Transcript Highlights:

• And then at the end of May, we will be taking that information and feedback, revising and presenting
• Come this July, both agencies are going to be funding contingency management statewide.
• The purpose of youth recovery is to build a statewide network of youth recovery support services.
• The purpose of youth recovery is to build a statewide network of youth recovery support services.
• They've done statewide education and actually have brought it to the national level and presented at

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the April minutes and brief administrative updates, including notice that House Bill 5447 had passed both chambers of the General Assembly. Speakers reflected on the bill’s key provisions, which include eating-disorder working groups, an evidence-based screening requirement for school-based health centers beginning July 1, 2027, and a DSS-led feasibility process to explore an inpatient psychiatric facility for young adults ages 14 to 21. New staff introductions were also made for the Behavioral Health Advocate’s office and the TCB team. A major portion of the meeting focused on marketing and outreach for urgent crisis centers (UCCs) and the broader youth crisis continuum. Daydream Communications presented research showing low public awareness of UCCs but strong interest once families learn about them, with parents wanting specialized, compassionate care, clear expectations, insurance clarity, and bilingual support. United Way described its parallel work on a statewide crisis continuum marketing toolkit, using the SAMHSA framework of “someone to talk to, someone to respond, and somewhere safe to go,” and outlined plans to distribute consistent messaging through websites, social media, flyers, and community venues. Members emphasized coordinating with existing platforms and ensuring the marketing reflects the actual experience at UCC sites. DCF then presented on adolescent substance use services, citing data showing high need and low treatment access among Connecticut youth. The department reviewed its ASAM-based continuum, SBIRT efforts in outpatient psychiatric clinics, medication-assisted treatment access, and statewide services such as MST, MST emerging adults, STRIDE, multidimensional family therapy, youth recovery supports, and the AIM matching tool. A new young people peer support program was highlighted, with referrals accepted from families, hospitals, community providers, DCF, youth diversion, and the judicial branch. Questions addressed parent consent, peer matching, and whether the AIM tool could be linked through 211. The meeting concluded with an update from the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board and its regional boards and grant-funded initiatives. Presenters reviewed the state suicide prevention plan, regional coalition work, postvention response, lethal means safety efforts, and the 988 capacity improvement grant that supports Connecticut’s centralized 988 contact center at United Way. They also shared youth suicide risk data from the Connecticut Youth Risk Behavior Survey, noting recent declines in reported suicidal ideation and attempts, and provided resources for training and materials. No formal votes were taken beyond the approval of the April minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think it's really important that we build statewide standards to address the significant... ...
• that we build statewide standards to address the significant new demands on our grid, our water, and
• And so this... ...would just create a statewide standard that utilities can utilize as we see new data
• We have been working extensively with a statewide coalition of environmentalists and local.
• The city continues to explore carbon capture technologies and advance a statewide rural development by

Bills: HB2338 , HB2367 , HB2426 , HB2606

Committee: Senate Environment, Energy & Technology

Keywords: weatherization, energy efficiency, community projects, sustainability, environment, coal-fired plant, preferential treatment, energy policy, electric generation, regulatory reform, pollution control, efficiency, appeals process, environmental regulation, hearing board, data protection, privacy, performance measures, reporting requirements, office of privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, my name is Leanna Cresson with the Statewide Poverty Action Network.
• I'm here testifying in opposition to the creation of a statewide payroll tax.
• I'm the Policy Director for Faith Action Network, a statewide multi-faith organization.
• Policies that have already failed at the local level should not be expanded statewide.
• Our members, large and small, are opposed to House Bill 2100, the statewide payroll tax.

Bills: HB2334 , HB2140 , HB2326 , HB2100

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: cash transactions, pennies, currency adjustment, economic impact, consumer protection, tax exemption, governmental transfer, agriculture, land use, property tax, emergency medical services, levies, healthcare funding, local government, taxation, excise tax, large companies, payroll expenses, minimum wage, Well Washington fund

Transcript Highlights:

• Dave Mullenix representing our Revolution Hawaii's 5,000 members and supporters statewide.
• uh and thank the uh supporter Statewide uh and thank the uh committee<01:23:28.000><c> for</c><01:23
• amending or repealing statutory revision amending or repealing various<01:28:45.679><c> provisions</
• </c> various provisions of the Hawaii revised various provisions of the Hawaii revised statutes<01:28
• This is the annual revision bill that we need to do.

