do you specifically plan on helping them?
• They plan a 10-year plan, so I'm just curious why we're doing that when you can already come and move
• c> I'm 10 they have a 10year plan so um I'm 10 they have a 10year plan so um I'm just<01:52:15.119

Bills: HF6, HF52, HF53

Keywords: education, literacy, science of reading, school performance, funding flexibility, innovation zones, equity and inclusion, HF52, New Germany, wastewater treatment, wastewater facility, sewer infrastructure, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, Public Facilities Authority, municipal infrastructure, water quality, sanitation, sewage treatment

Transcript Highlights:

• These are dollars that the department earns through our cost allocation plan.
• <00:41:08.200> plan.
• plan.
• There may be some cost allocation plan.
• So, I budget allocation even worse.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Each location develops a long-range development plan that typically covers a planning period of 10 to
• first year of our current capital outlay plan.
• That would all be planned at the beginning.
• Into this, the allocation you're seeking versus what your plan has identified as needs.
• But if I qualify taxpayers about the Cal Kids program.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, the bill establishes an engineering student loan assistance program to encourage qualified
• Additionally, the bill establishes an engineering student loan assistance program to encourage qualified
• Secondly, the bill establishes an engineering student loan assistance program to encourage qualified
• Why did we put $25 million, and is there a plan to address all the higher amount at some point?
• So line 1714 allocates $35 million for acquisition of environmentally endangered and unique lands.

Bills: S0314, S0530, S0576, S0800, S0990, S1078, S1440, S1568, S1588, S1614

Keywords: payment stablecoin, financial regulation, anti-money laundering, state oversight, digital currency, financial services, Florida lottery, state lottery, lottery tickets, lottery retailer, Department of the Lottery, Division of Security, ball machine, lottery vending machine, instant tickets, online lottery tickets, major procurement, vendor disclosure, performance bond, retailer bond

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills related to engineering regulation, cybersecurity, financial services, and state administration. CS/SB 800 would increase penalties for repeated unlicensed engineering practice and create an engineering student loan assistance program funded by licensure fees and fines; it was reported favorably after questions about whether it would reimburse victims of unlicensed practitioners, with the sponsor noting it would not and that affected individuals would need to pursue complaints and private legal action. CS/SB 576 created a local government cybersecurity protection program administered by Florida Digital Service, with state purchasing of cybersecurity services and priority for fiscally constrained counties; it received support from local government and industry groups and was reported favorably. CS/SB 1078 set transition requirements for gubernatorial administrations, including liaisons, briefing books, office space, IT access, and controlled access to agency records under a memorandum of understanding, and it also passed favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 314, which creates a regulatory framework for payment stablecoin issuers in Florida, and CS/SB 530, which updates lottery operations, security, retailer rules, and bonding requirements. CS/SB 1614, after adoption of a technical substitute amendment, would limit local governments’ eligibility for certain state funding if they have excess funds, have recently been audited by the legislative audit committee, or fail to affirm expenditure of prior funds; the sponsor said it would give the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee more enforcement leverage, and the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 990 authorizes protective cell captive insurance companies to expand insurance market capacity and potentially lower premiums, while CS/SB 1588 is a step toward implementing last session’s gold and silver legal tender law; both were reported favorably. Additional bills passed included CS/SB 1440, which adds cybersecurity-related exemptions and reporting provisions for financial institutions, loan originators, and money service businesses, and CS/SB 1568, which creates a Florida Stable Coin Pilot Program allowing DFS fees to be paid with approved stablecoins. The stablecoin bill was amended to add guardrails, including fee limits, website notice requirements, and restrictions if no approved issuers are available. The committee also received a brief budget overview highlighting major funding items such as Florida Forever, Everglades restoration, water quality, Farmers Feeding Florida, citrus recovery, school lunches, state parks, and law enforcement and staffing items, and members later recorded additional votes before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We anticipate that USDA will be approving our 2026 plan very soon.
• Plan if they're not able to meet that eligibility requirement this afternoon.
• It gives schools like mine stability and time to plan.
• We're in strong support of the $1 billion allocation for education. I'm in strong support.
• We're in strong support of the $1 billion allocation for the Community Schools Framework.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So do you have a plan to possibly give more time? Or can you speak to that?
• We just ask for consideration of that $150,000 allocation. Thank you.
• for communications plan and some admin and overhead.
• for communications plan and some admin and overhead.
• She did them both to help America Vote Act, the spending plan.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 1253 addresses this gap by clarifying the distinction between local planning approvals
• Assembly Bill 1253 addresses this gap by clarifying the distinction between local planning approvals
• They were uniquely complex, pushing our systems of relief, planning, and recovery to their limits.
• Between 2022 and 2024, contributions to the motion picture pension plan dropped by approximately 30%,
• The bill also expands the kinds of productions that qualify, again focusing on those that create and

