Transcript Highlights:

• Subsequently, as this committee knows, enrollment across our state's colleges and universities is at
• Kids with these accounts are three times more likely to enroll in college and four times more likely
• Kids that even have one dollar in their accounts are three times more likely to enroll in college and
• That being said, I've had one child whom I sent off to college just on a barely partial scholarship.
• In a similar program or some sort of savings account, the automatic enrollment is a big piece of that

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s any student who’s currently enrolled, the sibling of any student that’s currently enrolled, a child
• currently enrolled, a any student that's currently enrolled, a child<00:26:12.880><c> with</c><00:26
• </c><00:28:01.039><c> on</c> enrollment cap and shall be enrolled on enrollment cap and shall be enrolled
• </c> enroll to decide make decisions. enroll to decide make decisions.
• enrolled kids join up times about $4,500, I believe, per child, which should be the kind of children

Summary: The committee held a work session on SB 145, which would require sexual assault evidence kits to be delivered to the state forensic lab within seven business days and analyzed more promptly. Pamela Kyle of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence said the bill was developed after survivor concerns and extensive discussions with the Departments of Safety and Justice. She explained that most agencies already deliver kits quickly, but some kits sit for months, and the bill is intended to add structure without penalties while preserving chain of custody. Members discussed the use of common carriers or courier services for transport, the need for clear rules, and whether carriers would know what they were transporting. Representative Papovich offered amendment 2025-2301H to remove the reimbursement program for police shipping costs, arguing it would add administrative overhead and was unnecessary. The amendment was adopted on a roll call vote, and the committee then voted OTPA on SB 145 as amended, with members voting yes on the roll call. The committee then opened a work session on SB 295, and the sponsor presented a replace-all amendment intended to simplify and clarify the Education Freedom Account bill without changing its purpose. The amendment would remove income-cap language, define priority enrollment groups, establish an enrollment cap for the EFA program, and create rolling enrollment rules. It would set a 10,000-student cap for the 2025-2026 school year, allow the cap to increase by 25% if enrollment exceeds 90% of the prior cap, and ensure current participants can remain enrolled. The amendment also provides that certain sections would later be repealed once the Department of Education certifies that applications have not exceeded the cap for two consecutive school years. The sponsor walked through the amendment section by section, explaining that the bill is structured in two phases: one while caps exist and another after they are no longer needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2689 concerns the Working Connections Child Care Program. Mr.
• month of payment only if the child is absent for 10 or fewer days in a month.
• In addition, prospective and enrollment-based payments are eliminated.
• Child care providers have played a pivotal role in my own family's history.
• I needed child care to go back to school and build a life for my family.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on a series of bills, beginning with House Bill 2689 on Working Connections Child Care. Staff explained that the proposed substitute would keep eligibility at 60% of state median income, eliminate scheduled expansions to 75% and 85%, reduce future subsidy rates from the 85th to the 75th percentile of market, end enhanced regional rates, and change reimbursement rules from prospective enrollment-based payments back to attendance-based payments with a reduced monthly payment after 11 absent days. Child care advocates thanked the committee for removing the proposed cap on the program but opposed the cuts to provider rates and eligibility expansions, warning of harm to families and providers. The committee then heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5124 on Medicaid network adequacy for post-acute care, with staff noting administrative costs and indeterminate fiscal effects; hospitals supported the bill as a way to reduce discharge delays and reliance on single-case agreements. Senate Bill 5832, which would raise the new motor vehicle arbitration fee from $3 to $6 to support the Lemon Law arbitration program, drew support from the Attorney General’s Office and auto dealers, who said the fee had not been updated since 1995 and the program was underfunded. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5862, providing a one-time 3% COLA for certain PERS 1 and TRS 1 retirees, with retirees testifying in favor and local government representatives warning about added employer costs. The committee next heard Senate Bill 5922, allowing school districts to transfer money from the Transportation Vehicle Fund to other funds if they reduce their fleet and receive OSPI approval; staff said the bill would mainly add administrative work for OSPI, and no one testified. Substitute Senate Bill 5923 would allow a hospital on an island in Skagit County to qualify as a critical access hospital if federally certified; Island Health testified that the designation would help sustain rural services, and a committee member asked about bed count and Medicaid/charity-care pressures. Senate Bill 5944 would require language access providers to bargain over compensation for missed or canceled appointments and clarify that statutes prevail over conflicting contract terms; WFSE supported the bill, saying it would equalize bargaining rights across agencies. Substitute Senate Bill 5972 would extend interest arbitration rights to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of population size; labor supported the bill as a retention tool, while cities and counties opposed it, arguing it would raise costs and should include ability-to-pay protections. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5988, authorizing the Department of Health to continue accrediting opioid treatment programs and charge accreditation fees, which DOH said was needed to avoid winding down the program. Later, the committee heard Senate Bill 6151, which would move Ecology fee revenues for landfill methane emissions and laboratory accreditation into dedicated accounts; Ecology supported the bill as improving transparency and reinvesting fees into the programs, and staff said the lab fee shift would be offset by a related budget action. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6194 would pay a rural hospital on a federally recognized Indian reservation, specifically Astria Toppenish, at 150% of the Medicaid fee-for-service rate beginning in 2027; hospital leaders and community members testified that the hospital serves a high-Medicaid, rural, and tribal population and faces persistent losses. Finally, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302 would direct L&I to investigate possible misclassification of independent contractors on public works projects involving multiple workers doing the same finishing work; labor and business representatives both described it as a negotiated compromise to address underground economy abuses. The committee took no final votes during the hearing and ended by reiterating amendment deadlines for bills scheduled for executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill does not mandate enrollment.
• The bill does not mandate enrollment, and it will allow students to enroll at any community college,
• We pay for the enrollment and the classes themselves.
• We pay for the enrollment and the classes themselves.
• We pay for the enrollment and the classes themselves.

