Transcript Highlights:

• As a mother of a Kamehameha School graduate, class of 2007, I am pleased to introduce 25 eighth grade
• 2007, I am pleased to introduce 25 2007, I am pleased to introduce 25 eighth<00:01:24.960> grade
• <00:01:25.200> social<00:01:25.520> studies<00:01:25.920> students eighth grade
• social studies students eighth grade social studies students from<00:01:26.720> Kamehameha<00

Bills: SB2350, SB2349, SB2178, SB2101, SB2373, SB2905, SB3231, SB3296, SB2704, SB3162, SB2885, SB2174, SB3256, SB2333, SB2713, SB2100, SB3012, SB2805, SB2102, SB2478, SB2103, SB3233, SB2678, SB2461, SB2645, SB3247, SB2005, SB2022, SB2083, SB2128, SB2130, SB2240, SB2306, SB2547, SB2603, SB2756, SB2782, SB2818, SB2944, SB2982, SB2986, SB3022, SB3031, SB3032, SB3035, SB3053, SB3288, SB2435, SB2970, SB2938, SB3110, SB3251, SB3322, SB2068, SB2268, SB3046, SB2526, SB2231, SB2448, SB2567, SB3095, SB3264, SB3131, SB3069, SB3180, SB2119, SB2137, SB2209, SB2180, SB2949, SB2431, SB2410, SB3199, SB3245, SB2274, SB2277, SB2175, SB2080, SB2799, SB2491, SB2310, SB2489, SB2925, SB2709, SB17, SB2227, SB2887, SB2006

Keywords: agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, agribusiness, Department of Agriculture, regulatory functions, employee benefits, restorative practices, sustainability, environmental stewardship, local food systems, Native Hawaiian, workforce development, industrial hemp, Hawaii, Native Hawaiian practices, regulation, cultural stewardship, economic development, organic waste

Transcript Highlights:

• So, do well in between, keep up those grades, and uh you know, you'll probably know where you're going
• c><00:03:17.040> those do well in between, keep up those do well in between, keep up those grades
• > you<00:03:18.480> know,<00:03:18.720> you'll<00:03:18.959> probably grades
• , and uh you know, you'll probably grades, and uh you know, you'll probably know<00:03:19.280> where

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, January 16, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate held a brief pro forma session, waived reading of the prior journal, and received the first calendar item, Senate Bill 246, which was referred to the appropriate standing committee. The chamber also announced several committee reassignments under Rule 33D. The reassignments included Senate Bill 18, concerning the State Board of Social Work Examiners, moved to Finance; Senate Bill 42, relating to reduction in facilities and veteran service organizations, moved to Judicial Proceedings; Senate Bill 106, the vehicle emissions inspection program repeal, moved to Judicial Proceedings; Senate Bill 119, the State Board of Environmental Health Specialist sunset extension, moved to Finance; and Senate Bill 186, concerning optometry examination requirements, moved to Finance. The presiding officer noted the reassignment process and joked that the chief of staff had a 98% accuracy rate on initial committee assignments. No substantive debate or votes on legislation occurred. The Senate thanked the pages for their service, held a quorum call for the pro forma session, and then adjourned without objection until Monday, January 19th at 8:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• I drive home that point because not reading at grade level by the end of third grade is the canary in
• The seminal study, *Double Jeopardy: How Third Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School
• Graduation*, found that students who don't read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times
• us with 11 other states and the District of Columbia in largely banning suspensions for kids third grade
• Again, seeing the crucial benchmark at the end of third grade is... ...that the end of third grade is

