Transcript Highlights:

• </c> retired person who has a master's degree retired person who has a master's degree in<00:15:56.680
• They have higher degrees in...
• They have higher degrees in...
• They have higher degrees in... ...within the school district.
• </c><04:51:35.360><c> in</c> master's degree in education a degree in master's degree in education a

Summary: The committee began by announcing that afternoon hearings, including House Bill 283, would be moved to Representatives Hall because of expected public interest. It then took up House Bill 671, which would establish a kindergarten literacy readiness program. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mark Pearson, described the measure as a way to close gaps in early reading readiness and said it was intended as a first step, with only a placeholder appropriation while details are developed. He framed it as a targeted effort to help children who are not entering first grade ready to read. Testimony on HB 671 was largely supportive. Representatives asked about the bill’s structure, whether a specific program had been identified, how it would interact with play-based learning, and why the provider was limited to a registered nonprofit. Waterford.org representatives Teresa Rosenberger and Rob Riley testified in support, describing Waterford Upstart as a home-based, evidence-based early learning program already used in New Hampshire. They said the program provides adaptive instruction, family coaching, and technology support, including computers, tablets, internet access, and translation services in more than 100 languages. They also said the model has been successful in New Hampshire, including a Nashua pilot and later statewide efforts, and that similar legislation has existed in other states. Rep. Jonah Wheeler also spoke in support of the bill. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 671. After a fiscal note for HB 671 was distributed, the committee moved to House Bill 781, which would require school districts to adopt policies for a cell phone-free education and includes an appropriation. The transcript cuts off as Rep. Litchfield was introduced to testify on that bill, so no testimony, debate, or vote on HB 781 is included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of them were a few credits shy of their associate's degree, and we look at the stuff through their
• I have a master's degree in social work from the University of Missouri, and I'm a licensed clinical
• I have a master's degree in social work from the University of Missouri, and I'm a licensed clinical
• I did my medical degree from India.
• Through, to some degree, call it misinformation, or again, this is part of the process.

Summary: The task force heard extensive testimony on recovery support, harm reduction, and community-based care. Dan Haniken of Into Action described his own recovery from addiction and incarceration and argued that treatment alone is not enough; he said recovery housing, peer support, employment, accountability, and stable housing are what help people stay sober and avoid relapse. Members asked about funding, housing shortages, transportation, treatment courts, and support for medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Haniken said Into Action relies on a braided mix of federal, state, county, city, foundation, and private funding, and that recovery housing needs longer-term support than many current funding streams provide. He also said Missouri should expand recovery housing, peer recovery support, and recovery community centers, and improve awareness and access to MAT in recovery settings and after incarceration. Matt Cushman, a community paramedic with Raytown Fire Protection District, urged Missouri to expand harm reduction, including syringe service programs and broader access to clean needles and drug-checking tools. He argued that stigma and abstinence-only approaches keep many people from seeking help, and said harm reduction reduces disease transmission, overdose deaths, hospitalizations, and other harms while creating pathways to recovery. He cited naloxone distribution as a successful example and said similar strategies should be decriminalized and expanded. Members asked about naloxone access, community paramedicine funding, and whether safe consumption sites should be considered; Cushman said syringe exchange should be a near-term priority, while safe consumption sites are a longer-term policy question. Representatives from Ozarks Medical Center/COMC and Four Rivers Community Health Center focused on the need to reimburse peer support specialists and community health workers, especially in rural and underserved areas. COMC’s Monet Lehman shared her trauma and recovery story and described her jail reentry work, helping incarcerated people with housing, benefits, IDs, employment, MAT, and community supports before release. Four Rivers said its care coordinators and CHWs provide wraparound services such as transportation, housing help, Medicaid enrollment, clothing, and same-day MAT access. Members and staff discussed confusion over reimbursement rules, noting that CCBHCs can bill for peer services through Medicaid while FQHCs generally cannot, and that CHWs are often funded through grants rather than reimbursement. No votes were taken; the meeting consisted of testimony and member questions, with several requests for follow-up information on funding, transportation, and reimbursement rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the CEO of 180 Degrees.
• And that is the kind of possibility that we talk about at 180 Degrees.
• He started a house; it's called Clifton Place, and in that house he set the legacy of 180 Degrees.
• My name is Scott Winter Lewis, and I'm here representing youth at 180 Degrees.
• Members, just remember that this grant to 180 Degrees serves teens in Hennepin, Ramsey, Stearns, Carver