Summary: The committee heard several education bills, beginning with AB 387 on youth sports safety and AED access. The author and supporters, including youth sports and cardiac safety advocates, said the bill would improve coordination between youth sports organizations and facilities to ensure AEDs are available and emergency response is better prepared. School administrators, county groups, and school business officials opposed unless amended, citing liability, cost, staffing, maintenance, and school security concerns. Members asked about AED portability, CPR training, and liability; the author said committee amendments were accepted, but the bill was held due to lack of quorum while negotiations continued. AB 467 would codify the California Center for Climate Change Education at West Los Angeles College, allowing it to seek multi-year grants and other outside funding after an initial state appropriation sunsets. Supporters said the center has already trained faculty, supported paid internships and fellowships, and reached thousands of Californians, while opponents were absent. Members questioned whether codification was premature before the required report is due in 2027; the author said the measure was needed now to stabilize fundraising. The bill was also placed on hold for lack of quorum. A major portion of the hearing focused on AB 664 and AB 2694, both dealing with community college bachelor’s degrees. AB 664 would authorize Southwestern College to seek up to four targeted bachelor’s programs to address local workforce shortages in South San Diego County; students, local officials, and community college advocates supported it, while CSU and UC opposed, arguing for a statewide solution and concern about the master plan. AB 2694 proposed a broader statewide framework for community college bachelor’s degrees with stronger workforce and partnership requirements, reduced program caps, and limits on duplication; it drew support from community college groups and students, but CSU and UC again opposed or opposed unless amended. Members discussed place-bound students, workforce needs, transfer pathways, and the need for a master-plan-level approach, but no votes were taken because the committee lacked a quorum. The committee then heard AB 917, which would require certificated employees in very small school districts and certain county-run programs to receive permanent status under the same rules as larger districts. CTA and many educators supported the bill as a fairness and retention measure, while small school district and ROP representatives opposed, saying the current flexibility is necessary to manage enrollment swings, staffing, and specialized regional programs. Testimony emphasized the tension between job security for educators and operational flexibility for small LEAs; the hearing continued with more opposition testimony after the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> to say that from an enrollment to say that from an enrollment standpoint<00:33:03.919><c> uh</c>
• I think the out of enrollment issues.
• The federal student aid does have what is called an unusual enrollment flag.
• And that's kind of where that unusual enrollment flag will come into play.
• Take that into effect, like child care, diapers, transportation, housing.

