Transcript Highlights:

• and performance audit.
• </c> title requesting the auditor to perform title requesting the auditor to perform a<01:18:20.480><
• c> financial</c><01:18:21.040><c> and</c><01:18:21.200><c> performance</c><01:18:21.760><c> audit.
• </c><01:18:22.680><c> And</c> a financial and performance audit.
• And a financial and performance audit.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a series of resolutions and a few bills, with testimony largely in support across the agenda. Early measures included HCR 15/HR 17 supporting Kamehameha Schools’ admissions policy, and HCR 22/HR 22 urging Congress to pass federal kidney disease legislation; both drew support and no opposition. The committee also heard HCR 146 HD1/HR 138 HD1 on “excited delirium,” with testimony from advocates urging the resolutions be broadened to include related terms such as hyperactive delirium and agitated delirium, and from family members and disability-rights advocates describing the issue as harmful pseudoscience tied to police-custody deaths and calling for a ban on the term and better mental-health responses. The committee then took up HCR 123/HR 115 on creating a coordinated support and stabilization task force for Native Hawaiians experiencing homelessness or extreme low income. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands testified in support, describing its transitional housing work and saying collaboration and data-sharing with the state homelessness office would help beneficiaries and others; members questioned whether existing entities already do similar work and whether the proposal would extend beyond beneficiaries. HCR 32/HR 32, which asks the governor’s senior advisor on mental health and the justice system to develop a plan to increase access to Hawaii State Hospital for certain criminal defendants, drew support from the Department of Health, the governor’s office, and disability-rights advocates, who emphasized coordinated planning, diversion from arrest when appropriate, and matching people to the right level of care. Additional resolutions addressed a range of policy issues: renaming Leeward Community College to Puloulou Community College (with no testimony), creating an ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi pathway under the Niʻihau dialect at UH (UH noted existing courses already cover the dialect but not a degree pathway), moving to a demerit-point driver licensing system (support only), and coordinating transportation infrastructure planning for Hawaiian home lands (DHHL supported the measure and said an expired DOT memorandum of understanding had covered related collaboration). The committee also heard support for expanding DHHL financial literacy and homeownership-preparedness programs, a resolution asking the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to examine algorithmic discrimination, and a resolution urging the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Advisory Committee to follow its rules, comply with the Sunshine Law, review its executive director, and strengthen accountability; the last measure drew 11 written supports and no opposition. No final votes or decisions were taken in the portion provided, as the hearing focused on testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• **Senate Bill 41** allows these cases to be evaluated on evidence and law, not the passage of time.
• The defendant was deaf and was found incompetent to stand trial based off of a psychological evaluation
• There are a lot of national checklists that evaluate states based on their awareness and how they treat
• Evaluated based on whether or not your speedy trial has been infringed, what caused the delay.
• And something goes wrong, and she wants to sue the doctors that performed this.

Bills: SB41, SB33, SB32, SB30

Keywords: sexual crimes, statute of limitations, criminal justice, victim rights, child abuse, individualized treatment, investigational treatment, health care, life-threatening illness, patient rights, physician recommendation, informed consent, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child protection, prosecution, crime amendments, SB30, induced abortion, abortion reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> evaluate how this process is working. evaluate how this process is working.
• </c> the uh the evaluation of each judge. the uh the evaluation of each judge.
• </c> presumably the evaluating presumably the evaluating judge.<00:40:33.760><c> It</c><00:40:34.000>
• </c> of the uh the current evaluation of the uh the current evaluation process.<00:40:48.000><c> And<
• . evaluation. evaluation.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Once those issues are resolved, we look forward to re-evaluating our position. Thank you. Okay.
• It's about evaluating what works before the state makes bigger decisions.
• It's about evaluating what works before the state makes bigger decisions.
• Not because of her performance, but because of her district's enrollment.
• Academic performance improves without phones.

Summary: The committee heard several education bills, beginning with AB 387 on youth sports safety and AED access. The author and supporters, including youth sports and cardiac safety advocates, said the bill would improve coordination between youth sports organizations and facilities to ensure AEDs are available and emergency response is better prepared. School administrators, county groups, and school business officials opposed unless amended, citing liability, cost, staffing, maintenance, and school security concerns. Members asked about AED portability, CPR training, and liability; the author said committee amendments were accepted, but the bill was held due to lack of quorum while negotiations continued. AB 467 would codify the California Center for Climate Change Education at West Los Angeles College, allowing it to seek multi-year grants and other outside funding after an initial state appropriation sunsets. Supporters said the center has already trained faculty, supported paid internships and fellowships, and reached thousands of Californians, while opponents were absent. Members questioned whether codification was premature before the required report is due in 2027; the author said the measure was needed now to stabilize fundraising. The bill was also placed on hold for lack of quorum. A major portion of the hearing focused on AB 664 and AB 2694, both dealing with community college bachelor’s degrees. AB 664 would authorize Southwestern College to seek up to four targeted bachelor’s programs to address local workforce shortages in South San Diego County; students, local officials, and community college advocates supported it, while CSU and UC opposed, arguing for a statewide solution and concern about the master plan. AB 2694 proposed a broader statewide framework for community college bachelor’s degrees with stronger workforce and partnership requirements, reduced program caps, and limits on duplication; it drew support from community college groups and students, but CSU and UC again opposed or opposed unless amended. Members discussed place-bound students, workforce needs, transfer pathways, and the need for a master-plan-level approach, but no votes were taken because the committee lacked a quorum. The committee then heard AB 917, which would require certificated employees in very small school districts and certain county-run programs to receive permanent status under the same rules as larger districts. CTA and many educators supported the bill as a fairness and retention measure, while small school district and ROP representatives opposed, saying the current flexibility is necessary to manage enrollment swings, staffing, and specialized regional programs. Testimony emphasized the tension between job security for educators and operational flexibility for small LEAs; the hearing continued with more opposition testimony after the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public schools now are required to provide the evaluations for any child. through ChildFind, and that's
• for public schools to use that for students not in need. enrolled in their schools, I believe. to perform
• the evaluation.
• Most of our private schools evaluate applications totally blind to injury. income.
• We've provided the bill to evaluate career colleges. and military readiness to make sure we're following

Bills: HB3, HB3

Keywords: education savings account, educational expenses, certified educational assistance organization, school choice, funding, special education, tuition reimbursement, emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• We've reviewed a couple contracts with the contract employees as far as evaluators go.
• We've reviewed a couple contracts with the contract employees as far as evaluators go.
• </c> contract employees as far as evaluators contract employees as far as evaluators go.<00:35:10.640
• Make sure that we u perform for us.
• We have the ability to hire 12 evaluators if we could make it work to where we could actually proctor

Keywords: Public Health - Room 216, 27 January, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires a manual process to go in and really hit our KPIs and any kind of other eventual evaluations
• Evaluating our activities is very difficult. So that is, you know, what we found from our last one.
• The next is on how we evaluate applications on page five. We included certain criteria for the...
• And we've outlined there on page five how that will work: be evaluated, the need and the capability of
• So how we're gonna evaluate these projects for eligibility and prioritization, we will be consulting

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just kind of an overview timeline of the evaluation process that I undertook with the commission
• We needed someone with expertise in stakeholder engagement and organizational evaluation.
• Our formal evaluation process lasted from July to November and concluded with a recommendations report
• And to detail that process of evaluating the merger, I'd like to turn the podium over to Mr.
• our company just to give you some understanding of the work that we do and why we were suited to perform

Summary: The Senate Agricultural Committee approved the minutes from its February 17 and February 19, 2026 meetings and then heard a presentation from the Department of Water Resources and the Langdon Group on a proposed merger of the Soil and Water Conservation Commission into the Department of Water Resources. The presenters described an eight-to-ten month evaluation process that included stakeholder interviews, a broad survey, and a workshop, and said the goal was to preserve the commission’s non-regulatory identity while gaining administrative efficiencies and technical support. They recommended placing the merged commission within IDWR, retaining commission oversight of programs and funding, preserving branding and legislative reporting, and formalizing a conservation partnership framework to protect the voluntary nature of the commission’s work. Committee members asked about the cost of the study, which was reported at about $90,000 total, split between the two agencies, and about expected savings. Director Weaver said the current legislation and fiscal note anticipate about $110,000 in immediate personnel savings from eliminating the administrator position, with additional modest savings possible over time in operations, equipment, IT, and office space. He also explained that the bureau chief would be hired with commission participation in the selection process, similar to the existing relationship with the Idaho Water Resource Board. Weaver said the merger has received broad support from stakeholders, including the Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts, while the Idaho Farm Bureau had initially opposed it but later became neutral. He said the next steps are to complete the pending legislation, work through the executive agency legislative services process, and return with additional statutory changes and a combined budget in 2027. The meeting ended with a brief water supply update noting statewide snowpack at about 74% of normal and concerns about a warm forecast and possible drought conditions later in the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• them</c><00:05:31.199><c> and</c><00:05:31.360><c> then</c><00:05:31.600><c> assign</c> and then evaluate
• them and then assign and then evaluate them and then assign uh<00:05:32.720><c> Michelin</c><00:05:33.199
• funds available that uh we had we have funds available to<00:07:55.199><c> to</c><00:07:55.840><c> perform
• some of that and then we to to perform some of that and then we would<00:07:57.759><c> have</c><00:07
• We are going to make an amendment to STR 61/SR46: change page 1, line 30, to say, “review, evaluate the

