Transcript Highlights:

• student is right around 2,185, thereabouts, $2,185 per student times the number of students, it's a
• students ...
• >> They're kept completely separate because every student has a SASID.
• Um, but we would know, you know, those 10 students aren't the complete picture of the number of EFA students
• students student it basically allowed students receiving<01:29:07.280> the<01:29:07.600> EFA

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Freedom Account Oversight Committee met on March 27 and approved the agenda, adding a request for clarification on how the Children’s Scholarship Fund separates applications for the EFA program and the education tax credit program. The committee also approved minutes from December 30, 2025, and March 27, 2026, with a request that the March minutes include a link to the live stream. Members discussed the status of pending Legislative Budget Assistant audit reports on EFA and special education, noting the reports were still not released and would likely come later in the summer after review by the Department of Education and the Children’s Scholarship Fund. A major topic was the EFA program’s administrative fee, which statute allows up to 10% of deposits. Children’s Scholarship Fund representatives said current administrative costs were under 8%, that staffing had been reduced through the ScholarVia platform, and that any unused amount is reconciled and returned to students at year’s end. Members asked for historical administrative-cost data and a written explanation of how the withholding and reconciliation process works. The committee also reviewed the distinction between the EFA and education tax credit funding streams and was told the two programs use separate applications and separate funds, though both use the same platform. The committee spent substantial time on assessment and accountability. Department of Education staff explained that EFA students may satisfy annual assessment requirements through a portfolio, a norm-referenced test, or the statewide assessment; only about 10 EFA students took the statewide assessment, while most used portfolios or standardized tests such as the California Achievement Test and NWEA. Staff described how statewide assessment data are kept separate by student identifier and can be aggregated for EFA reporting, and members asked for breakdowns by grade, test type, and school district. The department also discussed linking assessments through Lexiles and Quantiles and said it could provide a list of commonly used formative assessments in New Hampshire districts. The committee additionally discussed a possible PSAT addition to the state contract and the costs of the statewide assessment program. Another major issue was special education eligibility and services within the EFA program. Members questioned the rule allowing a medical certification of disability from a licensed professional anywhere in the United States as an alternative to an IEP-based determination. Department staff said the current system allows either pathway, that about 1,000 EFA students are identified as special education students, and that the program does not track growth or service alignment on an individual basis. Members expressed concern that the medical-certification route may be too broad and asked for data on the disability categories used. The committee also discussed career and technical education access for EFA students, noting that Senate Bill 491 would provide guidance and that House Bill 1817 would address access and funding issues, but that current law still allows EFA funds to be used to pay CTE costs. The meeting ended with a request for future agenda items and a decision to leave the next meeting date open until fall, pending further information from the LBA audit process.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we don't have any names for each<00:47:39.280> student. each student. each student.
• . students. students.
• for general ed students? Mhm. for general ed students? Mhm.
• . students. students.
• If you consider students taking money from two completely separate programs, both of which they are eligible

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How many students are homeschooled?
• . student outcomes.
• Let's say you had student before special education, you have that student now they're in special education
• to $20,000 per student.
• Intellectually disabled students, yes, specifically those students.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These students will complete high school and need this type of workforce training.
• These students will complete high school and need this type of workforce training.
• These students will complete high school and need this type of workforce training.
• These students will complete high school and need this type of workforce training.
• its third year working with students. its third year working with students.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If the student completes a course and is not in school for the rest of the school year because they have
• If the student completes a course and is not in school for the rest of the school year because they have
• If the student student student completes<01:08:57.679> a<01:08:57.920> course<01:08:59.199
• So the student<01:17:22.000> goes<01:17:22.320> A student goes A student goes A Mustang
• we do not complete today. we do not complete today.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• student.
• Districts with fewer than 351 students spent almost three times more per student than the lowest per-student
• per-student amount for student transportation.
• than three hundred fifty one students spent almost three times more per student amount for student transportation
• student as well.