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs met on March 12, 2025, and heard testimony on several election-related and governance measures. On SB 176, relating to recounts, the Office of Elections supported clarifying that recount triggers should be based on the final Election Day report rather than the 6:00 a.m. next-day report, citing a 2022 recount example. The chair noted 3 testimonies in support, 42 in opposition, and 1 comment. On SB 1337, relating to the Stadium Authority, the authority supported changing quorum rules so only voting members count, explaining that the current interpretation makes it difficult to conduct business; written testimony from DBEDT was also received. On SB 289, relating to ethics administrative fines, the Ethics Commission supported uniform procedures to resolve uncontested enforcement matters more quickly while preserving due process; written support was also noted. The committee then heard SB 311, a proposed constitutional amendment on freedom of speech and money in elections. Supporters, including Community Alliance on Prisons, Our Revolution Hawaii, Pride at Work Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, and others, argued that money in politics distorts democracy and that the amendment would help prevent wealthy interests from buying influence. Opponents, including the Hawaii Christian Coalition and individual testifiers, argued that changing the constitution was too serious, that the proposal should be handled by ordinary legislation instead, and that the measure could create legal conflict. Deputy Attorney General Candace Park said the bill would only matter if key federal cases such as Buckley and Citizens United were overturned, and the chair thanked her for the legal input. The committee also heard SB 780, relating to election ballot disqualification, which would exclude candidates disqualified by constitutional or statutory provisions and create procedures for challenges. Opposition testimony said the bill would undermine voter choice, burden courts and election officials, and invite misuse; the Hawaii Christian Coalition echoed those concerns. Members raised questions about whether the measure would apply only to state and county offices, and the Attorney General’s office said it would follow up. Finally, on SB 1030, relating to election intimidation, supporters said firearms should not be brought near polling places or ballot drop boxes, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary and could affect lawful possession; the committee received 12 testimonies, with 39 in support. The committee then began SB 1225, a proposed constitutional amendment changing the vote threshold for legislative amendments to a majority of votes tallied, excluding blanks, spoiled ballots, and overvotes; testimony in support was heard from the LGBTQ+ Commission and others, and the discussion was still underway when the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• We recently did just revise our strategic plan, but the overarching goals remain the same.
• So, I will note that we are in the process of a major website revision.
• And as we revise the website, which is going to commence this spring, we'll revisit the metrics because
• So, as far as wolf abundance goes, this graph depicts the past six years of the statewide wolf population
• a fraction of those losses, both because of the single-claim cap of $125,000 and because overall statewide

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So to have, you know, a couple dozen schools or a couple, even a couple hundred statewide, getting those
• So those are statewide, and they're increasing by about 1,000, you said, a year.
• So we need a better statewide presence in order to more strategically investigate these cases.
• With current CNIP funding, only 40% of the farmers' markets statewide can offer Market Match.
• So obviously we're in strong support of these programs being funded statewide and just being funded in

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we think also looking comprehensively at the statewide disaster plan for early learning and
• I had kind of flagged in my testimony around looking at the statewide disaster plan for early learning
• I'm the executive director of Every Child California, where we are a statewide community of over 2,500
• Without proactive training and statewide technical assistance, many programs, state, Without proactive
• And hopefully the state can actually revise them and come to an agreement.

Summary: The hearing focused first on how wildfires and other disasters affect child care providers, families, and early education infrastructure. State officials from the Department of Social Services and Department of Education described disaster response and preparedness efforts, including shelter coordination, licensing outreach, emergency waivers, distribution of supplies, and the statewide child care disaster plan. Testimony from providers and advocates emphasized major gaps in recovery funding, insurance coverage, rebuilding support, mental health services, and coordination with local rebuild plans. Several witnesses urged more dedicated disaster-recovery funding for child care facilities and suggested statutory changes, including allowing greater flexibility for rebuilding costs and requiring early childhood programs to be included in local disaster planning. The second panel addressed immigration enforcement and its impact on child care. Advocates from the Children's Partnership, Every Child California, and CHIRLA said enforcement activity is causing families to keep children home, disrupting continuity of care, reducing enrollment, and creating fear and trauma for children and providers. They argued that immigrant and mixed-status families need clearer protections, privacy safeguards, legal support, trauma-informed guidance, and safe-haven policies for child care settings. Speakers also stressed that the child care workforce is heavily immigrant and that recent state laws such as AB 49 and AB 495 will require funding, training, and technical assistance to implement effectively. Public commenters, including child care providers, described personal experiences with fire damage, displacement, permit delays, lost income, and the emotional toll of serving families during crises. Others described how immigration enforcement has made parents afraid to attend events, drop off children, or remain connected to providers. Committee members repeatedly noted that child care is often overlooked in emergencies and asked state officials how child care systems are being integrated into disaster planning and how local and state agencies can better coordinate. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I do think it should be statewide, and we've talked about this.
• And in terms of my colleague, I appreciate your interest in making sure this goes statewide.
• And I also think because of the nuances of going statewide versus...
• Statewide, NEM customers avoid paying 82 to 91% of their share of the costs.
• So then, when do we revise it?

