Video & Transcript Research : 'degree programs'
Page 82 of 500
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- The program we have at MIT is world-class and unique in its equities and scope.
- I love the MVP program.
- All of our fantastic programs we have for that work, like the MVP program you've heard about, DER's culvert
- upgrade program, they're totally maxed out.
- As we're all but guaranteed to breach 1.5 degrees of warming and the risk that we'll breach 2 degrees
Summary:
The committee hearing focused on a broad set of climate, energy, and environmental justice proposals. Early testimony strongly supported the Climate Change Superfund or “Polluter Pays” bill (H.1014/S.58), which would assess the largest fossil fuel emitters for a one-time fee based on historic emissions to fund climate adaptation. Sponsors argued the bill is modeled on Superfund cleanup principles, would target only the largest multinational polluters, would not be passed on to consumers, and would direct a significant share of funds to environmental justice communities. Committee members asked about the number of companies covered, consumer impacts, and whether the bill would address other forms of environmental destruction; sponsors said it was limited to major fossil fuel companies with a Massachusetts footprint and did not cover other pollution sources.
The committee also heard testimony on a fusion energy compact proposal (S.673) that would direct the administration to develop a framework for a New England regional compact to accelerate fusion research, workforce development, and supply-chain growth. Supporters from MIT and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities said fusion could become a major clean-energy and economic opportunity, but acknowledged the technology is not yet commercially viable and still has unresolved technical, cost, and waste-management questions. Members pressed on environmental impacts, siting, waste, costs, and whether the bill would create a compact or only a framework; sponsors said it would only create the framework and that the administration would need to negotiate with other states.
Another major topic was a pilot program for nature-based climate solutions (H.971/S.??), backed by legislators, Boston Harbor Now, and UMass Boston’s Stone Living Lab. Witnesses said the bill would help speed permits for research and demonstration projects such as living shorelines, marsh restoration, and hybrid “green-to-gray” flood protections, while maintaining safeguards and protecting Indigenous and historic resources. Committee members asked how the proposal would interact with other permitting reforms and whether it could conflict with housing or wetland-related streamlining; supporters said it was complementary and aimed at making projects faster, more affordable, and more data-driven.
The hearing also covered climate-safe buildings and climate adaptation funding bills. Supporters of H.1004/S.583 said current building codes do not adequately account for future flooding, heat, and wind, and the bill would add climate expertise to the building board, allow stretch resilience codes, expand floodplain standards, and create a retrofit program. Related testimony backed H.938/S.572, which would create a dedicated climate and community resilience fund financed by a small fee on property insurance premiums; advocates said it would provide stable long-term revenue for adaptation, especially in environmental justice communities, and help replace unreliable federal funding. One witness from CLF supported the climate-safe buildings and funding bills but opposed S.560/H.939 as too broad. The committee also heard testimony on airport air-quality legislation (H.997) calling for more monitoring and mitigation of ultra-fine particulate pollution around Logan Airport and Massport communities. No votes were taken during the hearing.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Education Committee Jun 17th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- , allowing state special schools to offer work-based learning programs, removing academic program references
- , allowing state special schools to offer work-based learning programs, removing academic program references
- Districts want to expand youth apprenticeship programs.
- , not just within the narrow work-experience education program.
- CUSD is actively partnering with registered apprenticeship program sponsors, industry partners, labor
Summary:
The Assembly Education Committee heard several Senate bills focused on student health, access, equity, and career preparation. SB 608 by Sen. Menjivar would expand access to condoms and related sexual health resources for students in grades 7–12 and direct the Department of Education to align with the California Healthy Youth Act. Supporters argued the bill would help address high STI rates among youth and remove barriers to access, while opponents raised concerns about parental authority, local control, and encouraging early sexual activity. The bill was approved on a 6-1 vote and sent to the Health Committee.
SB 965 by Sen. Blakespear would prohibit libraries from requiring a parent to be physically present for a 16- or 17-year-old to obtain a library card, while still allowing libraries to require parental consent or signature. Supporters said the current rule creates unnecessary barriers for teens and school research projects, and the California Library Association said it was now neutral after amendments. The committee passed the bill 6-0 to Appropriations.
