Transcript Highlights:

• families with young children and the thing course to allow child welfare professionals to explore educational
• The department is focused on supporting the growth and stability of its workforce, which is fundamental
• The department attempted to locate respite placements to help stabilize him.
• and disruptive behaviors significantly impacting their family and peer relationships and placement stability
• This model allows for greater stability and continuity of care, ensuring that children can transition

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Glover Jr., a distinguished service, family, education, and mentorship.
• As a former educator, I appreciate the programs. programs.
• textbooks with free open educational resources.
• To higher education.
• Paternal involvement has been associated with stronger education.

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then honored astronaut Captain Victor J. Glover Jr. for his achievements as a Navy officer, NASA astronaut, and California native. Senators Weber Pearson and Rubio highlighted his historic space missions and his role as an inspiration for students, especially in STEM, before the chamber took a photo with Glover and his family. The body then took up SCR 183 on Juneteenth. Senator Weber Pearson presented the resolution as a commemoration of emancipation and a reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial justice. Senators Padilla, Smallwood-Cuevas, Valladares, and Becker spoke in support from the perspectives of the Latino, LGBTQ, Women’s, Hispanic, and Jewish caucuses, emphasizing historical memory, faith, and the need to continue fighting discrimination. The resolution passed unanimously, 39-0. The Senate next considered budget trailer bills SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. SB 110 made technical budget amendments and passed 29-10. SB 122 expanded sales tax to electronically delivered prewritten software, extended and limited business tax credits, adjusted LLC minimum taxes, and included other revenue changes; supporters said it helped balance the budget and protect services, while opponents argued it would raise costs for businesses, hospitals, and families. It passed 27-9. SB 125 created a federally compliant managed care organization tax to support Medi-Cal and avoid deeper cuts; supporters said it was necessary after federal changes eliminated the prior tax, while opponents warned premiums could rise. It also passed 27-9. The chamber also adopted SR 114 designating June 15-21, 2026 as AVID Week, and SJR 14 urging a Congressional Gold Medal for World War II Army and Navy nurses, both by unanimous roll call. SCR 187 recognizing Father’s Day in California also passed unanimously. The Senate then approved a large consent calendar and closed with remarks about Juneteenth and the next session scheduled for June 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is legislation for safety, education, and cooperation.
• They are navigating identity, stability, and belonging, often after trauma.
• And being that we are not doing very well when it comes to educating our students in Oklahoma.
• And you know, states have higher education outcomes in Oklahoma.
• educating those persons on when they could vote.

Bills: HB2268, HB3000, HB3043, HB3066, HB3078, HB3143, HB3144, HB3244, HB3298, HB3320, HB3467, HB3321, HB3329, HB3431, HB3464, HB3499, HB3500, HB3586, HB3590, HB3650, HB3671, HB3695, HB3700, HB3701, HB3764, HB3767, HB3834, HB3931, HB3934, HB3940, HB3944, HB3979, HB3985, HB4113, HB4294, HB4302, HB4317, HB4324, HB4359, HB4426, HB4427, HB4430, HB4431, HB4434, HJR1077, SR42, SR35, HJR1023, HB1225, HB1374, HB1381, HB1590, HB1675, HB2153

Keywords: HB2268, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, OHCA, appropriation, General Revenue Fund, PACE, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, elderly care, aging Oklahomans, long-term care, Medicaid, health care funding, provider reimbursement, rate increase, low-income seniors, senior services, integrated care, emergency measure, cosmetology, barbering

Transcript Highlights:

• also participated in community outreach, including humanitarian relief missions and local health education
• And whereas sexual violence and its unfair and traumatizing effects are preventable with proper education
• Number 34, Jennifer Carlson to the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability.
• This bill proposes to establish an education link loan program to benefit capital needs at charter and
• , which would be an education service organization.

