Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Laura Regan from Rocklin Academy Family of Schools.
• They are part of three different charters: John Adams Academy, Foothills Academy, and Classical Conversations
• My daughter attends Learn4Life Assurance Academy.
• On behalf of the Sacramento Literacy Foundation, the Sacramento Literacy Coalition, the 200,000 kids
• Literacy is life.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard AB 84, a charter school accountability measure focused on non-classroom-based charter schools and fraud prevention. The author and supporters said the bill was intended to respond to the A3 charter fraud case and related scandals by strengthening audits, transparency, authorizer oversight, and funding determination rules, while ensuring public education dollars are used for public education. Supporters included FCMAT, CSEA, CTA, and CSBA, who argued the bill would improve oversight and protect taxpayers. Opponents, including the California Charter Schools Association, Green Dot, many charter parents, educators, and charter operators, said the bill was too broad, would impose major new costs and bureaucracy on all charter schools, and could reduce options for families, especially those using flexible, homeschool, or special-needs charter programs. After extensive testimony and committee discussion, the bill passed on a 5-1 vote and was sent to Appropriations, with the item left open for additional votes. The committee then approved a consent calendar of 11 education bills, including AB 542, AB 563, AB 731, AB 753, AB 784, AB 964, AB 988, AB 1034, AB 1233, AB 1255, and AB 1381, all moving to Appropriations. The consent calendar passed unanimously. Later, the committee heard AB 1454, a literacy and reading instruction bill authored by Assembly Members Rubio and Revis. The bill would require the state to create professional development resources for evidence-based literacy instruction, update English language arts and English language development instructional materials, and revise administrator preparation standards to include literacy training. The authors and a broad coalition of supporters, including CTA, EdVoice, Families in Schools, Decoding Dyslexia, school administrators, and parent advocates, described the measure as a compromise aimed at improving reading outcomes and addressing California’s literacy crisis. There was no opposition testimony at the hearing, and members voiced strong support for the bill and its collaborative approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• I wasn't there, Senator Sherer, financial literacy.
• But they also come from Junction Christian Academy in Hobbs.
• So DPS runs a law enforcement academy. They run the training.
• So DPS runs a law enforcement academy. They run the training.
• And DPS can dictate to the council what they want in that academy, and the academy then approves that

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , $200 million for evidence-based literacy supports.
• And I'm trying to understand how this new proposal fits into the existing literacy proposal, the literacy
• I'm here supporting First Star Academies at the UC campuses.
• I currently serve as the Academy Director for the First Star Academy at UCLA.
• However, I did not have the support of a First Star Academy.

Summary: The committee heard the May Revision presentation for the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, with public comment focused heavily on K-12 priorities such as universal school meals, kitchen infrastructure, food service and custodial support, youth leadership grants, Special Olympics funding, English learner support, universal pre-K, literacy investments, and concerns about community college funding shifts. Speakers also urged support for expanded learning, teacher recruitment and training, and maintaining or increasing funding for community colleges and student support programs. Finance and the LAO then reviewed the Proposition 98 outlook. Finance said the May Revision lowers the 2025-26 Prop. 98 guarantee to $114.6 billion, about $4.3 billion below January, due mainly to lower revenue estimates, with smaller effects from attendance and property tax changes. The administration also described rebenching for universal transitional kindergarten and a one-time rebench tied to Los Angeles fire-related property tax losses, along with changes to the Public School System Stabilization Account, deferrals, and updated COLA assumptions. The LAO said the budget relies too much on deferrals and one-time funds, creates a structural shortfall, and should instead align ongoing spending with the guarantee and preserve a reserve buffer. Members questioned the TK rebench and the shift of funding from community colleges to K-12, asking why it was being applied retroactively and how colleges would be held harmless. Finance said the changes align funding with where TK costs are being incurred and that reappropriation funding and other adjustments would offset impacts on community colleges. The LAO argued the historical split formula is outdated and should be abandoned in favor of budgeting around current priorities rather than fixed percentages. Members also raised concerns about draining the rainy day reserve and using deferrals, while the LAO said preserving reserves would better protect against future volatility. The committee then moved to specific K-12 and education proposals. Finance outlined May Revision changes including state operations adjustments for the Department of Education, technical trailer bill changes, a $100 million student teacher stipend program administered by Kern County, and updates to the charter school facility grant program. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed increases for expanded learning, literacy coaches, and the student teacher stipend as currently structured, while supporting the minimum grant increase for expanded learning. Members expressed support for teacher recruitment efforts but questioned whether one-time funding can sustain ongoing programs and whether the student teacher stipend should be targeted to shortage areas or low-income communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we start with what we call AI literacy.
• And so that's part of the AI literacy work that we're working on. Oh, thank you.
• And so we have a whole pathway on how we teach AI literacy to our students.
• Our district has seen great jumps in early literacy, and we have a product that does that.
• From a policy perspective, one suggestion I might have is look at the literacy, ways of doing it.