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The joint education committee continued its adequacy study with a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on resource allocation, covering how Arkansas school spending is mapped to the adequacy matrix and how expenditures are split between foundation funds and other funding sources. Staff explained the methodology, district and school categories used for comparisons, and key findings for matrix spending, including that classroom teachers account for the largest share of matrix expenditures and that districts spend more per student than charter districts in most categories. Members asked for additional breakdowns on waivers, trend data, and more detailed spending by district type, and staff agreed to provide follow-up information. The committee then reviewed non-matrix spending, including instructional aides, facilities, school safety, mental health services, dyslexia support, gifted and talented, career and technical education, and other items not explicitly in the matrix. Staff noted that non-matrix spending exceeded $2 billion and that superintendents consistently identified mental health services, school safety, and dyslexia support as important needs not fully captured in the matrix. Members raised concerns about dyslexia identification and funding, school safety, facilities spending, and whether some items such as food service should be included in adequacy calculations. Staff and Department of Education representatives explained that some expenditures are difficult to isolate because of coding and commingled funds, and that certain items are funded outside the matrix or through separate programs. In the final section, staff summarized total spending across matrix and non-matrix items, noting that districts spent more than the foundation amount per student and that most total spending was on matrix resources. They also highlighted data limitations, including two matrix lines that cannot be fully tracked through current accounting codes. The chair then proposed postponing the second part of the presentation until a May meeting after the fiscal session, with additional time set aside to address questions for both staff and the Department of Education. The committee agreed, and the meeting adjourned without any formal vote on policy changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of the students in that program were Venezuelan students who were here from TPS.
• It repeals the fee waiver for undocumented students and prohibits undocumented students from receiving
• It repeals the fee waiver for undocumented students and prohibits undocumented students from receiving
• These are students who are already here. We're not talking about future students.
• And again, many of these students are some of the hardest-working students that you'll ever meet because

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Parkland shooting victims, quorum call, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Rules and Ethics Committee special order report for February 13, 2025 was adopted, setting the day’s special order calendar and debate times. The chamber then took up immigration-related special order items, beginning with Senate Memorial 6C, which urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. Members debated federal immigration policy and state cooperation with DHS, and the memorial passed 85-27. The House next considered Senate Bill 4C, an immigration bill creating new state offenses related to unlawful entry and reentry into Florida and requiring a mandatory death sentence for an unauthorized alien convicted of a capital felony. Members questioned the bill’s constitutionality, including Supremacy Clause, due process, and Eighth Amendment concerns, and several speakers argued it would create separate classes of people and invite litigation. Multiple amendments were offered to narrow or expand exemptions, including protections for Venezuelans on TPS, certain Haitian TPS and humanitarian parole recipients, undocumented people brought to Florida as children working in critical professions, and a proposal to delay action pending court rulings; all of those amendments were rejected. The bill passed 85-29. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 2C, which would create a State Board of Immigration Enforcement led by the Governor and Cabinet, establish a local law enforcement immigration grant program and advisory council, repeal the undocumented-student fee waiver, and appropriate more than $300 million for immigration enforcement. The sponsor described it as supporting cooperation with federal immigration agencies and ending the in-state tuition incentive for undocumented students. Early questioning focused on the impact on “dreamers” and whether the bill would effectively raise their tuition costs; the sponsor said it removed the incentive of in-state tuition but did not bar attendance. The transcript cuts off during that exchange, before final action on SB 2C is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• for those students and ensuring a resilient institution.
• They shape the character of students. They cultivate excellence.
• is improving our student success rate.
• We just went through a student success workshop.
• The Slate program, where the parents of the students can actually monitor the students' success, which

