Comité Higher Education de la Cámara de Representantes, 23 de febrero de 2026

Transcripción

285 turnos. Seleccione un tiempo para reproducir ese momento del video.

1. 0:25:00

   Uh, ladies and gentlemen, we're, uh, we're hanging out just a little bit longer waiting for our chairman. He's on his way. So, uh, make yourselves comfortable and talk amongst yourselves.

2. 0:25:11

   Thank you.

3. 0:31:48

   Okay, ladies and gentlemen, if we'll go ahead and start settling in, we'll get, uh, the higher, House Higher Education man- meeting started in just a moment. I'll let the members settle in here. We have a number of bills on the agenda today. Um, we have a number of speakers on, on, uh, one in particular, 1363. We had the hearing on this bill last year. I just spoke with the author. It wasn't the chair's impression or, uh, intention to, uh, take a, a, a lot of additional test- testimony on that, that bill, um, but instead to bring that up today because in, in sound before the committee, um, what the, what the author of the bill had done.

4. 0:32:27

   So I'll, I'll instruct that further, uh, later. But, uh, uh, the speakers, uh, on that bill m- might consult with the author, uh, as we begin to settle in and get the committee, uh, ready to call to order.

5. 0:33:44

   Yes, ma'am, just let me... Well, let me go ahead and call this meeting to order. We, we, uh, have members here. Let me, let me, uh... I was looking down and saw a different bill number here. If I referred to a bill number earlier, I meant to refer to, uh, Representative Bell's Bill 206, is what we had had before, and that we had not planned to take a lot of testimony on, 'cause we had that bill up last year. My apologies. I see a number of people that signed up. This is our first, uh, hearing on 1363. So that, that was, uh... I just completely misspoke looking at, look- looking over at my list here.

6. 0:34:15

   So it, it's Representative, um, Bell's bill. And, and Representative Bell, I, I mentioned to you earlier that you had a lot of people signed up for it. You do have a few people for 206, but, uh, I just got the numbers, uh, backwards on that. So we will do that. We do have a number of bills to go through today. Um, we are in a position to, uh, uh, have a second hearing for this year on, on one of those. Uh, that would be 1293. The other items I want to let, uh, we'll go through, uh, quickly, uh, in the order here, um, to allow people to get to other, um, meetings.

7. 0:34:51

   And I'm gonna try to, to manage this and take, uh, best use of, of everyone's time, uh, in so doing as, as I also have to present a bill. But with that said, I wanna, uh, again thank everybody for coming and call this meeting to order. Um, we have six items, I believe, on the agenda today that we're gonna try to get through, uh, and do that as, as quickly as possible. Um, the first two items I would like to just sound today, uh, and I'll ask both the members to be brief in their, uh, presentation. But I would like to put them before the committee.

8. 0:35:22

   These are items we had last year. One of them, we moved out of the committee, House Bill 88, and we'll do that first. So if, Representative Barnes, if you want to tell us, uh, briefly about your, uh, your measure and, uh, we'll put it before the committee, and then we'll, uh, bring you back, um, at the will of the committee to, to move you forward on Wednesday. So Representative Barnes, you're recognized to, uh, present your, your item, HB 88. Press a button for me so I know which microphone you're at. Yes, ma'am.

9. 0:35:50

   Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, thank you, committee members. I bring to you HB 88. Uh, we passed this out of here, out of this committee last session. It's to provide student loan forgiveness for vet- veterinarian technicians. So we passed, uh, SB 20 last session as well, which gives lu- student loan forgiveness to veterinarians. And I'm asking for five $10,000 loans to help five lucky vet- vet techs, um, who would assist the veterinarians that we, uh, provided student loan forgiveness last session.

10. 0:36:33

    Thank you, Representative. And I, I also... Let me, let me... I don't know if this is the formal way to do that, but I am informed by, uh, the learned, uh, staff here that, uh, you too, uh, have a new title, and it would be, uh- ... most appropr- uh, most appropriate to recognize you as Doctor Representative or Representative Doctor, whichever the case may be. Congratulations.

11. 0:36:50

    That's right. Thank you. I appreciate it.

