Transcript Highlights:

• It’s a big, important field in the face of climate change and limited resources.
• It’s a big, important field in the face of climate change and limited resources.
• It’s a big, important field in the face of climate change and limited resources.
• It’s a big, important field in the face of climate change and limited resources.
• It’s a big, important field in the face of climate change and limited resources.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Bachman Hall and heard testimony on several UH-related bills. HB 542 would expand the Hawaiʻi Promise Program to provide unmet-need scholarships at four-year UH campuses. UH system officials, the UH Student Caucus, and a Honolulu Community College student testified in support, emphasizing college affordability, student retention, and workforce needs. Committee members asked about current program data, eligibility, transfer patterns, and cost; UH said it had data available, noted about 10% of current Hawaiʻi Promise students transfer to four-year campuses, and estimated the full expansion would cost about $12 million. UH also suggested a possible alternative of focusing on transfer opportunities from two-year to four-year campuses. The committee then heard HB 840, which concerns athletics appropriations for UH. UH Mānoa and UH Hilo supported the bill. UH officials said the funding would help cover recurring athletics operating costs, women’s sports travel and recruiting, Austin Awards, and a new nutrition fueling station, while Hilo said the money would help with travel, per diem, and conference-related costs. Members asked about the history of the athletics funding, the difference between Austin Awards and special talent waivers, NIL planning, and whether the appropriation should be restored to the base budget. UH explained that a $4 million athletics appropriation was originally made in 2018 or 2019, later removed from the base, and has been reappropriated annually since then. Finally, the committee heard HB 842, which would fund three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH Mānoa’s Counseling and Student Development Center. UH supported the bill, and Academic Labor United and a high school student testified in favor, citing student stress, overwork, and the need for more counseling access. In questions, members discussed the current counselor-to-student ratio, recruitment challenges in a tight labor market, and strategies for hiring, including looking at candidates on soft-money grants who may be seeking stable employment. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The biggest change, if you will, to how we fund schools was House Bill 63.
• Because of the changes in House Bill 63.
• The between the line is the actual amount, not a change or decrease.
• It, it may have to do with declining enrollment.
• But if you're seeing Percentage enrollment declines over 5 or 10 years.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:01.680> or consideration of you know changes or consideration of you know changes or
• Um politics to make those changes.
• changing time frames.
• to the federal level, including changes to the federal level, including changes to Medicaid,<00:
• enrolles under that in terms of enroll enrolles under that category<01:08:33.759> of<01:08:34.120

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• in the decision-making process when changes to caseloads are made.
• teaching, the narrative about progress changes.
• We take in a district's state aid fall enrollment, so it's fall enrollment.
• We have two different types of fall enrollment.
• So that's how we kind of fund that with state aid fall enrollment.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to discuss special education funding and retention, beginning with approval of the prior meeting minutes and then hearing a presentation from North Dakota United on a statewide special education survey and retention rubric. Presenters described how the rubric and survey were developed from special educator input around four domains: paperwork and due process support, workload, student and staff safety, and paraprofessional management. They reported high levels of stress and burnout, including increased workload, difficulty taking prep and lunch time, concerns about mental health, and widespread difficulty filling special education positions. Committee members questioned the survey’s lack of a general-education comparison group, the interpretation of terms like “rarely” and “sometimes,” and whether results could be broken down further by district size, unit, or disability area. The survey results showed the weakest area was workload, with respondents reporting caseloads increasing without corresponding adjustments, little additional support or compensation when workloads rise, and few negotiated-agreement protections. Paperwork and due process also scored poorly, with many teachers saying they rarely receive dedicated time during the duty day, often work outside contract hours without compensation, and take work home on evenings and weekends. Student and staff safety scored somewhat better but still showed gaps in crisis follow-up, notification about violent behavior, protective gear, and leave options after incidents. Paraprofessional management also drew concern, especially low pay, insufficient staffing, limited administrative support, and the burden placed on teachers to supervise and train paras. Several teachers then testified directly about the practical impact of these issues. One special education teacher described the job as combining instruction, legal compliance, and paraprofessional supervision, often requiring work beyond contracted hours and contributing to burnout and turnover. Another testified that special education case managers are effectively doing three full-time jobs and that the paperwork and caseload demands are a major reason people avoid or leave the field. Committee members discussed whether the problems are primarily local or state-level, whether more funding would solve them, and whether changes to the funding formula or weighting for high-cost students might be needed. No formal vote or action was taken beyond a recess and return to order for the next presentation, which continued the discussion of possible special education study objectives and potential policy directions.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's changed around.
• And so what It needs to be changed.
• From y'all's perspective, a legislative. change for Mars, an executive or operational change.
• , with or without a change of scope.
• shrink or get larger because of enrollment changes.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I would like to propose an amendment directed to the committee on the changes that are necessary
• And they recognize that this has an impact on our enrollment.
• They saw our student housing, and they recognize that this has an impact on our enrollment.
• And with the decreased 26% of enrollment has decreased, so that's not even happening anymore.
• It's important to note that this memorial does not change law. It does not mandate new programs.

