Transcript Highlights:

• correct level that is in the can.
• correct level that is in the can.
• correct level that is in the can.
• correct level that is in the can.
• <00:14:07.720> we level or a higher milligram level we level or a higher milligram level we

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up Senate Bill 202, adopting a committee substitute before hearing testimony. Senator Julie Rocky Adams explained that the substitute would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to promulgate regulations by January 1, 2026 for intoxicating hemp-derived beverages, direct the University of Kentucky to study manufacturing, testing, distribution, sales, and consumer effects of those beverages, and impose a moratorium on their sale until July 1, 2026. Supporters, including Rep. Matt Cook, said the measure was intended as a consumer-protection step rather than a ban, citing concerns about youth access, inconsistent labeling, and the need for a clearer regulatory framework. Members asked about the legal status of the products, whether the bill could unintentionally sweep in non-intoxicating hemp beverages, and whether there was evidence of harm. Senators were told the products are legal under the federal farm bill loophole, but that testing has shown THC levels on sampled cans did not match labels and that current regulations do not specifically address intoxicating hemp-derived beverages. Senator Higdon said CHFS had already been authorized to regulate hemp products and was moving forward with regulations and enforcement, while Senator Meredith questioned whether a moratorium would unfairly punish businesses that had already invested in the market and suggested setting a THC standard instead. Public testimony then shifted to industry opposition. Jim Higdon of Cornbread Hemp said his company had invested heavily in a beverage line and argued the moratorium would function like a ban and harm small businesses. Dee Taylor of 502 Hemp and the Kentucky Hemp Association also opposed the moratorium, saying existing rules already require age limits, behind-the-counter sales, and licensed retailers, and arguing that a cap on milligrams would be preferable to a shutdown. He said retailers were seeing approved and unapproved products in the market and urged work with the Cabinet and ABC rather than a moratorium.

Transcript Highlights:

• You mentioned that, um, charter schools are having failing grades or having very low grades.
• HP 3837 establishes a comprehensive AV regulatory framework for Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles
• The intent is to classify all Level 4 and Level 5 AVs as commercial until there are legitimate Level
• 4 and Level 5 AVs for sale for personal use.
• It only talks about level 4 and Level 5, which means the bill aligns with current industry standards

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to say on a personal level, too, my two biggest passions are the environment and affordable
• A lot of what is cured can't meet grade. So, the harder woods tend to...
• Meet grade, and we are a little light in New Mexico on some of the harder woods.
• There are currently discussions at the federal level to change this as well, but we have the opportunity
• at RTOs... ...the Regional Transmission Organizations and what needs to be done both at the state level

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The program will help 11th and 12th grade students complete a certificate program while in high school
• know, many of our students need deep remediation, even in high school, because they remain not on grade
• level in reading and mathematics.
• that may free up some school districts to actually pass the PBS, but does that actually lower the level
• it includes the identification of the specific elected officials who represent the students at each level

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the purpose of the bill is to create another level of government to check.
• It just doesn't sound very efficient to create another level of government to oversee accreditation,
• Students only take 15 hours, and once they take the 15 hours, they automatically qualify based on grades
• Last session, Senator West's bill changed the program from five years to three years and leveled out
• So if someone wanted to promote to the chief level, So we can just eliminate this one step, and like

Bills: SB1998, SB646, SB2786, SB2076, SB2615, SB1961, SB1418, SB2647, SB1322, SB2788

Keywords: pediatrics, medical education, subsidiary, preceptorship, medical training, student programs, mental health, loan repayment, education funding, mental health professionals, healthcare access, Texas Success Initiative, exemption, public officers, employees, higher education, Capitol view, Austin, urban planning, construction

Transcript Highlights:

• of the results of that, according to the two nations report card, Nebraska scored highest in fourth grade
• math and test scores in eighth grade math was second overall.
• Infection rates plummeted during the pandemic and still has not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.
• kids that are exempted for one or more routine vaccinations has continued to rise to the highest levels
• Now, today, we see student achievement and grades well below the pre-pandemic levels.

Keywords: NIH funding, healthcare research, chronic diseases, scientific integrity, public trust, pandemic response

Summary: The meeting of the committee focused on various healthcare and scientific issues, with significant discussions surrounding the impact of recent administrative actions on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its research agenda. Senators expressed concerns over funding cuts and personnel reductions, particularly the reported termination of over 1,200 NIH staff members, which could jeopardize ongoing and future research projects. The session included testimonies on the importance of supporting early-stage researchers and restoring public trust in scientific institutions following pandemic-related controversies. Additionally, the potential for future healthcare management based on diverse scientific ideas was emphasized as crucial to tackle chronic diseases effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• and then the course levels and weighting levels by discipline.
• And grading wouldn't be final.
• than it is at the junior and senior level.
• , on graduate level, on Ph.D. level, on M.D. level, on CTE level.
• Chair, that's kind of the high level behind this.

Summary: The committee met to discuss higher education funding and capital building policy. Members first heard an update from NDUS Deputy Commissioner Lisa Johnson on low-producing academic programs. She described a proposed board policy using a five-year rolling window and thresholds of fewer than 10 undergraduate graduates or fewer than 5 graduate graduates, with programs flagged for three consecutive review periods going to the board. Possible outcomes would include continuation, continuation with modifications, inactivation, or termination. Members asked about how the review would account for program costs, service to other students, workforce demand, and the difference between inactivation and termination. Johnson said the board would consider broader factors and that campuses already do detailed program analysis. Several members also asked about cost savings and staffing impacts from program terminations, and Johnson said the board would try to provide more information later. The committee then received a report on the Capital Building Fund from Jamie Wilkie. He reviewed the program’s history, matching requirements, and recent uses, noting that about $334 million in state and matching dollars has been invested overall, with most going to deferred maintenance and extraordinary repairs. Members discussed whether the program is reducing deferred maintenance and requested updated systemwide data on deferred maintenance and campus space utilization. Wilkie said the board is considering a new study to update deferred maintenance figures, which are based on information more than 12 years old. He also reported that several institutions have used current biennium funds for projects such as residence hall renovations, health sciences housing, generators, and building repairs. Later, the committee began a detailed walkthrough of a draft bill that would replace the current higher education funding formula with an FTE-based model and also revise the capital building fund structure. The draft would use fall enrollment FTEs, add completion incentives for degrees in in-demand fields, and create a separate research funding component for UND and NDSU tied to doctoral completions and external research expenditures. Members raised concerns about the use of older data in the formula, the treatment of waivers, the weighting of professional and health sciences programs, and the use of CIP codes to define CTE and education incentives. The bill draft would also combine capital building fund tiers, broaden eligible uses for deferred maintenance and legislatively authorized projects, change matching requirements, repeal the old formula chapter and the capital pool, and transfer funds from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund into the capital building fund. No final votes were taken during the portion provided; the meeting was primarily discussion and review.

Transcript Highlights:

• So alarmingly high levels of PFAS contamination in those catfish.
• I understand it's concentrated, but what is a normal human level?
• That was the maximum contaminant level in municipal water systems.
• What were the PFAS levels when you started, and what were the PFAS levels when you got it down to 6 inches
• What were the PFAST levels when you started and what were the PFAST levels when you got it down to 6