12. 0:36:51

    Congratulations. Good. That's very-

13. 0:36:54

    Thank you

14. 0:36:54

    ... well, well, well done and well deserved. Um, th- th- this is before us. Again, we have a substitute LC 610402S. I think the committee's familiar with this from last year. If you would just, uh, look this over, since it's, uh, it's, uh, uh, a tweak to the bill and, and we haven't, uh, seen it this year. I'm gonna ask the, the committee to look over that, and we'll be prepared on Wednesday, uh, to move that forward. If, uh, there's a question for the representative, um, please get with them before Wednesday. There's no further, uh, um, questions on that, we'll move on.

15. 0:37:28

    And I'm sorry, we do have, uh, number 15. Who is that? Uh, Chairman Dickey.

16. 0:37:31

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just, uh, want to call the, uh, committee's attention to the, um, uh, flyer you got from the Veterinary Association. I know I have met during the off-season, uh, with, um, uh, many of those in the veterinary industry, and it is definitely a, a shortage of these vet tech technicians throughout the state, especially in rural Georgia, trying to get, uh, veterinarians, uh, time, um, to practice large am- uh, animal, um, veterinary practice.

17. 0:38:02

    And, and, um, so, uh, there is definitely a, a, a shortage, and I appreciate the author, um, trying to do this.

18. 0:38:15

    Vice Chairman Committee.

19. 0:38:16

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, just a point of, uh, uh, clar- to clarify. Uh, it's, it's five at 30,000, right? 10,000 per year? Am, am I reading that right?

20. 0:38:30

    30,000 per person on line 35? You can get up to 30,000, so you can get 10 per year for three years. Okay. Five- And it's five, $10,000 for a total of 50,000. Per year. On an annual basis. On an annual basis, yes. Yeah. Thank you. But, but he was, he... I don't think he was, uh, taking exception with you. He was just pointing out that over, over time. Okay. Yes. Thank you for the clarification. All right. With, with that, we'll move forward. Um, Representative Bell, I'm gonna ask you, um, uh, and I'll set you up as you're headed to the microphone to, to help you be even, in, even more brief than, uh, you, you might normally be.

21. 0:39:01

    Representative Bell has brought us a, a proposition, and I believe I am, uh, fair to, to capture that, is you're, you're looking so that, um, uh, a, a minor offense would not cost someone their opportunity to continue to participate in the educational system. And I'm sorry Dr. Clark, it's right between you and I there. So I'm gonna slide over a little bit- No, it's fine ... and ma- be able to make eye contact. Um, that you, you've been working with us, uh, diligently to define the appropriate language on that, and I think we do need a little tweaking.

22. 0:39:31

    But with that, if you would just tell us, uh, real briefly about your measure as well. Uh, HB 206, uh, originally spun as a rep- a complete repeal of the Post-Drug Secondary Act of 1990. Uh, with the support of this body as well as the chairman, we have looked to redact that language and make it smaller, um, somewhere so succ- more succinct, um, to where that the Post-Secondary Drug Act would not be repealed. But if a student or individual or Georgian, uh, has a marijuana conviction that is for personal use, they will not s- they will not lose the HOPE Scholarship or eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship.

23. 0:40:08

    Um, while o- originally we're seeking the whole repeal, I understand that we're moving with wisdom, justice, and moderation, so this would be a moderate step in the right direction to put us in federal standings with the Pell Grant and FAFSA, as well as recently the National Health HHS, as well as the FDA, uh, with the urges of President Trump, has moved to do a reschedule of marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3. Um, additionally, this bill is about stronger families, stronger communities, and stronger, um, back, strong families, strong commun- and stronger communities.

24. 0:40:43

    When individuals have access to employment, that reduces recidivism, then it reduces desperation, and that reduces crime. Um, this puts people back to work and keeps them out of jail, where our criminal justice system is already seeing the, uh, weight of multiple arrests, the weight of repeated offenders. This helps individuals stay em- stay employed, get employed, and create stronger families for stronger communities to keep Georgia the number one place to do business. Um, thank you. And the, as you see in front of you, that is not the committee substitute.

25. 0:41:16

    Um, often, you know, these things get lost in translation when, um, putting forth the committee substitute, but I can follow up with Brittany and see where that has, um, specifically where we codified what personal use, marijuana for personal use is. Um, it should be on lines 41 and 42. Um, but the, I'm not sure why the committee substitute- That's, we- ... didn't make it. No. I, I can, yeah, I can say this. It w- the committee substitute that we should be dealing with is LC 492631s. I am just told it is in my folder, but it is not in, in some of the members' folder.

