Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:49:51.119><c> perform</c> concerts where students perform concerts where students perform alongside
• </c><01:50:32.560><c> The</c> students statewide to date. The students statewide to date.
• </c> Nalukai has taught high school students Nalukai has taught high school students an<01:56:40.639>
• </c><02:39:35.120><c> and</c> serving at public education students and serving at public education students
• ><c> provide</c> hold student art shows, provide hold student art shows, provide scholarships,<02:45:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing on Act 310 grants and aid focused on organizations describing how federal funding cuts, Medicaid/SNAP changes, and related policy shifts are affecting their services and budgets. Committee members explained there would be no Q&A, testimony would be limited to one minute, and in-person participants would be heard before Zoom callers. Members repeatedly asked testifiers to identify the amount of federal funding lost or at risk. Testimony came from a wide range of nonprofits and community providers, including Aloha Care, Hawaii Bicycling League, Hawaii Literacy, Hawaii Youth Symphony, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, the Tsunami Museum, The Kohala Center, West Hawaii Community Health Center, West Hawaii Region Hospital Foundation, Sounding Joy Music Therapy, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii, Dynamic Community Solutions, Feeding Hawaii Together, Girl Scouts of Hawaii, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaiian Lending and Investments, Homana, Honolulu Theatre for the Youth, Kids Hurt Too Hawaii, and Kokua Kalihi Valley. Most described reduced or threatened federal support and requested state funding to maintain services such as health care access, food security, disaster preparedness, literacy and digital inclusion, youth mentoring, arts education, housing, and climate or agricultural resilience. Several speakers emphasized direct impacts on vulnerable populations, including kūpuna, low-income families, immigrants, homeless youth, and people with disabilities. Requests ranged from relatively small planning or program grants to multi-million-dollar stabilization asks, with some organizations citing specific losses such as reduced Medicaid or USDA funding, canceled EPA or FEMA support, or expiring federal grants. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This really shrinks that universe down to three types of properties: single-family homes, mobile homes
• Chairman, the amendment to the amendment limits the exemption to a single-family home, mobile home, and
• I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and am a student here at Florida State University.
• You read my mind in terms of thanking the students from FSU for being here.
• So just wanted to, I know one of the students mentioned that, so I wanted to make sure I got back to

Summary: The Finance and Tax Committee considered several tax-related measures. SB 674, allowing county property appraisers to budget for and pay hiring or retention bonuses with Department of Revenue approval, was supported by property appraisers and reported favorably. C.S. for SJR 318, as amended, would create a tangible personal property exemption for agricultural land used in agricultural production or agritourism; the amendment clarified the property’s location and allowed the Legislature to define conditions, and the resolution was reported favorably with support from Farm Bureau and the Florida Chamber. The committee also advanced C.S. for SB 1664, as amended, which requires locally approved discretionary taxes to be reauthorized by voters when they expire and sets rules for taxes tied to revenue bonds. Local government and tourism-related groups raised concerns about impacts on tourist development taxes, beach funding, transportation surtaxes, and long-term planning, while supporters argued voters should periodically reaffirm taxes; the bill was reported favorably. C.S. for SJR 1510 and its implementing bill, SB 1512, were both amended to sharply narrow a proposed long-term lease property tax exemption to one qualifying property and to single-family homes, mobile homes, and condominiums; counties and cities opposed the measures as tax shifts, but both were reported favorably. The committee then took up SPB 7034, the Senate tax package, which includes permanent sales tax exemptions for certain clothing and bullion, multiple tax holidays, a temporary motor vehicle fee reduction, a property tax study, corporate and insurance tax credit changes, a communications services tax freeze, and other tax provisions, with staff estimating $2.1 billion in total revenue reduction. Testimony included support for studying property taxes and strong opposition to the firearm and ammunition tax holiday from students and advocacy groups, who argued it was unsafe and inappropriate; others urged adding combined reporting or removing tourist development tax changes. After debate, the committee reported the package favorably and also approved a motion to submit it as a committee bill. The meeting ended after Senator Bernard recorded an affirmative vote on tab 5 and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of these students live in one state and work in another.
• Assembly Bill 2238 by Assembly Member Blanca Rubio, an act relating to mobile home parks.
• For too long, the unique needs of Native students have been overlooked.
• Known as TCUs to serve all California students.
• Assembly Member Gonzalez, could... ...with all of our students.