Summary: The committee hearing focused on biosolids, sewage sludge, and PFAS contamination, with the opening remarks and first three presenters arguing that land application of municipal sludge poses serious risks to soil, water, livestock, and human health. Representative Shaw cited EPA and state data on detected pollutants and PFAS in biosolids, while Denise Travick Poyer described her background in chemical engineering and PFAS work and said the EPA’s draft sewage sludge risk assessment shows unacceptable risk at very low PFOS/PFOA levels. She urged source reduction, more testing, and consideration of total organic fluorine, and noted examples from Michigan where industrial pretreatment and source reduction reduced PFAS in biosolids. Johnson County, Texas Commissioner Larry Woolley and Investigator Dana Ames presented a case study of alleged runoff from land-applied biosolids affecting a ranch, with high PFAS readings in soil, water, fish, cattle tissue, and a stillborn calf, and said the county and state had pursued investigations, lawsuits, and legislative responses. Sandra Trawick of Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches argued that Oklahoma’s biosolids program relies heavily on Class B sludge, that current rules are outdated, and that land application exposes farms and rural communities to pathogens, chemicals, odors, flies, and runoff; she cited examples from Maine, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, and Oklahoma to support calls for stronger regulation or a ban. After the testimony, members asked about sampling methods, lab testing, EPA limits, and whether the cited PFAS blood levels were comparable to the soil and sludge measurements. Witnesses said the Johnson County samples were collected by a Texas A&M PhD contractor and tested at a single lab, and they explained that the EPA’s 4 parts per trillion figure applied to municipal drinking water standards. Questions also addressed whether sludge is incorporated into soil; Trawick said it had often been left on the surface, though she had seen better disking after public scrutiny. Members asked how biosolids compare with manure and feedlot waste, and witnesses responded that municipal sludge is more contaminated because it includes industrial, hospital, and household waste streams, unlike animal manure. The committee then moved to alternative solutions, hearing from Doug McKinney of Advanced Microbial Solutions, who promoted biological sludge removal using bacteria to reduce sludge volumes and avoid land application, citing cost savings for wastewater plants and correctional facilities. Jason Jepsen of Eden Energy followed with a pitch for an eight-stage waste-to-energy system that converts mixed waste into clean energy, biochar, and reusable products, framing waste as an asset and presenting his company’s technology as a no-land-application alternative.

Transcript Highlights:

• What dollar amount funding level? Representative Maney: Speaker, just a moment. I'll get that. One.
• I'll start more at a granular level and back out.
• And so this is a continuation at all levels of government that we have the ability to... Thank you.
• Our school grades are already great, A's and B's, but I could just think of how much more we could do
• How many first-grade classes?

Summary: The House convened on the final day of session, observed a moment of silence for the Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and for Representative Rosenwald’s father, then swore in and seated new members Boyles and Hodgers. The Speaker also outlined the chamber’s end-of-session priorities, including action on the budget and related conforming bills. The House then took up H.J.R. 5019, a constitutional amendment to expand Florida’s budget stabilization fund by raising the cap, requiring annual transfers, and allowing withdrawals for critical state needs. After sponsor explanations and questions about what would qualify as a critical need and how the fund might respond to possible federal funding cuts, the House adopted an amendment that added more flexibility for suspending transfers and withdrawals. The joint resolution then passed on final passage. Members next considered HB 7031, the tax package conference report. The bill repeals the business rent tax and aviation fuel tax, delays the natural gas fuel tax, creates or extends several sales tax exemptions and holidays, and makes changes affecting property taxes, local taxes, pari-mutuel taxes, and revenue distributions. Debate focused heavily on the new permanent exemption for ammunition and hunting-related items, the elimination of recurring housing trust fund and transit-related distributions, and the shift of some funding from recurring to nonrecurring status. Supporters argued the package provides tax relief and preserves annual budget flexibility, while opponents criticized the ammunition exemption and the reductions in recurring housing and transit support. The conference report was adopted and the bill passed. The House then passed HB 5017, which creates a debt reduction program funded by a recurring transfer from general revenue to retire state bonds early, and HB 5015, the state group insurance conforming bill, which directs DMS to develop a formulary management plan and codifies the administrative health insurance assessment. Finally, the chamber began explanation and questions on the General Appropriations Act conference report for fiscal year 2025-26, described as a $115.1 billion budget that is down from the current year and includes more than $12 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs summarized major budget areas, including K-12 education, health care, transportation and economic development, agriculture and natural resources, higher education, state administration, justice, and information technology, highlighting funding for school choice, Medicaid, housing, transportation infrastructure, Everglades restoration, workforce programs, cybersecurity, and technology modernization.

Transcript Highlights:

• and then the course levels and weighting levels by discipline.
• And grading wouldn't be final.
• is at the junior and senior level.
• Level. So I don't really see that flipping it.
• graduate level, on Ph.D. level, on M.D. level, on CTE level.

Summary: The Higher Education Funding Review Committee met to continue work on a draft higher education funding formula and related capital building fund changes. Lisa Johnson of the North Dakota University System updated the committee on the board’s developing policy for low-producing academic programs. She said the board is using a five-year rolling window, with thresholds of fewer than 10 undergraduate graduates or fewer than 5 graduate graduates, and that programs flagged in three consecutive review cycles would go to the board for review. Possible outcomes include continuation, continuation with modifications, inactivation, or termination. Members asked about how the policy would account for enrollment, program costs, workforce need, and programs that serve students outside their major. Johnson said the board would likely use an accompanying procedure to consider those factors. She also reported that about 200 programs could potentially be reviewed under current guidance, with 135 inactivated and 112 terminated, and said the process is intended to support quality and stewardship rather than simply cut programs. Jamie Wilkie then reported on the Capital Building Fund. He reviewed the fund’s history, matching requirements, and use for extraordinary repairs, deferred maintenance, and some legislatively authorized projects. He said about $334 million in state and matching dollars has been invested overall, with roughly 78.7% going to deferred maintenance and extraordinary repairs. Committee members pressed for updated information on how much deferred maintenance has actually been reduced, and several members said they wanted clearer reporting on the return on investment from new buildings versus repairs. NDSU representatives said the tier funding has helped significantly reduce deferred maintenance and allowed demolition and renovation work on campus. The committee also discussed the need for updated five-year facility plans and space-utilization information from the institutions. The committee then began a section-by-section review of a draft bill that would replace the current higher education funding formula with an FTE-based model and restructure the capital building fund. The draft would fund UND and NDSU differently from the other nine institutions, use fall enrollment rather than completed credits, add performance funding for completions in in-demand fields, create research incentives for UND and NDSU, and combine capital building fund tiers while changing matching requirements and eligible uses. Members raised concerns about the treatment of professional students, the use of CIP codes, incentives for waivers, and whether the formula should rely on more current data. The committee did not take final action on the draft during this meeting, but it continued detailed discussion and indicated more review would follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• rifles, because we saw many of the school shootings had rifles so we needed to be at least at that level
• In Georgia a few years ago, a young man was in the eighth grade.
• He graduated from the eighth grade. He moved to another county to a new school.
• Typically what we see when we look at these trends is that at best We're staying about level, and in
• and a more high level on the security side.

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on Oklahoma school safety from Commissioner Tipton, OSSI director Mike Fike, OACTIC director Alan Young, OSBI lieutenant Isiles Keene, and Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton. The main focus was a statewide school-safety framework built around response, prevention, and recovery. Witnesses described training law enforcement in the LASER active-shooter response model, adding A-TURK training for coordinated law enforcement/fire/EMS response, expanding run-hide-fight and Stop the Bleed instruction for educators and staff, conducting risk and vulnerability assessments, and using the Rave panic-button system and the ProtectOK tip app to speed reporting and dispatch. They also emphasized behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) teams as a prevention tool to identify and support at-risk students before violence occurs. Members asked about administrator and teacher training, school counselor involvement, how apps are deployed on personal versus school devices, and whether schools are actually using the programs. Witnesses said administrators, counselors, and SROs should be part of BTAM, that training is most effective when it is realistic and repeated, and that Rave is geofenced and typically invited onto devices by schools. Several members stressed that school leaders must buy in for safety plans to work, and one member raised concerns about traumatic training and the need for mental-health support as part of prevention. Witnesses said mental-health referral and monitoring are part of BTAM, but the school and local partners must manage the process. OSBI’s lieutenant added broader context, comparing school safety to fire safety and noting that Oklahoma still lacks some statutory requirements for intruder drills and stronger penalties for school threats. He also discussed possible future tools such as surveillance analytics, gunshot detection, ballistic-rated doors and walls, and better access controls, while warning that technology should supplement, not replace, basic safety systems and training. Sheriff Walton closed by describing rural response challenges and his foundation’s effort to place ballistic shields in schools and police cars, arguing that human resources and rapid communication remain the biggest gaps. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• officers, were compensated at a double-time rate in an effort to be able to meet minimum staffing levels
• staffing levels. staffing levels.
• Whether there's, to what level of veracity, you know, remains to be seen.
• I believe we were able to close one section of a housing unit to not have to staff an upper level of
• are tied to judicial branch labor grades are tied to judicial branch labor grades and<00:45:52.079