Summary: The committee heard several energy and utilities bills, with testimony largely focused on wildfire mitigation, affordability, clean energy planning, and utility accountability. AB 706, by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry, would create a fund to support projects that use forest biomass waste from wildfire mitigation and forest restoration; supporters said it would reduce open burning and emissions while providing reliable renewable power, and the bill later passed 13-0. AB 39, by Assembly Member Zbur, would require larger cities and counties to adopt electrification planning strategies for transportation and buildings; it drew broad support from clean energy, labor, environmental, and local government advocates and passed 9-0. AB 1167, by Assembly Member Berman, would restrict investor-owned utilities from charging ratepayers for lobbying, promotional advertising, and similar shareholder-benefit expenses; supporters framed it as an affordability and transparency measure, while utilities argued the bill was overly broad and already covered by existing rules. It passed 7-0, with some members not voting and the roll left open. The committee also considered AB 1417 on offshore wind community funding transparency, which was amended to remove new fees and instead require reporting on developer support for local and tribal community capacity-building; opposition was withdrawn and the bill passed 9-0. AB 367, by Assembly Member Bennett, would require water districts in high fire-risk areas of Ventura County to have backup power, full tanks during red flag warnings, and hardened facilities; water agencies opposed unless amended due to cost and liability concerns, but the bill passed 10-0. The consent calendar, including multiple additional measures, was approved 11-0. Other bills drew more divided testimony. AB 745 would allow securitization to finance utility undergrounding and prohibit a return on equity for undergrounding projects; supporters said it would lower ratepayer costs, while utilities warned it would effectively discourage undergrounding and could raise other rates. The bill passed 7-4 and was left on call. AB 1423 would apply reliability standards to publicly funded EV chargers installed before 2024; supporters said taxpayers should get functioning chargers, while charging-network representatives objected to retroactive requirements and possible conflicts with existing agreements. It passed 13-0. AB 388 would create a narrow exception to utility regulation to facilitate green hydrogen projects using private power lines; supporters said it would unlock low-cost renewable hydrogen and jobs, while utilities raised concerns about customer protections and grid planning. It passed 12-0. The committee also began hearing AB 825, which the author said would address the high cost of financing major transmission and generation buildout, but the transcript cuts off before the full presentation and action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also makes other revisions that remove provisions dealing with the first year of ticket sales
• Senate Bill 964 revises requirements for reporting of certain gifts and honoraria.
• It also directs the department to implement a statewide education campaign... ...birth.
• They are the highest statewide elected officials in the state of Florida.
• The it's mentioned that there's sometimes teacher shortages, whether it's statewide or countywide.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions before taking up a special order calendar of bills. Early measures included a claims bill for relief to L.E. through the Department of Children and Families, which passed 34-0 after substitution from the House version, and a claims bill for the estate of Mark Legata, which passed 35-0 after the amount was reduced in the substitute. The chamber then approved CS for CS for SB 42 on child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, requiring investigators to consider certain medical conditions that can mimic abuse; the sponsor described it as a fix for cases where medical evidence is overlooked, and it passed 34-0. A bill on autism education for teachers was also substituted with the House version, amended to replace the Senate language, and passed 35-0 after supportive remarks from members. The Senate next passed a land-use bill, SB 218, adjusting hurricane-related development restrictions so they continue in storm-damaged counties but expire in unaffected counties in 2026, with debate focused on local control and recovery needs; it passed 36-0. The chamber then approved several other measures with little or no opposition: a probate bill modernizing curators of estates (36-0), a Blue Ribbon Projects bill creating a framework for large planned developments with conservation set-asides, which drew extensive debate over local control, growth management, and the bill’s breadth before being temporarily postponed, a state lotteries update (36-0), a diploma requirements bill allowing Special Olympics participation to substitute for PE and clarifying marching band credit (36-0), and a naturopathic medicine licensure/regulation bill that reestablishes a licensing framework and board, which passed 33-3. The Justice Administrative Commission bill was amended to broaden membership to include a judge or senior judge and passed 37-0. The Senate also passed a public records exemption for certain local administrators and their families (31-5), a clinical laboratory personnel bill easing staffing requirements by aligning more closely with federal CLIA standards (37-0), a dry needling bill clarifying occupational therapists may perform the practice (37-0), a financial disclosures bill revising gift/honoraria reporting and restoring a percentage-based reporting option via amendment (36-0), and a child welfare bill expanding when parental drug abuse can be treated as harm or neglect and allowing earlier court intervention and services (37-0). Later, the chamber took up a bill on ideologies inconsistent with American principles and terrorist organizations. The sponsor said it would prevent enforcement of foreign or religious law over the Constitution, create a due-process process for domestic terrorist designations, and bar public funds from supporting terrorism. Senators raised questions about the lack of a time limit on conduct used for designation and whether conviction is required; an amendment was then offered to remove specific references to Sharia law and the bill’s findings, with the sponsor of the amendment arguing the language stigmatized Muslim constituents and singled out Islam. The transcript cuts off during that amendment debate, so no final action on the bill is shown in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• revision of KRS 157.069.
• revision of KRS 157.069.
• </c><00:43:00.800><c> the</c> House Bill 499 into the revision the House Bill 499 into the revision the
• original<00:43:01.680><c> revision</c><00:43:02.000><c> of</c> original revision of original revision
• <00:43:30.839><c> representative</c> revision representative revision representative brater<00:43:33.319