Bills: HB2268, HB3000, HB3043, HB3066, HB3078, HB3143, HB3144, HB3244, HB3298, HB3320, HB3467, HB3321, HB3329, HB3431, HB3464, HB3499, HB3500, HB3586, HB3590, HB3650, HB3671, HB3695, HB3700, HB3701, HB3764, HB3767, HB3834, HB3931, HB3934, HB3940, HB3944, HB3979, HB3985, HB4113, HB4294, HB4302, HB4317, HB4324, HB4359, HB4426, HB4427, HB4430, HB4431, HB4434, HJR1077, SR42, SR35, HJR1023, HB1225, HB1374, HB1381, HB1590, HB1675, HB2153

Keywords: HB2268, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, OHCA, appropriation, General Revenue Fund, PACE, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, elderly care, aging Oklahomans, long-term care, Medicaid, health care funding, provider reimbursement, rate increase, low-income seniors, senior services, integrated care, emergency measure, cosmetology, barbering

Transcript Highlights:

• And so a lot of times what we do is educate.
• This is legislation for safety, education, and cooperation.
• This is legislation for safety, education, and cooperation.
• They are navigating identity, stability, and belonging, often after trauma.
• of the law, but outreach and education, and sharing with those persons and educating those persons on

Bills: HB2268, HB3000, HB3043, HB3066, HB3078, HB3143, HB3144, HB3244, HB3298, HB3320, HB3467, HB3321, HB3329, HB3431, HB3464, HB3499, HB3500, HB3586, HB3590, HB3650, HB3671, HB3695, HB3700, HB3701, HB3764, HB3767, HB3834, HB3931, HB3934, HB3940, HB3944, HB3979, HB3985, HB4113, HB4294, HB4302, HB4317, HB4324, HB4359, HB4426, HB4427, HB4430, HB4431, HB4434, HJR1077, SR42, SR35, HJR1023, HB1225, HB1374, HB1381, HB1590, HB1675, HB2153

Keywords: HB2268, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, OHCA, appropriation, General Revenue Fund, PACE, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, elderly care, aging Oklahomans, long-term care, Medicaid, health care funding, provider reimbursement, rate increase, low-income seniors, senior services, integrated care, emergency measure, cosmetology, barbering

Summary: The Senate began with a quorum call, gallery introductions, and extended farewell remarks from Senator Jett, who reflected on his six years in the Legislature, his focus on representing constituents, protecting families, and holding government accountable. Several senators responded with personal tributes, praising his conviction, faith, family involvement, and willingness to ask difficult questions. No votes were taken during the farewell portion. The chamber then considered House Bill 2268, a PACE appropriation to support comprehensive care for low-income seniors and expand services in rural Oklahoma. The bill was amended to restore the title, advanced, and passed 34-9, then passed as an emergency measure 36-7. House Bill 3000, a cosmetology and barbering measure, made multiple changes including board reorganization, adding a human trafficking specialist and massage therapist, shifting some licensing functions to Service Oklahoma, and eliminating the massage therapy advisory board. It drew significant debate over process and policy, especially from senators concerned about late changes, lack of board input, and the human trafficking rationale; it passed 25-19 and then as an emergency 33-11. The Senate also passed House Bill 3043, allowing the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs to hire prorated seasonal staff for veterans homes, 37-6; House Bill 3066, creating a revolving fund for federal workforce training money for behavioral health recruitment and retention, 38-6 and as an emergency; and House Bill 3078, allowing donation options on state payment forms for the ODVA revolving fund, 45-0 and as an emergency. Additional measures passed included House Bill 3143, extending the moratorium on new medical marijuana business licenses to 2028, 39-7; House Bill 3144, capping medical marijuana commercial grower licenses at 2,550 after amendment, 34-12; House Bill 3244 on identity theft, 46-0; House Bill 3298 on child interview procedures in court cases, 46-0 and as an emergency; House Bill 3320, replacing the traditional sunset process with more immediate legislative review of agencies, 33-13 and as an emergency; House Bill 3321, requiring county data collection and reporting related to court costs and financial obligations, 45-0 and as an emergency; House Bill 3329, a trailer bill adding a repealer and a sunset for the Board of Psychological Examiners, 33-10 and as an emergency; House Bill 3431, expanding restrictions on foreign entities owning or leasing land and critical minerals, 43-0; House Bill 3464, setting safety and training requirements for certain projects involving fire code compliance and decommissioning, 43-0 and as an emergency; and House Bill 3499, expanding special judges’ authority over vehicle title orders, which was presented and advanced as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• education issues.
• We're watching in real time the intentional erosion of educational equity at the federal level.
• As the father of public education in Massachusetts, Harris Mann, once said, whose portrait public education
• Education is supposed to be the great equalizer.
• If her school had simply offered her a bilingual education she deserved.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate first debated and advanced Senate Bill 2561, an act to promote student learning and mental health, centered on a statewide bell-to-bell restriction on student cell phone use in schools. Supporters argued the bill would reduce distraction, improve academic performance and mental health, and encourage social interaction, while preserving flexibility for districts and exceptions for emergencies, special education, health needs, and instructional uses. Several senators emphasized local control and the need for public input, and a number of amendments were considered: some were withdrawn, some were rejected, and others were adopted, including an amendment requiring consistent and necessary exceptions and another requiring public hearings and local public input. The bill was then ordered to a third reading and passed to be engrossed by a roll call vote of 38-2. The Senate also took up a conference committee report on a $259 million FY2025 supplemental appropriations bill. The report funded EMS costs, home care, the Healthy Incentives Program, DTA chip card technology, veterans benefits, the state police crime lab, the SSI state supplement, the Fair Housing Fund, and the National Guard, and included major indigent defense provisions: $40 million for 320 new CPCS staff attorneys, rate increases for private bar advocates, guardrails to reduce future work stoppages, and an independent review of the indigent defense system. Senators questioned the timing of the report, the inclusion of items not previously voted on by either branch, and the funding sources, including use of the transitional escrow fund and excess revenues. The report was accepted, the emergency preamble was adopted, and the supplemental budget was enacted. In addition, the Senate passed other measures, including a bill authorizing the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to supply water to the Linfield Center Water District and a municipal roads and bridges financing bill, both by roll call vote. The chamber also enacted a health care protections bill, and it concurred in referrals on a governor’s municipal empowerment legislation. The session included a brief memorial tribute and adjournment in memory of Harry C. Christensen.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to Wednesday, Senate Education.
• For decades, our stance has been clear: gifted education is special education.
• Education Department.
• educational support.
• In education, we know that data is what drives and we make changes in education.