SB 998 by Sen. Gonzalez would define and expand the duties of discrimination prevention coordinators in the state’s Office of Civil Rights, including adding a disability coordinator and deputy coordinators focused on anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Latino, and anti-Native American discrimination. Testimony emphasized the need to address rising hate incidents and discrimination in schools, especially for Black, LGBTQ+, AAPI, and other marginalized students. The bill was approved and sent to Judiciary with amendments to be processed there. SB 845 by Sen. Perez, which expands work-based learning and youth apprenticeship opportunities, also received broad support from education, workforce, and industry groups and passed unanimously to Labor and Employment. The committee also approved a consent calendar of additional bills and adjourned after all items were acted on.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on the Judiciary Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on the Judiciary
Transcript Highlights:
- I've completed many programs.
- This program is inspired by research and programs in other states.
- This program is inspired by research and programs in other states.
- Active programs report reductions in incarcerations.
- And then in the U.S., we've also had those programs, too.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a lengthy hearing on several juvenile justice and parole-related bills, with much of the testimony focused on H. 2051/S. 1087 to end lifetime parole for juveniles and emerging adults, and H. 1923 to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds. Chairs Brandy Fluker-Reid and Lydia Edwards opened the hearing by noting the large number of bills and witnesses, the need to keep testimony moving, and special procedures for incarcerated witnesses and sensitive testimony. They also acknowledged the historic nature of the hearing being chaired by two Black women attorneys. No votes were taken during the hearing itself.
Many incarcerated speakers and advocates supported ending lifetime parole, arguing that young people can change, that lifetime supervision creates constant fear of technical violations, and that it undermines rehabilitation, family stability, employment, and reintegration. Several testified about their own trauma, youth, and growth in prison programs, while others emphasized the costs of decades of supervision and the racial disparities in the system. Support also came from elected officials, UTEC, the Transformational Prison Project, United Way, CPCS’s Youth Advocacy Division, the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, and others, who said juvenile systems are better suited to developmentally appropriate treatment and that the bills would improve public safety and reduce recidivism.
There was also opposition, including testimony from family members of a murder victim who argued that lifetime parole should remain for serious violent crimes and that some offenders are not sufficiently rehabilitated. One virtual witness described a family tragedy involving the kidnapping and murder of her infant nephew and warned that ending lifetime parole could remove needed long-term supervision for dangerous offenders. In addition to the juvenile justice bills, the committee heard testimony on H. 1867, a bill related to continuing care for severe mental illness, and H. 2063, which would increase penalties for assaults on correction officers and other prison staff; the correction officers’ union supported H. 2063 and related safety bills. The hearing continued with many more witnesses and bill topics, but no final committee action was announced in the portion provided.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Conference Committee on SF3432 5/15/26
Transcript Highlights:
- One is fourth-degree assault for medical facility security personnel. That is online 24.
- One is fourth-degree<00:02:22.959>
assault <00:02:23.600>for <00:02:23.880>medical - c> fourth-degree assault for medical fourth-degree assault for medical assault<00:02:25.000>
in - There's the Minnesota clearance grant program, the Philando Castile Memorial program, the Philando Castile
- The bill language will include the fourth-degree assault amendment that adds the hospital or clinic security
Summary:
The Conference Committee on Senate File 3432 met on May 15, 2026, and first approved a motion to continue meeting past midnight. Members then reviewed the public safety and judiciary budget agreement, including funding for non-fatal shooting clearance grants, a domestic violence task force, services for released adults and juveniles, trafficking prevention for youth, corrections bed impacts from assault and theft-related provisions, increased Philando Castile training reimbursements, and transfers into the Victims of Crime Account. The committee also noted that some items were removed because they had already passed as stand-alone bills, including impersonation of a peace officer and the grooming penalty, and that the first responder uniform ID task force would not be funded in this bill.
Policy provisions discussed for the public safety side included a domestic violence response task force, trafficking and sexual exploitation prevention grants, juvenile re-entry services, the Minnesota clearance grant program, the Philando Castile Memorial Training Fund, confidentiality for victim statements to the Clemency Review Commission, the fourth-degree assault amendment for hospital or clinic security guards, the enhanced penalty for theft from a vulnerable adult, child sexual abuse material venue and evidence provisions, and revised language on prediction markets and the Attorney General’s administrative subpoena authority. The chair also said the committee had to make late fixes to some stakeholder-requested changes and expressed frustration about the timing.