Bills: SB234, SB210, SB243, SB244, SM16, HB8

Keywords: foster children, school transportation, education funding, public education, child welfare, New Mexico Highlands University, soccer field, women's sports, infrastructure improvement, funding allocation, student athletes, appropriation, New Mexico State University, nutrition, travel support, funding, education, university support, financial assistance, parenting students

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, there are a couple different qualifications to enable the auto enrollment.
• It changes the fees that the finance authority can charge to process and consider these petitions.
• The Senate amendments make technical changes.
• the changes.
• intention to concur or refuse these changes.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of House bills that had returned from the Senate with amendments, with members repeatedly noting that sponsors intended to concur on most items. Topics included public health and vaccination rules (HB 2086, HB 2248), state investment in gold and silver (HB 2140), property records and voter-registration privacy (HB 2327), municipal and county regulation of business property and development fees (HB 2460, HB 2946, HB 2999), legislative subpoenas (HB 2745), cold plunge regulation (HB 2439), nursing-facility complaint timelines and licensed health aide rules (HB 2195, HB 2189), court-ordered treatment review (HB 2923), Access/Medicaid reimbursement and prior authorization for diagnostic services (HB 2932), inmate mental health study committee language (HB 2673), prenatal development instruction in schools (HB 2830), public records requests by legislators (HB 4056), parents’ rights and social transitioning in schools (HB 2249), school district financial compliance and facilities contracting (HB 2481, HB 2482), Native American language proficiency for graduation (HB 2895), advanced math auto-enrollment (HB 2423), special education and military-family procedures (HB 2621), AI rules for state agencies (HB 2592), eviction record sealing (HB 2244), tax filing penalties (HB 2016), shade structures in HOAs (HB 2342), homelessness-related community restitution (HB 2028), medical records timelines (HB 2557), PFAS firefighting foam restrictions (HB 2641), family-court expert testimony and prisoner transition services (HB 2662, HB 2440), address confidentiality protections (HB 2594), guardianship notice attestation (HB 2661), utilities for high-load customers (HB 2756), and nuclear-ready community planning (HB 2456). The committee also briefly moved to Caucus Calendar 19 for additional bills on mobile food vendors, school board training, out-of-state travel and meeting transparency, and a medical-intervention nondiscrimination bill. Several bills drew substantive discussion or criticism. Members debated HB 2932 at length, with staff explaining that Access said the bill would have a high fiscal impact because it would require reimbursement for non-contracted lab services and eliminate prior authorization for a broad range of diagnostic services, potentially increasing costs substantially. HB 2249 also prompted concern from members who argued it could force teachers to out students and create civil liability for using preferred pronouns or failing to notify parents about social transitioning. HB 2830 was criticized as requiring prenatal-development instruction while barring discussion of sexual activity or reproduction. HB 2028, which allows community restitution instead of a $20 probation assessment for people who are indigent and experiencing homelessness, was questioned as potentially punitive. HB 2481 was discussed as a way to help, rather than punish, small rural school districts struggling with financial-record compliance. The caucus also noted that several of the measures were sponsored by Democrats, which was highlighted as notable during the meeting. No formal votes were taken in the transcript. The caucus chair repeatedly asked for questions, and in most cases there were none, after which the sponsor was understood to intend concurrence with the Senate amendments. The meeting ended with adjournment after the caucus moved through the remaining calendar items.