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then approved a procedural motion by a 41-17 roll call to re-refer AB 2690 and AB 1863 to Appropriations and to allow guests for the Latino Spirit Awards ceremony. House Resolution 92, recognizing Cinco de Mayo Week, was adopted after supportive remarks from members of several caucuses, and the chamber then held the 2026 Latino Spirit Awards ceremony honoring 11 individuals and organizations in higher education, human rights, philanthropy, health and science, advocacy, business, environmental justice, journalism and media, culinary arts, and a legacy award for Los Tigres del Norte. After the ceremony, the Assembly resumed business with guest introductions and moved through the daily file, passing or retaining a number of bills and resolutions. Among the measures taken up, the Assembly passed AB 1657 on domestic violence restraining order procedures (64-0), AB 2042 on civil procedure and service of process (66-0), AB 1660 on probate and public guardians (45-10), AB 1917 on criminal procedure and reinstatement of dismissed charges (43-15), AB 2148 clarifying that public school employees are human beings in the context of AI (69-0), AB 1647 protecting juvenile statements at transfer hearings (63-0), AB 1555 expanding community college access in Siskiyou County (66-0), AB 1608 on High-Speed Rail Inspector General oversight and reporting (45-18), AB 1803 requiring anti-hate speech training in workplace harassment prevention (50-9), AB 2128 protecting tenants in subsidized housing from certain federal work requirements and time limits (44-16), AB 2576 as a land-use cleanup bill protecting historic resources (61-0), AB 2601 allowing concurrent review for certain housing projects, and AB 2764 on extended foster care eligibility (60-0). Several items were passed and retained on file, and AB 2601 was interrupted by a call of the house before later business continued. The chamber also adopted ACR 159 on indigent defense after adding 59 coauthors, then heard guest introductions from chief public defenders from multiple counties. ACR 179, designating Wildland Urban Interface Preparedness and Resilience Day, was adopted with 65 coauthors after remarks on wildfire risk and forest management. Later, ACR 183 establishing Black Health Equity Advocacy Week was presented with extensive testimony from members of multiple caucuses emphasizing racial health disparities, maternal mortality, life expectancy gaps, and the need for systemic change; the debate continued beyond the excerpt provided. Throughout the session, members repeatedly used guest introductions to recognize visiting groups and individuals, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority members, UAW President Shawn Fain, California Women in Agriculture, and others.

Transcript Highlights:

• A licensed chiropractor who is enrolled as a student in an approved animal chiropractic education program
• A licensed chiropractor who is enrolled as a student in an approved animal chiropractic education program
• I use it myself in my own life, is a great way, non-invasive, drug-free care to address pain and mobility
• While working with my students, I facilitated a workshop focused on a day in dentistry.
• Twice a week, we operate outdoor mobile clinics in the community.

Bills: SB6138 , SB5899 , SB6072 , SB6094

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Keywords: dental procedures, sedation, patient safety, multiprovider system, healthcare regulation, chiropractic, animal care, veterinary medicine, license endorsement, nonhuman animals, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, VCPR, veterinary telehealth, telemedicine, teletriage, teleadvice, animal health, licensed veterinarian, Washington veterinary board, prescription drugs

Transcript Highlights:

• A licensed chiropractor who is enrolled as a student in an approved animal chiropractic education program
• A licensed chiropractor who is enrolled as a student in an approved animal chiropractic education program
• I use it myself in my own life, is a great way, non-invasive, drug-free care to address pain and mobility
• While working with my students, I facilitated a workshop focused on a day in dentistry.
• Twice a week, we operate outdoor mobile clinics in the community.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5899, which would create a chiropractic license endorsement allowing qualified chiropractors to perform chiropractic diagnosis and adjustments on non-human animals. The sponsor described it as a complementary tool to veterinary care, especially in rural areas with limited access to veterinarians. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would expand access to animal chiropractic with training, certification, and veterinary referral to non-chiropractic issues, while opponents from the veterinary community warned about animal and public safety, disease detection, and the lack of a required veterinary referral. The hearing on SB 5899 was suspended and later reopened; testimony concluded with strong support from animal chiropractic practitioners and opposition from veterinarians, and the committee noted 57 signed in pro, 4 con, and 1 other. The committee then held a work session on dental workforce shortages. Presenters from the CORA Foundation, the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, tribal dental programs, and the Washington State Dental Association described major access gaps, especially for Apple Health enrollees, rural communities, and communities of color. They highlighted low preventive-care utilization, high rates of untreated decay, workforce vacancies for hygienists and assistants, and the value of career ladders such as community health aides and proposed oral preventive assistants. Several speakers emphasized that training pathways, retention, and sustained Medicaid reimbursement are key to improving access and keeping providers in the system. Senate Bill 6138, requiring a multi-provider system for dental procedures performed under deep sedation, drew testimony centered on patient safety after recent deaths in dental settings. The sponsor said the bill responds to a pattern of tragic incidents and would ensure one person is dedicated to monitoring sedation. Supporters from anesthesiology and some oral surgery groups backed stronger monitoring requirements, while oral surgeons and dental representatives argued the current rules already require multiple trained personnel and that the bill could reduce access and increase costs, especially in rural and Medicaid-serving practices. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6072, which would update veterinarian-client-patient relationship rules to allow telemedicine-based relationships and limited telehealth services; animal welfare and veterinary telehealth advocates supported it as an access-to-care measure, while the veterinary association sought clearer guardrails and federal-law language. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6094 on pediatric transitional care services, which would create a Medicaid payment pathway and related program changes for residential care for substance-exposed infants; supporters said the model helps infants and parents, improves outcomes, and is financially unsustainable under current funding, and the hearing began with testimony in favor before time expired.

Transcript Highlights:

• is not accessible to our students with limited mobility.
• </c><00:23:35.200><c> at</c> our students um with limited Mobility at our students um with limited Mobility
• We have Braille and orientation and mobility for our students.
• We have Braille and orientation and mobility for our students.
• severe needs students.

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All of our citizens deserve access to high-quality and affordable fixed and mobile broadband.
• And affordable fixed and mobile broadband.
• Many New Mexicans, particularly low-income families, students, seniors, and rural residents, are now
• On page 17, we included fixed and mobile in the definition of both unserved and underserved areas.
• I'd like to introduce some young individual students from Penasco Elementary School.

Bills: SB152 , SB145 , SB190 , HB247

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion, rural internet, broadband infrastructure, eligible telecommunications carrier, ETC, tribal consent

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair and members, HB 2312 permits a patriotic youth group to address public school students during
• Madam Chair, Replegory, it should be in the name of the student. Okay. Thank you. With Cruz.
• Madam Chair, members, House Bill 2118, mobile food vendors licensure, the strike-everything amendment
• as passed by the committee prohibits a city or town from requiring a mobile food vendor to obtain a
• They believe that because they're mobile food vendors, and they're like unionized, they work together

Summary: The committee worked through a long Minority Caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items on consent and several pulled for discussion. Early items included resolutions on Judea and Samaria, bullion depository bills, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget proposal, and a veterans services appropriation. Members also heard transportation-related bills on driver permits, citations, boat insurance, English proficiency for commercial drivers and motor carriers, photo enforcement, and a measure restricting incarceration for unpaid fines and fees. Several members raised concerns about constitutional issues, public safety, or whether bills were duplicative or targeted at specific groups. A large portion of the meeting focused on education and school governance bills. These included proposals on school district bond advisors, restrictions on school property leases and purchases, public meeting requirements, term limits and training for school board members, patriotic youth group access to students, computer science proficiency, and a bill requiring fingerprint clearance cards for traffic school instructors. Members repeatedly criticized what they described as inconsistent treatment of public schools versus ESA/private school programs, and several education bills were pulled from consent for further discussion. Other bills addressed child safety and family law, including DCS credit freezes, recorded child interviews, parents’ rights notices, mandatory reporting of threats by minors, sex offender residency and GPS monitoring, and a bill on guardianship rights during DCS investigations. The committee also considered a number of social services, health, and labor/consumer bills. These included SNAP work requirement and verification measures, a SNAP error-rate audit, dementia care telemonitoring funding, a Braille transcription appropriation, court fee limits, a physician assistant compact, pediatric licensure compact, and a kratom regulation bill. Members debated an earned wage access licensing bill at length, with opponents calling it predatory and akin to payday lending, while supporters argued it provided a regulated consumer option. Other measures covered cash acceptance by businesses, 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers, AI rules for state agencies, and a bill on public nuisance actions by the Attorney General. Several of these drew warnings about constitutional problems, preemption, or burdens on vulnerable populations. Energy, water, and tax policy also featured prominently. The committee heard bills on fuel formulations, gas tax relief, data centers and small modular nuclear reactors, utility reporting, and a Commerce Authority mandate to reduce fuel prices. Members criticized some proposals as favoring industry, preempting local control, or lacking a clear funding plan. The meeting ended after additional items on veterans, sample ballot mailing dates, and other miscellaneous measures, with multiple bills noted as pulled from consent or subject to later votes; no final roll-call results were detailed in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Including special consideration for mobile home parks in particular, making sure that we get to preserve
• Contractors are prevented from being able to mobilize on site.
• The procurement of materials takes... ...being able to mobilize on site.
• We can permit those podiums as a separate permit and get them mobilized and working much faster...” “
• When you're talking about growth, making room for new students is a really big deal.