The committee then reviewed the safety and security budget agreement, which included funding for judicial security, a judicial security unit, security threat response, safe and secure courthouse grants, appeals court and district court security, state patrol deficiency funding, capital security screening and enhancements, legislative protective services, BCA threat assessment and investigation, a security services task force, legislative security reimbursements, and security for constitutional officers. The agreement also included technical court reallocation adjustments and DNR carry-forward authority for certain non-budgeted public safety costs incurred in 2026. After no public testimony was offered, the committee adopted both the public safety budget agreement and the safety and security budget agreement, directed non-partisan staff to prepare the conference committee report with technical and conforming changes, and then adjourned.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Tribal and State Relations Committee May 13th, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Tribal and State Relations Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- So all of our programs, regardless if it's a certificate or degree program, include Dakota culture, language
- programs to associate degrees in key fields like education, business, and environmental science.
- We have five or six more master's degrees, and now we have students also through a new program where
- have access to an opioid treatment program.
- I'm a program director from Protection and Advocacy.
WV
West Virginia 2026 Regular Session
WV Senate Judiciary Committee in Session Jan 20th, 2026 at 03:06 pm
Judiciary
Transcript Highlights:
- Okay, so you don't know first-degree, second-degree penalties? I don't... voluntary manslaughter.
- , second-degree murder, and manslaughter.
- Currently in law, for second-degree murder, it's 10 years. Thank you.
- Currently in law for second-degree murder, it's 10 years.
- It's the same for second-degree.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Tribal and State Relations Committee May 13th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- So all of our programs, regardless if it's a certificate or degree program, include Dakota culture, language
- programs to associate degrees in key fields like education, business, and environmental science.
- We have five or six more master's degrees, and now we have students also through a new program where
- have access to an opioid treatment program.
- I'm a program director from Protection and Advocacy.
Summary:
The committee met at Spirit Lake Tribe and first heard welcoming remarks and introductions from tribal leaders and program directors. Chairwoman Street and other tribal representatives outlined a range of concerns and requests for state action, including taxation of reservation lands, support for non-beneficiary students at the tribal school, homelessness funding, Indian-managed health care, gaming and e-tabs, Feather Alert improvements, industrial farming near waterways, tourism, and better state-tribal consultation. Committee members responded that the meeting was intended to improve understanding and communication, and several members suggested future legislation or resolutions could be used to advance some of the issues. The tribe also offered to provide training on treaties, IHS 638, and compact services to legislators and staff.
A major portion of the discussion focused on Spirit Lake fish and wildlife jurisdiction and the lake boundary. Tribal representatives asked for an MOU or co-stewardship agreement with the state to clarify hunting and fishing rights, recognize tribal licenses, and reduce recurring disputes over “gray areas” on the reservation and lake. Committee members discussed whether to draft a bill or resolution directing the executive branch and state agencies to negotiate such an agreement, and asked that North Dakota Game and Fish be invited to a future meeting. Related concerns included aquatic nuisance species prevention, with both sides agreeing that more aggressive boat inspection and cleaning measures would be beneficial.
The committee also discussed taxation and county relations. Tribal leaders raised concerns about county resistance to fee-to-trust transfers and about property and vehicle taxation affecting members living on or near reservation lands. Committee members and tribal counsel reviewed federal treaty principles and court cases, and one member noted that the committee had previously taken no formal action on similar issues. Later, Benson County’s tax equalization director explained how the county values taxable land, handles inundated land applications, and tracks land coming off the tax rolls when the tribe repurchases acreage. The discussion ended with a presentation from the president of Sisseton Wahpeton College, who described the college’s programs, economic impact, and funding needs, followed by an HHS presentation on 1115 Medicaid waivers and the IMD exclusion as the committee moved to its next topic.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Public safety policy bill unveiled 3/24/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Representative Rapinski's 3825 is an Office of Justice Programs bill that's related to victim notifications
- That bill amends the crime of second-degree murder to include it over to Mr.
- <00:04:48.280>
bill is an Office of Justice Programs bill is an Office of Justice Programs - That bill amends the crime<00:05:18.360>
of <00:05:18.480>second-degree <00:05:19.040> <00:05:19.520>- > murder
to <00:05:19.720>include The crime of second-degree murder is
Summary:
The committee took up House File 3990, Chair Novotny’s bill, as the vehicle for a public safety policy package. Members were told the DE1 amendment had been posted for public review, so no formal action would be taken at this meeting; the committee planned to act on the bill at the next hearing on March 25. Chair Novotny said questions from Judiciary on the original bill had been addressed or were still being worked on, and he expressed hope the bill would pass out the next day.