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 669, sponsored by Representative Smith, which was presented as a response to a September shooting incident in his district that led to school closures and missed instructional days. Smith said the bill was intended to help school districts recover lost days caused by extraordinary emergencies and not to set a broad precedent. Members asked whether districts had adjusted calendars to make up time, and Smith said many had already extended days or moved calendars into June. The committee then voted to pass House Bill 669, with all members present voting yes. The committee next heard House Bill 621, as amended by a committee substitute that removed a homeschooling-related section and left only the school-threat provisions. The bill would allow courts to impose a fine on parents when a child is adjudicated for terroristic threatening if law enforcement incurred excessive costs, and it would require a mental health assessment for the child. Representative Duvall and Officer Steve Chappelle supported the measure, arguing that online school threats spread fear, disrupt attendance, pull law-enforcement resources from other schools, and should create more parental accountability. Representative Riley also supported the accountability goal, citing lost instructional time and a recent student suicide tied to online issues. Several members raised concerns about the bill’s scope and due process. Representative Josh Callaway questioned why this offense should be the starting point for parental fines and warned about a slippery slope in holding parents liable for children’s crimes. Representative Willner said the bill seemed more like a judiciary issue, questioned whether punishment can make parents better parents, and asked about diversion programs and the meaning of the detention language. Representative Tipton pointed to existing statutes on mental health assessments and terroristic threatening penalties, and said the committee substitute would alleviate many concerns. Scott West, speaking for Kentucky Policy and the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, argued that the mandatory detention language would remove judicial discretion and that the parental fine provision could conflict with existing due process protections requiring notice, a hearing, and a finding that lack of supervision was a substantial factor in the child’s delinquency. The transcript does not show a final vote on House Bill 621 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or is that just a revision? I think that's a revision. Okay, so you have that piece in there.
• project done by an internationally known consultant to make recommendations of how Missouri might revise
• make recommendations of how Missouri might revive. to make recommendations of how Missouri might revise
• Focusing on addressing the emerging and unmet regional and statewide workforce needs, increasing collaboration

Committee: House Higher Education and Workforce Development

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ranking members' proposed substitute for the same thing for the 2026 supplemental budget, which makes revisions
• ranking members' proposed substitute for the same thing for the 2026 supplemental budget, which makes revisions
• adopted, and the other revenue forecasts that have been adopted since June of last year, have all been revised
• All right, so I'll jump right into the spending revisions.
• changes to the Washington State Patrol. $7.6 million is provided for the land mobile radio network and statewide