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• find one, and we want to pursue an Option 6 candidate, which is someone who just has a bachelor's degree
• <00:36:27.920><c> has</c><00:36:28.000><c> a</c><00:36:28.160><c> bachelor's</c><00:36:28.560><c> degree
• </c> someone who just has a bachelor's degree someone who just has a bachelor's degree and<00:36:29.040
• 38.720><c> bachelor's</c> I wonder if he's got a a bachelor's I wonder if he's got a a bachelor's degree
• 36:39.920><c> get</c><00:36:40.000><c> him</c><00:36:40.160><c> into</c><00:36:40.320><c> the</c> degree

Summary: The subcommittee met without a quorum and did not approve minutes, but heard testimony on budget line items for Data Seam and Teach for America. Andrew McNeel of Kentucky Free and representatives from the Commonwealth Policy Center argued that both programs rely heavily on recurring taxpayer support and should be re-evaluated. McNeel cited a 2020 Office of Policy and Audit examination of Data Seam, saying the program had received more than $30 million in state support since 2006, including $3.5 million in the current budget, and that the audit raised concerns about administrative overhead, alleged threats to districts, and the use of line-item language to justify sole-source contracting. He recommended suspending Data Seam funding this biennium, directing a new special audit, and requiring reimbursement of audit costs. The witnesses also urged the committee to withhold funding for Teach for America, saying the organization’s materials and history showed a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion that they opposed. They pointed to past statements, leadership titles, and program language as evidence that DEI concepts remained embedded in the organization, and suggested any funding should be redirected directly to school districts instead. Mike Harmon and Richard Nelson echoed those concerns, while also saying long-running programs should be periodically reviewed for efficiency. Teach for America Appalachia representatives then testified in support of the program. Executive director C.D. Morton described the organization as a teacher-preparation and leadership-development program serving rural eastern Kentucky, saying it had recruited and supported more than 325 teachers since 2011, with about 30 current core members in several counties and roughly 2,800 students impacted daily. He said the program helps fill hard-to-staff vacancies, that about 80% of teachers stay for a third year, and that many alumni remain in education. In response to questions from Representative Bojanowski about retention and cost, Morton said more than 60% of alumni are still in education, but he could not give a precise classroom-teacher retention number beyond the program’s broader alumni data.

Transcript Highlights:

• lesser crime, but because of the guilt that he felt around this, he actually pled guilty to first-degree
• ><00:53:35.480><c> uh</c> uh he actually pled guilty to uh uh he actually pled guilty to uh first-degree
• c> murder</c><00:53:36.559><c> life</c><00:53:36.720><c> in</c><00:53:36.920><c> prison</c> first-degree
• 23.319><c> of</c> New Hampshire if you're convicted of New Hampshire if you're convicted of first-degree
• murder it's in mandat life first-degree murder it's in mandat life without<01:00:26.599><c> parole</

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• mother was the county home agent in Pennington County from 1953 to 1957, and my father received his degree
• Now refrigerators are supposed to be kept at 36 degrees, no more, no less.
• the door to get this, to get that, and during that time the temperature might fluctuate a couple degrees
• </c> fluctuate a couple degrees fluctuate a couple degrees which<00:51:57.400><c> it</c><00:51:57.880
• /c><00:55:56.440><c> refrigerator</c> Little thing like that, uh, refrigerator, maybe being off a degree

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 907, criminal law, third degree assault.
• He’s been here for 15 years serving a sentence for second-degree murder.
• </c><01:39:33.720><c> Uh</c> degree murder. Uh degree murder.
• You were with second degree murder.
• </c> charged with first degree rape. charged with first degree rape.

