Transcript Highlights:

• , sixth grade, eighth grade.
• , second grade, third grade?
• ><c> grade?
• </c> first grade, second grade, third grade? first grade, second grade, third grade?
• It's not like Johnny went from first grade to fourth grade reading in one grade.

Transcript Highlights:

• She said she tries to contact them on three separate days.
• She said she tries to contact them on three separate days.
• If they don't respond within three separate days of that phone call, then they will reach out to the
• So those are separate meetings with separate tribes.
• There's probably some railroad land that's part of that.

Committee: Joint Tribal and State Relations Committee

Summary: The meeting focused on Turtle Mountain’s public health and behavioral health priorities, especially access to rural health transformation funding and a long-running data use agreement with the state. Tribal public health leaders described how, during COVID, a temporary data-sharing arrangement allowed them to do their own contact tracing and case management, and they argued that a similar agreement is now needed to respond more quickly to very high syphilis rates and other infectious disease concerns. Committee members generally expressed support and said they would follow up with state officials, while tribal representatives emphasized that they already have the staff and infrastructure to use timely data effectively. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to the Turtle Mountain Recovery Center and the broader issue of the IMD exclusion and residential treatment capacity. Tribal leaders described the center’s opening, its five levels of care, its 16-bed limit, and its efforts to become financially sustainable through billing, grants, and partnerships. They shared success stories and argued for an IMD waiver or similar flexibility so the center could expand to 32 beds and better meet local need. Committee members discussed the policy barriers to expanding residential treatment, including federal approval timelines, state funding choices, and the need to preserve a continuum of care that includes outpatient and community-based services. The committee then heard a detailed presentation from Hector Hernandez-Dogato of the National Health Law Program on the history and mechanics of the IMD exclusion and Section 1115 waivers. He explained that the exclusion limits Medicaid payment for services in facilities with more than 16 beds, but noted existing exceptions and alternatives such as state plan options, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He also reviewed mixed results from states that have used IMD waivers, warning that they do not automatically improve overdose deaths, emergency room use, or access to community care, and may risk reinforcing institutionalization if not paired with strong upstream services. The committee discussed a draft bill to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE for HHS to pursue an IMD waiver, with members suggesting the bill may need to explicitly include serious mental illness as well as substance use disorder and asking for department input at a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• someone tests positive and she is in Grand Forks County, she said she tries to contact them on three separate
• She said she tries to contact them on three separate days.
• If they don't respond within three separate days of that phone call, then they will reach out to the
• So those are separate meetings with separate tribes.
• There's probably some railroad land that's part of that.

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, districts and charters with a letter grade had more teachers with a master's degree than
• And then we see Increased with lower letter grades.
• More specifically, teachers can teach in a grade above or below the area or the grade that they were
• It was highest in the highest-rated districts and charters and decreased with lower letter grades.
• Average salaries didn't find 5,000 students and in districts with an A letter grade.

Summary: The committee first approved the May 18 meeting minutes and then received a Legislative Audit presentation summarizing Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions for fiscal year 2025. Auditors said the department distributed about $4.6 billion in grants overall, including $3.2 billion from the Public School Fund, $1.1 billion in federal funds, and $268 million from other state and miscellaneous sources, across 56 Public School Fund programs, 14 other state programs, and 29 federal programs. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, master principal bonuses, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance funding; audit staff and Department of Education representatives explained that the report was only a distribution summary and not a recipient-level audit. Members also questioned why many districts showed lower funding, and staff said the decline was largely due to reduced federal and one-time COVID-related funds. Senators and representatives also discussed whether some incentive programs, such as master principal and national board bonuses, were tied to student outcomes, and whether Economics Arkansas was the sole entity named in special language for financial literacy funding; department staff said they would follow up on several details. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on consumer price index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global, with discussion of CPI-U and core CPI estimates for future fiscal years. Dr. Carlos Silva explained that the forecasts generally trend toward about 2 percent over time and that recent projections may have understated actual inflation because of recent shocks. Members asked about the accuracy of past projections, and he said he would provide more detail later if needed. The bulk of the meeting focused on the final adequacy report on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. BLR staff reported that Arkansas had about 32,800 teachers and 473,000 students in 2025, with a statewide student-to-teacher ratio of about 14 to 1, average teaching experience of 11.9 years, and a slight increase in National Board Certified teachers. The report found that districts with higher poverty and minority concentrations generally had less experienced teachers, and that teacher shortages remained widespread, especially in special education, math, science, and foreign language. Members asked about licensure exceptions, alternative preparation pathways, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, and the cost and return on investment of traditional versus alternative routes. Staff said some licensure exceptions are being phased out under Act 304 of 2025 and that they would follow up on several requested details. The report also found that teacher retention averaged 87 percent statewide in 2025, with districts retaining teachers at higher rates than charters, and that 30 percent of surveyed teachers were considering leaving the profession. Principals and teachers identified school leadership as the strongest positive factor in recruitment and retention, while workload and salary were the strongest negative factors. On salaries, BLR reported a statewide average teacher salary of $60,254 in 2025, with districts averaging $60,458 and charters $55,724. Arkansas ranked 45th nationally on average teacher salary in 2025, though its cost-adjusted ranking improved to 36th; among SREB states it ranked 12th, and among neighboring states it ranked fourth. Members asked about starting salaries, salary compression, district step increases, and whether the report should be shared more broadly with educators and school leaders. Staff said they would provide follow-up information on several questions, and the committee took no formal action beyond receiving the presentations and asking for additional data.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:35:47.640><c> might</c> learn to read by third grade might learn to read by third grade might
• So I have two separate points.
• <03:35:45.399><c> enti</c> separate enti separate enti of<03:35:46.520><c> the</c><03:35:46.640><c> scholarship
• <03:51:14.319><c> from</c> separate from separate from uh<03:51:15.399><c> the</c><03:51:15.560><c> surveys
• I did look at the recent test scores in the fourth grade reading.

Summary: The committee first addressed House Bill 415, which would remove the requirement that schools provide menstrual products. Members supporting an ITL said the mandate was unfunded, had been in place since 2019, and was already working without complaints from districts. Other members opposed the bill, arguing menstrual products are essential and that the requirement helps students, especially those with fewer resources. The committee voted ITL on HB 415 by a roll call of 17 yeas, 0 nays. The committee then took up House Bill 388, concerning public reports on special education. Supporters of ITL said they agreed with the goal of transparency but were concerned about student privacy, especially in small districts, and thought the bill’s information requests went too far. They noted that related issues could potentially be addressed in another bill, HB 557. The committee voted ITL on HB 388, 17-0. House Bill 730, which would require schools and some colleges to provide information on adoption, was also moved ITL. The sponsor said adoption is personally important to him but that the bill was not the right vehicle and involved entities such as colleges and the Attorney General unnecessarily; he said related ideas might be folded into other bills later. The committee agreed and voted ITL, 17-0. The committee then discussed House Bill 671, a preschool/early literacy proposal involving a statewide nonprofit digital program, likely Waterford. Members raised questions about who would be covered, data privacy, prior use of federal ESSER funds, whether the program had measurable results, and whether the bill’s nonprofit requirement was too restrictive. Department of Education witness Melissa White said the state had spent $400,000 in FY22 and $600,000 in FY23 on a Waterford contract using ARP ESSER funds, but she did not have participant counts and said the department could not measure literacy gains for that population. She also said the bill’s funding level would likely require an RFP and that, if enacted as written, the program would probably still be Waterford-based. The discussion continued without a final vote in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So not separate from the budget.
• Two separate<04:01:47.199><c> things.</c> separate things. separate things.
• And therefore, this sort of discussion that the state has separate interests or separate distribution
• know separate uh distribution of you know separate uh distribution of money<04:37:22.959><c> or</c><
• </c> um the class size at different grade um the class size at different grade levels<04:45:13.200><c

Committee: House Education Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• So on the very first number one, it says each school district shall develop a curriculum for grade 6
• It says each school district shall develop a curriculum for grade 6 through 12.
• Do you feel sixth grade is early enough? I would like to develop preschool.
• The chairwoman asked that we, you know, kind of run them separately. And so I think that's wise.
• And I agree if we go lower, ...curriculum for grades 6 through 12.

Committee: House Children and Families

Summary: The Committee on Children and Families met with a quorum and first took up several bills in executive session. It voted House Bill 1792, the Murphy Media Literacy Program, and House Bill 1770, dealing with time limits on abuse cases, both do pass by unanimous roll call votes. The committee then considered House Bill 2426, Representative Keebley’s parental rights bill. An amendment was adopted to align the bill with a Senate floor substitute, clarify judicial review and compelling government interest standards, update parent/child definitions, add transparency provisions, and revise medical consent language. After extensive discussion about parental consent, minors’ access to STI and substance use treatment, foster parent authority, and potential impacts on abuse situations, the committee voted the House Committee Substitute do pass by a vote of 11 yes, 3 no, and 1 present. The committee then heard House Bill 2418, which would create the Missouri Crime Victims Fund within the Department of Social Services as a framework for future appropriations if federal VOCA funding continues to decline. The sponsor and numerous witnesses from domestic violence shelters, child advocacy centers, CASA programs, and prosecutors described major reductions in VOCA support, staffing losses, service cuts, and the risk of leaving victims without shelter, advocacy, counseling, and court support. No one testified in opposition, and the hearing concluded without a vote. Finally, Representative Schmidt presented House Bill 3077, which would require social media and internet safety curriculum for grades 6 through 12 and provide parent resources. Supporters said the bill would help students recognize grooming, sextortion, misinformation, and other online risks, while some committee members and witnesses raised concerns about adding burdens on schools and suggested the material should be embedded into existing instruction and possibly start earlier. The committee also heard House Bill 1819, “Conrad’s Law,” which would require safe-sleep training and rules for licensed child care facilities for children age one and older, set limits on weighted blankets, and require documented care plans and training for children with special needs. The sponsor and family members said the bill responds to a child’s death and is intended to improve child care safety without adding extra training hours. Both bills were heard in public testimony, and the committee adjourned after the House Bill 1819 hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• At first grade, I got that speech.
• </c><00:04:43.160><c> teacher,</c> Miss McConnell, my first grade teacher, Miss McConnell, my first grade
• So, uh grade, I got that speech.
• I separated them once again.
• I separated them once distraction.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a definition: middle school is anything from grade 4 through grade 8.
• budget separate from create a separate budget separate from the<01:00:11.359><c> actual</c><01:00:11.839
• </c> that becomes a separate warrant article. that becomes a separate warrant article.
• </c> this is that it's separated out. this is that it's separated out.
• </c> day to each separate school. day to each separate school.

Committee: House Education Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• So better grades and better student performance is great, but what happens when they graduate?
• And 70% of these remedial students cannot compute at the eighth-grade level.
• the UC system requires, and they can't compute at the eighth-grade level.
• It results in grades moving up. It results in more enrollment.
• and accounting of its resources, separate and apart from other programs within our agency.

Transcript Highlights:

• So better grades and better student performance is great, but what happens when they graduate?
• And 70 percent of these remedial students cannot compute at the eighth-grade level.
• what the UC system requires, and they can't compute at the eighth-grade level.
• Our achievement nationwide is substandard, completely separate and aside from the impact of COVID.
• and accounting of its resources, separate from other programs within our agency.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard a presentation on ongoing funding for the California Education Learning Lab. The Learning Lab described its intersegmental grant-making work with UC, CSU, and community college faculty, including projects on AI, math alignment, and open educational resources. The administration proposed moving the program’s administrative home from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps and restoring $4 million annually. The Department of Finance supported the proposal as a way to improve coordination, while the LAO recommended rejecting it, arguing the program is difficult to scale, overlaps with existing campus and segment-wide professional development, and could be wound down to save General Fund dollars. Senators split on the issue: some emphasized the program’s role in fostering innovation and cross-segment collaboration, while others questioned its measurable outcomes and whether it addresses problems rooted in K-12 preparation. The item was held open without a vote. The committee then considered funding for the new Office of Civil Rights within GovOps, created to implement AB 715 and SB 48. The proposal sought $3.5 million in 2026-27 and $2.8 million ongoing to staff the office, provide training and technical assistance to local educational agencies, and help track discrimination complaints through the Department of Education’s uniform complaint process. Finance said the office was being stood up administratively, but many positions were still unfilled; the LAO had no concerns and said the proposal simply implements recent legislation. Senators raised concerns about the office’s placement in GovOps, the lack of guidance while the office is not yet operational, the potential duplication with CDE processes, and whether staffing levels and coordinator roles match the volume and type of complaints. The department said it would adjust resources as workload becomes clearer and that first-year goals would include hiring staff, developing materials, and beginning outreach. The item was held open. After public comment and votes on several vote-only items, the committee heard from the Office of Data and Innovation on a request for five positions and $1.25 million in reimbursement authority. ODI said it uses data science, design, and engineering to improve state services, citing work on EBT theft detection and forecasting community water system outages. Finance had no comment, and the LAO supported the reimbursement model. Senators generally praised ODI’s small but high-impact role and asked about privacy safeguards for vendor AI tools; ODI said it uses state guardrails, enterprise contracts, and coordination with CDT to protect data. The item was held open. The Department of Technology then presented on the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative, reporting progress on the 8,100-mile network, including 423 miles already complete and more than 70% permitted. CDT said it had selected Skyline Technology Solutions as operator and expected about 5,300 miles completed by December 2026, with some miles possibly slipping into 2027. The LAO noted most of the $3.8 billion appropriated has been encumbered, but raised concerns about the new three-party operating structure and long-term sustainability. Senators asked about accountability, the need for a two-year extension of liquidation authority, and whether revenues will cover operating costs. CDT said the extension is a precaution to allow for final reallocations if needed, that CDT retains ultimate responsibility, and that it expects the network to be self-sustaining over time through service revenues and lease arrangements. The department committed to continued reporting through annual reports, advisory committees, and briefings.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:16:33.040><c> Um,</c> restraining a third grade student.
• Um, restraining a third grade student.
• Um, you know, currently we do have the ban for grade three or below.
• Um we don't I don't think grade three.
• And so I think um I I think I'm grade.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm happy to go into this separately in another conversation, but where they realized that maybe
• My career in education began as a sixth grade teacher in San Jose.
• year and are becoming literate before third grade, right?
• year and are becoming literate before third grade, right?
• grade year and are becoming literate before third grade, right?

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> those two separately those two separately but<00:57:48.880><c> really</c><00:57:49.200><c> the</
• </c><01:34:33.159><c> and</c> typically just the liquid separately and typically just the liquid separately
• The first is the railroad tax.
• Yes, Representative, but that's all the SWEPT is separate from the SWEPT, correct?
• </c><02:20:05.720><c> from</c> the swept is separate from the swept is separate from the<02:20:08.040

Summary: The committee received an overview from Chris of the Legislative Budget Assistance Office on how it will estimate unrestricted revenues for the General Fund, Education Trust Fund, Highway Fund, and Fish and Game Fund. He explained that the committee’s work is based on current law, not pending bills, and that the estimates will feed into a House resolution and an amendment to House Bill 1, the operating budget. He also described the broader budget process, including how House and Senate estimates are reconciled, how surplus statements account for revenue changes from enacted bills, and how a committee of conference could resolve differences later in the session. No votes were taken. Members then asked about why the Education Trust Fund was running below plan. Chris said the shortfall appeared to be driven largely by business taxes, including differences in the BET/BPT split and improved tax-processing systems that better track where business tax payments belong. Representative Orr also asked about tobacco tax collections and out-of-state sales; Chris said tobacco revenue was likely overestimated in 2023 based on COVID-era patterns, with more people smoking at home, and noted that e-cigarette tax revenue goes to the General Fund while cigarette taxes are split between the General Fund and Education Trust Fund. He said he did not have a specific estimate for cross-border sales. Commissioner Lindsay St. Pierre of the Department of Revenue then began a deeper dive into the department’s role and the taxes it administers. She reviewed the department’s mission, organizational structure, taxpayer services, and the tax policy and legislative analysis staff who prepare fiscal notes and testify on bills. She noted that the department administers about $2.9 billion in revenue across major taxes such as business taxes, meals and rooms, and utility property tax, and that the figures being discussed were preliminary because the annual report had not yet been issued. The discussion was informational only, with no formal action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• was at the end of third grade.
• was at the end of third grade.
• And ours were numerical grades, not letter grades.
• In the last two years, ours were numerical grades, not letter grades.
• based on letter grades.

Bills: HB4 , HB20

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2853, which would allow the UT System Board of Regents to adjust the University of Texas at El Paso student union fee above the current statutory cap, subject to student approval, to help fund a new student union building. Senator Blanco explained the bill and the committee substitute, there were no questions or witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending subject to the call of the chair. The committee then heard House Bill 610, which would limit severance payments for terminated independent school district superintendents to six months’ salary and benefits. Senator Paxton described large severance payouts and said the bill had passed the House overwhelmingly. There were no witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the bill was left pending. A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 4623, which would waive school district immunity in certain cases involving negligent hiring, supervision, or employment of professional school employees who commit abuse or related misconduct against students. Senator Paxton and several witnesses, including survivors and parents, argued the bill was needed to address cover-ups, delayed reporting, and repeated failures to remove dangerous employees; some members raised concerns about liability caps, litigation, and how the bill would interact with the Tort Claims Act. The committee also heard from TEA staff and employee-group witnesses who discussed possible injunctions and stronger no-hire protections. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4, an accountability and assessment bill that would restore A-F ratings, change the state testing system, and replace STAAR with shorter, more instructionally useful assessments. Senator Bettencourt explained the committee substitute, including annual ratings, limits on taxpayer-funded lawsuits, and a phased-in testing redesign with beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments. Testimony was generally supportive from education and business groups, though some witnesses favored norm-referenced testing while others emphasized criterion-referenced, TEKS-aligned assessments; one witness noted social studies assessments were restored in the bill. The hearing concluded with additional invited testimony and no final vote reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:25:26.240><c> um</c> education because it is a separate um education because it is a separate
• </c> separate from SC they're in separate separate from SC they're in separate build<00:56:52.880><c>
• you know separate buildings build you know separate buildings English<00:56:54.400><c> and</c><00:56
• So<01:23:04.639><c> if</c><01:23:04.960><c> you</c><01:23:05.280><c> separate</c> So if you separate
• </c><01:40:06.639><c> the</c> don't know how you can separate the don't know how you can separate the

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the October 15 minutes and a brief discussion of the committee’s report process, including the likelihood of a minority report and a deadline of November 1 for any separate report. Members then heard from Jod Adams of the New Hampshire Alliance for Public Charter Schools, who gave an overview of charter schools in the state: there are 37 charter schools, with 6,034 students last year, and schools are formed by certified teachers, parents, or nonprofit organizations. She said charter schools receive about $9,180 per pupil in adequacy aid and charter school grant funding, must fundraise for additional money, and are governed by their own boards under their charters and bylaws. Members asked about admissions, governance, transportation, and special education. Adams said charter schools are open enrollment, not geographically based, and may use lotteries when applications exceed available seats. She explained that districts and charter schools coordinate on special education and busing, with the sending district responsible for special education coordination and certain transportation obligations depending on where the student lives and attends. She also said charter schools are public schools, not selective, and that each school’s board operates independently of the local district school board, though some schools may have special arrangements. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on funding and statutory obligations. Adams and members discussed how special education aid follows the student, while charter schools do not receive some district-level aid such as catastrophic aid; free and reduced lunch funding and Title funds can go to charter schools. Members also raised concerns that some state laws and administrative rules do not clearly specify whether they apply to charter schools, creating confusion and, in some cases, causing districts to perform services such as dyslexia screening for charter students without additional funding. Adams agreed that clearer statutory language would help and noted that charter schools are subject to many state requirements, including testing and reporting, even though not every public-school rule applies to them.

Transcript Highlights:

• are graded as SPFs.
• </c> graded as SPFs. graded as SPFs.
• They have a separate stamping grade for that, so it doesn't bring their average down.
• They have a separate stamping<05:25:56.878><c> grade</c><05:25:57.200><c> for</c><05:25:57.360><c> that
• > the</c><05:36:39.440><c> grading</c> This grading should be the grading This grading should be the

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Transcript Highlights:

• from the last couple years<00:09:59.000><c> the</c><00:09:59.360><c> Shortline</c><00:09:59.959><c> Railroad
• ><00:10:00.519><c> and</c><00:10:00.760><c> that</c><00:10:01.440><c> uh</c> years the Shortline Railroad
• and that uh years the Shortline Railroad and that uh course<00:10:02.040><c> provides</c><00:10:02.440

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• separate.
• separate.
• separate.
• </c><01:16:56.480><c> and</c><01:16:56.719><c> 12th</c><01:16:57.040><c> grade.
• </c><01:16:57.920><c> U</c> it was sixth grade and 12th grade. U it was sixth grade and 12th grade.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• this and to create a standalone separate this and to create a standalone position<00:04:15.200><c> so
• Reading proficiency in the early grades is foundational to academic success, personal responsibility,
• Reading proficiency in the early grades is foundational to academic success, personal responsibility,
• The next speaker began discussing districtwide reading screening and intervention in the primary grades
• </c> intervention in the primary grades. intervention in the primary grades.

Bills: SF0014 , SF0053

Committee: House Education