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education convened with a quorum and first took up CS for SB 1694 on technology education. The bill would require technology-integrated postsecondary general education core courses to include digital literacy and competency instruction, including use of artificial intelligence tools, and would encourage high school computer science courses that include AI to teach how AI systems use data, their benefits and limitations, and responsible use in academic and personal settings. The bill sponsor and several supporters emphasized preparing students for an AI-driven workforce while teaching critical evaluation and ethical use; one speaker raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the need to preserve real-world skills. Senator Davis supported the measure and suggested introducing similar instruction earlier, possibly in middle school. The committee voted the bill favorably, with Senator Leak later recorded in the affirmative. The committee then heard a large block of confirmations for higher education boards, including appointees to Tallahassee State College, the University of South Florida, the University of North Florida, Palm Beach State College, the College of the Florida Keys, Hillsborough College, Miami-Dade College, Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of Florida. The appointees generally highlighted backgrounds in education, health care, law, business, technology, and public service, and described priorities such as student success, workforce alignment, affordability, fiscal responsibility, and institutional growth. One nominee to Tallahassee State College was asked about low NCLEX pass rates and said the college had a plan approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. Another nominee discussed Florida Poly’s STEM mission, and several members praised the nominees’ community ties and professional experience. After hearing the appointees, the committee voted to report the block of confirmations favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee. The committee then received a high-level overview of the higher education budget, totaling $11.9 billion, with major emphasis on workforce training and development. Highlights included increases for school district workforce education, the Florida College System, workforce development capitalization, a rural educator recruitment program, funding for the USF Center for Nursing, preeminent research universities, UCF’s community school grant program, UF’s literacy and math initiatives, UF’s autism and neurodevelopment center, and a postsecondary guardian program for campus security. Members asked a brief question about a workforce fund transfer, and the chair explained it was a transfer of an existing program with new funds added. No public comment was offered, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a student from Five Branches University. I... I am a student from Five Branches University.
• I'm the president of the Vibrant University Student Council, representing all 400 students, and I oppose
• I'm an acupuncture student from L.A. I oppose this bill. Thank you. A student from L.A.
• I am a student at Five Branches University and represent the student council, and I strongly oppose this
• I am a student at Five Branches University and represent the student council, and I strongly oppose this

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with extensive testimony on each and repeated reminders that no quorum was present for much of the hearing. AB 1693 would speed local permitting for retail tenant improvements by requiring review by a qualified professional certifier and imposing 20-business-day approval/denial deadlines; the author and California Retailers Association said the bill would reduce costly delays, and there was no opposition testimony. AB 2010, the SNIP Act, would expand access to high-volume spay/neuter and mobile sterilization clinics by exempting them from certain surgical-room requirements; supporters cited California’s pet overpopulation crisis and rural access barriers, while opponents and the Veterinary Medical Board raised safety, oversight, and implementation concerns and sought amendments. The author said the bill was needed now and not after years of rulemaking, and the committee indicated it would support the measure when a quorum was available. AB 2195 would bar automatic suspension of occupational licenses for low-income parents behind on child support, arguing that keeping people employed is more effective than punitive suspension. Supporters said the bill would help parents pay support and cited evidence that similar driver’s-license reforms did not reduce collections, while the California Child Support Association and others argued license suspension is an important enforcement tool that brings obligors to the table. AB 2311 would allow public health care district hospitals to directly employ physicians, with supporters saying it would improve recruitment and retention and opponents warning about physician autonomy, institutional pressure, and the need to narrow the bill to financially vulnerable hospitals; the author said the bill would level the playing field with other public hospitals. AB 1796 would create a licensure pathway for professional interior designers and add a designer seat on the California Architects Board; supporters framed it as a public-safety and professional-equity measure, while opponents argued it would create confusion, duplicate existing certification, and lacked evidence of consumer harm. After a quorum was established, the committee voted AB 1796 out on a due-pass motion to Appropriations, with several members voting aye and the bill left on call. AB 1739 would make it a crime for clergy providing therapeutic services to engage in sexual contact with a current or former counselee within two years, aligning clergy counseling with existing rules for other licensed professionals. Supporters described personal experiences of abuse and said the bill closes a gap in the law without regulating religious doctrine, while no opposition testimony was heard; the committee moved the bill due pass as amended to Appropriations, with some members not voting and the bill left on call. The committee also began hearing AB 2497, which would modernize the Physical Therapy Practice Act by expanding direct access and other practice authorities, but the transcript cuts off before the full testimony and any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:14:05.840> to students, all students the safe to students, all students the safe to safely
• personal information about students. personal information about students.
• student trust. student trust.
• conflicts with other fellow students. conflicts with other fellow students.
• If<01:21:27.360> students<01:21:27.760> believe If students believe If students believe

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:02.160> to primarily for teachers and students to primarily for teachers and students
• <00:16:19.199> and is to get those completed and is to get those completed and transitioned
• actually went student by student to see actually went student by student to see if<00:20:43.280>
• <01:13:44.000> They sent is just completely false. They sent is just completely false.
• <01:30:43.600> And at its completion year by year. And at its completion year by year.

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

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Every single way, and just so the students know, someone's always watching.
• Ortega who I know is here with the students who work hard to make this happen.
• Morishita's service to California students is exemplary.
• Please join me in welcoming Trustee Brett Roberts, Student Trustee Wesley Marshall, Student Body President
• Eighty percent of these deaths are completely preventable.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are educating 500 students in 34 aging facilities.
• For our students and for our community.
• If we can complete that study.
• Was a design for 450 students.
• I have the estimated completion for March.

Transcript Highlights:

• , your middle and high school students.
• student.
• You're going to find one that's completely open.
• We place students in the schools 5 days a week.
• That's sort of my focus is if students would enjoy school, more students would stay in school.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the students of UTEP have voted and supported the construction of a new student union building.
• This was voted and approved twice: first by the student body and then second by the Student Government
• Vulnerable students, pre-K students.
• There were two other students.
• And students. First and foremost, we declared teachers and students.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's college age students.
• It's, it's completely different.
• Students experiencing homelessness face unique challenges that other students their age rarely have to
• to complete their, um, education, and unfortunately, many of the students that have helped transition
• Without the stability and advocacy they need, students are more likely to leave college before completing

Bills: HB232

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management

Transcript Highlights:

• Cross-tabulating data about Black students and students with disabilities...
• with disabilities and White students with disabilities, and between Black students with disabilities
• This disproportionately affects students of color, students with disabilities, and especially students
• categories, like Black students with disabilities or Asian students who are English learner students
• Privacy of students.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a hearing focused primarily on special education-related bills, with testimony centered on two major themes: transition planning for students aging out of school-based services at age 22, and the fiscal strain special education costs place on districts. Committee members explained hearing procedures, noted the House was in formal session, and periodically stepped out for votes while staff recorded testimony. A separate bill on special education due process was also taken up briefly, along with a bill on special education finance and another on equitable access/data reporting. On House Bill 752 and Senate Bill 313, witnesses from the Arc of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, the Developmental Disabilities Council, families, self-advocates, and Senator Comerford described the “Turning 22” transition as a crisis point that often leaves families without adult placements, services, or clear communication. Testimony emphasized earlier planning, more accountability, better data collection, and a commission to improve coordination and residential placement. Several parents and advocates shared personal accounts of traumatic transitions, delayed placements, and the need for plans to begin at least a year before age 22. The committee later closed testimony on these bills after hearing from all signed-up speakers. House Bill 4217, on special education due process, drew support from Representative Sullivan-Almeida, parents, and advocates who argued that the burden of proof should shift from families to school districts. Testimony described costly legal battles, delays, and parents having to become experts in reading instruction or hire advocates and attorneys to secure services. Brody Dwyer, a 10-year-old student with dyslexia, and his mother described how evidence-based instruction helped him after years of struggle. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 546/Senate Bill 317, which would require DESE to publish cross-tabulated data on race, disability, gender, income, and other factors; advocates said this would better expose disparities and help address the school-to-prison pipeline. Finally, on House Bill 691/Senate Bill 430, school leaders, educators, and union representatives testified that special education costs are outpacing district budgets and that increasing circuit breaker reimbursement and creating a commission to study long-term sustainability would help prevent staffing cuts and service reductions. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee repeatedly closed testimony on individual bills as speakers finished and moved through the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were able to increase student count by 10,000 students in career tech.
• students.
• The students loved her.
• Coming from this student, does it have to come from the student and the parent?
• Can it just be the student? What constitutes that formal request for students?

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a transfer student completion rate for economically disadvantaged students that significantly
• That's 98. faculty members, teaching 1,031 classes, affecting 6,999 students. students being paid with
• It also provides dedicated students support that focuses on student retention efforts such as first-year
• complete their degrees.
• . for them for other students.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But your question is about medical students.
• Number one, medical students, we have a four-year program.
• If you want to expand medical students, that's great.
• When you can do something and complete it at one time...
• ...this new school, and would we look at maybe having more in-state students, students from our tribal

Bills: SB5, SB6, SB8

Keywords: physician residency, healthcare, rural communities, medical education, appropriation, education, medical school, New Mexico, construction, behavioral health, funding, mental health services, general fund transfer, 996, all