Bills: SB64, SB19, SB44, SB83

Keywords: special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP, individualized education program, students with disabilities, IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, dyslexia, dyslexia screening, structured literacy, reading intervention, multilayered system of supports, MTSS, student assistance team, free appropriate public education, FAPE, special education compliance, charter schools

Transcript Highlights:

• You're going to have your port taxes, the City of Houston Port, the Department of Education.
• Translator: "If she had to choose between the monthly income and education even..."
• They would rather keep people in crisis than allow us to build stability on our own terms.
• It's not the family who got a shot at stability.
• I'm not sure if we're talking or not with food bank programs, educational programs for adult career education

Bills: HB21, HB211, HB223

Keywords: HB 21, Texas Tax Code, ad valorem tax, property tax, delinquent taxes, tax delinquency, penalty reduction, interest rate, split payment, installment payment, tax relief, county tax collector, taxing unit, property owner, tax collection, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax increase election, supermajority, 60 percent threshold

Transcript Highlights:

• and the small district and state transportation... ...education where funding is added to both the school
• I'll close today with education.
• I'll close today with education.
• And for higher education, $22 million in funding is proposed in minor works.
• health education for WSU Spokane was passed over.

Summary: The House Capital Budget Committee opened its first hearing of the session on HB 2295 and briefly heard a presentation from OFM Senior Budget Advisor Jen Masterson on Governor Ferguson’s proposed supplemental capital budget. She said the proposal uses about $396 million in new appropriations, leaving roughly $5.4 million in remaining bond authority, and includes major investments in housing, urgent state facility needs, climate-related projects, K-12 school safety and modernization, and higher education minor works. The housing package was the largest share, with $225 million for the Housing Trust Fund, plus funding for homeownership, preservation, manufactured housing communities, and flood-impacted home repair. Committee members asked follow-up questions about Rainier School and juvenile rehabilitation projects, and staff said Rainier School was on the plan and that juvenile rehabilitation funding included flexible capacity funding and facility improvements. Public testimony was largely supportive of the governor’s housing, education, climate, and natural resources proposals, while several speakers urged changes. Housing advocates, Habitat for Humanity, community land trusts, and service providers backed the Housing Trust Fund and homeownership funding, including support for manufactured housing preservation and transit-oriented affordable housing. School and college representatives supported small district modernization, seismic safety, lead remediation, and minor works funding, while some asked for additional support for specific projects such as Cascadia College’s new building, Central Washington University’s feeder line replacement, and WSU Spokane health education renovations. Natural resource and tribal witnesses supported salmon recovery and community forest investments, but asked for more funding for RCO community forest and estuary programs. A major recurring concern was the proposed $75 million transfer from the Public Works Assistance Account, which cities, counties, sewer and water districts, and the Public Works Board said would jeopardize low-interest loans already awarded for local infrastructure projects and shift costs onto distressed communities. Other testimony opposed the budget’s omission of certain projects, including the University of Washington’s power plant decarbonization work and a Spokane cultural hub, while some local governments requested funding for wastewater and flood-control projects. No votes were taken; the chair closed the public hearing after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because early childhood education represents education from birth to kindergarten, it is the workforce
• Education.
• Education. Senate Bill 465 by Senator McMath provides roll... Schools. Education.
• Something they're saying is let's build stability.
• We want to be in Louisiana, but we have to have some stability.