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation met as a subcommittee and heard several bills, with members explaining that measures with significant fiscal impacts would be held for suspense or taken up later. AB 761 would let the Monterey-Salinas Transit District place a local sales tax measure on the ballot with approval from two-thirds of its board rather than needing approval from each member jurisdiction; supporters said it would preserve transit funding for veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities, while an opponent argued it would make it easier to raise a regressive tax. The bill was voted out 5-2 after being called for absent members. AB 1253, which would clarify property tax treatment for wildfire reconstruction beyond substantial equivalence, drew support from the Los Angeles County Assessor and the California Assessors Association but was sent to suspense. AB 8, dealing with hemp enforcement, intoxicating hemp products, and integration of hemp cannabinoids into the cannabis supply chain and tax system, drew strong support from cannabis operators and labor groups and opposition from small cultivators and public health advocates concerned about supply, tax revenue, and voter intent; it was also sent to suspense. The committee then heard AB 1138, a major expansion and modernization of the film and television tax credit program. Supporters, including entertainment unions, workers, studios, and local officials, said the bill would help keep production and jobs in California amid competition from other states and countries; opponents criticized it as picking winners and losers and argued broader business costs were the real problem. The bill was referred to suspense. AB 829, which would create a California Parkinson’s Disease Research Fund and voluntary tax contribution program to support research and services, received unanimous support from advocates and was approved 6-0 to Appropriations. AB 474 would exempt rental income from nonprofit home-sharing programs for low-income homeowners from state income tax and protect participants’ eligibility for certain benefits; supporters said it could help older adults age in place and address housing shortages, and the bill was sent to suspense after members asked for clarification on the fiscal estimate. The committee also heard AB 376, which would exempt wildfire settlement payments from state income tax for certain disaster survivors; supporters from rural counties said the money is meant to help victims rebuild and should not be taxed, and the bill was referred to suspense. Finally, AB 480 would allow developers using low-income housing tax credits to switch from allocated to certificated state credits after an award, with supporters saying it would maximize private investment and stretch housing dollars further; it too was sent to suspense. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly emphasized the need to balance policy goals with fiscal impacts, and several bills were held or referred to suspense rather than voted out immediately.

Transcript Highlights:

• Equivalent plans.
• to certify the uh equivalent plans. to certify the uh equivalent plans.
• than the state plan.
• That can be downloaded whether you have a state plan or a private plan.
• <00:37:14.400> We the state plan or a private plan. We the state plan or a private plan.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• allocation plan that we renew every two years.
• we oversee what's called a qualified we oversee what's called a qualified allocation<01:21:49.679
• renew<01:21:51.719> uh allocation plan uh that we renew uh allocation plan uh that we
• allocation plan, and I should also mention our compliance manual that's updated on an annual basis.
• allocation plan, and I should also mention our compliance manual that's updated on an annual basis.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, the bill establishes an engineering student loan assistance program to encourage qualified
• Additionally, the bill establishes an engineering student loan assistance program to encourage qualified
• Why did we put $25 million, and is there a plan to address all the higher amount at some point?
• So line 1714 allocates $35 million for acquisition of environmentally endangered and unique lands.
• Why did we put $25 million, and is there a plan to address all the higher amount at some point?

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard and reported favorably several bills. CS/SB 800 would increase penalties for repeated unlicensed engineering practice and create an engineering student loan assistance program funded by licensure fees and fines; Senator Sharif asked about restitution for victims, and the sponsor said the bill does not create a reimbursement mechanism. CS/SB 576 would create a local government cybersecurity protection program administered by Florida Digital Service, with state purchasing support, grant access, and data-sharing requirements; local government and cybersecurity groups waived in support. CS/SB 1078 would establish transition procedures between gubernatorial administrations, including liaisons, briefing books, office space, IT access, and access to agency records under a signed confidentiality agreement. The committee also reported favorably CS/SB 314 on payment stablecoin issuers, CS/SB 530 updating lottery operations and security rules, CS/SB 1614 giving JAC/LAC-related audit findings more enforcement effect for local governments seeking state funds, SB 990 authorizing protective cell captive insurance companies, SB 1588 beginning implementation of the prior gold-and-silver legal tender law, CS/SB 1440 adding cybersecurity-related exemptions and reporting provisions for financial institutions, and CS/SB 1568 creating a stablecoin pilot program for DFS fee payments. Several bills had support testimony from state agencies and industry groups, and some included technical or guardrail amendments that were adopted without objection. The committee also received a budget overview highlighting major funding items, including more than $350 million for Florida Forever, $738 million for Everglades restoration, more than $500 million for water quality projects outside the Everglades, $60 million for Farmers Feeding Florida, and more than $250 million for citrus recovery. Members asked questions about school lunch funding, state park improvements, land acquisition, water quality funding, gaming enforcement offices, and staffing for PERC. After the bills and budget discussion, members recorded a few affirmative votes on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, when the legislature allocates funding for local airports, recipients are often required to
• So mainly what it's doing is if you are a general aviation airport, you would qualify for this program
• ; if you are a commercial non-hub airport, you would also qualify for this.
• The FAA has changed the... classification for reliever airports from the National Plan of Integrated
• ; if you are a commercial non-hub airport, you would also qualify for this.