Committee: Senate Education Pre-K - 12

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence in K-12 education. Dr. Maya Israel of the University of Florida gave an overview of AI literacy, the benefits of AI for personalized learning and teacher support, and the risks involving data privacy, overreliance, hallucinations, and misuse. She described the Florida K-12 AI Task Force, which published statewide guidance in March and is now providing professional development, case studies, surveys, and resources for teachers and families. She also noted that teacher preparation programs and microcredentials are being developed, but there is not yet a statewide baseline standard for teacher AI training. Superintendents Van Ayers of Hillsborough County and Kevin Hendrick of Pinellas County described district policies and implementation efforts. Hillsborough adopted an AI governance policy, created an implementation guide, and set rules barring generative AI use for students in pre-K through 7th grade while allowing limited, teacher-approved use for older students with district-vetted tools. Pinellas emphasized digital responsibility, parent transparency, data-use agreements, and a governance process for approving tools. Both districts said AI is being used for lesson planning, tutoring, reading-level adjustments, scheduling, and other administrative tasks, but they do not yet have reliable evidence that AI is improving academic performance. They also discussed teacher training, stipends, and certification efforts, including partnerships with universities and vendors such as Microsoft, Google, Magic School, and Gemini. Drew Allen of FSU Inspire offered an industry-focused perspective, arguing that AI is not new but that education must adapt more quickly to industry needs. He described Inspire’s workforce and research mission, its AI and robotics training for teachers, and the need to build teacher comfort and confidence through incentives and applied training. Committee members raised concerns about student dependence on AI, academic integrity, mental health, moral decision-making, data privacy, and whether schools should return to more paper-based testing. The panel generally agreed that AI should be used with strong guardrails, human oversight, and a balance between technology use and traditional learning. No legislation was considered, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we started behavior academies.
• Idaho Novus Classical Academy in Eagle opened this last fall.
• North Idaho Classical Academy will be opening in Bonner's Ferry, and then Valor Classical Academy in
• So Access Literacy trainers come to our school.
• Again, spelling is a big thing, literacy, grammar.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we start with what we call AI literacy.
• And so we start with what we call AI literacy.
• And so that's part of the AI literacy work that we're working on. Oh, thank you.
• And so we have a whole pathway on how we teach AI literacy to our students.
• Our district has seen great jumps in early literacy, and we have a product that does that.

Summary: The Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 held a panel discussion on artificial intelligence in K-12 education. Dr. Maya Israel of the University of Florida gave an overview of AI literacy, emphasizing that AI can support personalized learning, school operations, and teacher efficiency, but also raises concerns about data privacy, overreliance, mental health, and the need for human oversight. She described the Florida K-12 AI Task Force, which has produced guidance on policy, ethics, privacy, cybersecurity, classroom integration, and professional development, and is now working on district surveys, webinars, case studies, and teacher/family resources. Superintendents Van Ayers of Hillsborough County and Kevin Hendrick of Pinellas County described district-level implementation. Hillsborough outlined a governance council, a district AI policy, and an implementation guide; it prohibits generative AI for students below eighth grade, allows limited use for older students with teacher permission and district-vetted tools, and uses models for classroom AI expectations. The district also reported growing student enrollment in AI courses, teacher training through summer academies and quick learns, and pilots with tools such as Magic School and Microsoft Copilot. Pinellas emphasized academic integrity, student data privacy, digital responsibility, and the importance of human interaction in learning; it said state assessments already limit technology use and that districts need clear governance and parent transparency. Committee members asked about whether AI improves academic performance, the risk of student dependence, the possibility of returning to more paper-based testing, and who should set guardrails. Witnesses said reliable achievement data is still limited because the technology is new, though districts reported anecdotal gains in tutoring and early literacy. They also said there is no established statewide baseline for teacher AI training yet, so districts are using professional development, stipends, and partnerships with universities to build capacity. The committee also heard from Drew Andrew of FSU’s Inspire program, who argued that industry is moving faster than schools and that education should focus on teaching how AI works, building teacher confidence, and aligning training with workforce needs. No bills were considered and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Everything from, we have a K-5 literacy program. That's our Launchpad program.
• So, outside of the K-5 literacy program, there's not live instruction with the kids.
• And that's a significant investment in K-3 literacy, or K-5 literacy.
• training for literacy.
• I mean, our kids and literacy is literally, literally one.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A cornerstone of the Entrepreneurship Academy is Top Notch Water, a student-led scholarship initiative
• Early literacy, you know, it's phonics, wind back phonics. Thank you.
• First of all, thank you to the Speaker for making early literacy a priority this session.
• We understand that in order to In alignment with evidence-based literacy instruction.
• I would like to thank the gentleman... ...and student literacy.

Keywords: 1212, all

Bills: HB2510 , HB3589 , HB4611 , HB4655 , HB4665 , HB4666 , HB4670 , HB4700 , HB4730 , HB4798 , HB4838 , HB5136 , HB5243 , HB5302 , HB5539

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, licensing, criminal offense, personal assistance, group home, regulation, health and safety, inspections, resident care, criminal background checks, adoption, parental rights, registry, vital statistics, disclosure, counseling, foster care, independent living, financial literacy

Transcript Highlights:

• While Buckner already provides the kind of financial literacy and benefit navigation this bill would

Bills: HB2510 , HB3589 , HB4611 , HB4655 , HB4665 , HB4666 , HB4670 , HB4700 , HB4730 , HB4798 , HB4838 , HB5136 , HB5243 , HB5302 , HB5539

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, licensing, criminal offense, personal assistance, group home, regulation, health and safety, inspections, resident care, criminal background checks, adoption, parental rights, registry, vital statistics, disclosure, counseling, foster care, independent living, financial literacy

Bills: HB315 , HB152 , HB205 , SB184 , SB209 , HB309 , SB280 , SB267

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation Education

Keywords: sales tax, local exemption, Consumer Price Index, tax holiday, clothing tax exemption, school supplies, sales tax exemption, baby supplies, baby formula, maternity clothing, menstrual hygiene products, use tax, exemption, tax conformity, tangible personal property, Alabama Department of Revenue, retail tax, consumer use tax, nonresident, religious publications

Transcript Highlights:

• Members of the committee, the last budget before you today is for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy.
• I'd have to look on the big sheet how much for digital literacy. Is it, Mr. McGurkin?
• How much for digital literacy?
• Chair. 72.8 million—the schools are getting funded for the literacy.
• IDLA is providing literacy programs from K through 3 for students.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Academy and we are a Catholic school Academy and we are a Catholic school system<00:22:17.520><c> that
• </c><00:31:17.399><c> and</c> day as the founder of Hope Academy and day as the founder of Hope Academy
• </c> herself Kendall's been at Hope Academy herself Kendall's been at Hope Academy since<00:32:31.840
• </c> $450,000 annually at minihaha Academy $450,000 annually at minihaha Academy for<01:29:27.920><c>
• Academy or if they are down the street Academy or if they are down the street at<01:34:39.280><c> uh<

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and math coaches, $200 million for evidence-based literacy supports.
• We had a hearing also about a few weeks ago on just literacy.
• I'm here supporting First Star Academies at the UC.
• I currently serve as the Academy Director for the First Star Academy at UCLA.
• And I hope that you support First Star Academies at the UC campuses.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> implementation of the re act literacy implementation of the re act literacy incentive<01:02:15.200
• </c> ongoing funding dedicated to literacy ongoing funding dedicated to literacy what<01:03:00.520><c
• Dame Academy and I principal for Notre Dame Academy and I will<01:23:36.480><c> have</c><01:23:36.600
• </c> Excellence at Ascension Catholic Academy Excellence at Ascension Catholic Academy I<01:25:07.080
• </c><01:32:17.520><c> a</c> times in addition Franklin Academy a times in addition Franklin Academy a

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They also offer other types of literacies.
• They also offer other types of literacies.
• Border Patrol Training Academy and the Indian Police Academy, where all cadets receive their basic training
• Border Patrol Training Academy and the Indian Police Academy where all cadets receive their basic training
• Academy and the Indian Police Academy, where all cadets receive their basic training.

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy presentation from the New Mexico Rural Library Initiative in support of fully funding the rural library endowment with an additional $29.5 million. The presenters described rural libraries as essential community infrastructure that provide not only books and internet access, but also early childhood programs, adult education, workforce support, telehealth, disaster response, and civic meeting space. They argued that the endowment would provide stable annual support for staffing and operations, help sustain libraries in very small towns and tribal communities, and support new or developing libraries. Members asked about eligibility, county coverage, how funds are distributed, and whether the state tracks broader outcomes such as job placements or certifications; the presenters said the State Library administers the funds and that the initiative itself is a nonprofit capacity-building organization, not the fund manager. Some members raised concerns about whether an endowment is the best long-term model versus recurring annual appropriations, and about the need for better reporting and state-library involvement. The committee then heard from food bank leaders Jill Dixon and Katie Anderson about food security and its economic impact. They said New Mexico’s five food banks and more than 500 partner agencies serve all 33 counties, distribute over 45 million meals, and rely mostly on philanthropy, with some state and local support. They emphasized that SNAP is a major economic driver, supporting grocery access, jobs, and local spending, and that recent legislative growth funding helped food banks respond to a surge in demand during a SNAP disruption. They also highlighted food banks as community hubs that can connect people to health care, job training, and other services, including through clinic referrals and closed-loop systems. In response to questions, they said food access gaps remain in some rural areas, that clients can generally seek food at other distribution sites without barriers, and that longer-term solutions should include more grocery access, healthy corner stores, and stronger broadband and health care infrastructure. The final presentations came from the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce and the Artesia Chamber of Commerce. Gallup-McKinley described a shrinking workforce, youth outmigration, crime, health care shortages, malpractice costs, and gross receipts tax burdens as major barriers to rural economic growth, and urged action on workforce pipelines, housing, public safety, malpractice reform, and tax/regulatory changes. Artesia highlighted its murals, library, sports tradition, oil and gas, agriculture, federal training center, and refinery, while also noting workforce shortages, health care recruitment challenges, housing constraints, and the need for quality-of-life investments and more flexible regulation. The committee also briefly heard a bill presentation proposing a New Mexico-Ireland Trade Commission to promote bilateral trade and investment, especially in technology, agriculture, and energy sectors. No votes were taken because quorum was not reached, and the endorsement item was not acted on.

Transcript Highlights:

• Military Academy at West Point recognized the leadership potential of the young Kevin Christie and granted
• ><00:01:58.200><c> the</c><00:01:58.320><c> US</c><00:01:58.640><c> Military</c><00:01:59.120><c> Academy
• </c><00:01:59.600><c> at</c> And whereas the US Military Academy at And whereas the US Military Academy
• House Bill 817 is an act relating to mental health literacy and peer-to-peer supports in schools.
• </c><00:13:43.320><c> and</c> relating to mental health literacy and relating to mental health literacy

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They'll need every tool possible to build their health literacy skills, become empowered advocates for
• As a sidebar, I'm for the financial literacy bill.
• But I just want to say that the American Academy of Pediatrics did do an article called Sex Education
• And I appreciate the reasoning behind it, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says everyone should
• to districts developing K-12 interdisciplinary climate literacy plans.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on a wide range of bills, with the largest portions focused on the Healthy Youth Act (S.340/H.656), comprehensive and inclusive curriculum bills (H.655/S.371 and related measures), climate literacy education (H.560/S.391), computer science coursework (H.534/S.362), arts education funding and STEM-to-STEAM proposals (H.561 and H.4297), and a homeschooling reporting bill (H.518). Supporters of the Healthy Youth Act argued it would preserve local control while requiring medically accurate, age-appropriate, LGBTQ-inclusive sex education and regular updates to state health frameworks; opponents raised parental rights, age-appropriateness, and opt-out concerns, with some calling for fetal development content. Supporters of inclusive curriculum bills said they would improve representation, belonging, and civic understanding, while opponents argued they could undermine parental authority or promote ideological content. Climate, computer science, and arts advocates emphasized workforce readiness, student engagement, and the need for state support and funding to expand access and teacher training. Testimony on the climate literacy bill described increasing climate impacts in Massachusetts and argued that interdisciplinary instruction would prepare students for science, policy, and green careers; witnesses said the bill was not a mandate but a support and funding measure. Computer science supporters said access remains uneven, especially for girls, students of color, and students with disabilities, and urged stronger statewide requirements and AI-related standards. Arts advocates backed both the STEM-to-STEAM bill and the Lowell Mason arts funding proposal, citing research on student achievement, attendance, creativity, and the economic importance of the arts sector. The homeschool bill was supported by a homeschool advocacy group as a modernization of reporting requirements. The committee closed testimony on numerous bills where no one remained signed up or testimony had concluded, including several education, curriculum, and commission proposals. No votes were taken during the hearing itself. At the end of the session, the committee closed out the remaining testimony and adjourned after a motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have everything from K-5 literacy intervention to middle school courses and electives.
• So we have everything from K-5 literacy intervention to middle school courses and electives.
• First one is, in statute, it says it's called IDLA as Idaho Digital Learning Academy.
• And academy kind of implies that this is a place or a school.
• Statutorily, it's academy. In all of our branding, we've used the word Alliance.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Bills: HCR11 , HCR181 , HCR187 , HCR47 , HCR44 , HCR161 , HCR102 , HCR107 , HCR118 , HCR42 , HCR176 , HCR84 , HCR94 , HCR195 , HR14 , HR171 , HR177 , HR43 , HR40 , HR151 , HR94 , HR99 , HR110 , HR38 , HR166 , HR76 , HR86 , HR185

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: charter schools, facilities, school funding, education, Hawaii, student enrollment, policy change, HCR181, House Concurrent Resolution, Department of Education, DOE, temporary positions, position renewal, superintendent-level positions, legislative intent, statutory interpretation, budget accountability, fiscal oversight, government transparency, state employment