Transcript Highlights:

• These changes are intended to provide clarification to the existing vaccine requirements for enrollment
• These changes are intended to provide clarification to the existing vaccine requirements for enrollment
• business changes. business changes.
• the<01:05:10.040> changes<01:05:10.480> to And finally, changing to the changes
• So, the main change in this section is just related to provider enrollment.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and enroll them into uh, insurance. and enroll them into uh, insurance.
• changing the may to a shall. changing the may to a shall.
• from a network change.
• understand what is changing and why. understand what is changing and why.
• changes in the system. changes in the system.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So yes, this projection does assume some enrollment increase; however...
• And that doesn't change. That doesn't change, currently codified in the statute? Perfect.
• Of a policy change.
• So this does not change that process.
• not address changes to the Medicaid program.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're asking for this change for FY26 and going forward.
• Next, moving on to page 10, this is the summary of changes.
• So as you'll note, there are quite a few changes on here.
• for 135,384 gross square feet for Enrollment of 1,100 students.
• This is an award language change.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Caballero: That these changes were made possible.
• Speaker, Senate Bill 343 is teacher salary rate changes.
• So what do they currently make and what would it change? Gentle Lady: Mr.
• I mean, this doesn't actually change that. Representative Parajón: Mr.
• What happens if they enroll in law enforcement and DACA gets terminated?

Transcript Highlights:

• House and receipt of a privilege report from the Committee on Enrollment.
• The Committee on Enrollment has properly enrolled a number of House resolutions, House concurrent resolutions
• One changed director to commissioner, and also changed fleet size from 10 to 250.
• Representative Turner continued: Two amendments, one changed director to commissioner and also changed
• I request the House's consent to change my vote on House Bill 782 from absent to yea.

Bills: HR308, HR309, HR310, HR311, HR312, HR313, HR314, HR315, HR316, HR317, HR318, HR319, HR295, HR296, HR297, HR298, HR299, HR300, HR301, HR302, HR303, HR304, HR305, HR306, HR307, HCR115, HCR116, HCR117, SCR71, SCR72, SCR73, HR73, HR118, HR144, HR196, HR237, HR249, HR260, HR267, HR272, HR273, HR276, HR278, HCR85, HCR100, HCR105, HCR107, HCR113, HCR114, SCR5, SCR29, SCR33, SCR37, SCR63, HB255, HB378, HB509, HB1090, SB80, SB131, SB143, SB251, SB254, SB279, SB367, SB384, SB388, SB389, SB398, SB408, SB431, SB468, SB469, SB496, SB25, SB132, SB155, SB157, SB202, SB295, SB433, HR179, HR223, HR225, HR274, HCR89, HR252, HR253, HCR96, HCR103, HCR108, HCR26, HB250, HB265, HB339, HB427, HB445, HB463, HB468, HB606, HB639, HB649, HB665, HB746, HB781, HB853, HB861, HB872, HB886, HB916, HB937, HB1054, HB1068, HB1117, HB1237, HB74, HB108, HB956, HB1085, HB1137, HB62, HB193, HB210, HB220, HB246, HB364, HB420, HB475, HB584, HB622, HB772, HB784, HB949, HB953, HB1043, HB1070, HB1092, HB1134, HB1162, HB1176, HB1196, HB1214, HB1199, SB268, SB283, HB782, SB149, HR84, HB646, HB998, SB56, SB163, SB197, SB97, SB326, SB341, SB518, SB123, SB353, SB479, SB495, HB901, HR20, HR74, HR168, HCR65, HCR71, HCR98, HB284, HB302, HB306, HB341, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB603, HB605, HB614, HB625, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB798, HB911, HB955, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1191, HB1240, HB1255, SB82, SB89, HB134, HB258, HB359, SB29, SB42, SB43, SB217, SB274, SB300, SB379, SB382, SB441, SB449