Non-partisan staff walked through the DE1 amendment, explaining that it combines multiple bills into one package. The included provisions covered BCA fraud investigations and administrative subpoenas, disaster assistance reporting dates, DOC policy on substance use and TV screening, raising the kratom possession/sale age to 21, DOC facility licensing, restitution considerations for early release, BCA data collection and local law enforcement reimbursements, public employer review of applicants with criminal convictions, victim notification and minor-victim privacy protections, second-degree murder language involving out-of-state protection orders, increased penalties for certain coercion offenses tied to non-consensual image dissemination, and reporting when law enforcement deploys chemical irritants.
No one signed up to testify, and there were no votes or formal amendments acted on during the meeting. The chair noted that additional amendments were expected at the next hearing, and the meeting adjourned without further action.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- They do, because I learned that through my loan repayment program work.
- degree felony.
- And, Madam Chair, would that be a third degree felony under subparagraph B or a fourth degree felony
- It would be C, Madam Chair, Representative, the fourth degree.
- I think the statute has a distinction between B and C and third degree felony and fourth degree felony
Keywords:
medical malpractice, judgments, independent providers, insurance, personal assets, settlements, healthcare, healthcare privacy, electronic medical records, reproductive health, gender-affirming care, data protection, location tracking, confidentiality, SB30, induced abortion, abortion reporting, vital statistics, public health reporting, medical records
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Revenue and Taxation REVISED Feb 9th, 2026 at 01:30 pm
Revenue and Taxation
Transcript Highlights:
- It reauthorizes certain income tax refund donation checkoffs for the benefit of veterans programs.
- into the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs equipment and capital improvement program for future
- What other grants and/or programs are out here that possibly have stacking These credits at the state
- or advanced degrees or These types of things.
- And you know, if you have that degree, you have a chance to go in there.
Keywords:
excise tax, oil tax, natural gas tax, state revenue, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, income tax, tax credit, aerospace sector, employment, economic development, adaptive reuse, affordable housing, urban renewal, economic impact, program, housing, revitalization, urban development, income tax credit, manufacturing
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Insurance Committee Apr 23rd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- My name is Miriam Padilla Burke, and I work as Director of Programs for Options for All.
- Furthermore, this grant program aligns with a recommendation from the 2021 climate insurance report.
- Furthermore, this grant program aligns with a recommendation from the 2021 climate insurance report.
- , and Napa set a record of 114 degrees.
- heat or 112-degree heat.
Summary:
The Assembly Committee on Insurance met as a subcommittee and heard several bills related to workers’ compensation, insurance access, climate resilience, and farmworker protections. AB 815 would prevent social service workers who use personal vehicles to transport clients from being misclassified as commercial or for-hire drivers under personal auto policies; supporters said the current practice leads to unaffordable premiums and denied claims, while no opposition testified. AB 1329 would revise the Subsequent Injury Benefit Trust Fund to reduce litigation and medical-legal costs and lower employer assessments; insurers and business groups opposed unless amended, citing concerns about eligibility standards and the QME process, but the bill advanced after amendments were discussed. AB 1048 would allow disputed unauthorized payment reductions for medical providers to be reviewed through independent bill review; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, while opposition argued IBR is the wrong forum and existing contract dispute processes should control, though the bill also passed. AB 1236 would create a Department of Insurance grant program for climate and sustainability risk-reduction projects, with broad support from the department, environmental groups, and insurers, and it passed unanimously.
The committee also heard AB 1336, the Farmworker Heat Illness Prevention Act, which would create a rebuttable presumption that a heat-related injury arose out of employment when an agricultural employer fails to comply with heat illness prevention standards. Supporters, including United Farm Workers, argued the bill would help protect farmworkers amid extreme heat and enforcement gaps; opponents from the workers’ compensation and agricultural sectors said the measure improperly uses the compensation system to enforce OSHA rules and could create unclear adjudication and delay issues. Members discussed Cal/OSHA enforcement limits, undocumented workers’ reluctance to report violations, and the relationship between the bill and existing workers’ compensation procedures. Despite opposition, AB 1336 passed on a divided vote.