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice held an informational hearing focused on diversion programs and services for high-risk youth, with no bills before the committee and no votes taken. The chair and members emphasized that the session was intended to hear from invited testimony and discuss how to strengthen diversion, reduce court involvement, and improve outcomes for youth. The committee heard first from the Office of the Child Advocate and diversion providers, who described the Massachusetts Youth Diversion Program, its statewide expansion to 10 of 11 court counties, and its reported success rate of about 80% completion without reoffending. Testimony highlighted that diversion keeps youth out of court, connects them more quickly to community-based services, and can address needs such as mental health, education, and substance use. Witnesses also pointed to racial and ethnic disparities in arrests versus summonses, regional variation in diversion access, and the need for clearer statutory authority, more funding, and broader use of pre-arrest diversion. Committee members asked about the difference between arrest and summons, who can initiate diversion, why arrest rates have increased relative to summonses, and how diversion might prevent harmful downstream consequences such as detention or immigration enforcement involvement. Witnesses said police, clerk magistrates, district attorneys, and judges can refer youth to diversion, and argued that local policy, training, and legislative changes could expand use. They also discussed the impact of detention on youth, including stigma, lost school time, and the lack of credit for time served in the juvenile system. Testimony from Citizens for Juvenile Justice focused on prevention, school discipline, and the school-to-prison pipeline, arguing for more restorative practices, better data, and legislation to limit suspensions and expulsions, especially for younger students and nonviolent conduct. They also raised concerns about DCF-involved and foster youth, who are disproportionately represented in the juvenile system. The final panel, the Children's League of Massachusetts and transition-age youth providers, shifted to child welfare and young adult supports. They supported reducing court involvement in child requiring assistance cases, expanding family resource centers, and strengthening services for transition-age youth leaving DCF or DYS custody. Providers described housing instability, homelessness, and the need for education, employment, behavioral health, and supportive housing services for young adults ages 18 to 23. Across the hearing, witnesses consistently argued that early intervention, community-based supports, and diversion are more effective than court processing or detention for most youth, and that the legislature can help through funding, statutory clarity, expanded eligibility, and stronger data collection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sending dollars to support READ Act implementation based on third grade test scores and fourth grade
• to meet the goals of the READ Act, to ensure all students are reading on grade level.
• grade test scores<01:41:22.200> and<01:41:22.360> fourth<01:41:22.560> grade<01
• reading on grade level. reading on grade level.
• schools based on fourth grade growth. schools based on fourth grade growth.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• student progress, from personalized learning platforms to AI-assisted tutoring and even automated grading
• So we took students from fifth to eighth grade, six hours per day for a week, and we dove in simulating
• student progress, from personalized learning platforms to AI-assisted tutoring and even automated grading
• So we took students from fifth to eighth grade, six hours per day for a week, and we dove in simulating
• So we took students from fifth to eighth grade, six hours per day for a week, and we dove in simulating

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , 11th grade, and 12th grade, and they've taken up to those four courses each year.
• 11th grade<00:49:25.359> and<00:49:25.559> 12th<00:49:25.960> grade<00:49:26.440
• or second grade or third grade.
• or<01:03:33.359> third first grade or second grade or third first grade or second grade or
• > to<01:03:34.440> be<01:03:34.599> aimed grade this is going to be aimed grade

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 362, which would give the Department of Education rulemaking authority over educator licensing and testing requirements, including professional education assessments. Representative Ladd argued the bill is meant to preserve New Hampshire’s higher standards for teacher preparation and to avoid lowering requirements for licensed educators, while also allowing flexibility for career and technical education (CTE) instructors who may have strong industry experience but not traditional classroom credentials. Members discussed whether the bill should preserve industry-recognized credentials and basic academic skills testing while exempting CTE teachers from content exams; DOE Director Steven Appy said an amendment would clarify that the bill applies to initial licenses, exempt CTE teachers from the content-testing requirement, and keep current administrative practice on basic skills and industry credentials in statute. The committee also noted that an executive session would be scheduled later, likely the following week, to act on the bills and amendment. The committee then took up House Bill 90, dealing with the definition of part-time teachers. Representative Ladd explained that the bill is intended to let university and community college faculty teach limited hours in high school concurrent enrollment settings, especially in subjects like math and STEM where some schools cannot find locally certified teachers with a master’s degree. He said the measure is designed to expand student access to college-level courses, not to replace fully certified teachers or reduce standards, and emphasized that the bill is limited to faculty employed or contracted by the University System of New Hampshire or the Community College System of New Hampshire, with criminal background checks and ethics/conduct rules still applying. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the discussion ended with the understanding that further action would come in executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• We did, Madam Chair, we did make some changes to the SEG to the unit value to sixth grade to include
• I saw about third, fourth grade. That didn't scare you from what I saw.
• And watching this continue into the third and fourth grade where we were separated, and way back then
• there was that system of high grade low grade, so you kind of knew where students were being where they
• We have kids dropping out after eighth grade or in eighth grade and they're not where are they.

Transcript Highlights:

• Guys, if you would, help me give a warm welcome to the Monticello sixth grade class.
• I had to question her really hard about her ID because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade
• I had to question her really hard about her ID because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade
• He's not rated G, so I don't think we can let him go with the sixth grade class. Okay.

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the prior minutes and then took up two Department of Human Services rules. Mary Franklin of DHS’s Division of County Operations presented a Medicaid/CHIP rule that removes the 90-day waiting period for certain ARKids B children who lose other coverage, clarifies child support enforcement procedures for pregnant women, and updates good-cause language to say “rape or incest” rather than “forcible rape.” Members asked about how child support referrals and sanctions work during pregnancy and the postpartum period; Franklin explained that sanctions would not be imposed until after the 60-day postpartum period and that good-cause determinations can prevent sanctions in appropriate cases. The rule had no public comments and a small fiscal impact, and it was reviewed without objection. Elizabeth Pittman of DHS’s Division of Medical Services then presented a medication-assisted treatment rule. She explained that the change simply removes an expired federal end date from the state plan and updates the CMS template, while leaving existing coverage for counseling and lab services tied to substance use disorder treatment unchanged. In response to questions, she said the rule does not add new benefits or costs because the coverage was already required by federal and state law. The committee reviewed the rule without objection. The meeting also included an informational presentation from Jenna Goldman of UAMS about a culinary medicine experience for legislators, scheduled for March 16 for the Senate and March 17 for the House at the Institute on Aging in Little Rock. She described it as a food-is-medicine program where participants would learn about healthy cooking and how to apply it in communities with limited food options. Members discussed its connection to rural health and potential grant opportunities. The meeting ended with a brief visit from a Monticello sixth-grade class, who asked Capitol trivia questions before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Guys, if you would, help me give a warm welcome to the Monticello sixth grade class.
• I had to question her really hard about her ID because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade
• I had to question her really hard about her ID because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade
• He's not rated G, so I don't think we can let him go with the sixth grade class. Okay.

Summary: The committee met briefly to approve prior minutes and then reviewed two Department of Human Services rules. The first, from the Division of County Operations, would remove the 90-day waiting period for certain ARKids B children who lose other coverage, clarify child support enforcement procedures for pregnant women and postpartum sanctions, and change the good-cause language from “forcible rape” to “rape or incest.” DHS said there were no public comments and only a small fiscal impact for system changes. The second rule, from the Division of Medical Services, updates the Medicaid state plan for medication-assisted treatment by removing an expired federal end date and adopting a new CMS template; officials said coverage does not change and there is no financial impact. Both rules were reviewed without objection. Members also heard an informational presentation from UAMS about a culinary medicine experience planned for March 16 for the Senate and March 17 for the House at the Institute on Aging in Little Rock. The program is intended to show how food can be used as medicine and to connect with the state’s rural health transformation priorities and possible grant opportunities. Members were encouraged to attend, wear comfortable shoes, and participate in the kitchen-based activity. The meeting ended with special recognition of a Monticello sixth-grade class visiting the Capitol for a scavenger hunt. A student asked several questions about the Capitol building’s materials and architecture, and members responded informally before the committee adjourned with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• complete a nurse-administered vision screening test annually in the first, third, fifth, and seventh grades
• students, as mentioned before, the screenings are conducted in the first, third, fifth, and seventh grades
• Right now, she's in the sixth grade, and she's a remarkable middle school student.
• My son was diagnosed in the third grade. It affected his near vision.

Bills: HB 1178, HB1411, HB1441, HB1773, HB1813, HB2107, HB2598, HB2911, HB2967, HB3672, HB5263, HB3797

Keywords: education, temporary certification, out-of-state educators, teacher shortage, military spouses, personal leave, school holidays, employee compensation, overtime provisions, school safety, peace officers, mental health, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, student trustee, school board, student representation, education policy, nonvoting position, school governance

Transcript Highlights:

• What this bill does is it clarifies that New Hampshire-grown spruce, pine, fir lumber graded as SPFs
• allows the use of Canadian graded SPF. allows the use of Canadian graded SPF.
• values with the metchanically graded values with the metchanically graded lumber<02:54:01.760>
• New Hampshire State Building Code by equating two distinctly different lumber grades.
• New Hampshire State Building Code by equating two distinctly different lumber grades.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• last year I had three fifth grade last year I had three fifth grade classrooms<01:29:50.320>
• calculus and I'm teaching fifth grade calculus and I'm teaching fifth grade math<03:58:02.960>
• <03:58:10.359> student how to teach a fifth grade student how to teach a fifth grade student
• <04:07:00.600> math graders New Hampshire 8th grade math graders New Hampshire 8th grade math
• that money to improve your third grade that money to improve your third grade test<04:10:47.479>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session and first took up HB 193, which limits the maximum credits per course eligible for the Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Program. Representative Ladd said the bill clarifies that eligible courses may not exceed four credits and was requested by the community college system. Representative Earth offered an amendment to make the bill effective on passage, which the committee adopted 18-0. The committee then approved HB 193 as amended by an 18-0 OTPA vote and placed it on the consent calendar. The committee next retained HB 295, concerning School Building Aid program funds, after Representative Spillsbury said the building aid bills were complex and needed more work. The motion to retain passed 18-0, with the chair explaining that retained bills can be revisited later and that related language could be moved among building aid bills. HB 354 was not acted on because the chair said the Department of Education and others had suggested possible changes that should be worked out first. HB 366, another school building aid bill, was also retained 18-0 for the same reasons as HB 295. The committee then considered HB 494, which funds the math learning communities program. Representative Earth offered an amendment to flat-fund the program, reducing the proposed increase by a net $50,000 and keeping funding at current levels for the biennium. After discussion about budget pressures and the program’s role in supporting math instruction and professional development, the amendment passed 18-0, and the bill as amended was approved 18-0 and placed on consent. Finally, the committee took up HB 515, which would repeal charter public school eligibility for state school building aid. Representative Popovici-Muller moved inexpedient to legislate, arguing charter schools should not be treated differently from other public schools, while Representatives Luno and Damon opposed the motion, saying charter schools differ in governance and financial risk and should not receive limited state building aid. The motion failed 10-8, so HB 515 was sent to the regular calendar. The committee assigned Representative Damon to the minority report and Representative Popovici-Muller to the majority report, with a noon deadline the next day. The committee then began HB 716, an appropriation for the dual and concurrent enrollment program. Representative Ladd described the program as a successful affordability measure that saves families money and supports college access. Representative Earth offered an amendment to flat-fund the program at current levels, reducing the proposed increase by $500,000 in each year of the biennium. Shannon Reed of the Community College System said the change could limit enrollment or the number of funded courses, though students could still take additional courses at their own expense. Representative Ladd explained the program’s tuition structure and said the funding would help meet demand; the transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 716.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have a chicken-and-egg problem. Yes, sir.
• I don't know whether you're the chicken and I'm the egg or vice versa. move them but I do not believe
• /c><04:05:36.080> chicken<04:05:36.239> and<04:05:36.399> the<04:05:36.479> egg
• So we have a chicken and the egg So we have a chicken and the egg problem.<04:05:37.120> Yes<
• know whether you're the chicken and<04:05:40.880> I'm<04:05:41.040> the<04:05:41.120> egg

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 47, sponsored by Sen. Regina Birdsell at the request of the Insurance Department. The bill would codify the department’s interpretation that a birth mother’s health insurance is the primary coverage for a newborn, unless the mother has no insurance or coverage under an employer-sponsored plan. Birdsell and Insurance Commissioner DJ Benton Court said the measure is a clarification of existing practice and intended to protect vulnerable newborns; a question from Rep. Miles clarified that if a young woman is on her parents’ policy, the newborn would generally be covered under that family coverage. The hearing on SB 47 was then closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 121, introduced by Grant Bosi for Sen. Kevin Avard, which would require insurers to notify the Insurance Department when they stop writing an entire line of business or, in some cases, Medicare Advantage plans. Commissioner Benton Court said the bill arose from disruption in the Medicare Advantage market, where consumers, brokers, and the department were confused by carriers changing or ending offerings; he said the department wanted a simple notification requirement so it could better advise consumers. Members discussed network adequacy, county-based service areas, and the fact that the bill would make notice a condition of licensure, with possible fines or license action for noncompliance. Witness Paula Rogers of AHIP said her group supported the bill if amended, and the department indicated it would support a change from a 120-day notice period to 90 days to align with state rules; the committee planned to work on an amendment in subcommittee. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 247, introduced by Rep. Brian Cole, which would prohibit network exclusion of pharmacies that refuse to dispense prescriptions when PBM reimbursement is below acquisition cost. Cole argued the bill is meant to stop pharmacies from being forced to sell drugs at a loss, describing PBMs as middlemen and saying the measure is a compromise that protects local pharmacies. Members questioned whether consumers would pay more and whether pharmacies voluntarily enter PBM contracts; Cole responded that the bill would let pharmacies refuse unprofitable fills while consumers could still obtain the drug through mail order or other channels. He also said the issue has changed over time because the practice now affects a much larger share of generics and is concentrated among a few PBMs. The hearing remained open as questions continued, with no vote taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:42:09.040> so like 10 11 that's not third grade so like 10 11 that's not third grade so
• They have one class per grade.
• :52:05.840> daily second grade classroom experiences daily second grade classroom experiences
• And we that, 50% read at grade level.
• And this started grade level not enough.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This was the last, I think this was a third or fourth grade testing period.
• Introduce yourself and maybe what grade level you're in or what school.
• My name is Jaden Stetson, and I'm in 9th grade. I go to a school where I don't know my clan.
• I'm in 9th grade, and I'm going to Maya Mura. I'm going to be a junior at Wingate High School.
• I go to 9th grade and I'm in Miami. My name is Alani Yahtzee.

Transcript Highlights:

• our Career and Technical Education Department for the purpose of... ...making sure that our eighth grade
• In Lake County, that eighth grade big parent presentation, that's normally when you get the most parents
• So all of our eighth grade presentations that are parent nights, those who attend, which there's that
• In Lake County, that eighth grade big parent presentation, that's normally when you get the most parents
• So all of our eighth grade presentations that are parent nights, again, those who attend, which there's

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee heard a panel discussion focused on how Florida schools and colleges are exposing students to in-demand careers in manufacturing, semiconductors, transportation, and related fields, and how they are building pathways from middle school through postsecondary training. Panelists from Seminole County Public Schools, Lake Technical College/Lake County Schools, and St. Petersburg College described their career academies, dual enrollment options, industry certifications, and partnerships with employers, local governments, and state colleges. They emphasized early career awareness, counseling, and parent outreach as key to helping students understand technical education as a viable and prestigious path. Seminole County highlighted 51 career and professional education academies and new offerings in agricultural biotechnology, global finance, firefighting, and planned aerospace engineering. Lake County described Lake Technical College’s programs, strong completion and placement outcomes, and three partnerships: a flexible-day high school/workforce model at Lincoln Park Education Center, the Lake Works pathway collaboration with Lake Sumter State College, and a Transportation Innovation Hub with the City of Tavares that trains students on municipal vehicles and serves multiple local governments. St. Petersburg College discussed its manufacturing and engineering technology programs, including semiconductor processing, mechatronics, soldering, and clean-room training, along with new grant-funded expansion at its Midtown campus. Members asked about wages, the semiconductor workforce, how to change perceptions of technical education, how parents are engaged, and how Bright Futures CAPE and Gold Seal scholarships are communicated. Witnesses said school counselors, CTE teachers, parent nights, and district communications are used to promote these options, and that many students can earn strong wages through short-term certifications or two-year degrees. Lake Technical College also raised concerns about workforce funding not keeping pace with teacher pay increases and inflation, noting that funding covers only about 80% of what it earns and tuition has remained unchanged for 18 years. The meeting ended with members praising the programs, and the subcommittee adjourned without any vote or formal action beyond rising and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Statewide, a majority of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students had positive perceptions of both the safety
• and climate of their school, and most students in grades 6 through 12 viewed their schools as safe.
• However, 6th through 12th grade students had much more negative views of their school climate, with just
• Students' perceptions of their sense of belonging were considerably higher for grades 3 through 5 than
• their peers in grades 6 through 12.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• TREVOR WHO IS FIVE YEARS YOUNGER ATTENDED SCHOOL IN SIX STATES INCLUDING THREE MOVES FROM SIX TO EIGHTH GRADE
• DIFFERENT GRADING STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS AND FRIENDS AND EVEN DIFFERENT CULTURES IN SOME CASES.
• ON AVERAGE MILITARY STUDENTS WILL TEND SIX TO NINE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS FROM KINDERGARTEN TO 12th GRADE
• BUT HE DID END UP MARRYING AND HAS TWO OF MY GRANDBABIES WITH A GIRL THAT HE WENT TO TENTH AND 11th GRADE
• IT'S ABOVE MY PAY GRADE. >> Chair: DOCTOR ANNI IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT YOU CAN BUT YOU MIGHT NEED MORE

Transcript Highlights:

• teacher preparation grants be targeted for those intending to teach in the pre-kindergarten through grade
• To report on teacher and staff training by grade level.
• the American Indian Teacher Preparation Grants to be specifically used for pre-kindergarten through grade
• My child is dyslexic and autistic, and those are the years in fourth and fifth grade that they became
• all the way through. through fifth grade.

Bills: HF1388

Keywords: BARR Center, Building Assets, Reducing Risks, education finance, school funding, grant appropriation, evidence-based program, student achievement, social and emotional learning, school climate, teacher effectiveness, high school graduation, students in poverty, students of color, BIPOC, equity in education, Minnesota Department of Education, urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools, school coaching

Transcript Highlights:

• Based on this evaluation, ASCE Texas assigned letter grades to each infrastructure category.
• We also provide recommendations for how our state can raise these grades.
• ASCE Texas assigned letter grades to each infrastructure category.
• We also provide recommendations for how our state can raise these grades.
• These failing grades send a clear and urgent message: our water infrastructure is at risk, and we must

Bills: HB16, HB16, HB1618, HB2692, HB2712, HB2970, HB3609, HB3628

Keywords: judicial administration, court reform, juvenile diversion, court security, mental health services, drug offenses, constitutional amendments, water infrastructure, Texas Water Development Board, financial assistance, water supply projects, rural municipalities, water access assessment, aquifer storage, Edwards Aquifer, water injection, environmental regulations, groundwater management, San Antonio River, pollution control