Transcript Highlights:

• They've got to go right into 13, which opens doors for further education and then on for the four-year degree
• So, right, the student who applies for that grant could be just doing their bachelor's degree, not necessarily
• likely to complete college-level math and English, enroll in postsecondary education, and earn a degree
• likely to complete college level math and English, enroll in post-secondary education, and earn a degree

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals on dual enrollment, reading difficulty screeners, special education, school facilities, and Commission on Teacher Credentialing programs. For dual enrollment, the Department of Finance described a $100 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund proposal to expand the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Grant Program, add flexibility for regional occupational centers, support justice-involved youth, prioritize higher-need LEAs, and allow funds for teacher professional development, along with a reduction in required instructional minutes for some dual enrollment students. The LAO recommended rejecting the new funding, saying it did not address a clear implementation barrier, while CDE supported the proposal and suggested reserving $10 million for technical assistance. Members and public commenters largely supported the expansion, with some urging additional technical assistance and broader access, including adult dual enrollment. The committee then discussed the reading difficulty screener proposal, which includes $40 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for implementation costs and statutory changes that would delay formal screening until the 91st day for kindergarten and the 46th day for grades 1-2. Finance said the timing was intended to reduce over-identification and align screening with sufficient exposure to instruction; the LAO recommended rejecting the funding and redirecting it to a discretionary block grant. CDE supported the investment but cautioned about the timing restrictions, and several members and public witnesses argued the proposed deadlines were too rigid and could delay early intervention, while others supported the structured timeline as a way to improve accuracy and reduce misidentification. On special education, Finance presented a proposal to increase the statewide base rate to $99 per ADA through a $509 million ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund augmentation, plus COLA and a negative growth adjustment. The LAO said the proposal should be adopted but estimated it could be achieved with less funding; CDE strongly supported the increase, citing rising enrollment and local cost pressures, and district and SELPA representatives described large local funding gaps and growing expenditures. The committee also reviewed school facilities funding under Proposition 2, with Finance and the Office of Public School Construction describing $1.5 billion in proposed bond spending, existing balances for new construction and modernization, and the use of bond authority for natural disaster recovery, including projects related to recent fires. For the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the committee heard about the Student Teacher Stipend Program, the Golden State Teacher Grant, state operations funding for misconduct investigations and SB 848 implementation, and a $250 million proposal to extend the Teacher Residency Grant Program; CTC supported the proposals and highlighted new data systems and technical assistance, while public testimony broadly backed the investments and urged continued or additional funding for teacher recruitment, literacy screening support, and special education.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jason Lees, native of Edmond, graduated with a degree in zoology from OU, went to OU Med School.
• Teddy is a clinical associate professor at the University of Tulsa, where she earned her degree.
• And to the degree, we're not trying to say this is a public improvement district.
• And to the degree, we're not trying to say this is a public improvement district.

Bills: SB1290 , SB1530 , SB1847 , HR1050 , SB169 , SB1377 , SB1990 , SB1991 , SB1778 , SB1579 , SB1992 , SB3 , SB2028 , SB1928 , SB2127 , SB2117 , SB1439 , SB1930 , SB330 , SB1191 , SB2110 , SB2134 , SB2069 , SB2095 , SB1613 , SB1246 , SB1976 , SB1346 , SB1509 , SB2071 , SB259 , SB1314

Transcript Highlights:

• <c> his</c> Representative Hale and I myself serve on PPOB, and this kind of expands PPOB to some degree
• /c><00:05:11.560><c> some</c> this kind of expands PPOB to some this kind of expands PPOB to some degree
• . degree. degree.