Summary: The House Transportation Committee held public hearings on a proposed substitute for House Bill 2306, the 2026 transportation supplemental budget, and on proposed substitute House Bill 2711, a transportation resources bill. Staff described HB 2306 as revising the enacted 2025-27 transportation budget, increasing spending by about $1.1 billion to $16.5 billion, largely through reappropriations and new funding for preservation, maintenance, rail, transit, active transportation, ferries, licensing, and State Patrol needs. The chair and ranking member emphasized caution because of downward revenue forecasts, uncertainty around major project bids and future fish passage costs, and the decision to use existing bond authority without new bonding. Public testimony on HB 2306 generally supported preservation, maintenance, rail improvements, dredging, transit access, and local safety projects, while some witnesses urged more support for EV incentives and long-term transportation funding stability. For HB 2711, staff explained that the bill responds to administrative issues in last year’s transportation resources law, including fuel tax inflation adjustments, luxury vehicle/aircraft/vessel taxes, the indigent tow reimbursement program, tire fee language, and other tax administration provisions. The proposed substitute would repeal the luxury aircraft tax, adjust peer-to-peer rental car tax administration, restore authority for the Transportation Commission to exempt transit buses from tolls, waive certain penalties and interest tied to early compliance with the luxury vehicle tax, allow lease payments to be taxed incrementally, add exemptions for tribal members and nonresidents, change transfer timing between accounts, and create a Preserve Washington Account for highway preservation and maintenance. Fiscal notes projected additional revenue from aligning use tax with sales tax and modest administrative costs, while delaying the tow reimbursement program reduced near-term expenditures. Testimony on HB 2711 was mixed. RV dealers asked for a delay to the luxury vehicle tax, arguing the industry is already in decline and the tax could push sales out of state. WFSE supported the new Preserve Washington Account and urged higher bid limits for highway maintenance work. Committee members asked for clarification on the peer-to-peer rental car tax and the transit bus toll exemption. The chair announced that executive session on the bills, along with one other measure, would occur Wednesday, and members were told to submit amendment requests by the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill aims to revise an enhanced mice.
• This proposed revision complies with the street or 3 stories or taller.
• It revises rules for roof related projects.
• Differentiating between pitcher suppliers also revises the reimbursement language from $1000 per square
• It also directs the University of Florida to develop an annual report on the findings within statewide

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As part of the MPA, the state conducted the first-ever statewide survey about the current and future
• As part of the MPA, the state conducted the first-ever statewide survey about the current and future
• So what I'm going to do today is provide an overview of the findings of our first statewide study on
• Well, we actually did include in the front forward, you know, part of the revised plan...
• You know, part of the revised plan, we did include reference to that.

Summary: The Select Committee on Older LGBTQ Californians held an inaugural hearing focused on the health care and support landscape for older LGBTQ Californians, including people aging with HIV and transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex seniors. Opening remarks emphasized the long history of discrimination faced by older LGBTQ adults, the growth of the aging LGBTQ population, and the need to translate existing state commitments into concrete services. Senators highlighted concerns about nursing home vulnerability, the aging of people living with HIV, and the impact of federal actions and Medicaid cuts on California’s safety net. The first panel featured Justice in Aging, CalHHS, the Department of Aging, and the Aging and HIV Institute. Testimony described widespread inequities, including discrimination, social isolation, economic insecurity, and gaps in culturally competent care. State officials outlined the Master Plan for Aging, the first statewide survey of LGBTQIA older adults, gender-affirming care protections in Medi-Cal, and efforts to improve coordination across departments. Advocates argued the state has been too slow to respond to federal threats and that services are often hard to find or fragmented. Committee members pressed the departments on how survey findings are being turned into action, how rural and underserved communities are being reached, and whether more formal stakeholder coordination or “no wrong door” access systems are needed. The second panel focused on seniors living with HIV. A long-term survivor gave emotional testimony about the “survivorship penalty,” loss of benefits, housing insecurity, and the need for legal and navigation support, housing assistance, and protection from outdated disability standards. The Department of Aging reported on implementation of SB 258, which added HIV status to the definition of greatest social need for area agencies on aging; it said 20 of 33 area plans now identify HIV as a target population and many include specific strategies, such as LGBTQIA mental health connections programs. The Office of AIDS described Project Cornerstone, Ryan White, ADAP, HOPWA, the Medi-Cal waiver, and PrEP-AP, noting these programs serve thousands of older clients and rely on whole-person case management. Case management testimony underscored persistent needs for medication subsidies, transportation, food, and housing. Committee members questioned how ADAP rebate funds might be used, how SB 258 is enforced across local agencies, and how to reduce administrative barriers and auto-connect eligible people to benefits. The final panel began with the Department of Social Services outlining protections for TGI seniors in licensed care facilities, including SB 219’s nondiscrimination requirements and related provider notices and resident rights materials. The hearing remained focused on identifying service gaps, improving coordination across aging, health, and social service systems, and ensuring state programs better reflect the lived experience of older LGBTQ Californians.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have delivered eight statewide trainings and... ...federal agencies.
• It's delivering results, and it represents what effective statewide leadership can look like.
• In 2025, a record 12,035 people were added to the Armed and Prohibited Person System statewide.
• In 2025, a record 12,035 people were added to the Armed and Prohibited Person System statewide.
• Looking forward to seeing the revision.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To implement a statewide fraud reduction and payment accuracy plan governing supplemental nutritional
• It revises reporting requirements and language for the requirements of consortium board members.
• It revises reporting requirements and language for the requirements of consortium board members.
• And we got into the Council for Revision Commission in this chamber.
• This bill builds on that program by revising the eligibility criteria.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the nice thing about the HAMI grant is it does have statewide use right now.
• </c><00:48:49.359><c> use</c> grant is it does have statewide use grant is it does have statewide use
• And so what we did is we created a statewide grant program.
• </c> so what we did is we created a statewide so what we did is we created a statewide grant<01:12:05.920
• </c> committed to driving change statewide committed to driving change statewide and<01:20:09.760><c>

