Transcript Highlights:

• SB68 proposes to simply update and align Alabama law with present-day emergency management operations
• It will allow for local governing bodies to coordinate resources during any occasion that poses a threat

Bills: SB68, SB68

Keywords: emergency management, mutual aid, disaster response, local government, political subdivision, public safety, public health, emergency services, first responders, intergovernmental agreements, reciprocal aid, emergency preparedness, local emergency management organization, governing body, liability immunity, Alabama Code 31-9-9, Alabama Code 31-9-11, tribal agreements, federally recognized Indian tribes, state emergency management plan

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2021, we passed a local Constitutional Amendment, thanks to Shelby County that put under certain..
• What this does is modernize counties' authority to coordinate emergency aid resources.
• This legislation proposes specific updates to align Alabama law with present-day Emergency Management
• It allows local governing bodies to coordinate resources during any occasion that is not adequately managed
• Any occasion that, if not adequately managed, poses a threat to the health and safety of Alabama.

Bills: HB68, HB140, HB168

Keywords: foreign investment, agriculture, property rights, critical infrastructure, sanctions, HB140, private sewer systems, wastewater utilities, Public Service Commission, PSC jurisdiction, utility regulation, rate setting, rate consolidation, affiliated systems, common ownership, private utilities, sewer rates, wastewater management, Alabama utilities, Jefferson County Board of Health

Transcript Highlights:

• . measurement and modeling techniques to improve weather forecasting accuracy and enhance flood management
• Many Gulf Coast emergency service districts respond, and other states respond as well, recognizing the
• My understanding is that the locals, I guess through the emergency management district, have put in about
• This facility being expedited and our collaboration with Chief Clark and all the other local fire chiefs
• One, we inadvertently left out Guadalupe County as one of the emergency disaster counties.

Bills: SB3, SB 3

Keywords: disaster relief, emergency funding, flood management, Meteorological forecasting, local government assistance, training facilities, flash flood, flood warning, outdoor warning siren, emergency alert, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, Hill Country floods, Texas Water Development Board, municipalities, counties, local government mandate, public safety, grant program, backup power

Transcript Highlights:

• educational assistance. educational assistance organization.
• Organization, is that family enrolled? Uh, they are. Their application is pending.
• And they apply to the education assistance organization, so the bill is silent on that.
• Because as I read the bill, the way you and role is to apply to the Education Assistance Organization
• Building up an organization that still exists today, supporting the concept of school choice.

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:

• that. yes, they could withdraw from the private school and try to resume their. career out of their local
• So I would go to my local public school district. district under this law and say, I want an FIIE, the
• And one leader really emerged, Delegate Henry Klein, who was.
• , the Milton Friedman organization we heard from earlier.
• Adequate fair funding, school funding is yet another, that's the organization.

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

Bills: SB3

Keywords: disaster relief, emergency funding, flood management, Meteorological forecasting, local government assistance, training facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• that we've had in the past, that provides our future teachers support from in the district and our local
• One, I would ask that this body trust local independent school districts and go back to do hard work
• Let those local ISDs make those decisions.
• House, once stated that all politics is local. My testimony today expands on this point.
• It's solid Republican, but yet they support our local school district.

Bills: HB2

Keywords: disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license, volunteer management system, volunteer registration, criminal history check, background check, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee met to consider HB 2, the major school finance bill, with the chair explaining that the committee substitute would provide about $8 billion in new public education funding. The bill was described as including permanent teacher compensation increases, expanded teacher incentive allotment funding, support for early literacy and numeracy, teacher certification and residency pathways, special education funding, career and technical education, school safety dollars, and facilities support for charter schools. The committee adopted the committee substitute without objection after roll was called and a quorum was present. Members questioned the bill’s structure, especially the balance between across-the-board teacher pay and the teacher incentive allotment, the treatment of uncertified teachers, and differences in requirements between traditional public schools and charter schools. Senator Menendez and Senator West raised concerns about equity, charter-school parity, facilities funding, inflation, and whether the bill should include more support for fine arts and extracurricular programs. The chair responded that the bill was designed to direct most new money to traditional public schools while also preserving flexibility and that charter-school and public-school alignment would need further work. Invited witnesses Dr. Imelda De La Rosa and Val Acri testified in support of the bill, emphasizing that the Teacher Incentive Allotment helps recruit and retain teachers in rural districts and supports mentorship and certification pathways. Public witnesses also supported the bill but urged more funding for fine arts, local flexibility, and full restoration of House-proposed funding levels. Dr. Josh Jones supported year-long teacher residencies, Dr. Philip Morgan asked for more local control and restoration of fine arts funding, Rich Saina supported the bill but warned about hold-harmless reductions, and Dr. Greg Poole supported the bill while asking for flexibility for high-performing districts that already pay high salaries. After the invited testimony and some public testimony, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair so members could attend the Senate floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's often referred to as a collective impact organization.
• This bill's language could allow organizations far away from local communities kind of overriding their
• Removing local control undermines the ability of parents to advocate locally for what their children
• We didn't have the emergent bilingual staff that we needed.
• I'm the policy manager for Teach Plus Texas.