26. 0:41:47

    Um, and, and we were, as I told you earlier, we were working on that, uh, today. But I, I think that, um, it's fair to say what you're looking to do is to, to peel this back so that a, a single offense would not be the sole reason for an individual losing access to loans and the HOPE Scholarship. Yes, sir. Um, and, and it does say possession of marijuana for personal use. Um, if I could sound this, and then we'll go to questions. What I ha- have done is I've asked our friends down in, um, House Judiciary to help us with a further definition of that, because, um, personal use, um, i- is a bit subjective.

27. 0:42:23

    Um, and you, and, and I don't mean to make, be, be light about that. Mm-hmm. But you, you could have, um, you know, two units of something and, and they might, you might call it for your personal use and, and if you were arrested, they might say, "Well, you had one for you and a friend. That's not personal use." So i- the long and short of it, we're trying to get to an amount here. And, and again, that would be, um, that, that would not be the sole reason that you could, could do that. You have a, a couple of questions here. Is that you, number six? Dr. Clark. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

28. 0:42:54

    Um, and thank you so much for this bill. I think it's an amazing bill. I did wanna ask the chair if he could repeat the LC number. Um, I, I can do that. It's LC 492631s, but we will get that. And, you know, as we speak here, we'll, we'll, uh, have Brittany email that out. And, and I would tell you that we would have a tweak coming to that, um, just in the lines where it says for personal use. We're, we're either gonna define personal use or use a better definition, um, in, in those person- It, it would be the chair's, um, uh, preference to define personal use for this- Yes, sir ...

29. 0:43:30

    code section, because it's used in several occasions, rather than to, uh, repeat the language, uh, through multiple, uh, sections in the, in, um, state code. And- Yes, ma'am. Uh, a follow-up question, and I think it's actually answered here for me. So it's not just for cannabis use, right? It's for- Um, originally the bill was intent for any drug usage. Um, often students, while cannabis represents a s- significant number, students suffer from addiction ranging from cocaine, to methamphetamines, to psilocybin, to whatever that person may use.

30. 0:44:04

    Um, but moving with wisdom, justice, and moderation, our state motto, uh, if the chair sees fit that we move forward with marijuana for personal use. Just canna- cannabis only for- Yes ... for now. Um, okay. That answers my question. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Cannabis only for now. Representative. I'm sorry. Representative Stinson.

31. 0:44:23

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have more of a, a comment. I'm very impressed with the number of, uh, letters that we have here in support of this legislation. So, uh, thank you, Representative Bell, for your work on this. And, uh, and I do look forward to this legislation becoming law in Georgia, because as you stated, we are the number one state to do business.

32. 0:44:39

    Mm-hmm.

33. 0:44:39

    So we wanna keep that, uh, reputation going and ensure that our students can receive the education they deserve so they can become productive citizens and pay taxes in this state of Georgia. So thank you.

34. 0:44:49

    Thank you, Representative Stinson.

35. 0:44:51

    Uh, Representative, I see no more questions. We'll, we'll get you, uh, get you, uh, about some corrected language.

36. 0:44:58

    Mm-hmm.

37. 0:44:58

    And, uh, hope to have you back Wednesday.

38. 0:44:59

    All right. Thank you, Chairman.

39. 0:45:00

    Thank you.

40. 0:45:00

    And thank you, members of the committee.

41. 0:45:02

    Thank you. We're, we're gonna, um, go a bit, bit out of order here. I think we have, uh, the, our president of, of the University of North Georgia that has another, um, place that you have to be. Um, is Governor Flournoy here? Uh, Representative Wade, do you have somebody that's gonna come help you? Yes. If y'all would come forward and tell us about, uh, your Proposition 1328. Uh, this is our first look at that. Uh, we have a lot of things on the agenda, so I want you to be thoroughly brief, or briefly thorough.