The committee also took up a consent calendar including AB 1125, AB 1293, and AB 1398, which were approved together. Roll calls were held open and later completed, and the bills that advanced were sent to the Committee on Appropriations. The meeting concluded with the committee adjourning after final votes were recorded.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- director for the Baylor College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program in Houston.
- She earned her medical degree from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical School and trained as an OB-GYN in
- A&M has more than 140 undergraduate programs and Master's and Ph.D. programs, and is among the nation's
- UT Austin offers more than 170 undergraduates. graduate degree programs, and more than 208 graduate programs
- Albertine in Texas program.
Keywords:
teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, lottery, gambling, internet gaming, mobile application, criminal offenses, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, compliance agreement
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
Licensing & Administrative Procedures Mar 25th, 2025
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Transcript Highlights:
- I graduated from Texas Tech University in 1982 with a degree in interior design and later went on to
- earn a master's degree studying design for aging, which is my passion.
- , a program that trains local cosmetologists on how to identify signs of domestic violence.
- I'm an accounting professor and program chair.
- It's a state where I got my graduate degree, West Virginia.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
01/27/2026 - House Natural Resources, Energy & Water
Natural Resources, Energy & Water
Transcript Highlights:
- We realize we have to cast a wider net and do an education program.
- A matching grant program endangers the financial health of the fund, as a loan program that is required
- This is how harmful activities become permanent programs.
- I have a master's degree in industrial and organizational psychology.
- I have a master's degree in industrial and organizational psychology.
Keywords:
solar radiation management, environment, prohibition, Arizona Revised Statutes, public health, complaint process, Attorney General, groundwater management, water conservation, irrigation, water supply, brackish groundwater, water supply development, desalination, water infrastructure, financial assistance, environmental reviews, brackish water, groundwater, water resources
Summary:
The committee first received an update from Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzky on Colorado River negotiations and post-2026 operating rules. He described the legal framework governing Arizona’s allocation, argued that Arizona and the lower basin have already made substantial conservation cuts, and said the upper basin is pressing positions Arizona views as inconsistent with prior Supreme Court rulings. He emphasized the need to move water from upstream reservoirs to Lake Mead, warned of continued shortage risk, and said the state is seeking an equitable deal through ongoing federal and interstate negotiations. Members asked about outside water use, tourism and recreation impacts, and tribal water rights, including the Navajo-Hopi-San Juan Southern Paiute settlement. Buschatzky said the state’s delegation and bipartisan support have been helpful and urged continued public and legislative backing.
The committee then heard House Bill 2758, which would expand McMullen Valley groundwater transportation authority and add related requirements and guardrails, including an amendment increasing the La Paz County transportation cap from 10% to 50% of the annual volume and adding conditions for sales or leases from historically irrigated acres. Supporters, including bill sponsor advocates, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, and the Home Builders Association, said the bill would create a lawful, regulated transfer option similar to the Harquahala model, support housing growth, and include oversight through hydrologic studies, pumping limits, and monthly reporting to ADWR. Opponents, including La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin’s statement, local residents, Sierra Club, and rural advocates, argued the bill would accelerate aquifer depletion, harm private wells and subsidence conditions, and benefit a New York hedge fund at the expense of rural communities. After debate, the committee adopted the Griffin amendment and then passed HB 2758 as amended on a 6-4 due-pass vote.
The committee next took up House Bill 2098, which would modify bonding authority and public hearing notice requirements for county water augmentation authorities and allow local repayment agreements with WIFA. Pinal County Supervisor Stephen Miller and other supporters said the bill would clean up statutory language so the Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority can finance future water augmentation and infrastructure projects, including potential Bartlett Dam-related work, and better prepare for future Colorado River uncertainty. The Home Builders Association also supported the bill, saying it included proportionality protections for private utility water charges. The bill was moved for a due-pass recommendation and the committee proceeded to a roll call vote, with the transcript ending before the final vote result was shown.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Education Committee Jul 1st, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- California’s non-public school program plays a critical role in ensuring some of our most vulnerable
- Our first concern has ...around the implementation of the grant program that's presented.
- I want to just clarify for the record that the grant program applies to all schools in the state.