Bills: HR265, HR266, HR267, HR268, HR269, HR270, HR271, HR272, HR273, HCR107, HCR108, HCR109, HCR110, HCR111, HR257, HR258, HR259, HR260, HR261, HR262, HR263, HCR105, HCR106, SCR30, SB57, SB157, SB202, SB237, SB276, SB450, SB465, SB501, SB525, HR3, HR80, HR197, HR243, SCR5, SCR35, HB4, HB623, HB944, HB986, HB1098, HB1222, SB34, SB164, SB172, SB198, SB208, SB232, SB281, SB286, SB317, SB322, SB334, SB380, SB385, SB409, SB417, SB421, SB430, SB439, SB447, SB458, SB510, SB398, HB646, HR84, HR188, HR205, SCR19, SCR3, SCR6, SCR18, SCR11, SCR22, SCR2, SCR20, SCR24, HCR6, HB301, HB359, HB657, HB675, HB680, HB727, HB302, HB819, HB1257, HB1258, SB8, SB10, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB14, SB16, SB17, SB18, SB20, SB21, SB22, SB40, SB48, SB55, SB69, SB75, SB77, SB78, SB85, SB102, SB115, SB133, SB140, SB148, SB151, SB165, SB169, SB170, SB185, SB197, SB200, SB217, SB235, SB278, SB280, SB291, SB300, SB303, SB315, SB324, SB330, SB411, SB416, SB420, SB436, SB438, SB449, SB455, SB456, SB477, SB489, SB521, SB45, SB58, SB71, SB81, SB92, SB100, SB109, SB141, SB156, SB181, SB203, SB204, SB205, SB207, SB213, SB214, SB216, SB229, SB257, SB274, SB290, SB304, SB374, SB379, SB396, SB410, SB425, SB427, SB429, SB479, SB522, HCR72, HB633, HB603, HB940, HB251, HB775, HB998, HB1191, HB625, HB1255, HB901, HR20, HR74, HCR65, HCR71, HB284, HB306, HB341, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB798, HB911, HB955, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1240, SB82, SB89, HB258, HB842, SB149, SB382, SB441

Keywords: Pineville High School, Lady Rebels, softball, LHSAA, Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Class 5A, state championship, high school sports, student athletes, commendation, resolution, athletics, girls softball, championship team, Pineville, school recognition, sportsmanship, coach Allison Frye, Louisiana legislature, House Resolution

