Video & Transcript Research : 'test year'
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NM
Transcript Highlights:
- So, testing their wells—not people, sorry—testing their wells and testing as many wells as possible.
- year because another year means another two years and how we build that.
- year because another year means another two years and how we build that.
- year.
- years?
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Fiscal Policy Apr 2nd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I've up, as you know, worked on the funding last year and this year again for this program is incredible
- to do do something that currently takes 5 years to do what they're doing all year.
- The rainfall that we saw last year for Hurricane Milton was a one in 200 year flood event.
- These pipes are designed to last over 50 years, some last over 100 years.
- We're not going to just see one hurricane a year. We're going to see multiple hurricanes that year.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Appr/Sub-Natural Resources REVISED Jan 8th, 2026 at 09:00 am
Transcript Highlights:
- Did you use that hot dollar machine to test the water? I don't know that we tested for PFOS.
- What we have is a 100-year-old church.
- Over the past several years, they've received around $822,000 a year.
- Just for context, we are asking for $42.5 million as year two of our eight-year deferred maintenance
- Obviously, Route 66 centennial this year, next year, I think we've got the Senior PGA.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration Apr 1st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Testing, testing? Testing? Okay, test. Test, test. Test, test? Now there we go. That's better.
- I served as chair of veterans for one brief year, and then, of course, have been up here for 11 years
- I've been with CalVet for 11 years.
- So active licenses are down year over year, and they've been decreasing most years.
- Prices were falling pretty much year over year by double-digit percent.
Summary:
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held an informational hearing on budget issues for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Cannabis Control, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the California Arts Council. The chair noted there would be no votes. CalVet gave an overview of its programs serving veterans and families, including transition assistance, county veterans service officers, education approvals, housing and homelessness programs, home loans, long-term care homes, and state veterans cemeteries. Members asked about future long-term care needs for aging veterans, staffing and recruitment challenges at veterans homes, and the Yountville steam infrastructure replacement project, for which CalVet sought a $38.8 million reappropriation and said federal reimbursement was expected. CalVet also discussed the role of county veterans service officers in helping veterans file claims and avoid predatory unaccredited representatives.
The Department of Cannabis Control described its regulatory role from seed to sale and requested one position to implement SB 1064’s combined activities license. Members and public witnesses focused heavily on the illicit cannabis market, enforcement staffing, and the impact of taxes and fees on the legal market. DCC said it had roughly 87 enforcement positions with about a 15% vacancy rate and more than 200 compliance staff. Its economist presented the 2024 cannabis market report, which found licensed production and retail quantity were up, but retail value and prices were down, with an estimated 11.4 million pounds of illicit production and about 60% of California consumption still coming from the illicit market. Industry witnesses argued the legal market is in crisis, urged repeal of the scheduled excise tax increase, stronger enforcement against illicit cannabis and hemp-derived intoxicants, and expanded retail access.
The Department of Consumer Affairs briefly presented nine budget proposals, including a $2.6 million ongoing request to maintain a business modernization system for several boards and bureaus. The Commission on the Status of Women and Girls described its work on economic and educational equity, health care, violence prevention, student rights, and archival and outreach projects, and said its budget request would convert limited-term positions to permanent. A member urged the commission to narrow its priorities toward current issues such as affordability, child care, and women’s health. The California Arts Council outlined its role as the state’s only statewide arts funder and requested restoration of $5 million in local assistance; supporters testified that the funding would leverage additional local investment and help sustain arts access, especially in rural communities. The hearing ended after the non-presentation items were noted and no further public comment was offered.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We'd like to see it done every year.
- So, you know, 20 years ago.
- Troponin is the test that if it's elevated, you're not going home.
- Okay, and we meet every two years, right?
- Scientists have been researching and testing this platform for more than 30 years, as you heard earlier
Bills:
HB18, HB37, HB 116, HB388, HB879, HB913, HB 1151, HB2216, HB2358, HB2809, SB577, SB1590, SB1782, SB1887, SB2744
Keywords:
rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services, financial stability, perinatal bereavement, healthcare, hospital training, bereavement support, maternal care, fetal demise, stillbirth, neonatal death, parent-child relationship, involuntary termination, family law, child welfare, child protection, HB 388, HB388
Summary:
The committee first reopened testimony on House Bill 2216, which would strengthen child welfare requirements by expanding “active efforts” to help families avoid removal and support reunification, while also raising standards related to removals and terminations. Supporters from child welfare and family defense groups said the bill would better protect families and align Texas more closely with ICWA-style principles, but several warned it would require significant new funding, staffing, and community services such as mental health care, housing, child care, and substance use treatment. The committee then left HB 2216 pending.