42. 0:45:34

    Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

43. 0:45:38

    Encourage you, I should say. I would encourage you to be brief. Yes, sir. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Chairman, and I just wanna welcome, um, some friends from the University of North Georgia. We've got Dr. Michael Shannon, and we have Captain Trevor Holbrooks, um, with us. This is regarding the North Georgia Military Scholarship program. I appreciate Chairman Bonner, uh, bringing this to my attention and working with him, um, on this important issue. We're wanting to make some tweaks to, um, subpart of 5A, Part 3 of Article 7, uh, in Title 20.

44. 0:46:10

    You're working from LC61-0393. Just make sure everybody's got that. Um, it's just a couple of tweaks. Basically, I want the message to be this. We, as representatives, have an opportunity to help improve this program by highlighting that in every congressional district, we are the ones that nominate students to become Military Scholarship recipients. So you each individually have the opportunity to do that. And I think that many of us who have been serving for a few years, like myself, or even possibly some that have been serving many years, are not aware of that opportunity.

45. 0:46:46

    Um, you know, we have 14 congressional districts in Georgia, and they want to have the opportunity to receive a minimum of six and no more than 10 application referrals each year. Currently, there are about 149, um, folks in the program. I think there are 12 that are, uh, in, uh, the process of being added. Uh, the budget currently has about 3.7 million. We're currently spending about 3.4. This would expand to a maximum of 210, which would be 70% of what the, the university believes will be a, um, the target of 300 members, uh, of the corps, uh, to help, uh, with our modernization and expansion to serve the nation's, you know, leadership demands for our military.

46. 0:47:33

    So really, realistically, we're moving from not less than six and not more than 10 persons, which is on lines 16. And then if you notice in the code where we're gonna change lines 30 through 37, I'm not gonna read all of that to you. Just- But basically- I agree ... it will help the Army National Guard expand- Yes, sir ... for our readiness. So happy to answer any questions. Uh, you, you have a couple questions. I, I just w- wanted to, to say on this, this is, again, our first hearing and, and you do have a couple of questions. And I am, um, gonna have to step away to make a presentation to another committee.

47. 0:48:05

    I'll turn it over to, uh, the vice chairman of the committee, Carter Barrett. But on line 16, um,

48. 0:48:15

    I know why you went with a not less than six, 'cause it w- it used to be six. Um, but I, I would just, question is, to be not more than 10, um, it might, might be something you'd look at. I mean, if somebody didn't have six, you, you wouldn't do that. But that's, that's just a suggestion for you all to, to make the, the, the numbers correct. I'm, I'm happy to talk with them. Uh, but, but that, that's completely up to you. That's just an operations thing. We, we want you to get what you, you need to have for that. A- and with that, I'm gonna, uh, turn, um, give me just a second to consult with the, the vice chairman.

49. 0:48:48

    I'll turn it over to him. And my apologies, I'll be back straight away.

50. 0:49:38

    Okay, we have some questions at this time. Uh, Representative Burnough, number 12.

51. 0:49:44

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, this, I, I am well aware of your program since when I was elected, um, and I have recommended students for the program. And, um, I know that out of the three, I think two of them did graduate. However, um, it's, it appeared to be, for me, and this may be something you wanna look into, that some of our schools shifted there are ROTC programs.

52. 0:50:14

    And so, like in our county, um, some schools don't have it anymore. Um, I know in one school, that was my school, that, the person that was in charge of ROTC, he gave the names for the students, so I didn't get that opportunity. So I think that it also has to have some clarification from the district level and on the school level as to who is supposed to recommend those students, because like you said, I don't think a lot of people un- know that they're supposed to or that they have the ability to do it.

53. 0:50:48

    So I do think that, uh, with, um, school districts not having as many ROTC programs, that you may wanna find out who that person that's in charge that can relate that information so that those individuals will contact us.

54. 0:51:04

    Yes, ma'am. Great feedback.

55. 0:51:05

    Thank you.

56. 0:51:07

    Thank you.

57. 0:51:14

    Uh, Representative Glaize, number one.

58. 0:51:17

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you so much for bringing this bill. Um, I was a high school counselor, and so I used this bill, um, for a lots of my students who all of them graduated, so course I support this, um, bill in its essence and, and know how impl- it's implemented and how it really, really is helpful. What I do wanna ask is if there is not, um, three to six people f- from a particular district, and we fill that with students from another district, they're there for four years.