Keywords: HR 308, House Resolution 308, Pope Leo XIV, Catholic Church, Holy See, Vatican, commendation, resolution, Louisiana Catholic heritage, St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, South Louisiana parishes, religious recognition, ceremonial resolution, faith leadership, pontificate, spiritual solidarity, human dignity, peace, mercy

Summary: The House convened with prayer, pledge, and a quorum, then spent much of the day on recognitions and commemorative resolutions. Members honored coach Jeffrey Craig Whittington, tourism and the Louisiana Oil Makers Association, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Tangipahoa Parish Fair, Washington Parish festivals, ACOG’s 75th anniversary, Louisiana Tech women’s basketball, and Memorial Day. A major Memorial Day presentation commended Lane Frenchy Boudreau for helping recover the body of Army Sgt. First Class James H. Moore in Vietnam; the House observed a moment of silence and presented a flag to Moore’s family. The chamber also received Senate messages, enrolled bills, and committee reports, and introduced several new resolutions on topics including Pope Leo XIV, orphan wells, scenic rivers, Teche water quality, and the LaMelle family’s pilgrimage to Rome. The House then took up numerous resolutions and bills, often adopting them without objection. Among the measures adopted or advanced were studies on neighborhood crime prevention districts, parish solid waste and disaster resiliency in Washington Parish, the Louisiana Climate Action Plan, the Louisiana Maneuvers museum/trail, cash-rounding practices after penny production ends, residential construction costs and inspection practices, roundabout education, Taiwan relations, TSA worker loan assistance in Shreveport, human growth and development standards, and the state income tax credit for water utility customers. The chamber also adopted or concurred in several Senate amendments on bills dealing with financial disclosure, video voyeurism, personal information protections, online child safety, STEM advisory council changes, dual enrollment tuition, fleet vehicle registration, menhaden fishing rules, recording fees, amusement ride insurance, drone footage authentication, garbage and trash contracts, insurance prescription periods, retirement system changes, juror qualifications, fireworks, inspection stickers, employment discrimination, and inactive boards and commissions. Several measures drew discussion or division. H.B. 1199, requiring coverage for genetic testing and treatment for SCN2A-associated disorders, passed 94-0 after being discharged from Appropriations. H.B. 302, which would prohibit vape sales within 300 feet of schools, passed 86-4. H.B. 84, encouraging an interest-free loan program for TSA workers at Shreveport Regional Airport, passed 64-27. H.B. 1054 on self-authentication of law enforcement drone footage passed 78-12, and H.B. 1137 limiting employment discrimination protections to state employees passed 71-23. The House rejected Senate amendments on H.B. 468 (residential real property wholesaling), H.B. 1117 (insurance contractual payments and prescriptive periods), H.B. 956 (fireworks dates), and H.B. 74 (Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism), while concurring in or adopting amendments on many other bills. The session ended amid continued consideration of Senate Bill 56 on the West Bank/Lafitte levee governance structure, including an adopted amendment to ensure Lafitte-area representation on the board, with extended remarks about the history and accomplishments of the existing levee authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not necessarily looking for any changes at the moment that I can think of.
• I'm not necessarily looking for any changes at the moment that I can think of.
• In terms of student enrollment, like was mentioned earlier, our spring 2024 enrollment was 13,604 students
• , and preliminary numbers Enrollment was 13,604 students, and preliminary numbers for spring 2025 enrollment
• Have you changed your mind? I have not changed my mind.