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several resolutions focused on economic development, tourism, agriculture, and gaming. It first took up a measure to support advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity through the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, with testimony from DBEDT, HTDC, and APE Hawaii in support. Witnesses said the proposal aligns with federal and university partnerships, could help small and medium-sized businesses, and could support use of industrial sites such as the Mililani Technology Park. The committee then considered a resolution asking DBEDT to sponsor a Michelin Guide for restaurants statewide; testimony was mixed, with support for culinary recognition but concerns about cost and uncertainty over the return on investment. The committee amended that measure to require review and evaluation of the cost and benefit before sponsorship. The committee also heard a resolution directing the Agribusiness Development Corporation to assume routine maintenance and repair of the Kohala ditch. ADC testified that it would need to meet with stakeholders, assess the damage, and likely spend the first year determining needed repairs before seeking additional capital funding; members noted a prior $10 million appropriation and asked that the committee report reflect a transfer of those funds to ADC. The measure was moved forward as is, with that comment for the report. The most extensive discussion centered on a resolution to establish a tourism and gaming working group within DBEDT. Supporters included DBEDT, Aloha Halawa District Partners, labor representatives, the stadium authority, and Boyd Gaming, who described it as a first step to gather data and recommendations before any gaming policy decisions. Opponents argued the gaming industry should not help write the rules, warned about problem gambling and outside corporate influence, and urged the committee to reject the measure. The committee ultimately passed the resolution with an SD1 and technical amendments, and members said they would keep the issue open for further discussion, including possible inclusion of AHDP in the working group. The committee also heard and advanced a separate resolution urging the stadium authority to finalize the new Aloha Stadium contract and continue work on the entertainment district, with testimony both supporting the project and opposing it in favor of more housing. The committee voted to pass the stadium resolution as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• But more importantly, when it comes to productivity, we're the fourth-highest-performing economy on a
• Because here in Massachusetts, we actually have really outsized innovation performance.
• The most commoditized companies, they're not going to be in the more highest-performing economies.
• It also ensures that communities retain the oversight necessary to evaluate and reasonably condition
• At the same time, the way construction work is performed is changing rapidly.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on Governor Healey’s economic development proposal, H. 5386, also referred to as the Mass Winds Act, focused on global investment, talent, innovation, housing, and business competitiveness. Governor Healey, Secretary of Economic Development Eric Paley, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Matt Gorzkowicz described the bill as a response to federal uncertainty and global competition, building on the 2024 Mass Leads Act. They highlighted proposed investments in a Global Mass initiative, including a $50 million innovation access fund and $20 million for sites to help international companies locate or expand in Massachusetts, along with support for AI, quantum, robotics, defense innovation, climate tech, downtown revitalization, and creative/cultural economy projects. They also emphasized measures to lower business costs, including reducing the LLC filing fee, expanding the small business energy tax exemption, and streamlining housing and development rules. Committee members questioned the administration about non-compete reform, AI and data-center infrastructure, housing affordability, and whether the bill would help retain workers and companies in Massachusetts. The governor and secretaries argued that the non-compete changes would restore the original compromise by requiring any alternative to garden leave to be negotiated at separation, and they said the bill’s housing and workforce provisions are intended to help young workers stay in the state. They also said Massachusetts is already investing in AI training, an AI hub, and energy-related planning, while acknowledging that data-center growth will require careful attention to water, electricity, and ratepayer impacts. Several witnesses testified on specific sections. Northeastern University supported the internship tax credit, saying experiential learning helps students gain jobs and remain in Massachusetts. The Latino Empowerment Advisory Council supported the waiver of redundant English testing for internationally trained nurses, saying it would speed entry into the workforce without lowering clinical standards. Russell Beck opposed the non-compete changes, arguing they would undermine the 2018 compromise and could reduce other forms of employee compensation. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office opposed the LLC fee reduction, citing revenue loss and fraud concerns. Municipal and regional groups, including the MMA and the Metro Mayors Coalition, supported site plan review codification and downtown/arts investments, while urging continued municipal input. The AFL-CIO asked for trigger language to preserve labor protections if federal law changes, and business and industry witnesses generally supported the bill’s competitiveness and global investment provisions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with written testimony invited after the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• But more importantly, when it comes to productivity, we're the fourth highest-performing economy on a
• Because here in Massachusetts, we actually have really outsized innovation performance.
• The most commoditized companies, they're not going to be in the more highest-performing economies.
• It also ensures that communities retain the oversight necessary to evaluate and reasonably condition
• At the same time, the way construction work is performed is changing rapidly.

Summary: The committee held a hearing on Governor Healey’s economic development proposal, H.5386, the Mass Winds Act, with the governor and administration officials describing it as a follow-on to the 2024 Mass Leads Act. They said the bill is intended to help Massachusetts compete globally for capital, talent, and companies by creating a Global Mass initiative, including a proposed $50 million innovation access fund and $20 million for site development to help international firms locate or expand here. The administration also highlighted about $305 million in new bond authorizations, plus operating proposals such as lowering the LLC filing fee, expanding the small business energy tax exemption, funding internship incentives, and supporting downtown revitalization and the creative economy. Committee members and witnesses focused on several policy areas within the bill. On talent, Northeastern University supported the internship tax credit, and the Latino Empowerment Advisory Council backed a provision waiving redundant English testing for internationally trained nurses who have already demonstrated proficiency in practice. On labor mobility, the governor defended changes to the non-compete law as closing a loophole, while attorney Russell Beck opposed the revisions, arguing they would upset the 2018 compromise and could reduce employer-provided compensation. Municipal and housing witnesses supported codifying site plan review and broader zoning reforms, while others urged attention to affordable housing, tiny homes, and commercial-to-residential conversions. Local officials and municipal groups generally supported the bill’s downtown, arts, and planning provisions but asked for more detail on implementation and infrastructure, especially around energy, water, and data centers. The Massachusetts Municipal Association said the bill’s standardized site plan review and downtown investments could help communities, but stressed the need for close state-municipal partnership. The AFL-CIO asked for trigger language to preserve labor rights if federal protections weaken. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office opposed the LLC fee reduction, warning of significant revenue loss and possible fraud concerns. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with the committee accepting written testimony afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• But more importantly, when it comes to productivity, we're the fourth highest-performing economy on a
• Because here in Massachusetts, we actually have really outsized innovation performance.
• The most commoditized companies are not going to be in the more highest-performing economies; they’re
• It also ensures that communities retain the oversight necessary to evaluate and reasonably condition
• At the same time, the way construction work is performed is changing rapidly.

Bills: H5386

Keywords: economic development, innovation, investment, housing, small business, global trade, infrastructure, 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, and more fundamentally, this proposed funding level is not linked to any specific performance
• We discussed earlier that the student-centered funding formula includes a performance-based component
• From our perspective, performing arts is an academic program.
• Yes, it is a performing arts facility. Yes, it was a gym, but... ...facilities.
• Yes, it is a performing arts facility.