Bills: HF2115 , HF2276 , HF1644 , HF99 , HF2068 , HF2707 , HF2704 , HF2406 , HF1674 , HF1579

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: human services, aging services, disability services, behavioral health, long-term care, nursing home, nursing facility, assisted living, waiver services, medical assistance, Medicaid, case mix reimbursement, PDPM, RUG, direct care and treatment, developmental disabilities, day services, positive support, guardian, conservator

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:04.000><c> Um</c> we also did another statewide bid.
• Um we also did another statewide bid.
• As a reminder, Kentucky Wire is a statewide<00:37:43.119><c> network.
• It's a presence in statewide network.
• </c><01:20:43.520><c> They</c> and we are open to revising it. They and we are open to revising it.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:15 Kentucky Department of Education 00:01:20 Kentucky Communications Network Authority 00:36:45 Accelecom 01:01:22 Auditor of Public Accounts 01:29:50, 958, all

Summary: The Information Technology Oversight Committee met to hear a presentation from Kentucky Department of Education officials David Couch and Mike Lingham on the history and current status of Kentucky’s K-12 internet network, including its relationship to KentuckyWired. They described the original KETS design from 1995, when KDE established district internet hubs and left local districts to connect to them, and said that model helped Kentucky become a national leader in school connectivity and cloud-based services. They also emphasized the importance of E-rate eligibility, saying it has saved the state substantial money and remains central to KDE’s network contracting. Couch and Lingham said the current “next generation Kentucky K-12 internet” contract with Education Networks of America is more reliable, offers more functionality, and costs less than the prior system, including lower bandwidth and firewall costs. They explained that the transition was complicated by build-out and provisioning issues, especially the need for more “type two” connections through local providers, which pushed some implementation past the June 30, 2024 E-rate deadline. As a result, 39 sites remain on type two connections, and KDE absorbed the loss of federal discount dollars for the portion of the transition that extended into July. The witnesses also discussed home internet access for students. They said KDE has tracked home access for about 20 years and estimates about 4.5% of students still lack adequate internet at home, with roughly 3% able to reach access nearby and 1.5% having no access. They said the biggest barrier is usually cost rather than lack of available lines, and noted that temporary hotspot support during COVID helped students continue schoolwork. Senator Williams asked about the costs of the transition, the current type two sites, and the potential cost of any future transition, but the transcript cuts off before a full answer was given.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 1795 establishes a uniform statewide standard for inspections, testing, and remediation
• This bill will create a comprehensive statewide framework to ensure consistent, science-based handling
• This bill will create a comprehensive statewide framework to ensure consistent science-based handling
• It creates the first statewide science-based sampling and test standards for smoke-damaged homes.
• Until statewide standards are issued, AB 1795 ensures that today's survivors are not left waiting.

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> revise and extend my remarks if I may. revise and extend my remarks if I may.
• </c> for 5 minutes and revise the next. for 5 minutes and revise the next.
• </c> are all appreciated as devoted statewide are all appreciated as devoted statewide community<02:11
• </c> revise and extend my remarks. revise and extend my remarks.
• </c> revise and extend my remarks. revise and extend my remarks.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 1012, house, all