Committee: House State Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Baird is an honored graduate of UK, earned his bachelor's degree in 1976, a master's of education in
• 21:20.000><c> earned</c><00:21:20.240><c> his</c><00:21:20.480><c> bachelor's</c><00:21:21.039><c> degree
• </c><00:21:21.679><c> in</c> of UK, earned his bachelor's degree in of UK, earned his bachelor's degree

Transcript Highlights:

• had of nine months... ...of nine months of talking about each one of these subjects to a certain degree
• , and some of them to a large degree, so the large bill was overwhelming to them.
• Now, that may have some form of fiscal note, to what degree I don't know. Right, be negative. Okay.
• To some small degree, the voters electing their elected officials that are making these decisions in

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Transcript Highlights:

• She earned her medical degree from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.
• I want to point out that unborn children are mentioned in statute in first degree, second degree, and
• saying, AG Mays has petitioned OSHA for emergency heat standards, citing farm workers' deaths in 110-degree

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sure in the summertime, in 100-degree heat, they maybe could catch fire more so than right now when
• provides that shooting into an unoccupied or occupied autonomous vehicle is a felony of the second degree
• provides that shooting into an unoccupied or occupied autonomous vehicle is a felony of the second degree
• damage to an autonomous vehicle, where the damage is greater than $200, is a felony of the third degree

Bills: S0260 , S1220 , S1352 , S1362 , S1370

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 1362 on advanced air mobility. Senator Harrell described the bill as a framework for vertiports and eVTOL aircraft, but an amendment removed the sales tax exemptions and narrowed the sovereign immunity provisions to vertiports co-located at airports. Supporters said the bill would help Florida lead in emerging aviation technology, while opponents and some members raised concerns about safety, local control, and extending immunity to unproven facilities. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered SB 260 on storage of damaged electric vehicles. The bill, as amended, would allow local governments to set a daily administrative fee of up to three times the normal rate for storing EVs with visible battery damage or saltwater intrusion, reflecting fire-safety spacing requirements. Testimony from insurers, towing interests, and fleet operators focused on whether the fee was justified, whether cleanup language could lead to cost shifting, and whether more data reporting should be required. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Members then approved SB 1352, which creates a secure online portal for license plate seizures and related DMV functions, preserves disabled veterans’ plate designations, prohibits license plate covers that obscure plates, and routes online license and ID renewals through county tax collectors. SB 1370 was also reported favorably; it closes a loophole so drivers who never obtained a license can still face habitual traffic offender penalties after repeated offenses. Finally, the committee took up SB 1220, a broad FDOT transportation package. After amendment, it retained provisions on trails, SunTrail, seaports, airports, drone delivery, autonomous vehicle protections, and FDOT coordination on federal funding, while removing the digital driver’s license provision and the rapid rail compact language. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's someone that's been overlooked to some degree, but he's from Owensboro.
• It's someone that's been overlooked to It's someone that's been overlooked to some<00:23:12.080><c> degree
• </c> some degree some degree uh<00:23:13.760><c> but</c><00:23:14.000><c> he's</c><00:23:14.240><c> from

Transcript Highlights:

• Every attorney in this room has completed an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree in law.
• conversation about a lot of things, and so I'm going to have to go off script to at least provide some degree
• What I do as an attorney took four years of an undergraduate degree, three years in a Juris Doctor, and

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got associate degree nursing programs.
• there that have said, hey, we made a guarantee that this student's going to walk away with a nursing degree
• We made a guarantee that this student is going to walk away with a nursing degree and we're going to
• Our social workers all have master's degrees, and yet they're required to take the teacher's certification