Bills: HB2

Keywords: disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license, volunteer management system, volunteer registration, criminal history check, background check, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Summary: The committee continued public testimony on House Bill 2, which would make major changes to public school funding, teacher pay, special education, early learning, school safety, and related programs. Many superintendents and education advocates supported the bill’s overall direction but urged changes, especially a larger basic allotment and more flexible funding for rural and small districts. Witnesses from Paint Creek, West Hardin, Cushing, Blooming Grove, Mildred, Buffalo, Plano, and rural school groups said the bill’s targeted raises and new requirements would not fully cover inflation, TRS/Medicare costs, transportation, insurance, or support staff salaries, and several asked the committee to restore the House version’s higher basic allotment and small-school allotment. Charter school representatives supported the facilities funding changes and said charter schools need state help because they cannot levy taxes, while also noting the funding gap with ISDs. Fine arts advocates asked the committee to restore the fine arts allotment, arguing arts improve engagement, attendance, and academic outcomes, especially in rural and at-risk communities. Early learning and special education witnesses supported parts of the bill but raised concerns about pre-K restrictions, disability-related pre-K access, and the need to preserve or clarify special education provisions and mental health oversight language. Several witnesses praised the teacher pay raise, teacher incentive allotment expansion, and teacher preparation investments, saying they would help recruit and retain educators and improve student outcomes. Others, including counselors and support staff advocates, argued the bill should also include raises for counselors, nurses, librarians, bus drivers, custodians, aides, and other non-teaching employees who keep schools running. One witness from the Texas Counseling Association opposed the substitute because it removed a counselor pay provision, warning of counselor shortages and inequities. A parent and special education advocate said the bill’s structure creates too many strings attached and asked for a larger basic allotment instead of more targeted funding. Another witness from Mental Health America urged keeping the collaborative task force on public school mental health services through 2031, and a disability rights advocate said the committee substitute appears to omit some special education items that were in the House version. The committee also briefly took up House Bill 6, a school discipline bill. After questions about automatic mandatory expulsion for vape possession and concerns about younger students, the committee adopted the substitute and voted to report HB 6 favorably to the full Senate by a 9-1 vote, with Senator Menendez voting no and Senators West and Menendez expressing reservations but supporting further discussion. After that vote, testimony on HB 2 resumed. Senators used the hearing to ask about the bill’s cost, the difference between the basic allotment and the bill’s targeted funding buckets, and whether the permanent teacher pay increase shifts pressure off districts. The bill’s supporters emphasized that it represents an historic, roughly $8 billion investment and that many of the new funding streams are intended to be permanent or to address specific district needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and the same thing down there on ONO, which is kind of part of our discussion locally.
• history lesson, um, three different professional staff... um, three different professional staff organizations

Bills: HB402, HB402

Keywords: rural impact, legislation, agriculture, school funding, transparency, data assessment, rural communities, land bank authority, property acquisition, tax-delinquent properties, real estate management, local government revenue, floodplain management, stormwater drainage, emergency powers, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• you a little bit about how the scholarship program would work and also the scholarship granting organizations
• and Alabama Department of Revenue would be required to submit an approved list of scholarship organizations
• </c><00:04:32.800><c> each</c> list of scholarship organizations each list of scholarship organizations
• </c><00:05:29.039><c> that</c><00:05:29.280><c> meet</c><00:05:29.520><c> the</c> granting organizations
• that meet the granting organizations that meet the requirements<00:05:30.240><c> under</c><00:05:30.560

Bills: HB342, HB342, HB168, HB220, SB187, SB270, SB265, SB220, SB242, SB277

Keywords: religious instruction, elective credit, released time, public education, school policy, tax credit, scholarship, education funding, financial aid, federal participation, HB168, Alabama, emergency management, local emergency management organization, mutual aid, mutual aid agreement, disaster response, public safety, public health, state emergency management plan

Transcript Highlights:

• know from at least two previous reporting requirements that I'm aware of that the vast majority of local
• ... that the vast majority of local governments report and do what they're supposed to do, but there
• Existing government, and I for one have been privy to the improper management.
• When you have interactions with the board, that board is going to be managed pretty uniformly.
• And so, um, they've either had a problem themselves or they've got management companies that have had

Bills: SB174, SB180, HB196, HB25, SB193, HB25

Keywords: business taxes, annual reports, Alabama Tax Tribunal, tax appeals, local government, media monitoring, government contracts, state agencies, local agencies, media regulations, transparency, juvenile detention, county management, legal procedures, juvenile justice, county commission, supervision, administration, emergency services, 911

Transcript Highlights:

• as an emergency manager coordinator.
• SB2 requires the implementation of the emergency management plans and drills by local, inter-jurisdictional
• emergency management agencies.
• To better equip the state and local emergency managers to make weather-related decisions, a meteorological
• Emergency managers weighing in on the 765 kV power lines.

Bills: HB1, HB 2, HB 3, HB 5, HB20, HB 22, HB 1, HB 2, HB 3, HB 5, HB 20, HB 22

Keywords: youth camps, emergency preparedness, safety standards, health regulations, camp licensing, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license

Transcript Highlights:

• Some local governments have reported that these insurance policy contracts.
• not to exceed one manager for every 11 employees.
• ratio of one manager for each 11 staff members.
• Small agencies that have less than 11 employees can still hire a manager.
• Technology and Management at Dallas Baptist University.

Bills: HB565, HB3743, HB4310, HB5083, HB5129, HB5195, HB5331, HB5469, SB21, HB3185, SB 21

Keywords: constitutional amendment, fiscal impact, state budget, ballot measure, transparency in voting, management-to-staff ratio, state agencies, employee regulations, government efficiency, workforce management, public information, governing board, transparency, confidentiality, access rights, privacy, identifying information, state agency, consent, occupational license

Transcript Highlights:

• You do utilize for-profit... management organizations, is that correct?
• management organization facility to manage the facility what is the charter organization you tell me
• So yes in education there are some for-profit management organizations there are also for-profit you
• Any ISDs that utilize for-profit management organizations to run their schools.
• to use local funds.

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• I know the budget climate is not the result of good luck or good management.
• Staff that. one emergency sends them into the red. And I feel like as professionals.
• our deaf and hard of hearing students who do not go to the regional day program, who stay in their local

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas Education Code that guarantees a minimum salary increase to each covered educator above their local
• But since that time, that happened—do you think that local schools have stopped prioritizing teacher
• She's currently doing that and she's working as the office manager at our school.
• That's a decision that local school districts make, and there is some language in this article of the
• I appreciate what your organization does. Thank you. Ms. Bhatia, you were talking about advising.

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• Correct my statement instead of saying, locally governed school.
• Especially for emergency issues, where I want to see the state agency let us know.
• Look through the process, I mean, and I would say it's some great local.
• If they have a local option homestead exemption, they just lose that revenue.
• Now, your organization, I guess, focuses a great deal on teacher compensation.

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• two words: emergency manager.
• without our emergency managers.
• He's our local emergency manager.
• He's our local emergency manager.<01:11:40.320><c> He</c><01:11:40.640><c> sleeps</c><01:11:41.120><c
• Emergency managers are members.

Bills: HF4072, HF3691, HF4613

Keywords: workforce development, journalism, local news, internships, media training, emergency management, essential employees, public safety, law enforcement, workforce, economic development, appropriation, Twin Cities Marathon, Explore Minnesota, grants, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• of local jobs that would be created?
• We're talking 60 to 75 percent of the local spend.
• Are there any local incentives that you plug into?
• So when you said there were locals hired, a lot of local cowboys and their horses, they pay for the horse
• Specifically, when we talk about local economies, the simple memory of me walking through a local Lothian

Bills: SB22, SB 22

Keywords: Texas, moving image industry, incentive program, film production, grant funding, job creation, economic development, youth camp, summer camp, camp safety, emergency operations plan, emergency preparedness, evacuation drill, camp staff training, volunteer training, camper safety, lost camper, natural disaster, fire safety, mass casualty

Bills: SB22, SB 22

Keywords: Texas, moving image industry, incentive program, film production, grant funding, job creation, economic development, youth camp, summer camp, camp safety, emergency operations plan, emergency preparedness, evacuation drill, camp staff training, volunteer training, camper safety, lost camper, natural disaster, fire safety, mass casualty