Summary: The committee heard an overview of the California Community Colleges budget proposal, including Proposition 98 funding, a 2.41% COLA for apportionments, enrollment growth funding, repayment of an apportionment deferral, and one-time investments for a student support block grant and deferred maintenance. The Department of Finance described the Governor’s package as providing significant new resources, while the LAO recommended prioritizing COLA and enrollment growth within available funds but raised concerns about some smaller proposals, including making the Healthy School Food Pathways Program ongoing and adding more funding for credit for prior learning before outcomes are known. The Chancellor’s Office supported the COLA, enrollment growth, and one-time investments, and said current projections suggest enrollment growth closer to 3%, with about $85 million to $90 million in ongoing costs if fully funded. Members focused heavily on enrollment growth, the 10% district cap, and whether the state should continue funding growth in the current year and budget year. The Chancellor’s Office said some districts, especially in the Inland Empire and Central Valley, are growing rapidly and that about seven districts are above the cap, with roughly 1,563 FTES and about $30 million in ongoing costs tied to that issue. Members also discussed hold-harmless districts and whether declining campuses should be required to produce turnaround or right-sizing plans. The Chancellor’s Office said districts are already having local conversations and that state funding provides time to adjust, but no formal plan requirement was proposed. The committee then took up common course numbering, where the Chancellor’s Office said all 115 community colleges have implemented the first phase and more than 550,000 students enrolled in the first six commonly numbered courses. The office argued that CCN improves clarity but does not yet guarantee that credits will transfer with full value across UC and CSU, because articulation is still handled campus by campus and can require more than 3,500 separate reviews. Members expressed concern that students can still be forced to retake courses such as calculus or ethnic studies even when they have the same common number, and urged the systems to develop a stronger statewide articulation mechanism tied to outcomes and transparency. The item was left open. Finally, the committee heard the Governor’s proposal to make Calbright College’s funding ongoing at $53.1 million. The LAO recommended instead transitioning Calbright to the student-centered funding formula, with one-time bridge funding in the meantime, arguing the Governor’s proposal lacks a clear enrollment-based rationale and performance expectations. Calbright’s leadership defended the college’s competency-based, flexible model for adult learners, citing more than 6,800 students served, over 2,200 certificates awarded, and wage gains for graduates; they said enrollment is expected to grow from about 7,000 students now to roughly 8,000 to 9,000 next year and around 10,000 over the next couple of years. Members pressed for clearer enrollment and funding data before deciding how Calbright should be funded going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• that if a third-party reviewer reviews a project and has a contract to review projects and their performance
• is inadequate or does not performance is inadequate or does not follow<00:25:18.880><c> the</c><00:25
• of their performance and what would<00:30:42.960><c> happen</c><00:30:43.240><c> in</c><00:30:43.360
• So it's an acknowledgement of the civic duty that they're performing.
• If they're coming in without a complete evaluation, the case should probably be dismissed.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just an overview timeline of the evaluation process that I undertook with the commission following
• We needed someone with expertise in stakeholder engagement and organizational evaluation.
• Our formal evaluation process lasted from July to November and concluded with a recommendations report
• And to detail that process of evaluating the merger, I'd like to turn the podium over to Mr.
• our company just to give you some understanding of the work that we do and why we were suited to perform

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Senate Agricultural Committee approved the minutes from its February 17 and February 19, 2026 meetings without opposition. The committee then received a presentation from Matt Weaver of the Department of Water Resources and Bryant Keakley of the Langdon Group on a study evaluating a proposed merger of the Soil and Water Conservation Commission into the Department of Water Resources. The presenters described a months-long stakeholder process, including interviews, a survey, and a workshop, and said the study recommended the merger proceed with safeguards to preserve the commission’s non-regulatory identity, local relationships, and broader conservation mission. The recommendations included placing the merged unit within IDWR as a bureau led by a bureau chief selected with commission input, keeping the commission’s board structure and legislative reporting, protecting its budget and branding, and formalizing a partnership framework to avoid enforcement or policy interference. They also said the merger could create administrative efficiencies and some personnel savings, including an estimated immediate savings of about $110,000 from eliminating the administrator position, with additional longer-term savings possible in operations and equipment. Committee members asked about the study’s cost, staffing and supervisory structure, and whether the merger had support; Weaver said the contract cost was about $90,000 total, the House had passed HB 503 67-0, SCR 115 had already been enacted, and most stakeholders supported the proposal, with Idaho Farm Bureau now neutral. Weaver said the next steps would be to complete the pending legislation, work through the executive agency legislative services process, draft additional statutory changes, and return in 2027 with a combined budget and further legislation. The chair closed the meeting after also giving a brief update on statewide water supply conditions, saying snowpack was around 74% of normal and that many basins were trending below average, though late-season precipitation could still improve conditions.

Transcript Highlights:

• thoughtful discussions and evaluations thoughtful discussions and evaluations on<00:29:54.799><c> all
• They were astounding: increased student performance, increased faculty performance, saved time.
• But they said nothing is free, yeah, yeah. increased um student performance increased um student performance
• :10:39.440><c> time</c> increased faculty performance saved time increased faculty performance saved
• </c><01:46:15.440><c> in</c> to um so we look at their performance in to um so we look at their performance

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> commerce</c> benefit evaluation process, commerce benefit evaluation process, commerce determines
• </c><00:05:15.600><c> uh</c> or complexity of the evaluation. uh or complexity of the evaluation. uh
• ><c> by</c><00:18:33.679><c> the</c> the evaluation conducted by the the evaluation conducted by the
• </c> as these mandates are being evaluated. as these mandates are being evaluated.
• </c> followed follow the process to evaluate followed follow the process to evaluate the<01:30:32.239