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee heard three bills. HB 919 on nursing education programs would tighten accountability for nursing schools with low NCLEX pass rates by shortening the probation period, requiring remediation plans, mandating free remediation for students who fail, and requiring tuition reimbursement for programs with very low pass rates. The sponsor argued Florida’s nursing pass rates are unacceptably low and that stronger consequences are needed; opponents warned the bill could shut down programs, worsen the nursing shortage, and unfairly target private schools, while supporters said it would protect students and improve outcomes. After debate, the bill was reported favorably by a vote of 18-0. The committee then heard PCS for HB 1261, the “Smart Living Act,” a student-driven proposal from Jefferson High School in Hillsborough County to expand personal financial literacy and practical life-skills instruction in high school. Students and school officials testified that the bill would better prepare graduates for adulthood by covering topics such as budgeting, credit, loans, FAFSA, resumes, interviews, and basic household skills. Members praised the students’ work and the bill’s practical focus, and the PCS was reported favorably 18-0. Finally, the committee considered HB 809, which would exempt school social workers from educator certification requirements for general and subject-area knowledge. Supporters from Lee and Broward counties said the current testing requirement is unrelated to social work, creates financial and recruitment barriers, and has contributed to staffing shortages. Members from both parties supported the measure as a simple way to remove an obstacle to hiring and retaining school social workers. HB 809 was also reported favorably by a vote of 18-0, and the meeting adjourned after all agenda items were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• central business district hub for the region, and for the city certainly has been diluted to a large degree
• central business district hub for the region, and for the city certainly has been diluted to a large degree
• central business district hub for the region, and for the city certainly has been diluted to a large degree
• Um, through the chair, Senator... been diluted to to a large degree and so been diluted to to a large
• degree and so um<00:20:31.760><c> the</c><00:20:32.159><c> budgetary</c><00:20:33.280><c> challenges

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• accredited training program or someone who's completed everything except for their supervised post-degree
• post-degree post-degree expe-<00:50:37.280><c> um</c><00:50:37.440><c> experience.
• or their doctoral degree.
• 00:53:31.440><c> or</c><00:53:31.640><c> their</c><00:53:31.760><c> doctoral</c><00:53:32.520><c> degree
• </c> degree or their doctoral degree. degree or their doctoral degree.

Bills: SB709 , SB2089 , SB2090 , SB2108 , SB2211 , SB2250 , SB2325 , SB2803 , SB2866 , SB3245

Committee: House Human Services & Homelessness

Summary: The committee heard SB 709 SD2, which would require the Department of Health to respond to reports involving persons with severe mental illness, assess eligibility for assisted community treatment, and coordinate treatment when appropriate. Testimony from the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health supported the measure, with DOH saying it generally supported the bill but had comments on one section it viewed as unnecessary. The Department of Law Enforcement later explained that the bill would shift certification and standards for crisis intervention officer training from DOH to DLE, while still involving DOH in the training process. Opposition came from the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and an individual testifier, both of whom argued the bill expands state authority over people with mental illness and could worsen forced treatment practices. The Disability Rights Center also raised procedural concerns, saying the bill was effectively moved from a prior administration measure that had not been heard this session, and questioned whether the bill’s changes to assisted community treatment, blood tests, urinalysis, and living arrangements went beyond current law. The individual testifier argued the bill would further entrench harmful psychiatric drugging and urged the committee to defer it. Committee members questioned the administration about the bill’s process, the role of the Attorney General in treatment-over-objection proceedings, and the practical effects of moving CIT certification to DLE. The Attorney General’s office said the bill was intended to fill a gap by allowing it to assist with treatment proceedings, while public defenders would continue to represent respondents and due process protections would remain in place. DLE and DOH said the change would better align certification with law enforcement training needs, improve speed in crisis response, and still keep DOH involved; members also discussed whether WAM counted as a hearing and whether the bill should more explicitly preserve DOH’s role. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• 34.240><c> child</c><00:24:34.559><c> development</c> degree in business and child development degree
• It says it needs to be at 160 degrees. Um, but that's really it.
• It says it needs to be at 160 degrees. Um, but that's really it.
• Um, but that's really be at 160 degrees.
• uh that we're concerned uh to the degree uh that we're concerned about<01:29:21.199><c> it.

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy