Transcript Highlights:

• OF 30 STATE LITERACY DIRECTORS ACROSS THE 20 REGIONS OF THE STATE YOU CAN SEE ARE SHOWN HERE ON THE MAP
• WE PROVIDE OUR DIRECTORS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MAP THAT'S GOT THE REGIONS, THE BEAUTY OF OUR STATE REGION
• THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT MATRIX SO THAT WHEN WE ARE MOVING FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT WE ARE COMPARING APPLES
• TO APPLES.
• HERE IS A MAP OF WHERE WE ARE. THE CONSORTIUM REACH ALL THE WAY TO WALTON COUNTY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's hard to actually compare apples to apples because we heard about the form that all the schools and
• So we never have a true apples-to-apples comparison.
• So we never have a true apples-to-apples comparison.
• c> apples<00:47:54.319> because<00:47:54.640> we compare apples to apples because we
• compare apples to apples because we heard<00:47:55.359> about<00:47:55.920> the<00:47:

Keywords: 928, house, all

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

Transcript Highlights:

• In calendar years 2013, 2014, and 2016, Bureau staff worked with consultants to map the resource lines
• So any expenditure that has not been mapped to a matrix line is considered non-matrix spending.
• There is sometimes an issue with how expenditures are coded or mapped, and the categorization may not
• It's difficult first to identify with certainty which classification should be mapped to each of those
• being spent on compared to the line items and those expenditures, it's difficult to do so without an apples-to-apples

Summary: The joint education committee continued its adequacy study with a detailed Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on resource allocation, covering how Arkansas school districts and charters spend foundation and other funds on matrix and non-matrix items. Staff explained the methodology for mapping expenditures, the district and school categories used in the analysis, and key findings showing that districts spend more per student from all fund sources than the foundation amount alone. The presentation highlighted that classroom teachers account for the largest share of matrix spending, while operations and maintenance, student support staff, nurses, and other lines also drew significant attention. Members asked for additional breakdowns by district type, size, rural/urban status, and trend data, and several questions focused on how waivers affect funding and spending, especially for library media specialists and other positions. The committee then discussed non-matrix spending, including instructional aids, non-technology-related facilities, school safety, mental health services, dyslexia support, food service, gifted and talented, career and technical education, and other items not explicitly defined in the matrix. Staff reported that non-matrix spending exceeded $2 billion in 2025, with most of it coming from other fund sources, and that the top superintendent-identified unmet needs over recent surveys were mental health services, school safety, and dyslexia support. Members raised concerns about dyslexia identification and funding, possible over-identification, and whether some support costs are being coded in ways that obscure the true spending picture. There was also discussion of facilities funding, the building fund, and the Department of Education’s partnership program for school construction and maintenance, with staff agreeing to provide more information and potentially bring department officials back for a future meeting. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly requested more granular data and clarifications, including waiver counts and funding impacts, trend lines for superintendent-reported needs, district-by-district spending spreadsheets, and definitions for certain matrix and accounting terms such as salary enhancement, LEA indebtedness, and other employee health insurance. The chair noted that the committee would continue the adequacy process over the coming months and use the worksheet in the binder to develop recommendations for the next biennium. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting; instead, the committee received the report, asked for follow-up data, and agreed to continue the discussion at future meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• By color, you can see here on that map.
• Center for Nursing divides our state into eight regions geographically by color you can see here on that map
• So again, mapping that curriculum, we use NCLEX-style questions throughout the program—not only on exams
• Okay, I just want to make sure that we're comparing apples to apples on that.
• So is there anything else in that map that you feel we need to also be looking at?

Summary: The subcommittee met to examine Florida’s nursing education pipeline and the state’s persistently low NCLEX passage rates. Chair Tuck opened by noting the projected nurse shortage and Florida’s ranking near the bottom nationally for first-time NCLEX pass rates. The Department of Health explained the Board of Nursing’s approval process for nursing programs, including application requirements, probation standards, and termination for programs that repeatedly fail passage-rate benchmarks. The Florida Center for Nursing then presented statewide data showing Florida has more test takers than most states, but still trails the national average; the gap has narrowed in recent years, though Florida remains below average. Members focused heavily on why the state continues to underperform, with discussion of faculty shortages, clinical placement constraints, accreditation, student preparedness, and the large share of newer private for-profit programs among those placed on probation. Committee members asked about how probation works, what happens when programs improve, and whether the board requires corrective plans. They also questioned the relationship between program type and outcomes, the effect of Operation Nightingale, and how many students fail and retest. The Florida Center for Nursing said first-attempt pass rates are the standard measure and that students who fail are expected to remediate and retest, though costs vary. The center also said Florida’s data shows accredited programs outperform approved or probationary ones, and that the state’s nursing workforce challenges are tied to broader issues such as faculty vacancies, clinical site competition, and student demographics, including many students balancing work, family, and language barriers. A panel of nursing school leaders from public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit institutions then described strategies used to improve outcomes. These included transparent recruitment, early orientation, tutoring, success coaching, stronger faculty development, curriculum mapping to NCLEX standards, higher course benchmarks, mandatory remediation, simulation labs, and commercial NCLEX prep tools such as ATI, Kaplan, and HESI. Several panelists said their programs had improved after probation or had very high passage rates, and they emphasized that student success depends on academic preparation, clinical experience, and support services. Members also asked about tuition, program length, translation into other languages, and faculty recruitment; panelists said costs vary widely, faculty hiring is difficult because hospitals pay more, and some schools are considering medical Spanish and immersion options rather than full curriculum translation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would feel better about an apple that was cut up than an apple that was freeze-dried.
• I would feel better about an apple that was cut up than an apple that was freeze-dried.
• I would feel better about an apple that was cut up than an apple that was freeze-dried.
• I would feel better about an apple that was cut up than an apple that was freeze-dried.
• I would feel better about an apple that was cut up than an apple that was freeze-dried.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first held a work session on HB 505, which would allow the sale of freeze-dried foods produced in homestead food operations. Members raised concerns about the bill’s broad language, especially the provision stating freeze-dried food would not be considered potentially hazardous. Several suggested narrowing the bill to specific products such as processed foods, berries, fruit, dairy products, ice cream, or vegetables, and requiring use of commercial freeze-drying equipment rather than dehydrators. There was also discussion of oxygen absorbers, moisture control, sanitation, and whether the issue should be handled in statute or rules. By the end of the discussion, members generally agreed the topic should be treated in a separate section of law rather than folded into the existing homestead food license, and the chair said the matter would be sent to the food safety subcommittee, with the possibility of a study committee if more time was needed. The committee then moved to HB 277, a technical correction to the animal cruelty statutes. Representative Bixby explained that current law refers to a “colt,” which applies only to male baby horses, leaving fillies unaddressed; the bill would replace “colt” with “foal” and make related wording changes so the restriction applies to any horse under 90 days old not being nursed by its dam. The New Hampshire Farm Bureau testified in support, saying the change was requested to clarify and modernize the statute and that the issue had been identified during work on related animal cruelty legislation. No votes were taken in the portion provided. The chair recessed the work session until 11:00 a.m. and announced that Representative Ktoa would take over the hearing on HB 277.

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes state, federal, and any other resources that they can map out.
• <00:23:57.120> out other resources that they can map out other resources that they can map
• I think one of the difficult things, why it's not apples to apples sometimes, is because we have schools
• difficult things why it's not in Apples difficult things why it's not in Apples to<02:06:17.239>
• :06:19.199> we<02:06:19.360> have to Apples sometimes is because we have to Apples sometimes

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In Proverbs 20:10, it says, 'Diverse weights and diverse measures'—which this is, because it's not apples
• to apples.
• That this is not apples to apples. We would miss it. We would miss this thing if we go to this.
• He also had a Google map with directions from his home in Houston to our home.

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll notice on the map there that there's one county that we did not serve or provide any housing services
• That includes... the map there that there's one county that we did not serve or provide any housing services
• But I think on the down payment assistance, it's not quite apples to apples there. Is that right?
• And then you have maps. I mean, he had some maps of locations or places.
• And then you have maps. I mean, he had some maps of locations or places locations.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you’ll see our map with all These white spaces that currently are not served by technology centers
• So, when we're having conversations about where we're investing and how much True apples to apples comparison
• You can see the map on the back. And, I'm sorry I don't have this in the PowerPoint.
• So, are there any questions around. the rent cost, the map, or the way kind of the breakdown based on

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in part because that's a term that the EPA uses, and they have a nifty gadget that makes you able to map
• I will ask you about is when you plot health outcomes—cancer, asthma, and toxicity—on New Mexico's map
• We moved away from a few of those terms to ensure that we could use the instrument from the EPA to map
• In this case, just for how do we... do we know how much apples-to-apples we're comparing here between
• I look here at the map with GDP, and from what I take from this is, once again, we're the United States

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the map simply visualizes the ratings data.
• simply visualizes the report this map simply visualizes the ratings<00:13:50.279> data<00:13:
• It's a way simply for us to put all the states we look at on somewhat of an apples-to-apples comparison
• <00:23:37.840> to<00:23:38.000> Apples<00:23:38.400> comparison<00:23:39.000>
• basis<00:23:39.799> and Apples to Apples comparison basis and Apples to Apples comparison

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I realize there's no apples-to-apples comparison because there's no other inter-island shipper, but
• And I realize there's no apples-to-apples comparison because there's no other inter-island shipper, but
• to apples with water carriers, so um I just wanted to state that.
• to apples with water carriers, so um I just wanted to state that.
• The lamp, the bananas, and stuff, maybe he can carry that, but it is not apples to apples with water

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard SB 2694 SD2, which would authorize the Public Utilities Commission to create automatic adjustment mechanisms for water carriers, including a water carrier inflationary cost index, and to waive certain requirements under the Hawaii Water Carrier Act. Testimony was sharply divided. The Department of Transportation, Young Brothers, and several shipping, harbor, labor, and business-related supporters argued the bill would modernize regulation, reduce the need for large catch-up rate cases, and help keep rates aligned with rising costs. Young Brothers said its current rate-setting process is expensive and delayed, and that annual adjustments with guardrails such as a 5% cap and periodic full reviews would support sustainable operations and the state’s supply chain. Some supporters also said the company’s less-than-container-load service and required inter-island routes create costs that are not fully covered by current rates. Opponents, including the Consumer Advocate, the Maui Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Food Industry Association, restaurant and chamber groups, and other businesses, argued the bill would lead to higher costs for consumers and businesses and should not move forward. Several testified that shipping costs already significantly affect pricing and that automatic increases would worsen the cost of living. The Consumer Advocate said Young Brothers should focus on cost control and implementing its business plan rather than automatic rate increases. The Maui Chamber and others pointed to a recent PUC decision that imposed a two-year stay on rate increases and said the bill would undermine that protection. Some opponents urged the committee to defer to the PUC’s regulatory authority. The PUC explained that it regulates water carriers as public utilities under existing statute and said it had recently approved a temporary rate increase while imposing a two-year stayout period on further increases, with emergency relief still possible. PUC members said they were still examining whether they have authority to adopt the proposed WICI mechanism by rule and wanted legislative clarity. In response to questions, the PUC said it prefers the current two-year stayout as reflected in its order. Young Brothers also clarified that it serves less-than-container-load cargo, that some routes and services are cross-subsidized because they are not profitable, and that an independent observer is being put in place to monitor implementation of its updated business plan. The transcript ended with the committee still taking questions; no final vote or disposition on the bill was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• inside of a company making decisions where capital is going to go, you're really wanting to compare apples
• to apples.
• And so I have members who are all over the map on this.
• And so we collectively, Who are all over the map on this.
• Are we really looking at apples to apples?

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This takes into account four variables to normalize and try to... ...compare apples to apples as much
• We mapped California's infrastructure, established some baseline price comparisons against other states
• The map in front of you is something we refer to as a heat map.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing on managing the transportation fuels transition, with a focus on gasoline prices, supply reliability, refinery closures, and the implementation of recent transparency and market oversight laws. Chair Allen opened by citing SB 1322 and special session measures that expanded reporting to the California Energy Commission (CEC), authorized possible refining margin caps, and required minimum inventory and resupply planning. He framed the hearing around rising fuel costs, refinery shutdowns, global supply disruptions, and the need to ensure affordable and reliable fuel during the transition to cleaner transportation. CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda described California’s growing dependence on imports as in-state refining declines, noting that gasoline production has fallen and imports now supply a large share of the market. He said the state has substantial marine import capacity and that the proposed Gateway Pipeline could improve connectivity to the Gulf Coast, but emphasized that distribution and storage remain key constraints. Gunda also said the CEC’s new “days of supply” metric suggests inventories remain within historical ranges, and he attributed recent price increases largely to global crude oil shocks, refinery outages, and the war in Iran. He said taxes and environmental costs have remained relatively stable, while crude costs and industry margins have risen. CDTFA Chief Deputy Director Gentian Droboniku focused on retail pricing, saying widening retail margins and growing price dispersion indicate that retail business models and pricing strategies are increasingly driving pump prices. He highlighted the growth of hypermarts and unbranded stations, the widening gap between branded and unbranded prices, and future work on ownership concentration and algorithmic pricing. Ty Milder of the Department of Petroleum Market Oversight said the Iran conflict is the largest global oil supply disruption in history and that California’s recent price increases largely track national and crude price movements, unlike earlier localized spikes that lacked input-cost justification. He said branded stations, especially major brands, have charged substantially more than nearby competitors, and that the “mystery gasoline surcharge” that appeared after the Torrance refinery fire is still under investigation. Milder also pointed to high diesel spreads, limited market liquidity, and the need for more transparency in spot pricing. Matthew Boutill of CARB said the state’s long-term goals remain deep greenhouse gas reductions and carbon neutrality by 2045, with transportation fuel transition strategies aimed at cleaner fuels, zero-emission vehicles, and support for workers and communities. In questioning, Senators Caballero and Richardson pressed agency witnesses for clearer, more concrete explanations of what the transition will look like in practice, how many refineries California will still need, and what the impacts of increased imports will be on ports, trucking, storage, and local communities. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So is this an apples-to-apples when you're including the non-MD, you know, the things that were under
• But it is an apples-to-apples comparison because we added them to both of the numbers.
• So... ...so that isn't that easy to map that list into SIP families.
• It's from our existing SIP families, not taking a crack at finding how it would map toward in-demand
• That's ones that mapped closer to that list. That answer your question? Okay.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So is this an apples-to-apples when you're including the non-MD, you know, the things that were under
• But it is an apples-to-apples comparison because we added them to both of the numbers.
• So that isn't that easy to map that list into CIP families.
• It's from our existing CIP families, not taking a crack at finding how it would map toward in-demand
• So that's a... ...how it would map toward in-demand occupations.

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 is this an apples-to-apples comparison when you're including the non-MD things that were under the
• But it is an apples-to-apples comparison because we added them to both of the numbers.
• So that isn't that easy to map that list into CIP families.
• That's ones that mapped closer to that list. That answer your question? Okay.
• That's ones that mapped closer to that list. That answer your question? Okay.

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:

• I haven't been in a high school watching kids eat lunch, and to watch them come in and snag fresh apples
• I haven't been in a high school watching kids eat lunch, and to watch them come in and snag fresh apples
• The counties need to participate in the mapping of their own lands.
• in the the mapping of their own<00:41:03.520> lands<00:41:04.040> they<00:41:04.520>
• funding so that they can do the mapping funding so that they can do the mapping um<00:41:19.599>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It would be the preceding map.
• or not redraw a map.
• or not redraw a map.
• So that map was deemed constitutional. You recognize. That map was deemed constitutional.
• It wasn't a complete validation of every district in the map.

Summary: The Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting met for an informational presentation from outside counsel Andy Bartos on the legal standards governing congressional redistricting. He reviewed federal Equal Protection principles, Florida’s non-diminishment provision, and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, explaining how race can be considered in redistricting but generally cannot be the predominant factor. He also discussed the Florida Constitution’s tiered standards, including the prohibition on intentional political favoritism, compactness, and the requirement to use existing political and geographical boundaries where feasible. Bartos focused on two recent or pending cases: the Florida Supreme Court’s Black Voters Matter decision, which upheld the legislature’s 2022 congressional map and held that the non-diminishment clause does not justify making race predominant absent specific identifiable discrimination, and Louisiana v. Callais, pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, which may further clarify whether race may be used predominantly to comply with the Voting Rights Act or whether Section 2 remains constitutional as applied. He also explained how courts assess compactness and intent, and how data such as the 2020 census, voter registration, turnout, and election results are used for voting-rights analysis. Members asked about what triggers redistricting, whether the legislature must redraw maps now, what data is available in the mapping tool, how intent is measured, and whether public input opportunities will be provided. Bartos said redistricting timing is largely a legislative judgment unless a court requires changes, that the committee can consider whether BVM or the eventual Callais decision warrants revisions, and that the Callais ruling will bind Louisiana directly but serve as precedent for other courts. No votes or legislative actions were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentation and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• students and as you can see from the map students and as you can see from the map we<00:15:02.440
• to apples in terms of the demographic comparison.
• to apples in terms of the demographic comparison.
• And so, you know, we're going to—so it's, again, apples-to-apples comparisons get a little bit hard when
• We have 92 students participating, and so, you know, we're going to—so it's, again, apples-to-apples

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee received an informational presentation from the Office of Higher Education on college access efforts, with a focus on FAFSA outreach, the Get Ready program, and Direct Admissions Minnesota. Wendy Robinson said OHE’s role is to provide nonpartisan information, partner with K-12, colleges, and community groups, and use statewide programs to expand awareness of higher education options and financial aid. She highlighted outreach through brochures, virtual sessions, conferences, the State Fair, and events serving specific populations, as well as the Lumina-funded Connect College grant and the federally funded Get Ready program, which serves about 7,500 low-income students across 14 capacity-building schools and 28 additional schools with tutoring, college visits, application help, and financial aid support. A member asked for demographic data on Get Ready students, and staff said they would provide it later. Robinson also reviewed FAFSA outreach, noting that last year was especially difficult for students because of federal FAFSA problems. OHE’s Ready Set FAFSA sessions drew 1,300 unique registrations in October and 939 in January, and the agency continued training K-12 and college staff on state aid programs, FAFSA simplification, and implementation of North Star Promise. OHE said it also held FAFSA completion events with partners, including at the State Fair, and planned another financial aid event in Duluth. The bulk of the presentation covered Direct Admissions Minnesota. Robinson said the program is now in its fourth year, with 55 participating colleges and universities and 182 participating high schools in the third cohort, serving just over 32,000 students. She described the program as a broad, collaborative model that sends students letters listing colleges that would admit them based on junior-year performance, while preserving student choice and waiving application fees for participating schools. She said the program is intended to reduce anxiety about admissions, encourage FAFSA completion, and keep more Minnesota students in-state. Robinson previewed second-year data showing continued positive outcomes, including higher FAFSA completion, increased college enrollment, and more students staying in Minnesota. Participation increased among students eligible for free and reduced lunch, rising from 21% in the first year to 40% in the second year. She noted a continuing concern about American Indian and Alaska Native students, whose FAFSA completion declined and whose participation numbers were lower in the newest cohort, and said the agency would continue to study that data. She also said some of the increase in free-and-reduced-lunch participation may reflect the impact of North Star Promise and related financial aid messaging. No votes or formal actions were taken.