Transcript Highlights:

• Is it every teacher?
• In working with teachers and hearing from teachers, actually, this is a tool.
• I have had a lot of frontline teachers. And we didn't have a whole lot of frontline teachers.
• There is nothing here that a teacher wouldn't agree to. So again, I work with teachers.
• And I had a teacher, I won't say his name, but this teacher was a very stern teacher.

Bills: HB111 , HB103 , HB60 , HB108 , HB120 , HB145 , HB154 , HB164 , HB291 , HJR6 , HR1 , HJM2 , HJM3 , HJM1 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM32 , HM13 , HM47 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50 , HB38 , HB47 , HB63 , HB64 , HB127 , HB165 , HB184 , HB200 , HM20 , HM51

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, offered an invocation, pledges, and a series of recognitions and guest introductions, including a memorial honoring J.B. White, a young Santa Fe basketball player killed by gun violence, and presentations for Disability Rights Awareness Day, Down syndrome advocacy, adult education and literacy, and Western New Mexico University’s 133rd birthday. Members also welcomed students, legislative fellows, and other guests, and several speakers used the announcements period to highlight community work, family milestones, and advocacy efforts. The chamber then received and referred several executive and Senate messages. Governor-authorized bills included HB 282 on school attendance enforcement and juvenile probation coordination, HB 292 creating the New Mexico Prison Rape Elimination Act, and HB 149 involving charter school facility financing; these were referred to the Judiciary or Appropriations and Finance Committees as applicable. The House also received Senate-passed bills and committee substitutes, which were referred to the appropriate House committees. In committee reports, multiple bills and memorials were adopted, including HB 4, HB 7, HB 65, HB 66, HB 80, HB 88, HB 96, HB 270, HB 280, HB 275, HB 285, HB 20, HB 166, HB 295, HM 46, HM 54, and SJR 1. On third reading, HB 38 on wheelchair insurance coverage was announced as being remanded back to the House Health and Human Services Committee for a simple amendment before returning to the floor. The main floor debate centered on HB 120, which addresses restraint and seclusion in schools. Sponsors said the bill is intended to improve student safety, clarify when intervention is allowed, require de-escalation and behavior-support training, improve documentation and parent notification, and prevent harmful or punitive practices. An amendment was adopted to replace the term “punishment” with “disciplinary action” and to add reporting to a legislative study committee. The bill then drew extended questioning about definitions, school resource officers, PBIS references, training requirements, data collection, and possible costs and liability, with sponsors emphasizing that the measure clarifies existing practice rather than imposing a specific curriculum or program.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know as a former teacher that our TEKS really are exceptional.
• Teachers want that feedback.
• It's giving teachers the information that they need to not only gauge what they are doing as teachers
• Like to know, in school and being a teacher, you recognize that teachers don't always grade papers the
• Is there a way that teachers are hesitant?

Bills: HB8

Committee: House Public Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Congratulations on Teacher of the Year.
• And that to me is the most amazing teacher.
• But you do anything to keep that 10th-year teacher.
• Any teacher that wants to talk to me, I'm there.
• As a retired teacher, I've seen in the last, I don't know...

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• into local school districts since 2011. to a teacher but um you know teacher to a teacher but um you
• </c><00:34:39.599><c> program</c> teacher through a teacher prep program teacher through a teacher prep
• :04.640><c> for</c><00:35:05.280><c> teachers</c> mountain teacher fellowship for teachers mountain teacher
• </c> not just a per teacher breakdown. not just a per teacher breakdown.
• </c> of these teachers. of these teachers.