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• interesting the concerns that I have, that, you know, that have come across, which is making me re-evaluate
• And I think from our perspective, that's why an accreditation model is to be preferred when evaluating
• So I think we actually feel like, because it is so open to being more evaluative and qualitative instead
• above on the national level, but when we've compared them directly to schools that were similarly performing
• So when we're saying what their performance looks like, we're making sure we're comparing it to schools

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals for universal school meals, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), and community schools. On universal meals, the Department of Education supported continued funding for the Universal School Meals Program and a fourth round of Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Grants, citing meal-count growth, improved meal service, and the need to offset federal uncertainty, inflation, and reduced direct certification tied to immigration-related policy changes. The LAO recommended rejecting another kitchen grant round, arguing prior rounds are still being spent and the state has not clearly defined unmet need. Members also raised concerns about the state’s ability to backfill federal meal funding and about how federal requirements affect programs like Summer EBT/SUN Bucks. Public commenters largely supported school meals and kitchen investments, with some urging support for plant-based milk options and continued infrastructure funding. For ELOP, the Department of Finance proposed $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding, including $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended going further and fully fixing the Tier 2 rate, saying rate uncertainty complicates district planning. CDE supported the proposal and said the program has improved attendance and academic outcomes, while noting new CalPADS reporting will provide more data soon. Senators discussed whether ELOP should remain a standalone program or be folded into LCFF, and whether the state should require stronger outcome reporting. Public testimony generally backed stabilizing Tier 2 funding, but some speakers urged more support for older youth and more timely, user-friendly reporting. On community schools, the administration proposed $1 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding to expand the model to thousands more schools and to support existing grantees, along with stronger technical assistance, statewide alignment, and an accreditation/self-certification framework. The LAO recommended continuing the current one-time grant approach instead of creating a new ongoing categorical program, warning about reduced flexibility, administrative burden, and the state’s capacity to support a much larger cohort. CDE supported the ongoing investment but asked for additional county office and technical assistance funding. Senators and public commenters were broadly supportive of community schools, emphasizing improved attendance, graduation, and student engagement, while also debating accountability, accreditation, and whether non-classroom-based charter schools should be eligible. Public testimony strongly favored ongoing funding and highlighted community schools’ role in mental health, family engagement, and wraparound supports.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> County um for to conduct evaluations. County um for to conduct evaluations.
• Um, but they're evaluating this year.
• They came and evaluated the Department of Juvenile Justice based on FY22, fiscal year 22, because that
• . evaluation. evaluation.
• </c> less complicated and quicker to perform less complicated and quicker to perform making<00:48:32.880

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:03 Roll Call: 00:00:09 Agency Updates: 00:01:44 Juvenile Justice Advisory Board Update: 00:03:36 Department of Juvenile Justice Update: 00:23:10, 958, all

Summary: The Juvenile Justice Oversight Council approved the minutes from its November 8, 2024 meeting and welcomed new member Representative Nick Wilson. The council also heard an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on a school attendance awareness campaign aimed at reducing truancy referrals to court, and a member requested a future, more detailed presentation on truancy trends. The council then received an update from the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board from Dr. David Frink and Elsie Berger. They described the board’s membership, meeting schedule, public access, annual report and three-year plan, and its role in helping Kentucky remain compliant with federal juvenile justice requirements so the state can receive Title II funding. They said the board reviews grant applications for community-based services, substance use, and early intervention programs, with about $584,000 in federal funds this year and a little over $600,000 expected next year. Members asked about participation, board vacancies, and how to engage with the board, and the presenters emphasized the importance of statewide representation and community input. The Department of Juvenile Justice then provided a broader update through Commissioner Randy White and Deputy Secretary Mona Wamik. White said DJJ is under an ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation focused on conditions in detention facilities, including use of force, isolation, abuse, mental health care, and special education, and said the department has cooperated with repeated information requests and site visits. He also reviewed recent legislative and administrative changes, including 2023 Senate Bill 162, regional detention planning, facility segregation requirements, staffing and salary investments, improved staffing levels, reduced mental health vacancies, and training efforts related to security threat groups. He said DJJ has made progress but continues to work on staffing, safety, and facility improvements.

Transcript Highlights:

• and accountability and evaluations and organizational structures.
• and accountability and evaluations and organizational structures.
• and accountability and evaluations and organizational structures.
• and evaluations and organizational structures.
• There was no performance metrics.

Keywords: 912, senate, all