Transcript Highlights:

• I GIVE YOU THIS CONTEXT BECAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN THIS SESSION, GETTING READY FOR THIS SESSION
• A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO GETTING THIS READY BUT IN STATUTE THIS MODEL GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN
• AND WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE INDIVIDUALS WITH STRONG BACKGROUNDS IN CAREER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
• TO HAVE CREDENTIALS IN HAND WHEN THEY GET READY TO TRANSITION OR GET CREDENTIALS WHEN THEY GET HOME
• CREDENTIAL SHOWING THEIR BASIC SKILLS IN THE AREA OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Clark, are you ready to go? Right. Welcome.
• EMS agencies incur high fixed readiness costs.
• workforce pressures is because of the funding.
• Workforce instability.
• Start whenever you're ready.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee was called to order, a quorum was established, and the minutes from the prior meeting were approved. The first major presentation came from Montana Public Employees Retirement System executive director William Hollahan, who gave an overview of Montana’s Volunteer Firefighters’ Compensation Act plan. He explained that the plan covers volunteer firefighters in unincorporated areas, is funded by 5% of state fire insurance premium taxes, and currently serves 228 departments with about 2,936 active members and 1,242 retirees. He described eligibility rules, annual training and reporting requirements, benefit levels for partial and full pensions, disability, death, medical, and funeral benefits, and said the plan is actuarially sound with roughly $60 million in assets and a funded ratio slightly above 100%. Committee members asked about prior-service credit, whether EMS personnel are included, the effect on recruitment and retention, and whether expanding coverage would require a funding analysis; Hollahan said prior service is not credited, EMS is not currently included, and any expansion would need financial review. Tim Walleen of Workforce Safety and Insurance then presented a draft North Dakota workers’ compensation solution for volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMS personnel. He explained that volunteer responders are already covered by workers’ comp for medical and wage-loss benefits, but the proposal would set a minimum annual wage of $30,000 for calculating wage-loss benefits for qualifying volunteers, with the benefit paid at two-thirds of that amount. Representative Porter suggested tying the volunteer definition to existing code rather than a fixed dollar amount, and Walleen agreed. Questions focused on whether search and rescue or other volunteer emergency services could be included, whether departments would face new paperwork, and whether volunteer organizations can already elect coverage; Walleen said there would be no additional paperwork and that volunteer coverage is already available. The committee also heard from volunteer fire service representatives and the state fire marshal. An Oakes-area firefighter, Mr. Olson, testified that small departments are struggling with retention, communication, and administrative burdens, especially around separate bookkeeping and funding rules for donated or fundraising money, and he said departments need clearer guidance from the state. State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark introduced himself and outlined a broader effort to improve education, support, and coordination for fire departments, including a planned 10% audit of certificates of existence beginning in 2027, more outreach through his office, and better assistance with training, reporting, and grant access. He said his office is authorized under current law to provide these services, but the role has been vague and underused. Finally, Arnagard Rural Fire District Chief Rick Schreiber testified in favor of new recruitment and retention ideas, including retirement-style benefits, health insurance, tax incentives, scholarships, grants, and more remote or regional training. He said volunteer departments are losing members, that local tax and donation funds are already stretched, and that any new retirement or incentive program should be sustainable and likely involve a mix of state and local support.

Transcript Highlights:

• readiness for the people that I represent.
• You know, right now in California we have 45,000 units that are shovel ready. They are ready to go.
• They are ready to help us meet the challenge.
• AB 338 outlines workforce recovery priorities to ensure a skilled and sufficient workforce to meet the
• for the world, we are ready.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We heard over and over again that child care costs are a workforce barrier.
• Finally, our conclusions from this report are really that Arkansas moms are engaged in the workforce,
• We had another meeting earlier this week about workforce, and I brought up the question of education
• We are currently getting ready, probably within the next couple of weeks, to release CLASS transition
• The other thing that I wanted to tell you about while I had the opportunity is we are getting ready to

Summary: The committee first approved the prior meeting minutes, then heard a presentation from Maddie San Juan of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on the report “Holding It All Together: Working Moms and Child Care in Arkansas.” She said the report found that Arkansas moms want to work, but child care costs, inflexible schedules, inadequate paid leave, and the mental load of caregiving are major barriers. She cited survey and focus group findings showing most mothers want full-time work, 69% identified child care costs as a barrier, and many said flexible hours were the most important workplace support. She also described county-level dashboard data, the high cost of infant and toddler care, and examples from working mothers about spending most or all of their paychecks on child care. Members asked questions about labor force participation trends, the meaning of the child care cost figures, and how flexibility could be implemented across industries. The presenter and members also discussed the broader economic-development impact of child care shortages and the need for public-private partnerships. The Department of Education then gave an update on early childhood programs. Officials said they are building internal dashboards to improve transparency and data access for school readiness assistance, including enrollment, application, and provider participation monitoring. They reported that the state is still moving forward with the CLASS transition and expects to release transition funding to providers in the coming weeks using Preschool Development Grant funds. They also clarified that OEP awards based on CLASS scores are separate from OEC’s work and that the data is FOIA-able. Officials warned providers about a temporary payment delay during the transition to a new system, saying payments will stop June 30 and resume around July 14, with any owed funds processed then. Members raised additional concerns about early childhood special education funding, overpayment recovery from a child care center, audit requirements for Head Start and SRA funds, the market rate survey, and the status of local leads after a recompete. Department staff said they would follow up on special education funding levels and audit rules, noted that the overpayment case is under appeal, and said the market rate survey is still in procurement. They also reported that 23 local leads will cover all counties starting July 1, with no major job-description changes, and described a new PDG Partners stakeholder group and an upcoming June 23 QRIS webinar to gather provider and parent input. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, it's ready for a due pass as amended. Members, any questions? Motion to pass.
• That is also ready for a due pass as amended. Members, do we have any questions?
• Bill 10, Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services.
• Commerce, Division of Workforce Services.
• So, back on bills ready for do pass, we'll read these off individually.

Summary: The committee first took up the Special Language Committee report, which adopted nine amendments tied to Governor’s Letter 7 and HB 1005, and then approved several items for due pass as amended, including HB 101 (Department of Corrections), HB 1017 (Department of Agriculture promotion boards), HB 1009 (Department of Public Safety), and SB 10 (Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services). A question was raised about the $10 million unemployment insurance modernization item in SB 10, and Commerce staff said it was a continuation of a previously approved appropriation rather than a new increase. The main discussion centered on the Treasurer’s budget request, especially salary increases. Committee members questioned why the office had already received substantial raises in 2025 and whether additional funds would go to lower-paid staff or mainly to top leadership. Treasury staff said the request was intended to retain talent, that the office’s investment team manages an $11.5 billion portfolio, and that the state benefits from those returns; they also said the treasurer would be open to discussing a cap on raises. Members expressed concern that prior funds had not gone where expected and that the treasurer was not present to answer directly. Representative Lundstrum moved to hold the Treasurer’s budget until the treasurer could return and provide more information, and the motion passed. Representative Kavanaugh also asked about a $150,000 preparedness and safety appropriation, and staff said it would support IT and security upgrades related to a move from AIS to S4 HANA and a cloud-based system. The committee then batched and passed a series of supplemental and reappropriation bills, followed by individual due-pass votes on multiple House and Senate bills, all of which were approved without objection. The meeting ended with procedural guidance about filing special-language items and a request to release a hold on HB 1064, after which the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a number of standards established by the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board.
• Zeider and Darby, if you can come to the testifier table, please get ready there. Mr.
• I appreciate that in these difficult times, you have included us, and we stand ready to help.
• Before you begin, I just wanted to make sure Danny Eckert and also Carson Anderson are ready.
• And Maureen Schneider can get ready. Please proceed.

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding

Transcript Highlights:

• We're ready. We're ready. Okay.
• Infrastructure, workforce investment, domestic supply chains, and competitiveness.
• We're ready to hear your bills.
• Please proceed when you're ready. Thank you very much, Madam Chair and members.
• I mean, just families to workforce development, educational opportunities.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• state's early learning system more responsive to families and business owners and strengthen the workforce
• to improve kindergarten readiness, early literacy, and other outcomes essential to children's early
• to improve kindergarten readiness, early literacy, and other outcomes essential to children's early
• and supporting the workforce in child care.
• Furthering the workforce and supporting the workforce in child care. Any additional questions?

Summary: The Legislative Budget Commission met to consider 21 budget amendments, beginning with the Department of Education’s request for $14.751 million in federal grant authority for the Preschool Development Grant. Members asked whether any funds would support VPK or provider payments; the department said the money is for birth-to-kindergarten early learning work, including IT modernization, workforce credentialing, training, and streamlining director certification. The amendment was adopted without objection. The commission then approved amendments for the Department of Veterans Affairs to shift $2.2 million within its trust fund to cover higher nursing home occupancy and reduce staffing agency use, and for the Department of Health to realign about $9.1 million for disability determinations amid a backlog of roughly 140,000 cases. The Agency for Health Care Administration presented multiple Medicaid-related amendments, including $766 million for indirect medical education, $1.9 million for managed care network adequacy audits, $209 million for the Rural Health Transformation Program, and several large supplemental payment programs for KidCare, hospitals, physicians, cancer hospitals, nursing IME, and public hospital payments. Members questioned network adequacy, rural access, and the KidCare surplus and expansion; the KidCare realignment drew debate, with some members objecting because the 2023 eligibility expansion has not been implemented, but the amendment passed on a roll call vote. Other amendments adopted included FDLE’s $16.3 million for counter-UAS detection and mitigation equipment, DJJ’s $1.6 million for Florida Scholars Academy and a Social Services Block Grant realignment, and emergency management pass-throughs for FIFA World Cup security and counter-drone funding to the Miami host committee. The Department of Commerce received $148.4 million for disaster recovery under the CDBG-DR program, with questions about the split between housing, infrastructure, and administrative costs. The Department of State also received $408,377 for arts and culture grant authority. Most amendments were adopted without objection, and the commission adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• Third, the bill restricts workforce participation.
• Third, the bill restricts workforce participation.
• Assembly Member, you may begin whenever you and your witness are ready.
• You may begin whenever you're ready. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• Whenever you are ready, you may begin. Thank you very much.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Iowa come back home once they're ready Iowa come back home once they're ready to<00:15:11.880>
• <00:47:54.760> job are any of these job Readiness job are any of these job Readiness job placement
• <00:56:48.760> certificate chance to get that Workforce certificate chance to get that Workforce
• I also just want to appreciate all the workforce comments.
• <01:48:38.639> uh ensure work ensure Workforce uh ensure work ensure Workforce uh capability

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Yarborough, are you ready to go with your next one?
• Senator Yarborough, are you ready to go with your next one?
• Let's take up tab 5, SB 1102, our school readiness programs, by Senator Kalatayud.
• within our school readiness budget specifically to support providers that are serving children that
• Matt Herndon, school readiness, I'm sorry, United Way to Florida, waiving in support.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 considered a series of education-related bills, many of them after adopting amendments. SB 1122 on Florida Virtual School was amended to remove virtual preschool provisions and then passed favorably, with the sponsor describing it as a clarifying bill about FLVS operations, revenue sources, reporting, and student access. SB 1374, on school district reporting requirements for educator arrests and misconduct, was also approved; it requires faster district action and reporting when instructional personnel are arrested for certain offenses and clarifies that self-reports are not admissions of guilt. SB 1402, on student enrollment and dropout retrieval programs, was amended and passed to broaden eligibility for dropout retrieval services and allow certain virtual providers to receive a school improvement rating instead of a school grade. SB 364, moving the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys from the Department of Education to Florida Memorial University, was amended and reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 772 on diabetes management in schools, which would allow districts to obtain and store glucagon for emergency use by trained school staff or nurses, with liability protections included. SB 1102 on school readiness programs for children with disabilities passed after testimony that it would expand identification of disabilities, require more training for providers, and direct special-needs funding toward better-supported classrooms. SB 1382, also on school readiness, was approved and would change the definition of economically disadvantaged families, adjust priority tiers, and update the waitlist and forecasting process for child care assistance. The most debated measure was SB 140, which was substantially rewritten by delete-all amendment to create “job engine charter schools,” allow municipalities to seek charter schools aimed at attracting industry, authorize parent votes for conversion of existing public schools, and set requirements for district five-year property plans and surplus property use, including affordable housing and charter school purposes. Supporters argued it could aid economic development and repurpose underused property, while opponents raised concerns about privatization, reduced stakeholder input, unclear voting procedures, and loss of district control over property. Despite extensive debate and multiple public speakers against it, the bill passed favorably. The committee also approved SB 430, a merged AED and cardiac emergency response bill requiring public schools to have a cardiac emergency plan, trained staff, and an operational AED in a publicized location, with reimbursement provisions and liability protections; it passed after supporters emphasized life-saving benefits and manageable training costs. The committee adjourned after recording additional members’ votes on selected bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• PED has a lot of work to do to make this work, and they're ready to do it.
• We know early literacy is one of the strongest predictors of long-term economic and workforce readiness
• This is a smart, long-term investment in New Mexico's future workforce readiness and economic competitiveness
• Literacy is foundational to everything we care about: workforce readiness, economic competitiveness,
• Chair, members of the committee, Senator Thornton, I do know that at PED we're ready to go.

Bills: SB29, SB37

Keywords: SB29, math requirements for teaching license, teacher licensure, teacher endorsement, mathematics methods, elementary education, secondary education, special education, early childhood education, reciprocity, Public Education Department, Mathematics and Science Education Act, mathematics instructional leadership framework, professional learning plan, K-3 screening, mathematics screening assessment, mathematics difficulty, support plan, multilevel support, intervention

Transcript Highlights:

• If you are ready, we can move with item numbers eight and nine. Good afternoon, Madam Chair.
• You're ready. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, please. You are ready. Item number three, SB 578.
• Whenever you're ready, we'll item number five, SB...
• Whenever you're ready, we'll item number five, SB 369.
• Whenever you are ready, we will move on to item 1, SB 20.

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard and advanced several bills focused on worker protections, training access, wage enforcement, outreach, and workplace safety. SB 513 would require employees to have access to their training and certification records; supporters, including laid-off refinery workers and labor organizations, said employers sometimes withhold records during layoffs, while committee members called the practice unacceptable. The bill passed 5-0 and was re-referred to Appropriations. SB 809 addressed misclassification of construction truck owner-drivers by offering employers amnesty if they reclassify workers as employees and adopt a two-check payment system; labor and construction trades groups supported it, and it passed 5-0 to Judiciary. SB 578 would codify the California Workplace Outreach Program, which funds trusted community organizations to educate workers about their rights. Supporters described the program as a proven way to reach low-wage, immigrant, and hard-to-reach workers, especially amid wage theft, retaliation, and immigration enforcement concerns. The bill passed 5-0 to Appropriations. SB 261 would strengthen collection of wage theft judgments by creating a public list of nonpaying employers and adding penalties after six months of nonpayment; county enforcement officials and labor advocates said it would help workers recover unpaid wages. It passed 6-0 to Judiciary. The committee also approved SB 369, which would require skilled and trained workforce standards for Salton Sea restoration projects, with supporters saying the work is hazardous and should use trained labor; it passed 6-0 to Appropriations. Finally, SB 20 sought to address silicosis in stone countertop fabrication by requiring training and certification protections for workers; supporters said the disease has caused deaths among mostly Latino workers, while industry groups supported the bill with amendments and requested implementation resources. It passed 6-0 to Appropriations. The committee also adopted a consent calendar of four additional bills and adjourned after all listed measures were moved forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're ready for you. We're ready for you now.
• We're ready for you. I hope everything worked out for you, President Gates. We're ready for you.
• We're ready for you now. You want to take it at your seat or you want to take it at the podium?
• There's a place for employees with autism in the workforce in productive jobs.
• There's a place for employees with autism in the workforce in productive jobs.

Summary: The Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee heard and passed two autism-related bills. SB 112, by Senator Harrell, would expand autism screening and referral grants, extend Early Steps services from age three to age four, designate the University of Florida autism center as a statewide hub, create grants for autism-focused charter schools and summer programs, and establish an autism microcredential for educators and paraprofessionals. Three technical or clarifying amendments were adopted, and the bill received support from Autism Speaks, The Arc of Florida, Foundation for Florida’s Future, and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who emphasized early intervention and the need for training and expanded services. The bill was reported favorably by committee vote. The committee then considered SB 102, by Senator Gaetz, which would direct the Department of Education to create a workforce credential for students with autism spectrum disorder, including badges for job skills and workplace safety, and require reporting on outcomes such as employment after graduation. An amendment was adopted to allow students on a modified curriculum before formal diagnosis to participate and to require coordination with the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities and OSHA. Testimony from Amy Weatherby of the FSU Autism Institute and CARD strongly supported the bill, stressing the importance of employment outcomes and early preparation, while other organizations also supported it. SB 102 was reported favorably, and the committee adjourned after Senator Harrell was recorded as voting in the affirmative on SB 112.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please be ready to step right in.
• um uh if we can as as so please be ready um uh if we can as as so please be ready to<00:07:21.280
• <00:57:40.240> Development our Steel County Workforce Development our Steel County Workforce
• <00:59:05.520> shortage available labor and workforce shortage available labor and workforce
• Targeted population workforce grants.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Workforce housing is defined as below-market housing, addressing demand for workforce housing for middle-income
• So workforce housing, we really had to carve out what that target looked like.
• workforce housing, for-sale housing or rental.
• Two of those are for workforce housing. One is for affordable.
• I was ready to shut the doors.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At the time of the Governor's budget, we weren't ready to make that decision.
• Please feel free to introduce yourself and start when you're ready. Thank you, Chair and members.
• Please go ahead and introduce yourself and feel free to begin your testimony when you're ready.
• Extensive facility preparedness and health care workforce protection functions are needed.
• We proudly represent our public health workforce at state and local jurisdictions.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm trying to hire workforce shortage.
• <00:54:19.880> was health and substance use workforce was health and substance use workforce
• My clinic's ready to hire.
• building the workforce our state needs. building the workforce our state needs.
• this is not just a workforce shortage. this is not just a workforce shortage.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You're outside the workforce.
• You're outside the in the workforce. You're outside the workforce. workforce. workforce.
• > in<01:07:41.119> that workforce training programs in that workforce training programs
• Um Workforce.
• Um workforce.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The house is ready to is present. The house is ready to is present.
• We are ready to roll out behind this. We are ready to roll out behind this.
• I have it in draft form right ready. I have it in draft form right ready.
• We had the title because of the new workforce instead of of the new workforce instead of of the new workforce
• the workforce and now it says chief of the workforce and now it says chief of the workforce pathways

Bills: HJR 4, HJR 6, HB 195, HB 13, HB 143, HB 135

Keywords: occupation tax, securities, financial regulation, tax exemption, legislative amendment, capital gains tax, realized gains, unrealized gains, investment income, asset sale, capital assets, wealth tax, estate tax, trust tax, tax limitation, constitutional amendment, Texas Constitution, Article VIII, property tax, sales tax