Summary: The Higher Education Conference Committee reviewed differences among the Governor’s, House, and Senate proposals for state grant parameter changes and their effects on state grant spending, North Star Promise spending, and average student awards. Nonpartisan staff explained that the proposals use different combinations of parameter changes, with the Governor’s and Senate plans modeled to avoid or minimize rationing, while the House plan would require rationing to balance the program. Staff reported projected biennium balances of a positive $29.836 million for the Governor’s proposal, a negative $60.758 million for the House proposal without rationing, a positive $994,000 for the House proposal with rationing, and a positive $3.623 million for the Senate proposal; North Star Promise balances also varied, with the Senate showing a positive balance and the Governor and House with rationing showing negative balances. Staff also said the Senate proposal would extend availability of the state grant appropriation and suspend surplus procedures through fiscal year 2029, allowing the balance to carry forward. The committee then focused on the House-only tuition and fee cap provision, which would limit the tuition recognized for state grant purposes for four-year programs to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities level, with 1% annual increases in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. House members said the cap was intended to address rising tuition, especially at the University of Minnesota, and to produce savings in the state grant program. The governor’s office confirmed the provision was not included in the Governor’s bill. Representatives from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Private College Council opposed the cap, arguing it would reduce awards for low-income students and shift costs to students rather than address underlying tuition pressures; they also said it could discourage enrollment at higher-cost institutions. Supporters from Minnesota State argued the cap would improve fairness because students at lower-tuition institutions are effectively capped lower, while students at more expensive institutions receive larger awards, and they said the legislature should intervene in a variable that has grown substantially over time. Committee members questioned how the cap would work and whether it was tied to the Twin Cities campus rate. Testifiers clarified that the state grant formula is tied to the University of Minnesota level, but because Minnesota State institutions are below that level, the cap effectively limits their students to their own lower tuition while allowing higher awards at the University of Minnesota and private colleges. No formal vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the chair indicated the committee would continue with item-by-item review of the remaining parameter changes and hear additional testimony from agencies and institutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, you know, in, uh, whole child supports, uh, you'll see a number of things there, but the one I'll
• Attendance is no longer in the whole child description of something we are focusing on, and I cheated
• They have to update that plan, and part of that planning is looking at enrollment.
• Um, the rule amendment also proposes charter schools with enrolled Native American students to comply
• Our child has one more week of first grade.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Ojiway to join the American Indian Child Ojiway to join the American Indian Child Welfare<00:15:
• Line 701 is funding from the federal Child Care Development Fund for administration related to child
• </c> neglect for purposes of child neglect for purposes of child maltreatment<00:35:02.079><c> reporting
• </c> affects um, the people who are enrolled affects um, the people who are enrolled in<00:58:00.720>
• </c> We have over 150,000 kids in our child We have over 150,000 kids in our child welfare<00:59:18.559

Transcript Highlights:

• We did bill that depending on how the member was enrolled.
• a child.
• or placement of a child for adoption that is separate from other leaves, and it is paid.
• Currently, employees must renew these pre-tax elections each year during open enrollment.
• If enacted, this bill would make the renewal of those... each year during open enrollment.