59. 0:51:51

    What happens the next year when maybe there's students from that district that can actually now take advantage of it? Is there, um, a difference in how many people can actually take advantage of it, or is this gonna be done annually?

60. 0:52:09

    Yes, ma'am. Well, the intent is to have a cohort model, a four-year model.

61. 0:52:12

    That's what I thought.

62. 0:52:13

    So that should shift, uh, much like the federal model, the way the, the service academies are, are managed. So, so absolutely. Uh, w- recognizing there may not be a, a qualified and/or interested student, but the following year if there are m- maybe there are four or five more, that model should allow... That's, that's what this is, uh, intended to do.

63. 0:52:32

    That's exactly what that does.

64. 0:52:33

    That's exactly what we're trying to do with this.

65. 0:52:35

    Thank you so much.

66. 0:52:36

    Yes, ma'am.

67. 0:52:36

    And I love the bill and at the proper time.

68. 0:52:39

    Thank you so much.

69. 0:52:47

    Next thing.

70. 0:52:50

    Representative Clark.

71. 0:52:53

    Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, to my friend, um, my question is just, uh, very simple. One, how did y'all choose the 210 number?

72. 0:53:01

    Sure.

73. 0:53:02

    And the follow-up to that would be, um, as it is currently appropriated now, would we need to add any additional funds to the budget if we maxed out on the number of scholarships this, or I guess for FY '27?

74. 0:53:17

    Yeah, so I'll answer the second part first. So the rough estimate, I'm not seeing, and Chairman Bonner's here, do we have a fiscal note yet? Okay. I, we have requested a fiscal note, but just in a rough estimate, talking with Student Finance, um, it would be about a $900,000 increase to what we currently have appropriated in the '27 budget, which is a little over 3.7 million. Currently, the number of active, uh, cadets are receiving about $3.4 million total, uh, in this current budget.

75. 0:53:48

    So there's a little bit of room for growth. Uh, going to 210 would probably grow that somewhere in the neighborhood of $4.7, $4.8 million total, uh, so about a $900,000 increase. And I'll let the president answer the question as to their recommendation for 210. Thank you, ma'am. Uh, it's a great question. We would like to not have the 210 number, uh, because, but that's simply the guardrail of 70% of the National Guard attachment. And so we're growing the National Guard attachment to 300 cadets.

76. 0:54:17

    Okay.

77. 0:54:17

    70% is the 210. So it was just the simple math. Uh, we also want to incentivize excellence, and we, uh, although we would love to have every cadet on a scholarship, we believe this allows us to select the best cadets for that program.

78. 0:54:31

    Thank you.

79. 0:54:31

    Yes, ma'am.

80. 0:54:32

    Thank you. Uh, Representative Moore.

81. 0:54:38

    Hello there. And thank you for bringing this bill. Um, I, like the chair, would like to know why, why is it a minimum of six? Can you explain that?

82. 0:54:49

    Um, I'll, I'll ta- take a stab, and if they've got any anecdotal evidence to provide, but typically what happens is, uh, oftentimes, I know one wa- said that she was a counselor, you may have three or four, and if you had it limited to that, two or three may end up having an opportunity to receive a different scholarship. They make a different choice later in their senior year. They may decide, you know, beginning of their senior year they wanna go into the military, and then they decide, "Well, I don't wanna do that." Or potentially they don't get through the rigorous process to become a cadet.

83. 0:55:20

    There may be something in their health, uh, that prevents them. So having a minimum of six gives them the opportunity to have a good pool of candidates for the program. And then, um, the reason that they think that they have a 10 cap is right now that would be putting about 140 applications a year to get the typical growth. I think this was a high, a high growth year. They have 45, um, recipients this year. That's not always the case, and I think, um, the captain indicated that two or three have actually dropped out of that, so it may only be a net of 42.

84. 0:55:50

    Just that's to help address, uh, the variability.

85. 0:55:53

    We don't have a minimum right now, do we?

86. 0:55:56

    I think the target is three to six currently, um, and this just sets the standard so that we can get, uh, more active. And I would argue part of the reason that we're bringing this bill, too, is to make the awareness to all of our colleagues, work with your local school system, uh-

87. 0:56:11

    especially if they have a JROTC in your district, most of us do have at least one, um, that will help you be a part of that, um, that process. Well, I've had the honor of, of nominating one this year, but not more than one. Um, I don't think that a lot of the schools know, and once we get this going, maybe it would be to my advantage or our advantage to send notice to the graduating coaches. But I just was worried about, um, that minimum number because you may only get one out of a school.