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the pledge, roll call, and several personal privileges recognizing visitors and special observances, including Transportation Day and a day without child care at the Capitol. Members also honored the Southern University Laboratory School track teams, early childhood educators, and later offered condolences and tributes, including a memorial resolution for Derek Butler’s family and birthday recognitions for members and staff. The chamber received Senate messages, committee reports, and introduced or adopted several resolutions and bills throughout the day. A major portion of the floor was devoted to retirement-system cleanup and funding bills, including Senate Bills 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, and 21. Members and authors explained these measures as technical changes to simplify contribution formulas, separate funding for COLAs and benefit increases from debt paydown, and update reemployment or benefit rules for retirees in various systems. Most of these bills passed with large margins after brief questions about whether they would affect automatic debt reduction; authors repeatedly said they would not stop debt paydown. Other measures passed on topics such as emergency vehicle procedures, international driving reciprocity with Ireland, seat belt use, port commission appointments, GOHSEP cybersecurity authority, storage facility rental rules, biomarker testing coverage, DNA sample collection procedures, and a law-institute bill on movable-property leases. The House also adopted HCR 72, the Jonas A. Feeley Act, which memorializes Congress to expedite research and treatment development for acute myeloid leukemia in honor of a deceased veteran, and H.B. 1258, which directs the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on handling unlawfully possessed sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife. Another notable bill, Senate Bill 200, created a process for expropriating property tied to foreign adversaries near military bases, with amendments allowing voluntary divestment before expropriation. Most measures were adopted by wide margins, with co-author votes taken on some resolutions and bills tabled or returned to the calendar when requested. The most extended debate centered on Senate Bill 217, which would reduce the number of judges in Orleans Parish courts based on a statewide workload study. Supporters said the National Center for State Courts study showed Orleans had more judges than comparable parishes and that the bill would right-size the courts and save about $2.1 million. Opponents questioned the study’s methodology, the lack of Orleans delegation involvement, the counting of cases, the absence of uniform statewide clerk-of-court standards, and whether reducing criminal judges made sense given crime concerns. Despite the criticism, the bill was advanced after lengthy questioning, while the chamber continued to move other bills and resolutions forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lewis to ensure adequate and equitable funding for public education.
• To ensure adequate and equitable funding for public education.
• We have made great strides in this Senate in funding higher education and pay rates for early educators
• We have made great strides in this Senate in funding higher education and pay rates for early educators
• , and we passed the Student Opportunity Act. higher education and pay rates for early educators, and

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up a long series of FY26 budget amendments during debate on the Ways and Means budget bill. Early on, an amendment on debt service and the Debt Affordability Committee was rejected. A major education amendment offered by Senator Lewis and supported by Senator Comerford was then adopted; it directs DESE to begin a public process, with $200,000 in funding, to review and recommend updates to the Chapter 70 municipal contribution formula and related school funding structures as the Student Opportunity Act nears full implementation. Senators argued that school districts across the Commonwealth are under severe fiscal strain, citing rising special education, transportation, health insurance, and Proposition 2 1/2 pressures, and that the current formulas are increasingly out of alignment with local needs. The chamber also considered and voted on many other amendments, with several adopted and several rejected. Adopted amendments included measures on public payroll transparency, regional EMS, a small business group purchasing cooperative pilot, simplifying Medicaid eligibility determinations, and early education background checks. Rejected amendments included proposals on first-time homebuyer savings accounts, population change studies, competitiveness studies, emergency contract reform, natural gas cost containment, a $200 per pupil aid increase, regional school reimbursement increases, a Foundation Budget Review Commission-related study, special education service studies, welfare benefit audits, short-term capital gains, and an MBTA sustainability plan. Senator Durant also spoke in support of Amendment 766, which would create a crumbling concrete assistance fund for homeowners affected by pyrrhotite, with tax-exempt aid, federal funding applications, audits, and a stakeholder working group. Near the end of debate, Senator D. DiDomenico praised the Shannon Grant program for gang violence prevention, and the Senate adopted a final corrective amendment containing technical fixes and local earmarks. The bill was then ordered to a third reading and, after a roll call on engrossment, passed to be engrossed by a vote of 38-2. The Senate also approved a motion to adjourn to the following Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and recessed in memory of Yaron Lashinsky, Sarah Lynn Milgram, and Leslie A. Feeney.

Transcript Highlights:

• We pray for the people of the state, for families, educators, first responders, workers, and communities
• Education.
• Education.
• Education.
• President of Baham, Post-Secondary Education, to prohibit public post-secondary education institutions

Bills: HR112, HR113, HR114, HCR51, HCR52, HR94, HR95, HR96, HR97, HR98, HR99, HR100, HR103, HR104, HR105, HR106, HR107, HR108, HR109, HR110, HR111, HCR46, HCR47, HCR48, HCR49, HCR50, SCR25, SB17, SB300, HCR35, HB51, HB82, HB143, HB145, HB160, HB180, HB192, HB393, HB430, HB445, HB506, HB515, HB521, HB565, HB590, HB614, HB638, HB647, HB670, HB672, HB685, HB692, HB752, HB773, HB781, HB799, HB839, HB860, HB873, HB874, HB887, HB917, HB937, HB956, HB965, HB972, HB977, HB982, HB1006, HB1010, HB1044, HB1072, HB1088, HB1157, HB1179, HB1200, HR15, HR20, HCR14, HCR6, HCR19, HCR10, HR74, HCR26, HCR45, HB54, HB67, HB73, HB125, HB133, HB158, HB168, HB169, HB191, HB195, HB245, HB280, HB283, HB296, HB319, HB339, HB399, HB407, HB448, HB550, HB591, HB826, HB995, HB1085, HB1086, HB98, HB108, HB131, HB151, HB161, HB288, HB294, HB305, HB310, HB320, HB336, HB380, HB392, HB403, HB420, HB459, HB476, HB540, HB615, HB631, HB637, HB648, HB665, HB682, HB789, HB813, HB815, HB835, HB870, HB905, HB915, HB933, HB938, HB987, HB1040, HB827, HB953, HB796, HB352, HB463, HB735, HB780, HB882, HB81, HB400, HB140, HB750, HB911, HB961, HB401, HB901, HB9, HB52, HB58, HB154, HB193, HB284, HB410, HB570, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB733, HB868, HB952

Keywords: commendation, community service, religious leadership, New Orleans, anniversary, Martha's Vineyard, African-American Film Festival, Black excellence, cinema, cultural celebration, Black voices, film industry, Hannuh Ray, Louisiana, youth development, pageant, leadership, community, recognition, compensation

Summary: The House met with a quorum, opened with prayer and the pledge, and received several Senate messages and enrolled resolutions. The chamber also recognized visiting groups and guests, including a guest minister, the Joe Burrow Foundation, Youth Legislature participants, children’s advocacy center representatives, Alzheimer’s advocates, Delta Sigma Theta members, Kappa Alpha Psi members, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and City Year AmeriCorps. The House adopted a series of commemorative and awareness resolutions, including measures for Sanfilippo Syndrome Awareness Day, Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia Awareness Day, Knock Knock Children’s Museum Day, Big Brothers Big Sisters Day, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Day, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Day, My Sister’s Keeper Day, Youth Legislature recognition, and several commendations and condolences. It also concurred in SCR 25 and received Senate resolutions and bills, including measures on commercial driver’s licenses, Medicaid eligibility during redetermination, postsecondary support fund use, juvenile traffic violations, background checks, and explosives regulation. The House then considered and advanced a long list of bills, largely on criminal justice, education, public safety, transportation, and administrative procedure. Notable measures included bills on parole and probation alternatives, supervised release venue for sex-offender violations, jail-credit limits on consecutive sentences, medical parole notice, juvenile parole eligibility cleanup, teacher and school employee battery penalties, inmate workforce cleanup, re-entry programming for female parolees, extradition costs for probation/parole violators, and a bill allowing public postsecondary institutions to permit self-defense chemical sprays. Other bills addressed protected personal information for certain public officials, the M.J. Foster Promise Program eligibility age, scholarships for spouses of firefighters and police officers, compensation for parish board commissioners, paid family leave insurance as a voluntary private-market product, insurance referral practices, and vehicle inspection sticker requirements. Several bills were amended and passed, often with strong or unanimous support, while a few were recommitted or returned to the calendar. The House passed HB 504 on parole violations as alternatives to revocation by a vote of 88-0; HB 73 on electronic voting in public meetings by 88-0; HB 125 on supervised release venue by 91-0; HB 67 on protected information records by 98-1; HB 133 on assault and battery penalties for teachers by 96-0; HB 158 on probation technical violations by 92-3; HB 168 on a female parolee re-entry program by 95-0; HB 169 on extradition costs by 92-3; HB 191 on overlapping jail credit by 88-5; HB 195 on self-defense chemical sprays on campus by 93-0; HB 245 on medical parole notice by 95-0; HB 280 on juvenile parole eligibility cleanup by 93-0; HB 283 on sick leave and discipline rules for attacked school employees by 97-1; HB 296 repealing inactive inmate workforce provisions by 88-5; HB 319 on civic education commission quorum by 98-0; HB 339 on protected information for police officers and retired judges by 97-0; HB 407 on the M.J. Foster Promise Program age reset to 21 by 94-2; HB 448 on scholarships for spouses of firefighters and police officers by 95-0; HB 550 increasing parish board commissioner pay from $50 to $100 per day by 91-2; HB 591 creating a voluntary paid family leave insurance product by 95-0; and HB 826 modernizing insurance referral rules by 93-0. HB 1085, a major proposal to eliminate traditional vehicle inspection stickers and replace them with a new sticker/QR-code system tied to registration, drew extensive questioning about costs, enforcement, local parish programs, and where the fee revenue would go; the debate was ongoing in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• their age, race, economic status, disability, identity, lack of familial supports, lack of housing stability
• /c> lack of familial supports lack of lack of familial supports lack of housing<00:04:25.199><c> stability
• > substance</c><00:04:26.479><c> use</c><00:04:27.120><c> and</c><00:04:27.280><c> a</c> housing stability
• substance use and a housing stability substance use and a history<00:04:27.800><c> of</c><00:04:28.000
• system as defendants, which can lead to a lifetime of collateral consequences affecting access to education