Summary: The committee first took up 127 gubernatorial appointees grouped in blocks and, after brief testimony in favor of several nominees, voted to recommend confirmation of the block nominees to the full Senate. The committee then moved through a series of University of West Florida and other board nominations, hearing from each nominee about their background and priorities, with most emphasizing service, local ties, student success, military partnerships, and university growth. Several nominees also answered questions about governance, faculty hiring, diversity, and the university’s strategic direction. For the University of West Florida Board of Trustees, the committee heard from Paul Bailey, Rebecca Matthews, Rachel Moyah, Ashley Ross, Christopher Young, and Adam Kissel. Bailey stressed his local roots, legal background, and support for UWF’s pre-law program and military connections; Matthews highlighted her education and state-government experience, current role as board chair, enrollment growth, fundraising, and alignment with state directives; Moyah cited her education and school board experience, fiscal discipline, and recent positive financial and enrollment figures; Ross emphasized fundraising, workforce needs, cyber opportunities, and support for the governor’s higher education agenda; and Young focused on business accountability, audit oversight, rural access to education, and expanding military-related opportunities. Each of these nominees was questioned about issues such as diversity, “woke” culture, faculty ideology, and the role of the board, and each was ultimately recommended for confirmation by roll-call vote. Adam Kissel’s nomination drew the most extensive debate and public testimony. Kissel described his background in free speech advocacy, federal education policy, philanthropy, and higher education reform, and said he would support UWF’s growth, free-speech protections, military and veteran engagement, and stronger graduation rates. Senators pressed him on prior writings favoring privatization of public higher education, comments about replacing administrators with AI, his work with the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025, and how his views fit with serving on a public university board; he said his long-term libertarian views did not conflict with his short-term support for UWF receiving more resources. Public testimony was split, with supporters praising his free-speech credentials, military focus, and alignment with the governor’s reforms, while opponents questioned his commitment to public higher education and whether he could be trusted to learn the university from the ground up. After debate, the committee voted to recommend Kissel’s confirmation to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our enrollments are up.
• The new requirements, as my peer in LFC mentioned, are due to age changes as well as dependent changes
• As policymakers, things can change, and changes to the program can occur.
• Cultural values can change, maybe.
• So that as we make those changes, as we review our cultural changes and our changes in priority, we understand

Transcript Highlights:

• OUR CENTERS AND INSTITUTES PROVIDE CRITICAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN OUR STATE UNIVERSITY
• OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OUR TOTAL RESEARCH EXPENDITURES, HOW MUCH HAS THIS CHANGED?
• THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THESE ARE CHANGING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE STUDENTS.
• CAREERS CHANGE, NOT JUST JOBS.
• LET ME START WITH THREE AND WORKUP FOR A CHANGE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• thank you for the change. thank you for the change. Thank<01:33:42.880> you. Thank you.
• but we are looking at a proposed change but we are looking at a proposed change to<02:13:58.639>
• So, we need to change that stigma.
• So, we need to change that stigma.
• So, we need to change reservation lands. So, we need to change that<03:45:15.600> stigma.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That doesn't change.
• That doesn't change.
• Those are very positive changes.
• Those are very positive changes.
• Those are very positive changes.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that, of course, matters as there's changes in the forecast and changes in growth or decline in
• I would see that that's a notable change in November is about changes to the long-term care waivers.
• People and some other changes.
• 1% change.
• First, we adjusted for enrollment.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Why was this change made?
• Now, these course the Romans are over 200,000 statewide and changes within the structural Bill.
• The standards are the standards that's not going to change.
• They're changing. I feel based on the fact that there's no transparency.
• But the this came out of an audit said, hey, could you change the statutes in areas?