Summary: The subcommittee met without a quorum and did not approve minutes, but heard testimony on budget line items for Data Seam and Teach for America. Andrew McNeel of Kentucky Free and representatives from the Commonwealth Policy Center argued that both programs rely heavily on recurring taxpayer support and should be re-evaluated. McNeel cited a 2020 Office of Policy and Audit examination of Data Seam, saying the program had received more than $30 million in state support since 2006, including $3.5 million in the current budget, and that the audit raised concerns about administrative overhead, alleged threats to districts, and the use of line-item language to justify sole-source contracting. He recommended suspending Data Seam funding this biennium, directing a new special audit, and requiring reimbursement of audit costs. The witnesses also urged the committee to withhold funding for Teach for America, saying the organization’s materials and history showed a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion that they opposed. They pointed to past statements, leadership titles, and program language as evidence that DEI concepts remained embedded in the organization, and suggested any funding should be redirected directly to school districts instead. Mike Harmon and Richard Nelson echoed those concerns, while also saying long-running programs should be periodically reviewed for efficiency. Teach for America Appalachia representatives then testified in support of the program. Executive director C.D. Morton described the organization as a teacher-preparation and leadership-development program serving rural eastern Kentucky, saying it had recruited and supported more than 325 teachers since 2011, with about 30 current core members in several counties and roughly 2,800 students impacted daily. He said the program helps fill hard-to-staff vacancies, that about 80% of teachers stay for a third year, and that many alumni remain in education. In response to questions from Representative Bojanowski about retention and cost, Morton said more than 60% of alumni are still in education, but he could not give a precise classroom-teacher retention number beyond the program’s broader alumni data.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> knew she was a school teacher. knew she was a school teacher.
• </c> teachers leaving profession. teachers leaving profession.
• teacher shortage.
• You got to have great teachers, teachers, teachers, but<00:53:07.640><c> but</c><00:53:07.840><c> I've
• foreign</c> teacher, uh French teacher, foreign teacher, uh French teacher, foreign language,<01:41:06.640

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• The same goes for the teacher program in Philadelphia. That's no cost whatsoever to the teachers.
• Lodging, airfare for the teachers, meals, that's covered. So nothing out of pocket for the teacher.
• And then the other part of the grant is to provide teacher training to show teachers how to use this
• But anyway, it's a fantastic and free resource for civic teachers and social studies teachers.
• But anyway, but it's a fantastic and free resource for civic teachers and social studies teachers.

Summary: The Louisiana Commission on Civic Education met with quorum, approved the minutes from its previous meeting, and took several action items related to the Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LIAC). The commission unanimously approved the 2026-27 LIAC membership slate after reviewing recommendations from the selection committee, and it also approved the council’s budget and mileage reimbursement guidelines, noting the only change was an updated IRS mileage rate. Members thanked the legislature for continuing to fund LIAC after earlier years when it relied on outside donations. The meeting featured presentations on civic education resources and America 250 programming. Brandon Burris, representing the Lieutenant Governor’s office, highlighted Louisiana state parks, the Checkout Louisiana library backpack programs for parks and museums, Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s anti-litter campaign, and Homework Louisiana. Liam Julian of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute discussed national civics education trends, teacher discomfort with controversial topics, and the institute’s teacher training, student camps, debate programs, and civics app. Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s Katie Stark and Nancy Torren presented America 250-related materials, including a PBS Kids feature on a Louisiana child and LPB’s “Louisiana’s Hidden History” videos and teacher resources on Bernardo de Galvez and Spanish Louisiana. LIAC members then reported on their work, including school safety efforts, digital service-hour tracking, AP self-study access, minor work permits, AI-generated harassment concerns, and local civic engagement projects. Peggy Cotonia of the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education reported 87 Law Day presentations and 287 total Law Day and Constitution Day presentations reaching about 9,400 students, along with updates on awards and a shortened but still free summer institute for teachers. Barry Irwin reported that legislation to clean up outdated commission membership and quorum language had passed the House and been heard in Senate Education, moving toward final passage. The commission adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got great teachers in Oklahoma.
• teachers are going to feel like they're not getting paid for it?
• So this would not require the teachers to have to do parent-teacher conferences without being paid.
• We're not necessarily required to deliver parent-teacher conferences.
• in early spring, are we asking teachers and students to come in in July?

Bills: HB3622 , HB3621 , HB3151 , HB3882 , HB3661 , HB4273 , HB3644 , HB3706 , HB3708 , HB2021 , HB3986 , HB3972

Committee: House Appropriations and Budget

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills, beginning with HB 3622 and HB 3621, both related to census and state data functions. HB 3622, as amended, removed direct appropriation language and would let Department of Commerce staff carry out census-related duties such as updating local census addresses and upgrading technology. HB 3621 would recreate the State Data Center at the Legislative Service Bureau to coordinate census-related programs across agencies such as Commerce, Tax, and others; both bills received unanimous or near-unanimous support and were reported out due pass. A lengthy portion of the meeting focused on HB 3151, which would redefine instructional days so that only time students are actually in the classroom counts toward the instructional minimum, excluding professional development and parent-teacher conference time. The author argued the bill would close Oklahoma’s instructional-time gap and improve outcomes, while members raised concerns about funding, teacher pay, contract negotiations, and how districts would absorb the change. After debate, the bill passed 19-7. The committee also advanced HB 3706, which sets minimum elementary math instruction standards and expands math screening requirements, and HB 3708, which would allow private schools to use scholarship-granting organization funds for capital improvements to increase instructional capacity; both drew questions about funding, scheduling, and the scope of the programs but were reported out due pass. Other measures approved included HB 3661, extending a sunset on a timber equipment tax provision; HB 3882, creating a revolving fund for ODOT’s lake access and industrial access grants; HB 4273, extending a tax credit to certain aerospace engineers at an ARM 1 higher education institution; HB 3644, tied to medical training and best practices after a fatal misdiagnosis; HB 2021, creating a DHS grant program for out-of-school programming, with discussion centered on whether it would effectively favor Boys and Girls Clubs and exclude other providers; HB 3986, extending a sunset; and HB 3972, cleanup language related to the Comanche County prison purchase. Most bills passed with strong support, and the meeting adjourned after the final votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our teachers, state employees.
• Paul teachers actually.
• Paul teachers.
• Finally, teachers. We spent a lot of time talking about teachers in this pension group last year.
• The Tier 1 teachers are kind of retiring. alongside these Tier 2 teachers all these years.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of the daily rate of pay for teachers of the daily rate of pay for teachers with<00:03:23.840><c
• . teachers. teachers.
• </c> teachers and so I'm in support of that. teachers and so I'm in support of that.
• </c> we stack on top of our teachers. we stack on top of our teachers.
• My mom was a special ed teacher.

Bills: HF630 , HF1435 , HF1607

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• uh retired retired total teachers uh retired retired teachers<00:08:48.560><c> uh</c><00:08:48.680><
• </c><00:09:24.160><c> there's</c> hire up to 10% retired teachers there's hire up to 10% retired teachers
• </c> two so if a district has 200 teachers two so if a district has 200 teachers they<00:09:35.279><c
• </c><00:11:01.360><c> and</c><00:11:01.560><c> teachers</c> between retired teachers and teachers between
• retired teachers and teachers coming<00:11:02.240><c> into</c><00:11:02.680><c> the</c><00:11:02.880

Summary: The House State Government Committee met with a quorum and considered three bills. House Bill 73, as amended by committee substitute, added We Lead CS to the list of agencies participating in the Teachers’ Retirement System administrative provisions. The sponsor explained the bill corrects an oversight involving a computer science education service provider established in 2022. A question about fiscal impact was answered with no expected fiscal note or actuarial impact. The committee adopted the substitute and passed HB 73 19-0 with favorable expression. House Bill 441 addressed teacher shortages by expanding the number of retired teachers and critical-shortage-area teachers school districts may hire. The sponsor said districts could hire retired teachers up to 10% of staff and critical shortage area teachers up to 10%, replacing lower current limits and a temporary COVID-era provision that had expired. Members asked about work limits, salary rules, and how often shortage areas are identified; the sponsor said retired teachers remain subject to existing earnings limits, critical shortage teachers are paid at least a rank-two, 10-year salary, and shortage areas are identified annually by the Commissioner of Education. Supportive comments noted the bill was a stopgap and that long-term solutions should include recruitment, retention, and pay. The committee passed HB 441 19-0 with favorable expression. House Bill 462 would allow county clerks to correct marriage applications or licenses by affidavit, without requiring a lawsuit in circuit court, when there are obvious errors or omissions. The Kenton County clerk and another clerk testified that the change would help people who need corrected records for Social Security, Real ID, inheritance, and other legal purposes, while still preserving data needed by Vital Statistics. Members described the bill as a practical efficiency measure. The committee passed HB 462 19-0 with favorable expression, and the meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a former teacher, current teacher, whatever you want to call me, I understand...
• As a former teacher, current teacher, whatever you want to call me, I understand that gifted people,
• Former teacher, current teacher, whatever you want to call me, I understand that gifted people, they
• So now all teachers get that check.
• So if you had a gifted program, your teacher got that check from DESE. in 2008. program, your teacher

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Parents, teachers, and students aside.
• Teachers shouldn't feel like they have Teachers shouldn't feel like they have to<00:02:30.480><c> stay
• </c> qualified teachers into the classroom. qualified teachers into the classroom.
• </c> more flexibility on teacher lensures. more flexibility on teacher lensures.
• ,</c> opened up the committee to teachers, opened up the committee to teachers, school<00:15:06.480><

Transcript Highlights:

• When a teacher refers the student for discipline to the principal, then the teacher should expect that
• teachers feel a little bit more wanted.
• Teachers have not come direct. I'm sorry, Mrs. Chair.
• This is the 10th year of teacher shortage, and when I say teacher shortage, I'm talking about the qualified
• These are teachers that have left the classroom.

Committee: House House Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee took up SB 1074 first, a bill requiring that if a teacher removes a student from class under student conduct rules, an administrator may only return the student to the classroom after giving the teacher a written certification authorizing readmission and describing any disciplinary action taken. Senator Kavanaugh said the bill was intended to reduce teacher burnout by improving transparency and making teachers feel supported when they refer students for discipline. The bill drew opposition from the Arizona Education Association, which argued it was a repeated solution to a problem that does not address the underlying need for behavioral, emotional, and academic supports. The association also said students should not be treated like criminals and noted FERPA limits what administrators can share. The Arizona Charter Schools Association also opposed the bill, saying classroom discipline decisions should be left to individual schools rather than mandated by statute. Support came from Superintendent Horn’s office, which cited ADE teacher retention and recruitment surveys showing student behavior, lack of administrative support, and dissatisfaction with administration as major reasons teachers leave. After testimony on SB 1074, the committee moved to recess for five minutes by a 6-4 vote, and then adjourned for the afternoon before taking further action on the remaining bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it just for teachers? Is it for teachers and staff? And what are the two lines?
• Okay, that was teacher residency. The next bill. Oh. Okay, that was teacher residency.
• Okay, that was teacher residency. The next bill. Oh. Okay, that was teacher residency.
• to teachers.
• elementary school teachers.

Summary: The committee first heard a detailed staff presentation on the LESC FY27 public school support recommendation. Staff reviewed the budget structure and explained that, despite a downward revision in state revenue estimates, the recommendation still relied on recurring and non-recurring revenue to support educator compensation, insurance, transportation, literacy, math, special education, and other school programs. Major recurring items included a 3% compensation increase, funding for an 80-20 health insurance cost share, insurance premium growth, and transportation adequacy funding. Staff also flagged a possible supplemental need of up to $35 million for virtual education tied to rapid enrollment growth in Chama and Santa Rosa, and members raised concerns about the quality, accountability, and funding model for virtual programs. Members asked questions about transportation for rural districts, the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit fees, the treatment of enrollment declines in the school funding formula, and whether the word “average” in salary language should remain in the budget. Staff explained that the SEG should remain whole, that the insurance and transportation recommendations applied to all public school employees but not contractors, and that the budget included multiple math-related investments spread across several lines rather than one single appropriation. There was also discussion of out-of-school learning grants, school meals, literacy center operations, special education training, and the Public Education Reform Fund, including the use of multi-year, evaluation-based appropriations for high-impact tutoring and community schools. After discussion, the committee adopted the LESC budget recommendation. The committee then moved to endorsed legislation proposals. It endorsed a bill allowing the secretary to suspend an individual school board member, with notice and appeal procedures clarified, and a bill creating an 80-20 health insurance cost-share requirement for public school employees, along with a study of the sustainability of public school insurance programs. It also endorsed a bill on attendance provisions for students with severe medical conditions, which would keep those students from being classified as excessively absent. Finally, the committee discussed a teacher residency bill that would raise stipend levels, allow residents to complete service anywhere in New Mexico, and remove the requirement that sponsoring schools must hire them, though the bill did not include an appropriation. Members also raised questions about bilingual, Hispanic, and Black education funding, cultural and linguistic supports in teacher preparation, and where various programs should be placed in the budget or PERF framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your teacher perspective.
• What do those teachers do?
• A teacher whose hair was ripped out. And the teacher is telling her team, "I'm scared to go back."
• . 500 special education teachers at a time when we're already facing a severe teacher shortage.
• But we have heard from our own teachers that they are not learning it in teacher prep school.

Transcript Highlights:

• and to be a certified teacher.
• </c> and and to be a certified teacher. and and to be a certified teacher.
• </c> to try to make it easier on teachers. to try to make it easier on teachers.
• All of our teachers have to have a bachelor's degree, and our auxiliary teacher, or the second teacher
• </c> auxiliary teacher or the second teacher auxiliary teacher or the second teacher in<01:24:25.840>

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• . teacher. teacher.
• </c> a teacher is already in assault third. a teacher is already in assault third.
• ><c> know</c> with those teachers, those teachers know with those teachers, those teachers know what<
• </c> and abuse of a teacher 1,428. and abuse of a teacher 1,428.
• </c> teachers and principles? teachers and principles?

Summary: The Juvenile Justice Oversight Council met on February 6, 2026, took roll, approved a motion to convene, and heard agency updates from materials in the packet. The council then took up Senate Bill 125 out of order because Senator Carol was present. The bill was presented as a collaborative effort focused on creating a secure, state-run high-acuity mental health facility for justice-involved youth who need specialized psychiatric care and cannot be appropriately served in detention or by private hospitals. Speakers said the facility would fill a gap in services, improve safety and treatment outcomes, and be designed with trauma-informed, medically equipped spaces rather than a jail-like setting. The presenters also outlined other parts of the bill, including a placement process in which DJJ and CHFS would evaluate youth and provide recommendations before the judge makes the final decision, with certain hospital-declination provisions to be delayed until the new facility is operating. They described payment incentives for hospitals treating high-acuity youth, confidentiality and escape-related disclosure provisions, and contracts with a public teaching university for clinical services. The proposed facility was described as a 24-bed center at Central State, with staffing to include mental health professionals and juvenile detention staff receiving enhanced training. Dr. Clark Lester said staffing needs would vary by youth and could include one-to-one supervision for some patients. The bill also addressed female juvenile detention capacity. Speakers said the number of detained girls has risen sharply since 2024, peaking at 51 in 2025, and that current facilities cannot meet the separation requirements for boys and girls or high- and low-level youth. The proposal would build two female detention centers, with possible locations discussed in central Kentucky and western Kentucky, and a third or fourth center could be added if population data show the need. Members asked about hospital placement authority, staffing, and average length of stay for girls; the presenters said the current court-order process would remain until the new facility is built and that they would provide additional data later. No vote was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The teacher qualifications are more rigorous, and they hire teachers.
• The teacher qualifications are more rigorous.
• So we unfortunately have lost some teachers.
• of us will be here without the teachers.
• us will be here without the teachers, but we're not really paying the teachers what they are worth.

Summary: The Education Administration Subcommittee held an introductory meeting focused largely on member introductions and “homework” reports about education issues in each district. Members raised a wide range of concerns and priorities, including early childhood care and VPK access, school choice and school closures, teacher recruitment and retention, conflict resolution and school safety, early literacy and preparedness, technology and AI/STEM instruction, attendance and mental health, ESE services, dual enrollment and career/technical education, caregiving youth, and real-time student enrollment/funding tracking. Several members also emphasized local challenges such as housing-driven teacher turnover, disaster-related attendance problems, and funding inequities across counties. The committee then heard a detailed presentation on Florida’s early learning system from Chancellor Carrie Miller of the Department of Education’s Division of Early Learning. She outlined the structure and funding of School Readiness, VPK, and the Gold Seal Quality Care program, the role of early learning coalitions and DCF, and the state’s quality and accountability measures. She highlighted the importance of kindergarten readiness, teacher quality, and the new School Readiness Plus program, which helps families transition off subsidy more gradually. Additional panelists from the Children’s Forum, the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, and a Tallahassee child care provider discussed workforce shortages, low wages, provider turnover, the TEACH scholarship program, Help Me Grow, local coalition operations, and the need for more providers and more consistent regulation. During questions, members asked about wait lists, special needs services, teacher retention, provider onboarding, and DCF regulation. The panel said Miami-Dade’s wait list was about 4,000 children and described priority categories for service; they also said children with disabilities are screened and referred for support, though not given a separate priority category. Panelists reported that TEACH has helped reduce turnover through education support and service commitments, but said wages and career pathways remain major issues. Members also pressed for clearer, more consistent licensing standards and more support for new providers entering the field. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• AND COACHES, ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LEARNERS, ELA TEACHERS AND THEY HELP OUR DIRECTORS PROVIDE CURRICULUM
• TEACHING IS A BIG JOB AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO HELP TEACHERS UNDERSTAND.
• TEACHERS NEED TIME TO TEACH. KIDS TO READ. THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECTS THERE IS.
• >> HOW DOES THE STATE USE DATA TO INFORM TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM CURRICULUM AND/OR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL
• COOPER'S DEEDS THAT WILL BE TEACHER CANDIDATES THAT WILL TAKE THAT ASSESSMENT, WE WILL SEE HOW TEACHER

Transcript Highlights:

• I can't afford to be a teacher.
• We hope that raising teacher salaries is just one aspect of a statewide teacher workforce plan, a plan
• There will be multiple teachers.
• We have new teachers, and then we have teachers towards the end of their careers who are exiting.
• Special education teacher stipends.

Committee: House House Education