88. 0:56:45

    I would be concerned about that. Yeah, yes, ma'am. We'll- we'll- we'll- we'll consider that, and- and it's, I think it's the awareness, uh, of- of the program, uh, and this will give us that visibility, and so we appreciate it. Thank- thank you. Uh, and because we have a hard stop with this room at 2:00, we're gonna motor. Uh, Representative Barnes, you had a question? Um, really quick... Thank- thanks for bringing this bill, Chairman. Um, really quick question. On line 28 through 30, pretty much is there some type of criteria p- um, in place for the selection of the altern- alternate nominees?

89. 0:57:25

    So if it wasn't filled, um, do you just go pick a name out of a hat, or- or is there some criteria on how we pick someone outside of the cong- congressional district? I'll let them speak to the process if they... Then He- or we may have to bring up the head of recruitment. So- so yes, ma'am. The, it's the same criteria, but basically what it allows us to do is to go to another part of the state and pull from that sol- that list of qualified candidates. So that's what this does. It's, uh, it's from the qualified candidates across the entire state's...

90. 0:57:56

    Basically, we get a, we- we will have a, a longer list then and allow us to select. So how do you choose who you want off that list? Like, who- It's- it's the same. I mean, you wanna... Can Captain Holbrook? Yes, sir. Ma'am, there's a, there's a committee, um, that goes through, and after following interviews, they go through and rank each individual applicant. So it's- it's an order of merit list based off the committee votes. Um, and then obviously if- if in that district there is another individual in that district, we're gonna... That person, uh, we're gonna go to that person.

91. 0:58:29

    Uh, however, if we have to look outside that district, that's what we, that's what we go to. That answers my question. I appreciate this bill. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, is, uh, Chairman Bonner in the room? Chairman Bonner, you have the floor, sir. I think you had some- something you wanted to share. Well, thank, well, thank you, Chairman. And I appreciate y'all's time crunch, so I will be brief. But I just wanted to mention, this is something I don't think was, uh, was brought up necessarily, but University of North Georgia is second only to West Point in the number of Army officers that it's commissioned every year.

92. 0:59:04

    And for the state of Georgia, in particular our Georgia National Guard, University of North Georgia is the primary commissioning source. So we, we have a vested interest as a state, uh, to increase the number of folks that go to University of North Georgia under a, uh, scholarship of this type, that immediately upon commissioning enter into our Georgia Army National Guard and spend that time that they're paying back that scholarship in service to our state. So, uh, it is, it is not like other scholarships where students may go, like on a HOPE Scholarship or something else, and may or may not stay in the state after they graduate.

93. 0:59:39

    But this, uh, this scholarship ensures that the state of Georgia is gonna get a high rate of return for that investment. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Bonner. Uh, our- our chairman is about to rejoin us, it looks like imminently. Um, uh, would you, in- in a minute or less, describe the- the program as if I were an incoming student interested in the scholarship? 'Cause I think people don't know what a great thing it really is, and if they did, we would have people pouring into it.

94. 1:00:10

    I would love to have a scholarship recipient talk about that, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, uh, members of the committee. My name's Captain Trevor Holbrook. I'm currently the University of North Georgia National Guard Attachment Commander. Um, as Dr. Shannon mentioned, I was a recipient of the, um, Georgia Military Service Scholarship. Um, and I'd like to start by saying thank you. Uh, thank you for the opportunity to be able to pursue my service to my state and nation. It's one of my life's best blessings. Um, this is not a...

95. 1:00:42

    My- my story came from North Hall High School, graduated in 2011, where I received the scholarship and went to North Georgia. Um, and then you, I joined the Georgia Army National Guard, went through, thrived at University of North Georgia, and then commissioned into the Georgia Army National Guard as an engineer officer proudly. Um, and since then I've- I've been in service to the state and nation, um, work full time in the National Guard. Um, and- and that has just absolutely been an incredible, um, experience for me. But my story is the same as those that came before me.

96. 1:01:15

    My- my battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Craig Henderson, um, he was leading the front in this past Hurricane Helene response, um, going through and- and responding to our- our state's catastrophes. Um, deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan. I spent 2018, 2019 in Afghanistan. So we as Georgia Guardsmen are not s- just staying domestic. We are serving our nation OCONUS, and then serving our communities and our neighbors. Um, and proudly doing that. The majority of my peers, uh, they are still in, still well past that required, uh, repayment timeframe, and they're thriving in the civilian sector, whether it be in finance, engineering, um, all- all sectors of- of Georgia business.

97. 1:02:00

    And- and that is, that is very commonplace amongst these- these recipients. Um, I-

98. 1:02:05

    Notably, Chairman, I'd like to, I'd like to talk on, um, my role in the committee. I get to, at times, sit through some of the GMS interviews and-

99. 1:02:15

    Captain, I'm, I'm sorry. I, I, I would love... I mean, I don't-

100. 1:02:18

     Absolutely

101. 1:02:19

     ... I am gonna interrupt you. Just we have two or three more measures and 13 more minutes. If, if I can be so bold, I'd lo- I'd love to have you back if, if Wednesday won't, you know, when we bring it back or another time. But I'm, uh, gonna have to ask you-

102. 1:02:33

     Absolutely

103. 1:02:33

     ... if you would, to wind it up. It is... I don't mean to disrespect you, the university, and certainly not your uniform, but we, we just have to do that.

104. 1:02:41

     Understood, Mr. Chairman.

105. 1:02:41

     Yes, sir. You-

106. 1:02:42

     I'll leave it at thank you.

107. 1:02:45

     And that, ladies and gentlemen, while we're, we are proud of those that, that, that serve us. I thank you very much. Um, could, could you wave unless you-

108. 1:02:52

     No, I just wanted to thank you.

109. 1:02:53

     All right. Well, there you go. Thank you very much.

110. 1:02:54

     Thank you.

111. 1:02:56

     Um, to the governor's floor leader, we, we've got that. We- we're gonna move on now 'cause we do have-

112. 1:03:01

     Sure

113. 1:03:01

     ... uh, uh, two, three more things that we have to do. I, I, uh, have multiple people. I'm, I'm getting the eye out there. Thank you very much.

114. 1:03:08

     Thank you.

115. 1:03:08

     Thank you, Mr. President. We'll, we'll get you right back if you have anything you need to change. Uh, there's two of you sitting beside each other. I know you need to go, Chairman Silcox. I'm gonna, uh... But y'all can both come at the same time. Um, Representative Rice, you come up here. I'm gonna give you about a minute to tell us about yours, 'cause we're gonna have you back on Wednesday.

116. 1:03:26

     Can I let her go ahead?

117. 1:03:27

     You, you can. It's just gonna... But we're probably not gonna get to you then. I mean, we got thir- we've got 13 minutes. If you just wanna sound yours in a minute and we're gonna have you... 'Cause this is gonna get the, this is gonna get you your first hearing, so we'll be ready to take action, um, when we bring you back. So I think I know what you're trying to do here with the workforce. Um, yes, ma'am?

118. 1:03:48

     I-

119. 1:03:48

     Tell us, tell us about 1345.

120. 1:03:50

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, so Chairman and committee members, House Bill 1345 positions Georgia to implement the new Workforce Pell Grant Program made possible through federal workforce and education investments included in the Big Beautiful Bill. The legislation establishes a clear state approval process so Georgia can access and deploy these federal funds to strengthen our workforce and expand opportunity for Georgians seeking career pathways outside of traditional degree programs. The federal government created the funding opportunity, but House Bill 1345 keeps the program approval and oversight at the state level.

121. 1:04:27

     So 1345 aligns Georgia law with expanded federal grant eligibility that now allows students and working adults to use federal financial aid for short-term workforce training programs. These funds are specifically designed for non-credit industry, recognized certification programs that meet verified employer and indust- industry workforce needs. The intent of the bill is, is simple: create a clear, accountable process so qualified training providers can receive Workforce Pell Grant funding and connect Georgians directly to jobs, placements, and higher wages.