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on June 20, 2025 and first approved the May 16 minutes and the non-removed items on the consent calendar. It then took up a Health and Human Services item for $5 million in additional nursing facility payments (FIS 25158). HHS explained the transfer was for private and county nursing facilities and was the third and final transfer in FY25, funded through federal matching dollars, county cap funds, and general funds. Members asked about the size of the transfer, whether it signaled future shortfalls, and how projections were developed; HHS said the request reflected updated estimates and that they did not expect similarly large transfers going forward. The committee adopted the item. The committee also considered an ARPA-related item to remove a line from a funding request because the issue had been resolved and the positions/funds were no longer needed. Members approved the item with that line removed. Commissioner Caswell then answered questions about ARPA spending authority, saying remaining projects must be expended by December 31, 2026 and that the item was intended to preserve authority for ongoing capital projects; any unspent funds would revert to the federal government. Members noted the recurring nature of these ARPA adjustments and the need to keep tracking deadlines. The Department of Corrections presented several items, including a $10 million request tied to staffing shortages and overtime costs, plus additional corrections-related funding items. Interim commissioner John Skipa said 18 employees had received preliminary layoff notices pending final budget approval. He and staff said the overtime need was driven by staffing shortages, later collective bargaining pay increases, and double-time compensation for uniform officers forced into overtime; they also said one housing unit section had been closed to reduce staffing pressure. In response to questions about morale and operational risk, Skipa said the department was under strain, that leadership was in transition, and that staffing or budget reductions could create litigation risk. The committee also heard about the Site Evaluation Committee’s budget shortfall, which was attributed to fewer new facility applications but continued casework and public engagement, and approved that item. Finally, members discussed a YDC claims administration item, questioning the role and cost of the Verald Dana consultant; staff said the firm handles intake and processing of claims for the Attorney General’s office and had been involved since the claims process was created. Several items were adopted after brief discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe planning can and should be cooperative at the local level.
• Currently in California, just 37% of all students are performing at grade level in math.
• level in math.
• Despite being the epicenter for global innovation, California ranks 43rd in the nation in fourth-grade
• We introduced this bill after we saw law enforcement, particularly at the federal level, engaging in