Summary: The committee heard a series of presentations on comprehensive plan updates, permitting reform, special purpose district coordination, and subdivision reform. Pierce County and the City of Redmond described their recent comprehensive plan updates, emphasizing housing production, transit-oriented development, middle housing, preservation of affordable housing, and the need for technical assistance and clearer state guidance. Both jurisdictions said the planning process took years and was complicated by overlapping state requirements, changing legislative mandates, and multiple review authorities. Redmond in particular said mid-course legislative changes forced supplemental environmental review and added significant cost and delay, and both local governments asked for more stability, clearer statutes, and better-aligned timelines. Presenters from the architecture, building official, and development sectors focused on permitting delays and proposed ways to speed housing delivery. Dave Boucher of AIA Washington argued for a provisional construction permit process for projects stamped by licensed professionals, along with mandatory deadlines and fewer stalled review cycles. Tim Woodard of WABO described existing tools such as pre-application meetings and phased approvals, noting they can improve certainty but also require staff time and careful coordination. Representatives from Master Builders and D.R. Horton said permit and subdivision delays add substantial cost to housing, citing studies showing months of delay and tens of thousands of dollars added per home, and urged administrative approvals, concurrent review, self-certification, and limits on repeated review cycles. The committee also reviewed a Commerce-led task force report on integrating special purpose districts into Growth Management Act planning. The task force recommended early invitation and notice to water, sewer, school, port, and other service providers during countywide planning policy and comprehensive plan updates, better coordination on grants and capital projects, updated water system coordination plans, and improved school siting and funding alignment in fast-growing areas. Speakers stressed that the recommendations were intended to be light-touch and focused on better communication rather than major statutory overhaul, while also noting that rural and slow-growing areas should not be burdened with the same requirements as rapidly growing jurisdictions. On subdivision reform, FutureWise and the City of Spokane discussed making more subdivision decisions administrative, preserving vesting, clarifying exemptions, and reducing unnecessary notice and appeal steps. Spokane described local reforms such as smaller minimum lot sizes, unit lot subdivisions, and reduced-process “minor engineering review” for simple plats, while raising concerns about new notice requirements and appeals to city councils for technical plat decisions. Across the hearing, members repeatedly returned to the theme that local governments, builders, and state agencies need clearer, more coordinated rules to reduce delay and uncertainty while still protecting safety and planning goals.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Freedom Truck is the White House's version of a mobile museum.
• So any student across the country can go online and take the preliminary civics test.
• But they are hoping to choose four students from each state to then participate in a contest mirrored
• But they are hoping to choose four students from each state to then participate in a contest mirrored
• So if you have students or individual educators in your districts, please encourage them to have students

Summary: The America 250 and Idaho Advisory Council met to approve prior minutes and authorize several funding items tied to Idaho’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Members approved January 19 minutes and a reimbursement of up to $20,882 to the State Superintendent of Public Education for additional Spirit of U.S. box materials for schools. They also approved a broader America 250 budget proposal that includes the July 4 Capitol celebration, ambassador programs, and authority to solicit and accept private donations, with funds to be managed separately by the treasurer’s office and the A250 subcommittee. Representative Galaviz and Treasurer Ellsworth outlined plans for the July 4 celebration at the Capitol and Cecil Andrus Park, including a parade, concert, bands, family activities, and open Capitol offices and exhibits. They described cost-sharing with the We the People parade organizers, who are covering most parade-related expenses, and discussed related projects such as the Liberty Bell carriage, go bags for ambassador materials, the Veterans Mustang Ride, challenge coins, heritage fountain plans, flags across Idaho, Liberty quilts, and the service challenge. The treasurer reported strong statewide participation, including 1,100 ambassadors across cities, counties, businesses, schools, and veterans groups, and noted that service challenge participation had surpassed 11,000 acts. Director Gallimore gave a task force update on statewide and national America 250 efforts, including the Idaho Lottery’s planned scratch ticket, the Moments That Made Us downloadable exhibit, Reading the Republic, the Four Score exhibit opening, and a complementary exhibit later in March. She also noted coordination for events at Signature Point and the Old Pen, and said the museum would be open on July 4 with free admission. Hannah Laurie Hine reported on federal America 250 initiatives such as the White House’s Freedom Truck mobile museums, the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., a prayer-focused event, the Presidential 1776 Award civics contest, and other national story-collection and volunteer efforts. The committee agreed to meet again on March 9 and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Students at these sites are often forced to travel hours, sometimes across entire counties, to find help
• Geographically, that should not determine whether a student has access to safety, support, and dignity
• Geographically, that should not determine whether a student has access to safety, support, and dignity
• Mobile homes are an important source of affordable housing and home ownership in California.
• It is in the student who received a Bay Scholars scholarship.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Students at these sites are often forced to travel hours, sometimes across entire counties, to find help
• Geographically, that should not determine whether a student has access to safety, support, and dignity
• Geographically, that should not determine whether a student has access to safety, support, and dignity
• Mobile homes are an important source of affordable housing and home ownership in California.
• It is in the student who received a Bay Scholars Scholarship.

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum after a roll call, and opened with a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance. Members then handled a series of procedural motions, including suspending rules for guest seating and adjournment speeches, re-referring and returning several bills, and approving a motion to waive the floor-amendment deadline. The chamber also welcomed Los Angeles City Council Member Katie Yaroslavsky and staff as guests. The bulk of the session was devoted to third-reading votes on Senate bills and concurrence votes on Assembly bills. Measures discussed included child custody protections for sexual assault survivors (SB 1364), tribal access to short-term rental tax information (SB 594), ADU impact fee clarification (SB 1117), protections against threats to local and election officials (SB 239), escrow consumer protections (SB 946), environmental and local government measures such as SB 949 and SB 226, tax and budget-related bills including SB 1073, SB 1349, and SB 661, health and education bills such as SB 1150, SB 1191, SB 1328, SB 874, SB 1049, and SB 1186, and labor/employment and housing-related measures including SB 1059, SB 1166, and SB 1093. Most measures passed with strong bipartisan support; SB 1191 required an urgency vote and passed, and SB 1418 also passed as an urgency measure after the call was lifted. The Assembly also concurred in numerous Senate amendments to Assembly bills, including AB 1894, AB 871, AB 1201, AB 1359, AB 1579, AB 1684, AB 1711, AB 1722, AB 1784, AB 1809, AB 1837, AB 1860, AB 1864, AB 1999, AB 2116, AB 2143, AB 2186, AB 2233, AB 2249, AB 2255, AB 2418, AB 2576, AB 2634, AB 2660, AB 2766, and AB 2780. The chamber also adopted House Resolution 137 recognizing Diwali, with several members speaking in support of the holiday and its cultural significance. The session concluded with adjournment in memory speeches honoring Jeremiah Jerry Francis Hollisey, Maisie Jean Hastings, and Clint Riley, followed by announcements about the Rules Committee meeting, the floor-amendment deadline, and the next floor session on Monday, August 24.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:08.160><c> to</c><00:10:08.360><c> lead</c><00:10:09.040><c> by</c> students to lead by students
• Over the past two years, we have mobilized thousands of parents and caregivers in support of policies
• </c><00:13:12.519><c> thousands</c><00:13:13.199><c> of</c> years we have mobilized thousands of years
• we have mobilized thousands of parents<00:13:13.800><c> and</c><00:13:13.959><c> caregivers</c><00:13
• 13:20.800><c> medical</c><00:13:21.160><c> leave</c> After having my first child, Ren, I took out student

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Lack of access to adjacent free lanes reduces access to businesses, restricts mobility, and increases
• Uh, those toll lanes were operated and maintained by North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners.
• The moment to invest in a wide range of infrastructures and mobility options in Texas is now.
• I'm the chairman of the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority and I represent that entity. Um.
• Without mobility we really have no commerce.

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• ON SLIDE 11 YOU HAVE UP THERE ABOUT MOBILE HOMES. CAN YOU ELABORATE?
• >> THIS PARTICULAR HOME FOR MOBILE MANUFACTURED HOMES IS ONLY FOR TIEDOWN.
• YOU SAID ON THE ELEVATE FLORIDA ON SOME OF THE MOBILE HOMES YOU WILL HAVE IT DONE BY JULY OF 2025.
• MOBILE HOMES ARE ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.
• SAY SOMEONE HAS A MOBILE HOME AND ARE ELIGIBLE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Upon appropriation, this would create a one-on-one student exchange program for 400 students from the
• More students are enrolling. More students are graduating. Transformational.
• That is economic mobility.
• , 10.9% among Latino students, and 10.8% among socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
• noncredit students.

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee met with a quorum and first approved a consent calendar containing AB 341, AB 1098, and AB 1316, sending those measures to the Human Services, Judiciary, and Appropriations Committees respectively. The committee then heard AB 977, which would require CSU to audit surplus land and work with California tribes to identify three regional burial sites for Native American remains that cannot yet be repatriated. Supporters, including tribal leaders and archaeology groups, said the bill is needed to honor ancestors and address the large number of remains still held by CSU; CSU said it is committed to repatriation but had no formal position. The bill passed to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote. Members also heard AB 1093, creating a California-Mexico higher education exchange program, and AB 1035, expanding the California College Promise to cover tuition for students pursuing community college bachelor’s degrees. AB 1093 drew support for strengthening cross-border educational and economic ties, but some members raised concerns about border-region sewage problems and the bill’s budget implications; it was held for later consideration. AB 1035 received strong support from community college leaders and faculty who said it would help low-income and first-generation students complete workforce-focused bachelor’s degrees, but several members questioned whether it would stretch Prop. 98 funding and whether the state should prioritize broader affordability concerns. AB 1035 passed to Appropriations on a 3-2 vote. The committee next approved AB 922, which would let the University of California keep access to federal criminal-history information for hiring background checks, avoiding delays and added costs if statutory authority is required. UC said the bill is needed to maintain safety and hiring operations, and it passed to Public Safety on a 5-0 vote. AB 1346, protecting military dependents from losing in-state residency status because of family travel, also passed unanimously to Military and Veterans Affairs. AB 1212, allowing UC to use low-income housing tax credits to build affordable housing for faculty and staff on UC land, drew support from UC and labor groups but opposition from members concerned about preferential access to public resources; it was held for later action. Finally, the committee approved AB 500 and AB 684, both aimed at increasing transparency around UC admissions policy changes and UC BOARS decision-making, sending AB 500 to Education and AB 684 to Governmental Organization, each on 5-0 votes. The hearing then moved on to AB 1122 on dual enrollment, with the author and witnesses presenting the bill as a way to expand college access for high school students.

Transcript Highlights:

• Awards also include student support and wraparound services aimed at reducing barriers that threaten
• The community and technical colleges' expenditures are indeterminate since the number of students is
• under the Washington State Fire Services Mobilization Plan.
• under the Washington State Fire Services Mobilization Plan.
• Yeah, these fire service mobilization has to be reimbursed.