The committee next heard Senate Bill 1782, aimed at boarding and group homes. Senator Miles said the bill closes enforcement gaps left by prior law by requiring retention of background-check records and creating misdemeanor penalties for failing to conduct or keep them, or for knowingly hiring people with serious convictions. Harris County sheriff’s investigators testified in support, describing illegal boarding homes, operators who evade permits and background checks, and exploitation of vulnerable residents; the bill was left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 481 on emergency preparedness for nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, adopted a new committee substitute that softened some requirements and removed the fiscal note, and left the bill pending.
The committee then heard House Bill 388, which would require the Texas Department of Insurance to create a single standardized coordination-of-benefits form for dual health plans to reduce errors and surprise bills; it was left pending. Senate Bill 1590 would move paternity registry searches for adoptions to an electronic process with a 10-day target, and House Bill 2809 would track child suicide attempts in managing conservatorship and require related reporting and parental notice; both were left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1887, which would prohibit administering mRNA-containing products for immunization for 10 years, with exceptions for cancer and genetic disorders. Supporters argued the bill was needed for safety, informed consent, and medical freedom, while opponents from the medical, research, and public health communities said mRNA vaccines are well-studied, save lives, and that the bill would harm access, research, and Texas’s biotech economy. The bill remained under discussion as testimony concluded.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- We went through a couple years of testing and couldn’t get that chip refined to be recognized.
- We went through a couple years of testing and couldn’t get that chip refined to be recognized.
- >
of <00:17:36.799>testing <00:17:37.120>and through a couple years of testing and - through a couple years of testing and couldn't<00:17:37.679>
get <00:17:37.840>that <00 - That could be someone who just passed their test at 18 years old last week can now offer this course.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Appropriations - Government Operations Division Apr 2nd, 2025 at 10:00 am
Appropriations - Government Operations Division
Transcript Highlights:
- Every five years we're purchasing new handguns. Okay. So we're reducing.
- But so Langdon has been in existence for more than 100 years.
- million in total for both of them per year, $2.4 million for the biennium, or $1.2 million per year
- And then when you double it, $1.2 million per year, $2.4 million for a biennium. $2.2 million per year
- I thought it was my original idea for the last 30, 35 years. So I'm just a fact, I think, years.
Summary:
The committee first took up Senate Bill 2023 for the Racing Commission. Members confirmed the bill’s existing items, including the internships program and copier replacement, and then adopted an amendment based on the worksheet that moved those items to one-time funding. The committee then passed SB 2023 as amended, with the only noted differences from the Senate version being the one-time treatment of the $20,000 internship item and the copier replacement.
Next, the committee considered House Bill 2011 for the Highway Patrol. Representative Pyle explained a series of verbal amendments that shifted several one-time and ongoing expenses from the general fund to the electronic permit fee fund, including body armor, preliminary breath test devices, handgun replacement, emergency vehicle operations course resurfacing, and related items, while also removing the shooting range ventilation project because it could be completed with existing funds. The committee also added a section allowing carryover authority for federal grant dollars tied to the in-car router system. After adopting the amendments, the committee passed HB 2011 as amended.
The committee then discussed Senate Bill 2014 for the Industrial Commission, focusing on a proposed amendment by Representative Fisher that would direct additional percentages of North Dakota Mill net income to wheat breeding programs at NDSU’s main experiment station and branch research centers. Members asked about current funding, the size of the proposed transfers, and how the money would be used, with Fisher arguing the funds would support breeding, disease resistance, and related research. Several members said they wanted more information on existing funding and program costs before advancing the idea, so the committee held the amendment for further review and took no final action on the bill during this discussion.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs May 7th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- That second 12-year period is about to expire next year.
- And there is testing that tests for pre-cancer for Barrett's esophageal cancer.
- The test is done once every 10 years until you're age 60.
- But at 65, Medicare does pay for this testing.
- “It’s been a pleasure to work with you over the years.