Committee: Joint Employee Benefits Programs Committee

Summary: The Employee Benefits Committee met to hear presentations on state employee health insurance, compensation, leave policies, labor market conditions, and prevailing wage issues, then later took up committee rules and bill-draft jurisdiction. PERS reviewed the history and structure of the state health plan, noting the state has paid the full family premium since 1979, described cost-control and benefit-enhancement changes over time, and explained current plan options, wellness incentives, employer wellness discounts, and the upcoming bid process for the 2027-29 contract. HRMS then presented compensation comparisons showing state classified pay generally trails private and regional markets, with larger gaps at higher-level jobs, and reviewed benefits and leave policies, including the new enhanced annual leave and new-hire leave, the state’s unpaid family leave structure, and varying tuition reimbursement practices. Job Service reported on labor force trends, low unemployment, high labor force participation, job openings, and wage growth, and OMB said there are no state prevailing-wage requirements beyond federal Davis-Bacon rules for federally funded projects. The committee then considered a proposed amendment to Joint Rule 211 to better align the health insurance mandate review process with recent statutory changes. Members discussed how the rule should reference both the committee’s required actuarial reports and the Legislative Council cost-benefit analysis, and the amendment was adopted on a roll call vote. The committee also discussed how its jurisdiction decisions affect whether a bill draft receives actuarial analysis, with staff explaining that a decision not to take jurisdiction means the bill is not treated as impacting the relevant retirement or health plans for purposes of that analysis. After that, the committee began reviewing bill drafts for jurisdiction. The first draft, bill draft 33, would automatically renew pre-tax elections for dental and vision coverage during open enrollment instead of requiring annual re-election. Members debated whether it had any actuarial impact, noting the state does not pay those premiums directly, and the discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• A choice of a parent who loves their child and wants what's best.
• In 2014, there were 6.2 million students enrolled in charter schools.
• Even though we've had a decline in enrollment the percentage of students enrolled in a charter school
• Based on the needs of her child, from having a remote option for her child to attend and her child to
• I have a kid right now enrolled in a charter.

Transcript Highlights:

• If so, the principal will refer the student to the school's child study team.
• Okay, I just saw the child study team.
• What can we do to support this child?
• As an assistant principal, giving that child, when we...
• Your child is fine. If they don’t have a fever, send your child to school.

Summary: The committee on Pre-K through 12 Education met to discuss chronic absenteeism, district attendance interventions, and related truancy procedures. Chair Simon reviewed Florida’s attendance laws and escalation process, including school-based interventions, child study team meetings, referrals to the Department of Juvenile Justice, truancy petitions, and possible sanctions for parents and driving privileges. The committee heard first from University of Florida professor Dr. Chris Curran, who presented state and national absenteeism data showing chronic absenteeism has risen sharply since the pandemic, with Florida at about 31.4% in 2023-24. He emphasized that absenteeism has multiple causes, including transportation, mental health, housing instability, safety concerns, and family barriers, and said effective responses include early warning systems, multi-tiered supports, mentoring, and community partnerships rather than relying only on punitive measures. Members questioned Dr. Curran about whether absenteeism is a behavior or barrier issue, whether exclusionary discipline is counted, the need for a uniform definition across districts, and whether more punitive truancy enforcement is effective. He said the issue is usually a mix of barriers and choices, that excused and unexcused absences both matter for chronic absenteeism data, and that root-cause analysis and supportive interventions are generally more productive than punishment alone, though consequences can still play a role. The committee then heard from Collier County Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli and district staff, who described a highly structured attendance system built around attendance specialists, social workers, mental health staff, home visits, attendance contracts, multilingual outreach, and frequent parent notifications. They said Collier’s chronic absenteeism rate was about 9% in 2023-24 and credited their success to early contact, community partnerships, and a strong district culture around attendance. Volusia County Schools Executive Director Mike McAuliffe described a newer districtwide attendance initiative that uses automated letters, same-day notifications, data dashboards, MTSS tiers, incentives, and community supports such as bikes, washers and dryers, and faith-based partnerships. He reported Volusia reduced chronic absenteeism from 34% in 2023-24 to a projected 29% and said the district is now seeing about 20% in the first quarter of the current year. No formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have my child in Long Beach Public Schools, and you would be surprised at the amount of complaints
• I have my child in Long Beach Public Schools, and you would be surprised at the amount of complaints
• If a family works in another school district, if their child has been facing unresolved...
• They have also benefited from state enrollment growth funding.
• We've passed a lot of legislation on dual enrollment, so many of these young people are enrolled in college

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• We saw that Latino new enrollment fell even further... ...that Latino new enrollment fell even further
• enrollment period—shortened from 12 weeks to nine weeks, giving people less time to enroll.
• in enrollment from the same time last year.
• to last year during this open enrollment.
• Other federal enrollment and verification policies are not taking effect until 28, but we are our enrollment

Transcript Highlights:

• And appreciate the enrollment growth funding.
• This language standardizes the non-resident enrollment replacement to be treated similarly to other enrollment
• and prevents unfunded enrollment in the future.
• And then lastly to the UCNN, we've talked about enrollment and enrollment increases and really trying
• the system-wide gap between our actual enrollment and the current enrollment target, long-term growth

Transcript Highlights:

• That's our total enrollment, 7,700.
• When you apply it against the total enrollment, you get 679.
• You know, we spend it on a child, and we see that child.
• So this year, our child count was 2,174 students.”
• Would we ever consider just our child count of 2100 students at a one?

Committee: Joint Special Education Funding Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> into the bill for an open enrollment into the bill for an open enrollment district<02:21:35.520>
• </c><04:24:56.399><c> is</c> for a moment you know our our child is for a moment you know our our child
• </c> was a conversation of parents and child was a conversation of parents and child whereas<04:25:18.239
• </c><04:25:46.960><c> to</c> or or or harmful material to a child to or or or harmful material to a child
• </c> enrolled bill reports and amendments. enrolled bill reports and amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the parent plus loans, these borrowers are likely to be students enrolled in higher cost graduate
• They'll only be able to borrow $20,000 a year per child, while the maximum lifetime amount per child
• A parent will not be able to borrow the maximum yearly amount for their child if they plan to borrow
• In terms of application data and just in terms of the enrollment as well, so thank you in advance for
• For many of our students, access to aid determines whether they enroll and whether they complete.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:06:39.240><c> at</c> School meals feeding every child at School meals feeding every child at
• Public schools don't necessarily accept every child.
• </c><00:56:53.960><c> yet</c> rise despite declining en enrollment yet rise despite declining en enrollment
• As a parent, you can see that and you can see the potential in your child and see what your child needs
• </c> in your child and see what your child in your child and see what your child needs<01:02:54.200><

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:29:43.200><c> now</c> program costs about $1,100 a child now program costs about $1,100 a child
• </c> it when the program finishes for a child it when the program finishes for a child and<00:29:53.960
• What do you do with that family, that child? What do you do with that family, that child?
• Is it for the particular child?
• </c><04:54:08.558><c> reports</c> four aois which are enrollment reports four aois which are enrollment

Summary: The Finance Division 2 work session first took up HB 506, a bill dealing with the return of seized firearms. Members discussed how the measure would shift background-check processing for firearm returns through the Department of Safety, while the physical firearms would still remain with local police unless State Police had taken custody. The department said the bill would change which cases come to it, and members clarified that the bill concerns the background-check decision rather than possession of the firearms. The committee then voted OTP on HB 506 FN by a 7-0 roll call. The committee next discussed HB 671, establishing a kindergarten literacy readiness program. Department of Education staff explained that the bill grew out of a COVID-era Waterford contract that provided home-based early literacy support for families using federal relief funds, at a cost of about $600,000 per year, but that the program ended when those funds expired. Members raised concerns that the bill’s $1 appropriation was not realistic, that the prior program lacked sufficient outcome data, and that the references to ESSA tier-one benchmarks were unclear. The department said it was conducting a broader literacy needs assessment and updating the state literacy plan, including data from the zero-to-five range, K-5, and dyslexia-related work. Waterford representatives described the program as an early-literacy, pre-K readiness service for children ages zero to five, originally designed to work in homes with computers and internet provided where needed, and later expanded in some settings such as daycares and pre-K classrooms. They said the program used assessments at the beginning and end, had served hundreds of children, and was intended to support family engagement and kindergarten readiness. Despite that testimony, members remained concerned about funding and the lack of clear results, and one member moved to retain the bill for more information. The discussion ended with the bill retained rather than advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of those reports, 91% were coded as commercial sexual exploitation of a child.
• that child comes into the dependency system or not.
• They're enrolled in their school and GED programs and attending regularly.
• It's our... ...that has been built within our CEWIS, our child welfare information system.
• And while 82% of the youth were enrolled in school, nearly half of those that were enrolled were in a

Committee: Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs received three presentations and took no bill votes. The Department of Children and Families gave an extensive update on human trafficking prevention and services, describing Florida’s statutory framework, hotline and investigation data, placement options such as safe houses and safe foster homes, new adult safe house certification rules, expanded screening tools for vulnerable adults, and prevention efforts including youth-led outreach and training. Members asked about whether current funding is sufficient, how DCF addresses grooming and re-victimization in residential settings, and how long youth typically remain in safe-house placements; DCF said funding is only one part of the support system, that families and youth receive prevention resources even when allegations are not substantiated, and that placement length varies by child. OPPAGA then presented its 2024 annual report on commercial sexual exploitation of children. The report found that verified CSE victims slightly declined in 2023, with Broward, Miami-Dade, Duval, Hillsborough, and Escambia among the highest-prevalence counties. Most verified victims were community youth rather than children already in care, though dependent youth had higher rates of prior maltreatment. OPPAGA also reported continued concerns about limited placement capacity, especially for less restrictive Tier 1 safe houses, and service gaps such as the need for survivor mentors. Its recommendations focused on expanding placement options, improving data collection, and strengthening collaboration to support survivor mentors. Finally, DCF presented the Step into Success pilot program for current and former foster youth ages 16 to 26. The program combines workforce education, professional development, and paid internships with mentor support; the first cohort launched in 2024 with 15 participants, all of whom secured placements, and the department reported strong satisfaction and early outcomes. Committee members asked about scalability, costs, and whether the model could be moved beyond DCF-run operations into community-based providers. DCF said the program was designed to be scalable, currently costs about $500,000 annually for the pilot, and could be expanded statewide with additional funding and partner support. The committee adjourned after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we heard from many people—people who use Working Connections child care, people who provide those
• With child care, every one of them? I mean, there will be discussions about child care.
• That's certainly true for child care. That's true for health care.
• That's certainly true for child care. That's true for health care.
• If the attendance policy with the Working Connections child care program, if that was a pandemic-era

Summary: Senate budget writers, led by Chair June Robinson with Senators Noel Frame and Derek Stanford, rolled out the Senate operating budget and described it as a difficult supplemental budget shaped by flat revenue growth, rising maintenance costs, and uncertainty from federal actions, including H.R. 1 and tariffs. They said the proposal aims to preserve core services such as K-12 education, health care, food assistance, housing stability, and long-term care while making targeted reductions and avoiding broad-based tax increases like sales, property, or B&O tax hikes. A major focus of the discussion was how to pay for the Working Families Tax Credit and how to handle cuts in the Working Connections child care program. Robinson said the Senate budget uses policy changes, especially an attendance-based payment adjustment, rather than the governor’s proposed enrollment cap and waitlist, because lawmakers wanted to avoid destabilizing the child care workforce and reduce harm to families. She also said the Senate is open to negotiating with the House on the Climate Commitment Act use of funds for the tax credit, noting that the statute allows it, though some advocates oppose that approach. The senators defended using $750 million from the rainy day fund, saying it was preferable to deeper cuts and still leaves reserves above $1 billion in the near term. They also argued that Washington’s revenue system is too dependent on property and sales taxes and that a future “millionaires tax” could help stabilize funding, especially for education and other core services. In response to criticism from educators and Republicans, they said the state has made progress on school funding and that rising program costs reflect increased need and utilization rather than waste. No votes were taken in the transcript, and the event was a budget rollout and press Q&A rather than a formal committee action.