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 128 was heard and then laid over for possible inclusion in the committee omnibus. The bill, authored by Representative Ric, would raise penalties for prostituting a minor so they align with existing criminal sexual conduct penalties: from 20 to 30 years for victims under 14, from 10 to 15 years for ages 14 to 16, and from 5 to 10 years for ages 16 to 18. The author said the bill addresses a statutory mismatch that makes prostitution of a minor carry a lower penalty than some sexual conduct offenses, and noted it was part of a broader, ongoing effort to reform criminal sexual conduct laws. Caroline Palmer of the Minnesota Department of Health provided technical assistance and described the harms of child sexual exploitation, including trafficking, survival sex, coercion, and long-term physical and mental health consequences. She said children are exploited in many settings, including online, and that vulnerability factors such as housing instability, abuse, disability, and lack of support increase risk. She also cited research showing buyers of trafficked minor girls often came from varied backgrounds, and emphasized that victims can face lasting trauma and collateral consequences in education, employment, housing, and the justice system. Members asked about the administration’s position, and Palmer clarified she was there only to provide technical assistance, not to represent a formal endorsement. Representative Mher noted that current law may already allow criminal sexual conduct charges in some cases involving very young victims, suggesting other tools remain available. Representative Pinto said he understood the policy concern but wanted to examine the bill’s structure and penalty levels further. No amendments or votes were taken, and the bill was simply laid over.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we also have CS for HB 1113 by Representative Valdes, mathematics education requirements.
• By Representative Valdes, mathematics education requirements.
• So the Florida Department of Education released a report in December of 2024.
• Let's just help improve our math education for our kids. With that, I close.
• Our committee, of course, champions CTE, career and technical education.

Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum and considered three bills. First, PCS for HB 879 by Representatives Rizo and Woodson would require state colleges and universities to prioritize housing placement for students who are homeless, were in foster care, or are at risk of homelessness, and to give first priority in housing or work-study priority systems to students eligible for child-welfare-related tuition and fee exemptions. Members heard extensive supportive testimony from Florida Youth Shine participants and other advocates describing housing instability after foster care and the importance of campus housing and vouchers for student success. The bill was reported favorably by a 16-0 vote. The committee then heard CS for HB 1113 by Representative Valdes, which would standardize minimum math-content requirements for elementary teacher preparation programs and increase math content in competency-based certification programs. The sponsor cited stagnant Florida math outcomes and a state report finding limited math preparation for elementary teacher candidates. The bill drew support from the Foundation for Florida’s Future and the Florida Chamber of Commerce and was reported favorably by a 15-0 vote. Finally, the committee considered HB 827 by Representative Spencer, directing the Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research to conduct a recurring statewide study on the effects of automation and artificial intelligence on Florida’s workforce, including affected industries, at-risk workers, and training needs. Members discussed whether similar data exists in the private sector, the bill’s fiscal impact, and the sponsor’s use of AI tools in preparing remarks. The bill received supportive debate and was reported favorably without opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• consent calendar the motion is do pass to consent Senate bill 386 LeMond 521 Gonzales 619 committee on education
• It's common practice for other departments, such as the Department of Education, Cradle to Career, they
• The survey provides invaluable services to the state such as post fire slope stability analysis where
• the survey gets on the ground quickly after identifying slopes and hillsides that need to be stabilized
• , this bill would also enable the CERVI to leverage that knowledge gained from doing post-fire stability

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, Representative, education bills are not my particular wheelhouse.
• We're spending up to 60% of our budget on education now.
• And, Madam Chair, Madam Floor Leader, it's not just by the Secretary of Education.
• I do have a degree in education, so I have a little bit of understanding about the education system.
• I have a little bit of understanding about the education system.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The goal again is to provide long term economic stability with longer term investments that are more
• Oyster farming offers a sustainable alternative that supports a long-term ecological and economic stability
• So HB 3486 gives us, gives restaurateurs an incentive to put this on their menus and to help educate
• I think it's a very important bill for the educational process, um, of educating people on Texas aquaculture
• House Bill 4044 amends chapter 172 of the tax code to reauthorize the participation of higher education

Bills: HB104

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tax rate election, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, de minimis rate, local government, special district, tax increase, tax notice, public hearing, tax code, Health and Safety Code, Texas property taxes, taxing unit, election threshold, two-thirds vote, majority vote, budget approval

Transcript Highlights:

• By way of background, the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, known as ECAP, is a state-funded
• talking about our investments in special ed, regardless of whether we're talking early care and education
• Expanding child care-based ECAP in centers and family homes financially stabilizes the business, allows
• They do not on their own stabilize the broader early learning system that working families... should
• They do not on their own stabilize the broader early learning system that working families rely on.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a public hearing on nine bills. Senate Bill 5872 would create the Pre-K Promise Account to receive philanthropic donations for ECAP preschool slots; supporters, including DCYF, the governor’s office, and early learning advocates, said it would help expand access to high-quality pre-K with a 10-year Ballmer Group commitment for up to 10,000 new seats annually. Senators asked how the money would flow, and staff and witnesses explained it would be governed by an MOU and deposited annually; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5879 would eliminate two JLARC studies, one on lodging tax reporting and one on training benefits; supporters said the reports were duplicative and burdensome, while the hospitality industry warned against losing transparency, and no action was taken. Senate Bill 6047 would permanently codify various capital budget administration rules, including minor works flexibility and early learning grant changes; testimony focused on technical cleanup and on provisions affecting co-located child care and community projects, with no vote taken. Senate Bill 5988 would authorize the Department of Health to charge fees for accrediting opioid treatment programs, with support from DOH and tribal/nontribal providers who want the state to continue providing the service; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5923 would allow Island Hospital in Skagit County to qualify as a critical access hospital, with local hospital leaders and residents supporting the measure to improve reimbursement and sustain rural care; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5832 would raise the Lemon Law arbitration fee from $3 to $6 to fund the Attorney General’s consumer protection work, and the AG’s office, dealers, and the sponsor said the program is effective and underfunded; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5970 would make permanent the property tax exemption for multipurpose senior citizen centers, with AARP supporting the bill as a benefit to seniors and caregivers; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5994 would preserve timber tax distributions for school districts that recently had qualifying levies, and forest industry witnesses supported the bill while suggesting a possible amendment for state forest transfer lands; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5949 would narrow the B&O tax exemption for insurance-related businesses so it applies only to the entity paying the insurance premiums tax, retroactive to 2019; the Department of Revenue and bill supporters argued it restores tax equity, while insurers, health plans, and business groups opposed it as retroactive, ambiguous, and likely to raise premiums. The committee heard extensive testimony on that bill, but the transcript ends with adjournment and no recorded vote or executive action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Virtual education, when done well, can be a powerful tool to expand educational opportunities for students
• have access to high-quality education.
• I've worked in education for 21 years and had the last five have been in virtual education.
• education.
• And that's not what our education system is about. It is about educating our kids.

Bills: SB 10, SB 11

Keywords: human trafficking, trafficking victim, compelling prostitution, affirmative defense, criminal defense, coercion, force fraud or coercion, sexual exploitation, victim protection, Penal Code, Texas criminal law, prosecution, party liability, affirmative defense statute, survivor rights, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we need that stability.
• Early Childhood Education and Care Department.
• Approach to how they carry out their early education in their communities.
• Just kind of observe and watch, that was just an education for me.
• For whom we have partnerships with for early childhood educator pathways.