Summary:
The House Municipal, Parochial, and Cultural Affairs Committee met and advanced a series of local bills, mostly by unanimous voice vote after brief questions. SB 430 by Sen. Jenkins renewed the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau’s 1.5% hotel occupancy tax for 12-year periods by voter approval, with discussion about continued planning and coordination among tourism entities. SB 286 by Sen. Duplessis updated the New Orleans Downtown Development District statute by clarifying its status as a political subdivision, streamlining tax collection, removing staggered board terms, and clarifying bond renewal voting boundaries.
The committee also favorably reported SB 198 by Sen. Mizell, requiring government projects in historic districts to follow local historic district rules for new construction; SB 172 by Sen. Luneau, expanding a planning-commission waiver process for certain property divisions to municipalities below 150,000 population; and SB 439 by Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, adding pre-screening for esophageal/Barrett’s cancer for firefighters and fire service employees. Testimony on the firefighter bill emphasized the health risks from carcinogen exposure and the value of early detection, and members expressed strong support.
Additional bills advanced included SB 458 by Sen. McMath, creating a mechanism for local ethics-entity tax revenues in St. Tammany Parish to be transferred to the district attorney’s office if an inspector general office is created; SB 447 by Sen. Bass, changing Bossier City Police Department promotions from competitive to promotional seniority; SB 281 by Sen. Barrow, expanding the Baker Economic Development District boundaries to include additional commercial areas; SB 385 by Sen. Harris, changing appointments to the City Park Improvement Association board and allowing City Park to opt out of certain ORM insurance coverage; HR 84 by Rep. Walters, urging Shreveport to create an interest-free loan program for TSA workers during federal shutdowns; and SB 417 by Sen. Allain, adding two members to the St. Mary Parish drainage district board. All of these measures were reported favorably, with one member recusing himself from the City Park bill due to board membership. The committee then recessed briefly, noting several remaining bills would be deferred if sponsors did not arrive soon.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- These cities were built over 100 years ago, and their water infrastructure is 100 years old.
- So, it's a big issue that we've tested them with.
- are required by statute to update every 10 years.
- Does it take 5 years? Does it take 3 months? Does it take a week?
- And so, very quickly, no, not years.
Keywords:
SB1191, Oklahoma Energy Initiative Act, Oklahoma Low Carbon Energy Initiative Board, low carbon energy, clean energy, energy policy, renewable energy, board repeal, statutory repeal, administrative board, energy committee, natural resources, Oklahoma statutes, 17 O.S. 802.3, groundwater, indemnity fund, well drilling, pollution prevention, regulatory compliance, SB1319
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Rural Health Transformation Committee Jan 14th, 2026 at 08:30 am
Transcript Highlights:
- The current year, which goes through October of 2026.
- So we're appropriating in this bill both award years.
- Award years, and then during the next session, if adjustments need to be made to that second year of
- students, there would be a presidential physical fitness test provided at that time, too.
- But if one of these four bills is not passed, we will lose money this year and in subsequent years.
Summary:
The Health Care Task Force reconvened to hear reports from its divisions. The Appropriations Division reviewed a draft bill appropriating $198 million in federal grant funds for the current year and another $198 million for the next grant year, authorizing DHS to transfer funds within its budget, allowing OMB to adjust federal fund authority for related grants, speeding procurement and bulk purchasing, requiring grant recipients to acknowledge the temporary nature of the funding, and mandating periodic reporting. After questions were answered to the division’s satisfaction, the committee voted to forward the appropriations bill draft to Legislative Management.
The Policy Division then reviewed four bills. One would require the presidential physical fitness test to be included in high school physical education; another would require physicians to complete one hour of continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health each renewal cycle; a third would add physician assistants to the interstate licensure compact framework; and a fourth would authorize limited pharmacist prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution. Members generally supported the first three measures and noted that the pharmacist bill had been amended in discussion but was left in its current form so stakeholders could comment before the special session. The division also discussed that all four policy bills were tied to the federal grant funding and that failure to pass them, or changing them in a way that reduced CMS scoring, could reduce or eliminate funding.
Department officials confirmed that if any of the bills failed or were altered in a way that lowered the score, the state could lose money and could not make up the points elsewhere. Members raised concerns about the physical fitness bill, including possible exemptions for students with severe illnesses or physical limitations, and noted the need for DPI input. Leadership indicated the special session hearings would likely begin Wednesday morning. The committee then approved a motion for Legislative Council to prepare a committee report for Legislative Management and adjourned, noting the task force may need to remain available during the special session.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Then we looked at the data centers for the last several years, for the last few years, and we saw what
- If you recall, we just got those last year.
- Then we looked at the data centers for the last several years, for the last few years, and we saw what
- If you recall, we publish every year, twice a year, a capacity, demand, and reserve report.
- It's almost right where we were last year.
Bills:
SB438, SB512, SB647, SB648, SB1495, SB2121, SB2145, SB2154, SB2167, SB2184, SB2211, SB2268, SB2349, SB2443, SB2629, SB2702, SB2902
Keywords:
SB 438, Texas, State Office of Administrative Hearings, SOAH, administrative law judge, ALJ, public information act, open records, confidentiality, privacy, home address, home telephone number, emergency contact information, social security number, family members, Government Code 552.117, Government Code 552.1175, Tax Code 25.025, public records, government transparency
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce met with a quorum and took up several pending bills, voting favorably on SB 1612, SB 2717, SB 1468, SB 1642, and SB 1789. SB 1612 was reported favorably with objections to the local and contested calendar, while SB 2717, SB 1468, SB 1642, and SB 1789 were reported favorably, with SB 1642 and SB 1789 sent to the floor. SB 2717 would create the Texas Energy Efficiency Council; SB 1642 would add an executive director to the Texas Department of Insurance structure; and SB 1789 would establish pole standards and clarify PUC authority and remedies. The committee also heard an ERCOT update from CEO Pablo Vegas on the updated long-term load forecast, which showed a much higher unadjusted growth projection driven largely by data centers. ERCOT described an adjusted forecast using historical delays and lower realized build rates, and members discussed reliability, generation timelines, and the importance of SB 6 for demand response and flexibility.
The committee then heard and left pending SB 2629, which would allow condominium and property owners’ association meetings and voting by electronic means; SB 2702, which would let nationally certified professionals test backflow prevention assemblies without a separate TCEQ license; SB 2167, which would let TDLR pause new license applications tied to human trafficking emergency orders or pending SOAH cases; SB 2349, which would exempt short-term leases and certain leasebacks from flood disclosure requirements; SB 2121, which would tighten the data broker registry law; and SB 2443, which would authorize TDLR electronic delivery of notices and other documents. Testimony generally supported these bills as cleanup, modernization, or workforce-streamlining measures, with some members expressing caution about electronic meetings and emphasizing in-person accountability.
The committee also heard SB 2902 on coerced debt and identity theft, with testimony from a law professor and family violence advocates supporting stronger protections for survivors and suggesting a police report as an additional proof option. SB 512, a refiled bill restricting money transmission license holders from fining users for terms-of-service violations, also received supportive testimony and was left pending. Later, the committee heard SB 2145 on allowing certain TIF boards to meet virtually in narrow circumstances, SB 2268 on extending Texas Energy Fund loan deadlines in some cases, SB 1495 creating an EV supply equipment advisory board, SB 2154 regulating delivery network companies under a statewide framework, SB 2184 lowering the age for pyrotechnic operator and fireworks display permits from 21 to 18, SB 2211 on combining data centers, power generation, and produced-water desalination projects, and SB 647 on title theft protections and clerk authority to refuse fraudulent filings. Most of these bills were left pending after brief testimony and questions, with members focusing on reliability, regulation, and safeguards against fraud.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Military and Veterans Affairs Nov 5th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- after year.
- Originally, it was a full year to give free access days for a full year.
- year over the last 20 years has been for state parks with the general fund.
- Two, three, four, test, test, testing, testing, testing one, testing. Cool day, bro. Test.
- What I have seen over the past 10 years... I'm 97 years old.
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session-Day 4, February 12, 2026-PM
Wyoming Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This year has been hard for him.
- Um, I think it was a question of testing what we get for that one-year funding.
- uh the test shall be open to the public. uh the test shall be open to the public.
- that we test uh uh that the tests that we test uh uh that the tests include<03:38:59.040>
at< - public testing. public testing.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Last year...
- year 2026.
- For nearly 75 years, TTI has been at the forefront of developing and testing transformative transportation
- Is that your four-year rate or your six-year rate? Six-year. Okay, that's your six-year, right?
- . year.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Jul 11th, 2025
Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- There are no safe ways to test nuclear devices, and we have an 80-year history of that.
- Two years is gone. Because two years is very, very quick.
- As you've been fighting for years and years and years, you know how quickly time passes.
- And last year was the first time we ever had a vote on the bill—15 years.
- Of this year and June 30th of next year, they're implementing this phase corrective plan.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Informal House Session 32 Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Massachusetts House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- House Bill 4605, authorizing the town of Millis to establish a means-tested senior citizens' property
- The House Bill authorizing the town of Millis to establish a means-tested senior citizens' property tax
- An act authorizing the town of Millis to establish a means-tested senior citizens' property tax exemption
- An act amending the town of Arlington's means-tested senior citizens' property tax exemption, House Bill
- House Bill 5348, an act making appropriations for fiscal year 2026 to provide for supplementing certain
Summary:
The House took up several local bills after suspending procedural rules and Joint Rule 12 for a petition from Mark J. Cusack concerning military creditable service for judges, referring it to the Committee on Public Service. The House also considered four local measures: a Harwich affordable housing trust bill, a Charlemont commercial recreation tax bill, a Millis senior property tax exemption bill, and a Falmouth sewer-related funding bill. All were advanced through second reading and ordered to a third reading.
The chamber then passed to engrossment a series of additional local bills, including a Hopkinton bridge designation bill, a Nantucket charter amendment, a Swampscott disability property tax exemption bill, an Arlington senior tax exemption amendment, and a Reading home rule charter bill. Each was approved without recorded opposition. The House later recessed and returned to consider a supplemental fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill, House Bill 5348, reported out of Ways and Means with a total appropriation of $300 million.
House Bill 5348 was taken up by suspension of the rules, read a third time, passed to be engrossed, and then passed to be enacted after the constitutionally required separate vote, with no votes in opposition recorded. The House adopted an order to meet again Wednesday at 11 a.m., and then adjourned.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Jan 21st, 2026
Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- And we've had a, this bill has been filed year after year after year.
- year 1, $10.8 million in year 2, and $13.392 million in year 3.
- one, 10.8 million in year two, and 13.392 in year three.
- They are not crash tested like motorcycles are not crash tested, like UTVs are not crash tested, Vespas
- of duty that year.
Keywords:
reemployment assistance, fraud prevention, eligibility verification, Department of Commerce, benefit disqualification, specialty license plate, specialty plates, motor vehicle registration, license plate fees, annual use fees, Florida DHSMV, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, deauthorization, financial reporting, nonprofit organizations, college license plates, university license plates, veterans plates, law enforcement plates, Fraternal Order of Police
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum and considered ten bills, beginning with SB 594 on local housing assistance plans. Senator Burton explained that the bill would make residents of mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities eligible for SHIP rental assistance and, in some cases, repair or rehabilitation funds, recognizing that many own their homes but rent the lot. Supporters from AARP and the Federation of Manufactured Homeowners said the bill would help seniors and low-income residents remain housed. The bill was reported favorably by a roll call vote.
Members then approved two Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles measures: SB 488, the agency package updating Florida’s motor fuel tax compliance with IFTA, allowing online filing and private license plate agencies to act as agents, raising the crash-damage reporting threshold, expanding email communications, and updating tank vehicle compliance; and SB 490, a related public records exemption for email addresses collected for renewal notices. Both were reported favorably without opposition. The committee also passed SB 246, creating a specialty license plate for the UFC Foundation, despite concerns raised that the foundation is based out of state and that the plate was politically motivated; the bill was approved on a split vote.
The committee gave favorable reports to SB 216 on reemployment assistance eligibility, which would tighten job-search requirements, require more frequent eligibility verification, and add reporting on fraudulent claims. The bill drew substantial opposition from labor and policy advocates who argued it would add barriers for unemployed workers, especially in rural and skilled-trades jobs, and that the state’s unemployment system remains difficult to navigate. Supporters said the bill was aimed at fraud prevention and ensuring claimants remain eligible. SB 356 on utility terrain vehicles generated extensive debate over safety, local control, and whether UTVs should be allowed on certain roads; supporters emphasized rural utility and law enforcement benefits, while opponents cited manufacturer warnings and crash risks. The sponsor ultimately temporarily postponed the bill.
The committee also reported favorably SB 528 on manufacturing, which expands the Department of Commerce’s manufacturing responsibilities, codifies the chief manufacturing officer position, and creates workforce development grant support; SB 584 on commercial driving schools, which authorizes DHSMV agreements with county tax collectors to help enforce school regulation; and SB 388, which raises the annual use fee for the Florida Wildflower specialty plate from $15 to $25 to support the Florida Wildflower Foundation. The final bill, SB 470 on the Fraternal Order of Police specialty plate, was introduced as a measure to broaden eligibility for the existing plate and stabilize funding for law enforcement memorial efforts, but no final action on that bill was reached in the portion of the transcript provided.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- There's no clinical testing.
- In Arizona, over 4,600 men are diagnosed each year, and about 1,000 die each year.
- after year.
- , and it got approved last year.
- , and it got approved last year.
Bills:
HB2176, HB2333, HB2435, HB2447, HB2617, HB2683, HB2686, HB2725, HB2726, HB2906, HB2953, HB2958
Keywords:
health care, licensure, complaints, investigation, safety, patient care, regulatory compliance, prosthetics, orthotics, health insurance, Medicare, medical necessity, disability rights, coverage, reimbursement, internationally trained physicians, medical board, clinical training, provisional license, healthcare workforce
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- And at some point, if assessment tests are reinstated, At some point, if assessment tests are reinstated
- Of our board meetings for the last year.
- Jesse was nearly a commissioner with us for over five years—nearly five years. He was amazing.
- five years.
- Napa was established 150 years ago, and we’ve got hospitals that are as old as 70 years.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Education Funding (02/04/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- years.
- to this year, last year I had three fifth-grade classrooms; this year I have two.
- look at last year compared to this year look at last year compared to this year last<01:29:46.880
- of the year doe2 is end of the year of the year doe2 is end of the year actual<04:59:16.200>
- , although the legislature was matting down the rate year by year in those first five years.”
Summary:
The Education Funding Committee met in executive session and first took up HB 193, which limits the maximum credits per course eligible for the Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Program. Representative Ladd said the bill clarifies that eligible courses may not exceed four credits and was requested by the community college system. Representative Earth offered an amendment to make the bill effective on passage, which the committee adopted 18-0. The committee then approved HB 193 as amended by an 18-0 OTPA vote and placed it on the consent calendar.
The committee next retained HB 295, concerning School Building Aid program funds, after Representative Spillsbury said the building aid bills were complex and needed more work. The motion to retain passed 18-0, with the chair explaining that retained bills can be revisited later and that related language could be moved among building aid bills. HB 354 was not acted on because the chair said the Department of Education and others had suggested possible changes that should be worked out first.
HB 366, another school building aid bill, was also retained 18-0 for the same reasons as HB 295. The committee then considered HB 494, which funds the math learning communities program. Representative Earth offered an amendment to flat-fund the program, reducing the proposed increase by a net $50,000 and keeping funding at current levels for the biennium. After discussion about budget pressures and the program’s role in supporting math instruction and professional development, the amendment passed 18-0, and the bill as amended was approved 18-0 and placed on consent.
Finally, the committee took up HB 515, which would repeal charter public school eligibility for state school building aid. Representative Popovici-Muller moved inexpedient to legislate, arguing charter schools should not be treated differently from other public schools, while Representatives Luno and Damon opposed the motion, saying charter schools differ in governance and financial risk and should not receive limited state building aid. The motion failed 10-8, so HB 515 was sent to the regular calendar. The committee assigned Representative Damon to the minority report and Representative Popovici-Muller to the majority report, with a noon deadline the next day. The committee then began HB 716, an appropriation for the dual and concurrent enrollment program. Representative Ladd described the program as a successful affordability measure that saves families money and supports college access. Representative Earth offered an amendment to flat-fund the program at current levels, reducing the proposed increase by $500,000 in each year of the biennium. Shannon Reed of the Community College System said the change could limit enrollment or the number of funded courses, though students could still take additional courses at their own expense. Representative Ladd explained the program’s tuition structure and said the funding would help meet demand; the transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 716.