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with a roll call, a moment of silence for the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The body then handled routine matters and confirmations, including Julia Montgomery as General Counsel for the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, Dr. Cynthia Glover Woods, Dr. Brenda Lewis, and Gabriela Orozco Gonzalez to the State Board of Education, and George Cardona as Chief Trial Counsel for the State Bar. All of those appointments were confirmed, with some no votes from a few members on the education and legal confirmations. The chamber also adopted several resolutions, including SR 111 on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia; SCR 129 naming part of Highway 152 the Rusty Arraes Highway; SCR 169 proclaiming October 2026 as Women’s Small Business Month; and SCR 173 designating May 2026 as California Fairgrounds Appreciation Month. Senators spoke in support of fairgrounds as community, agricultural, and emergency-response assets. The Senate also welcomed Cal Lutheran University students, faculty, and staff to the gallery. A large number of policy bills were then taken up and mostly passed, covering procurement, elections, education, privacy, housing, transportation, labor, and health care. Among the measures approved were SB 1154 on best-value procurement for community college projects, SB 1369 on judicial recall safeguards, SB 1048 creating a climate literacy seal, SB 1106 shortening data broker deletion timelines, SB 1408 authorizing a Contra Costa transportation tax measure, SB 1172 on local tax-sharing transparency, SB 1383 protecting local labor standards in density bonus projects, SB 1223 on competitive bidding at fairs, SB 1344 extending anti-SLAPP protections to certain housing-related projects, SB 1371 limiting solid waste contract force majeure clauses during labor disputes, SB 908 on residential window replacement permits, SB 1272 on remedies for preexisting home code violations, SB 1406 targeting the “Montana tax loophole,” SB 1238 on HOA transparency, SB 868 on plug-in balcony solar, SB 903 restricting unlicensed AI psychotherapy advertising, SB 950 on early-onset Alzheimer’s coverage, SB 874 on Medi-Cal behavioral health oversight, SB 1049 on corrected health care claims, SB 1067 on early math screening, SB 1202 on Medi-Cal outreach, SB 944 on acupuncture coverage, SB 957 on notice for federal subpoenas to social media companies, SB 959 on wildfire-related school closures, SB 988 on auto glass insurance practices, and SB 1000 on AI content transparency. Most passed on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes, with a few dissenting votes from members who objected to procurement, labor, privacy, or tax-related provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:27:18.880> you<00:27:19.000> have even harder because Club level you have even
• None of you, I imagine, would be here without some level of civics education.
• c> state human capacity level with in the state human capacity level with in the state um<03:21:48.359
• <03:52:45.600> and returning to investment grade and returning to investment grade and reducing
• Discussion. the federal level that um um we disallow the federal level that um um we disallow any<04:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, my third grade teacher gave me me.
• He in sixth grade had a science teacher.
• Like and happens at the school level?
• What about at the school level?
• What about at the school level? court. What about at the school level?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is beyond that level of support, and so we are resilient, but this is where we need help.
• So a lot of times, whether it's IT or different procurement that's going on at the state level, there's
• I did this at the council level in Chandler, and then I did it here statewide.
• Winninger, I think that feels like that's something at a municipal level.
• But they don't have to turn the grades into the university for another two weeks. We all know this.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2825, which would replace criminal court enforcement for unpaid court debts and incarceration costs with a civil collection framework, eliminating arrest warrants and contempt for nonpayment while preserving the underlying financial obligations. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would reduce cycles of poverty and keep people working. The committee adopted the Blackman amendment, which bars a defendant from setting aside a second default judgment entered within one year of a prior default judgment, and then gave HB 2825 a 7-0 do pass recommendation. The committee then took up HB 2070, an emergency appropriation of $25 million from the state general fund to the Arizona Department of Administration for Gila County flood relief. County supervisors, mayors, a town council member, emergency management staff, and other local officials described severe flooding in Globe, Miami, and surrounding areas, including deaths, destroyed homes and businesses, debris, sediment, damaged roads and utilities, and the need for matching funds to access federal and other grants. Members discussed FEMA denials, federal reimbursement delays, and the difficulty of completing required projects within short timelines. HB 2070 was approved 7-0. The committee also approved HB 2129, which moves the deadline for municipal library trustees’ annual reports from the first Monday in July to the second Monday in July, with supporters saying the change helps smaller and rural libraries after the July 4 holiday. HB 2439, exempting public and semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ water pollution rules, also received a do pass recommendation after testimony that the current rules create confusion and unnecessary costs for businesses. HB 2773, barring Arizona and its entities from assisting the International Criminal Court or using public resources to support ICC enforcement actions, passed 4-3 after debate over sovereignty and constitutional authority. HB 2873, requiring ADOA to share procurement Q&A with all bidders, and HB 2876, requiring topics from executive session and proposed tax or fee increases to be placed on an action agenda, both received do pass recommendations after transparency-focused testimony and some concerns about implementation and municipal practice. Finally, the committee heard HCR 2005, a proposed constitutional amendment requiring the legislature to adjourn sine die by April 30 each year and submit that question to voters. The sponsor argued Arizona sessions have grown too long and that a firm deadline would force earlier, more efficient work while still allowing a special session if the budget is unfinished. Members debated whether the proposal would improve discipline or instead create problems for the budget process, member pay, and legislative workload, with some suggesting a broader conversation about full-time versus part-time legislatures. The resolution was advanced with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• capacity and improvement in evidence-based literacy instruction for students in kindergarten through grade
• make sure that teachers, paraprofessionals, and reading specialists in kindergarten through third grade
• available free, free, F-R-E-E, complete high-quality curriculum and training for kindergarten through grade
• Tarr, reporting on district literacy educator staffing levels. Question comes on adoption.
• was stated by the sponsors of this bill, obtaining the foundational skills for literacy by the third grade

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate first handled a House petition from John H. Rawlers and others seeking eminent domain authority for a parcel in Norwood; Joint Rule 12 was suspended and the matter was referred to the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. The chamber then resumed debate on the literacy bill, with Senator Tarr offering a series of amendments focused on school district funding, teacher competency, reporting, waivers, and curriculum implementation. Most of Tarr’s amendments were rejected, but one requiring written, appealable denials of district waivers was adopted by roll call, and another amendment on reporting from the Early Literacy Fund, including provisions for English language learners and special education educators, was also adopted. A separate amendment extending the timeline for DESE to publish high-quality curricula was adopted, while several other amendments were withdrawn or defeated. The Senate also considered and adopted an amendment from Senator Comerford addressing rural and regional equity in education funding. That amendment expanded eligible uses of the Early Literacy Fund to include screening assessments, required DESE to prioritize geographic and funding equity, mandated a public hearing in Western Massachusetts before final grant criteria were finalized, and directed technical assistance to rural districts. Senators from across the chamber spoke in support, emphasizing chronic underfunding, declining enrollment, minimum-aid pressures, and the need for a broader review of the Chapter 70 formula and a Foundation Budget Review Commission. The amendment passed unanimously. Later, the Senate took up an amendment from Senator Moore on children’s vision care, which would have created a registry for vision screening and expanded eye exam requirements, but it was withdrawn after supportive debate. The chamber then adopted the Ways and Means redraft, ordered the bill to third reading, and passed An Act relative to teacher preparation and student literacy to be engrossed by a unanimous roll call. Final passage was also achieved for a separate House land-taking bill allowing the town of Hingham to use municipal property for a center for active living, which passed by the required two-thirds vote and was enacted. The Senate then adopted an order to meet again the following Monday and adjourned in memory of Donna Goldstein.

Transcript Highlights:

• that they need to be to perform at the level that you need them to.
• We train at the same level as all of your other first responders in the state.
• support that we can provide that level support that we can provide that level of<00:53:55.760>
• We can be requested by any agency, a city, county, or state level.
• We can be >> A city, county, state level.

Bills: HB339

Keywords: Civil Air Patrol, CAP, emergency leave, job protection, employment discrimination, leave of absence, volunteer service, emergency response, Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, state employee leave, military leave, public employees, local government employers, reinstatement rights, seniority protection, unpaid leave, Meeting Start 00:00:03 Roll Call 00:00:14 Discussion of Local Law Enforcement Issues 00:03:08 Discussion of Civil Air Patrol Employment Protections 00:50:46 Adjournment 01:06:07, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• counties do have the opportunity to deal with zoning if the municipality has deferred that to the county level
• Sixth Grade. To the floor of the House, Mr. Sixth Grade.
• Breel's going to seventh grade, and she is playing softball all summer for the Ohio Lasers and the Bullskin

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, welcomed numerous guests and interns to the chamber, and established a quorum with 202 members voting on the master roll call. The House then received committee reports on several bills and a resolution, including measures from Consumer Protection, Finance, Communications and Technology, Rules, and Appropriations, and agreed to the reports. House Bill 1877 was reported as passed by the Senate without amendment and was signed by the Speaker for presentation to the Governor. The chamber adopted House Resolution 363, as amended, directing the Joint State Government Commission to study Pennsylvania’s early childhood education system, including the role of public and private equity in child care and recommendations to improve access and affordability. The House also advanced several bills on final passage, including House Bills 2551, 75, 76, 426, 1127, 2234, and 1585. These measures addressed issues such as banning government text-message collection of fees and tolls, medical licensing for physician assistants and physicians, native habitats at Commonwealth facilities, joining the dental and dental hygienist compact, a spent grain donation tax credit, and restrictions on mugshot removal fees. Most passed with broad support, though House Bill 1127 drew opposition over concerns about licensing standards and the compact structure. Members also considered House Bill 2650, creating the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development Certification for data centers, and House Bill 2496, establishing a temporary pause on data center proposals while local ordinances are reviewed. Both bills were amended several times. Debate on HB 2650 focused on data center impacts on electricity costs, water use, noise, community benefit agreements, and farmland protection; one farmland-protection amendment was tabled, while other amendments on closed-loop cooling and enforceable local criteria were adopted. Debate on HB 2496 centered on preserving local control and home rule authority for municipalities, with amendments clarifying that local governments could continue curative amendment procedures and retain zoning powers. The House agreed to both bills as amended. The House also re-reported several bills from Appropriations and Rules, reconsidered and re-accepted a prior committee report on House Bill 2359, and announced caucus and committee meetings. At the end of the session, the House moved several bills to Appropriations, removed Senate Bill 1058 from the table calendar to the active calendar, and adjourned until Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 11 a.m., unless recalled sooner.

Transcript Highlights:

• But my next question is in regards to lines 213 to 218, with the preempting of the way that grades are
• is the state policy, the legitimate state interest for preempting how class rankings and weighted grades
• states, you know, like... ...like Polk County School Board, where I'm from, they're on a 4.0 GPA grading
• It weakens us on both levels.

Summary: The committee first took up PCS for HB 1503, which would require general education courses that use technology to provide students opportunities to build digital literacy, including instruction on applications of artificial intelligence and related topics such as software engineering, computer networks, database systems, and cybersecurity as applicable to the course. It would also require high school computer science courses offered by school districts to include instruction on AI. There was no public testimony or debate, and the bill was reported favorably on a unanimous roll call vote. The committee then considered PCS for HB 1279, an education bill that the sponsor said was intended to improve consistency, oversight, and transparency while putting Florida students first. The bill drew extensive questioning and opposition over provisions affecting university admissions and funding, including a 95% Florida-resident first-time-in-college enrollment target tied to preeminent funding, a cap on nonresident students from any one country, standardized GPA weighting, limits on institution-wide graduation requirements, and changes related to accreditation references and other education programs. The sponsor argued these changes would open more seats for Florida students, preserve academic rigor, and align statutes with existing regulations and court action, while opponents said the bill would harm university competitiveness, research, revenue, faculty recruitment, and access for international and nontraditional students. Public testimony on HB 1279 was largely opposed. Speakers included a student advocate, a dental hygiene representative concerned about dual regulation of expanded-function dental programs, and faculty representatives from FSU and FAMU who warned the bill would politicize admissions and curriculum, reduce competitiveness, and create negative fiscal impacts. During debate, supporters emphasized taxpayer investment in Florida students and the need to prioritize in-state applicants, while opponents argued the bill would weaken the state university system and undermine its national standing. The committee reported PCS for HB 1279 favorably by a 12-5 vote.