- I have a science degree in child and adolescent development, a master's degree in human development with
- I have a science degree in child and adolescent development, a master's degree in human development with
Summary:
The Assembly Education Committee heard a long slate of education bills, beginning with SB 685 on nonpublic schools for students with disabilities. Senator Cortese and the California Department of Education described the bill as a response to the Ninth Circuit’s Laughman decision, removing the obsolete “non-sectarian” requirement while preserving secular use of public funds, nondiscrimination protections, background checks, credentialing, and incident reporting. There was no opposition, and the bill later passed 7-0 to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 1181, a pilot grant program for violence prevention, student wellness, and school safety in Central Valley and other schools. Supporters framed it as a prevention measure, while opponents from EFF, ACLU Cal Action, and community advocates warned it could increase law enforcement involvement, surveillance, and use of fusion centers; despite those concerns, it ultimately passed 5-0 to Appropriations.
Members then considered SB 1067, which would create a statewide framework for annual K-2 math assessments starting in 2028-29 to identify students needing early intervention. The author and supporters argued California faces a serious math achievement crisis and that early assessment would help close gaps, while CTA and several educators and administrators sought additional clarity and amendments to ensure alignment with existing diagnostic practices and limits on high-stakes use. The bill drew broad support from educators, parents, and advocacy groups and passed 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 1107, a school shade-structure bill, would expand eligible shade projects and allow bundling through design-build to reduce costs; it received support from LAUSD, school boards, and climate-focused groups and passed 7-0. SB 1128, on take-home devices and screen time for kindergarteners, was presented as a modest first step to give families more flexibility and reduce early screen exposure, with support from early childhood advocates and no opposition, and it passed 7-0.
The committee also approved SB 1048, creating a voluntary State Seal of Climate Literacy for students who complete climate coursework and hands-on projects. Supporters, including Ten Strands, students, teachers, and county offices, said it would recognize real-world climate learning and green career readiness; it passed 7-0. SB 1140, sponsored by CFT, would require LEA construction contractors to follow campus security provisions during school projects to reduce unauthorized access; it drew support from labor and gun violence prevention groups and passed 7-0. SB 930, requiring end-to-end encryption for proctoring companies handling K-12 exam data, was presented as a student privacy measure in response to cybersecurity risks and passed 6-0. Finally, SB 1083 was introduced by Senator Perez as a follow-up to last year’s Safe Learning Environments Act, with extensive committee amendments to refine the statewide misconduct data system, disclosure rules, contractor fingerprinting, and access requirements; the transcript cuts off before the bill’s full hearing and vote are shown.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
February 13, 2025 - 09:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- We still also are a Division I athletic program.
- degrees.
- degrees. the university and we have awarded over 437,000 degrees since our founding in 1963.
- We all do international programs in various forms.
- infrastructure necessary to run those programs.
Summary:
The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met to hear an overview of State University System finances from the Board of Governors and detailed budget presentations from Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of North Florida. The witnesses explained how university budgets are organized into fund categories such as education and general, contracts and grants, auxiliaries, local/designated funds, capital projects, and component units such as direct support organizations. They also described carry forward funds, the statutory reserve and spending-plan requirements, the PICO/HECO capital outlay process, and how universities use investment accounts, audits, and board oversight to manage restricted and unspent funds. The universities emphasized that most operating dollars are restricted to specific uses and that state support helps keep tuition low.
Members asked about differences in funding levels among institutions, especially why FSU receives more funding than UCF despite lower enrollment. Officials said preeminence funding, performance funding, and special legislative appropriations explain much of the difference, and the Board of Governors noted that Florida now has four preeminent universities, with UCF nearing that status. Questions also focused on what happens to unspent carry forward money, how it is invested, and whether the Board of Governors or Legislature can require funds to be returned; officials said the money is invested conservatively, subject to board and audit oversight, and can roll forward under a detailed spending plan, though the Legislature can change funding levels. The committee also discussed capital projects, with members asking about delays, inflation, and whether more projects should be phased or funded faster; witnesses said PICO funds remain with the state until needed and are reimbursed as construction proceeds.