Summary: The committee began with a public hearing on Substitute House Bill 1592, which would change how state public defense funds are distributed and, in the substitute version, keep current law on state funding responsibility while revising the allocation formula. Staff explained the bill would shift county and city distributions to a pro rata, caseload-based model, allow very low-density counties to request OPD to provide some or all public defense services, require additional data collection and reporting, and direct OPD to study caseload reductions and retention. Representative Peterson said the bill is meant to create a better structure for future state support of indigent defense without the very large cost of the original proposal. Testimony from counties, cities, OPD, defenders, and local officials was strongly supportive, emphasizing a statewide public defense crisis, rising local costs, staffing shortages, and the need for a fairer funding model. The committee then heard Substitute House Bill 1742 on environmentally sustainable urban design and Substitute House Bill 1906 on water system regulation and water rates. HB 1742 would create a center in Ecology to promote sustainable urban design, fund design competitions and grants, and establish an advisory council; the sponsor said the bill reflects a desire to support a pilot project through alternative funding, and there was no public testimony. HB 1906 would require more planning and notice for Group A water systems, add customer notice and right-of-first-refusal provisions for some ownership changes, and direct the UTC to consider external funding sources, capital planning, and rate smoothing when setting water rates. Water utility and PUD witnesses supported the goal of improving transparency and consolidation of failing small systems, while noting the substitute reduced some fiscal concerns. The committee also heard HB 2248 on Secretary of State corporate and charity filings, HB 2438 creating the SEED scholarship for early childhood education students, and HB 2515 addressing emerging large energy use facilities such as data centers. HB 2248 would redirect part of annual filing fees to the Secretary of State revolving fund, require initial reports from nonprofits and LLPs, and change trademark certificate procedures; the fiscal note showed modest revenue losses, and the division supported restoring the fee split for operational funding. HB 2438 would transfer $10 million annually from the GET account to fund scholarships and wraparound services for early childhood education degree seekers, with testimony from early learning advocates and a student describing workforce shortages and personal financial barriers. HB 2515 drew extensive testimony both for and against: supporters said it would protect ratepayers, water resources, and grid reliability by requiring tariffs, reporting, clean-energy requirements, and a fee on large energy users; opponents argued it singled out data centers, could hurt investment and jobs, and included unrelated labor and procurement provisions. After public testimony, the committee moved into executive-session briefing on several bills and amendments, including HB 1903 on statewide low-income energy assistance, HB 1909 on a court unification task force, HB 1982 on vacating certain convictions tied to treaty Indian rights, HB 2034 on LEOFF Plan 1 retirement changes, HB 2105 on employer notice of federal I-9 audits, HB 2210 on ranked-choice voting, HB 2215 on Climate Commitment Act fuel supplier obligations, and HB 2271 on post-consumer recycled content requirements. Staff summarized proposed substitutes and amendments, with several changes aimed at reducing or shifting fiscal impacts, narrowing agency duties, or striking provisions entirely.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the department, the goals of highest student achievement and providing all students with the ability
• This is for students identified as gifted, which does not This is for students identified as gifted,
• , with respect to students in particular areas, students who I don't know.
• or a student in a district.
• of those students.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Summary: The committee held its first meeting and received an overview of the Pre-K-12 education appropriations jurisdiction and base budget. Staff explained that education funding is driven largely by enrollment and per-student formulas, with most money coming from state and local sources. The presentation highlighted the major budget areas: early learning, the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), non-FEFP K-12 programs, federal programs, and the State Board of Education. Members asked about instructional materials funding and how scholarship students who return to public schools are counted and funded; staff explained that instructional materials remain in the base and that funding depends on survey timing, with districts ultimately funded through the enrollment count process. The committee then reviewed federal IDEA funding for students with disabilities. Department of Education officials explained how IDEA Part B funds are split between state set-asides and local educational agencies, and noted that Florida ranked fourth nationally in total IDEA Part B funding and received a 95% state determination for meeting IDEA requirements. They also described the bureau’s responsibilities, including monitoring, dispute resolution, instructional support, and the Hope Florida unit for ages 3 to 5. Members asked for more information on student performance outcomes and how the state measures success beyond compliance, and the department agreed to provide follow-up data. The final major topic was the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS), including associate centers, multidisciplinary centers, and specialized centers for deaf/hard of hearing and visually impaired students. Presenters described services such as child find, family support, assessments, professional learning, accessible instructional materials, and technical assistance. Committee members focused on whether families and schools have equal access to services across the state, how IEP disputes and reevaluations are handled, and whether more support is needed for parents, teachers, and rural districts. FDLRS representatives said they do not write IEPs but help connect families to districts, provide training and assessments, and support compliance and data collection; they also emphasized staffing and resource needs, especially for low-incidence disabilities and multilingual family outreach.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the executive director of Students Deserve.
• LAUSD is 90% students of color, 85% free and reduced lunch.
• And yet we see the highest rates of student achievement ever.
• Organizing, mobilizing, and we need to encourage our people to run for office.
• Organizing, mobilizing, and we need to encourage our people to run for office.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Career and technical student organizations are where students like me find confidence.
• marginalized students.
• marginalized students.
• Our students are overwhelmingly students of color. I ask that you reinvest in these students.
• student.

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all