Bills: HB483, HB3345, HB3643, HB3821, HB3849, HB4472, HB4523, HB4524, HB5346, HB5347, HB5376

Keywords: high-speed rail, Texas Department of Transportation, TxDOT, public-private partnership, comprehensive development agreement, CDA, Interstate 35, I-35 corridor, Dallas, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, intercity passenger rail, rail infrastructure, private entity, transportation infrastructure, rail corridor, passenger rail, infrastructure finance, vehicle registration

Transcript Highlights:

• or $1.2 billion is allocated to the A&M system.
• Constitution requires the legislature to determine fund allocations every 10 years, and the current allocation
• HEAF allocations for the next 10-year allocation period beginning in fiscal year 2025. 2026 are contingent
• Texas grants could already be allocated for students.
• And the Children's Behavioral Health Strategic Plan.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not allocated to any single budget activity, but in the state general fund balance is taken as
• It is not allocated to any single budget activity, but in the state general fund balance is taken as
• <00:09:13.680> to billion number it is not allocated to billion number it is not allocated
• Then providers must develop an individual treatment plan and engage in community support planning.
• > planning<00:42:31.480> then<00:42:31.640> there's community support planning then

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met for an introductory overview of its jurisdiction and staff roles. Nonpartisan House Research and House Fiscal staff explained that they draft bills and amendments, prepare bill summaries and background research, answer legal and fiscal questions, and help track revenue and budget effects. They also distributed a Budget Overview Brief intended to condense the larger budget materials into a more usable format for members. Staff then walked through the Human Services budget and the committee’s areas of responsibility. They described the department structure, noting that DHS oversees administration, compliance, rulemaking, and county support, and that the overall Human Services budget is large, with medical assistance as the dominant program. They also explained recent and upcoming reorganizations: many children and family-related functions are moving to the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Direct Care and Treatment is becoming its own agency, and some homelessness-related functions remain at DHS. Staff reviewed how the budget is organized by program and budget activity, the difference between direct appropriations and standing appropriations, and how forecasted programs and “tails” work in the budget process. The presentation also covered Medicaid financing and long-term care. Staff explained the federal-state FMAP match, including Minnesota’s current 51.16% federal match for most Medicaid spending, the CHIP match, and the 90% federal share for the expansion population. For long-term care, they outlined Medical Assistance services for elderly and disabled people, state-funded long-term care supports, and Board on Aging programs. They highlighted the personal care assistance program’s phaseout and replacement by Community First Services and Supports, and reviewed the five home- and community-based waivers. Members asked one question about refugee resettlement funding, specifically whether it covers flights; staff said they would need to follow up on the exact use of the federal funds. No bills were heard, and no formal votes or other committee actions were taken during this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, I do want to note that in the ELOP plans, there is a prompt within the plan that asks about
• It'll change next year, maybe for next year's allocation, but doesn't change for this year's allocation
• with the way the LCFF allocations are and the plan is a three-year plan.
• Yeah, I think our budget plan is about 1%, which was the plan we developed in the fall.
• I do want to note that these plans, obviously, are plans. They're three- to five-year plans here.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In college, I plan on majoring in international relations. Good morning, everybody.
• This legislation only pertains to in-state tuition and who qualifies for it.
• It just talks about what in-state tuition is and how you qualify for in-state tuition.
• Is the author aware that the affected students don't qualify for any of those things?
• The gist of all that is just to try to allocate a fair number to rural Oklahoma.

Bills: HB1427, SB1403, SB1448, SB1489, SB1546, SB1557, SB1614, SB1377, SB1990, SB1439, SB1630, SB1632, SB1696, SB1796, SB1824, SB1362, SB1849, SB2066, SB2071, SB2104, SB933, SB1633, SB1224, SB1246, SB1280, SB1303, SB1346

Keywords: tax credit, clean-burning fuel, hydrogen fuel cells, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, environmental impact, vehicle modification, renewable energy, job incentives, tax rebates, Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program, employment growth, wage requirements, Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act, consumer protection, unfair trade practices, deceptive practices, exemptions, statutory exemptions, Corporation Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:44.320> at manager for water services planning at manager for water services planning
• planning to move forward this session? planning to move forward this session?
• to allocation? to allocation?
• On the that are planned to proceed.
• Um, do you plan >> And one more question. Um, do you plan on sticking around the PFA for a while?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I noticed here that for emergency grants that were allocated, $2.5 million were allocated throughout
• Then we also have the commissioners plan and managerial plan, which are probably our next two largest
• Then we also have the commissioners plan and managerial plan, which are probably our next two largest
• <00:56:25.599> um<00:56:26.680> we administrators plan um we administrators plan um
• <01:13:35.440> funding we allocate so we don't allocate funding we allocate so we don't allocate

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities presented an overview of the system and several budget riders. Board Chair George Soul described the system’s structure, noting 26 colleges and seven universities governed by a 15-member board, and emphasized that Minnesota State serves about 270,000 students annually, including many students of color, adult learners, Pell-eligible students, first-generation students, and veterans. He highlighted the system’s workforce role, saying it offers more than 4,000 programs, extensive employer partnerships, and that 86% of graduates find jobs in their field or a related field. He then turned the presentation over to system staff to discuss specific funding requests. Associate Vice Chancellor Kim Lynch focused on the Z-degree textbook program, which supports zero-textbook-cost courses and degrees. She said prior legislative support has produced about $3.1 million in savings in academic year 2024 and more than $12.6 million in aggregate savings, with 10 colleges now offering Z degrees and 12 more on track or exploring implementation. She described the program’s use of open educational resources, instructional design support, and library resources to fill gaps where free materials are not available, and said students save roughly $7 to $10 for every $1 invested. Members praised the program and asked about its expansion. Associate Vice Chancellor Paul Shepard discussed student support funding, including a centralized basic needs resource hub, the Mantra Health mental health platform, and the emergency grant program. He said student surveys showed significant food, housing, and homelessness insecurity, and that the basic needs hub has served over 2,400 students with a 97% positive response rate. He said Mantra provides telecounseling, peer support, self-paced courses, and crisis support, and clarified in response to questions that it is not AI-driven and does not sell student data; general usage data is collected, and follow-up with campus counselors occurs only at the student’s request. He also said the emergency grant program has distributed over $3 million to more than 4,800 students, with grants averaging just under $700, and that campuses use application review and recordkeeping to manage repeat requests. Members asked about counselor staffing, data privacy, and grant safeguards. The final item addressed sexual assault reporting and prevention funding. System staff said the appropriation supports technology infrastructure for statutory reporting, case management for investigations, campus prevention training, and professional development for Title IX coordinators and related staff. They noted that the statutory student training requirement is funded by individual colleges and universities, not by this appropriation. No formal votes were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Headley at the table, and I will go ahead and recognize you for your presentation on the resource allocation
• Our topic for today is resource allocation, and we'll dive right in.
• review each by That this is accomplished by completing an expenditure analysis and resource allocation
• You can go in and you can say, hey, I think that we need to allocate X for this particular line item.
• And the master plan is for a number of years? Yes, they have to redo that.

Summary: The joint education committee continued its adequacy study with a detailed Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on resource allocation, covering how Arkansas school districts and charters spend foundation and other funds on matrix and non-matrix items. Staff explained the methodology for mapping expenditures, the district and school categories used in the analysis, and key findings showing that districts spend more per student from all fund sources than the foundation amount alone. The presentation highlighted that classroom teachers account for the largest share of matrix spending, while operations and maintenance, student support staff, nurses, and other lines also drew significant attention. Members asked for additional breakdowns by district type, size, rural/urban status, and trend data, and several questions focused on how waivers affect funding and spending, especially for library media specialists and other positions. The committee then discussed non-matrix spending, including instructional aids, non-technology-related facilities, school safety, mental health services, dyslexia support, food service, gifted and talented, career and technical education, and other items not explicitly defined in the matrix. Staff reported that non-matrix spending exceeded $2 billion in 2025, with most of it coming from other fund sources, and that the top superintendent-identified unmet needs over recent surveys were mental health services, school safety, and dyslexia support. Members raised concerns about dyslexia identification and funding, possible over-identification, and whether some support costs are being coded in ways that obscure the true spending picture. There was also discussion of facilities funding, the building fund, and the Department of Education’s partnership program for school construction and maintenance, with staff agreeing to provide more information and potentially bring department officials back for a future meeting. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly requested more granular data and clarifications, including waiver counts and funding impacts, trend lines for superintendent-reported needs, district-by-district spending spreadsheets, and definitions for certain matrix and accounting terms such as salary enhancement, LEA indebtedness, and other employee health insurance. The chair noted that the committee would continue the adequacy process over the coming months and use the worksheet in the binder to develop recommendations for the next biennium. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting; instead, the committee received the report, asked for follow-up data, and agreed to continue the discussion at future meetings.