A substantial portion of the discussion covered athletics, research, student fees, and endowments. The universities said athletics is generally expected to be self-supporting, though limited use of auxiliary or carry forward funds may be allowed for projects benefiting the broader student body. They also described the financial pressures from name, image, and likeness changes and new NCAA-related costs, and said institutions are planning for those changes now. On research, the universities explained sponsored research funding, indirect cost recovery, compliance obligations, and tech transfer, but did not provide specific commercialization revenue figures and said they would follow up. Members also asked about student fee increases, student input, counseling and wellness funding, and how housing costs affect affordability; the universities said student committees and boards review fees, and aid packaging is intended to keep student debt low. Endowments were described as being held in separate foundations/DSOs with independent investment committees and used mainly for scholarships, faculty support, and research.
NV
Transcript Highlights:
- music programs sustain the quality that they have now.
- They have an amazing program.
- portion of the program?
- Without new funds to open programs, the military services fund new programs by closing programs with
- Our JROTC program... Our JROTC programs are really important in our schools. Thank you.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Importantly, it invests in teacher preparation funding, paid residency programs, and grow-your-own programs
- Arts programs improve academic performance. How?
- Our program unifies Grow Your Own initiatives and residency programs.
- the next level... ...program with 90 hours or already having a bachelor's degree, you would enter in
- Programs like the Teacher Incentive Allotment are helping to change that.
Bills:
HB2
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
House Standing Committee on Health Services (2-13-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- Jenna Cassidy, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs. Good afternoon. I'm WN Stevens.
- good afternoon I'm WN Stevens programs good afternoon I'm WN Stevens I'm<00:01:52.880>
here <00 - <00:13:58.399>
and opportunity to advance their degrees and opportunity to advance their degrees - has a skill bridge program organization has a skill bridge program where<00:16:29.279>
it <00: - Has the Department of Labor and other organizations that support military programs like this.
Keywords:
00:00 Call to Order/Roll Call
01:23 Discussion of 25RS HB 219
06:40 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 219
07:44 Discussion of 25RS HCR 20
09:36 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HCR 20
10:58 Discussion of 25RS HB 303
17:02 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 303
18:38 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations
21:46 Adjournment, 958, all
Summary:
The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and first considered House Bill 219, sponsored by Representative Rebecca Raymer. The bill requires emergency services to provide mandatory training for emergency medical staff on sexual assault emergency response requirements, with the training developed in collaboration with the Sexual Assault Response Team advisory committee. Testimony from Jenna Cassidy of the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs and WN Stevens of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky explained that the training would help emergency department staff properly respond to sexual assault patients, preserve evidence, and connect patients to needed resources; the committee also clarified that the bill is training-focused and not a certification requirement. HB 219 received favorable expression and was reported to the House floor.
The committee then heard House Concurrent Resolution 20, also from Representative Raymer, which directs the Legislative Research Commission to study gaps in sexual assault nurse examiner coverage, why those gaps exist, and what hospitals do when no SANE nurse is available. Raymer said the study was intended to gather data for future legislation, and members noted the importance of documenting current practices and supporting efforts to expand SANE coverage. The resolution was adopted with 16 favorable votes and recommended for passage on the House floor.
Next, the committee took up House Bill 303, sponsored by Representative Steve Bratcher, which creates a pathway for military medical personnel to translate their training into civilian Kentucky credentials through colleges and universities. The committee substitute broadened participation beyond KCTCS to any Kentucky institution with accredited programs, and Bratcher explained that schools would evaluate military experience, award applicable credit, identify gaps, and still require the relevant licensure exam. Members asked about university participation, credentialing standards, and how prior military radiology training would transfer; Bratcher said the program is voluntary for institutions and works with existing SkillBridge and veterans’ programs. HB 303, as amended by committee substitute, passed unanimously and was recommended for passage.
At the end of the meeting, the committee briefly reviewed administrative regulations. Representative Fleming asked about a behavioral regulation that had previously been found sufficient, and staff indicated it had been deferred, later found deficient again in the Senate Health Services Committee, and may be addressed through Senate Bill 65. The chair then allowed members to record additional votes before adjourning and announced the next Health Services meeting would be February 20 at noon in Room 149.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Water and Natural Resources Aug 18th, 2025
Water & Natural Resources Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Market Nutrition Program.
- Currently, right now, my program does work with 47 farmers' markets on the program.
- The University offers a certificate in associate degree programs, and we really prepare students when
- It's a degree, a program they have to find; they have to discover.
- So the total program activity proposed. $10.3 million for this program.