122. 1:05:03

     So, um, the, the Workforce Pell Grant fu- funds short-term, high-quality workforce training programs typically last weeks or months rather than years. These programs focus on high-demand industries as identified by the governor and the State Workforce Development Board. Programs industry recognize credentials aligned directly with employer hiring needs and are designed especially for low-income students and individuals seeking lapil- rapid workforce industry through non-college par- uh, pathways.

123. 1:05:34

     So the accountability standards for these, uh, providers will, they have to be in operation for one year prior to approval. They have to demonstrate a minimum of 70% completion rate of the program, and they achieve a 75... 70% job placement. Produce earning outcomes where graduates wi- reach wages have to be at least 150% above the federal poverty level, plus the cost of the training of the program. So why it matters, it, it brings fe- new federal workforce funding from the Big Beautiful Bill to Georgia.

124. 1:06:07

     It expands access to rapid job-focused training opportunities, helps employers fill critical work shortages, and ensures that Georgia does not leave federal dollars on the table. So in closing, Workforce Pell Grants provide a direct pathway for individuals to gain industry creden- credentials in our high-demand careers quickly and achieve wages above poverty thresholds. By establishing a clear state framework, 1345 allows Georgia institutions and workforce providers to access federally funded Workforce Pell Grants, accelerating workforce entry, increasing earnings potential, and supporting economic growth across our state.

125. 1:06:46

     House Bill 1345 represents a significant opportunity to leverage federal resources, strengthen Georgia's workforce pipeline, and expand access to career-ready training aligned with em- employer demand. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I respectfully ask for your favorable consideration of House Bill 1345.

126. 1:07:05

     Thank you. Thank you, Representative. You, you have a couple of questions, but we're gonna... The, the, uh, representatives have, have, um, waived those till, till we see you again on Wednesday, and they may see you on the floor, uh, Whip Park and, and, uh, Dr. Clark. Thank you for the presentation. We just wanted to get you in because the bill, uh, came in late and we're running out of d- days before crossover, so you will be back on Wednesday and available for action on Wednesday.

127. 1:07:28

     Okay. Thank you.

128. 1:07:29

     Uh, with that, uh, House Bill 1363, uh, Chairman Silcox. Um, and, and it's clear to me, uh, as the, the, the chair comes to present the, the measure, we have a number of speakers on the bill. We probably, uh... I'm told we have to give up the room at 2:00, um, so we may not get to all speakers. If we don't, we will, uh, carry it over to Wednesday. You have the floor.

129. 1:07:53

     Thank you. Um, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for hearing this bill today. I greatly appreciate it. I am due in the education subcommittee on another bill at 2:00, so I will be very brief. Um, this bill is, um, brought to us by the Georgia Solidarity Network. Um, Mr. Jeremy Berry is here on behalf of them. And the bill basically is to extend civil rights protections to, um, to people not only under Title IX in our schools but also in Title VI.

130. 1:08:24

     In Title VI, of course- Um, cl- includes specifically race, religion, that is all religions, um, creed, or national origin. And so this is an, this is a position that already exists, um, at least in our university systems. Um, but it gives people, it gives, it gives someone with a discrimination claim a place to go, because right now they don't know where to go. They don't know whether to call the police, they don't know where, they don't know where to go.

131. 1:08:54

     Um, and so this would just ask the Title IV person to take on additional res- responsibility, and I'm gonna turn it over to Jeremy.

132. 1:09:03

     Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and committee members. Um, my name is Jeremy Berry, and I'm here on behalf of the Georgia Solidarity Network, which is a bipartisan organization that focuses on issues of antisemitism, among others. I- I'll be brief in my remarks today. I wanna thank the sponsors of this bill, Representative Silcox, Leader Efstathios, Representatives Panitch, Fleming, and Carson. Recently, a sixth grader in Cobb County received an anonymous note in his locker with a threat and a slur that said, "Kill yourself, kike." The student's parents went to the school administrator, who said, "Oh, that's awful, and if it happens again, let us know." The kid was reluctant to return to school because the school le- leaders didn't wanna be bothered with his safety.

133. 1:09:45

     Now, however, the Federal Office of Civil Rights is currently investigating the Cobb County Schools as a result of this matter. Many school districts are not equipped with how to deal with issues of antisemitism. A 2024 report said 35% of Jewish college students experience antisemitism during their time on campus. Another report said the number of antisemitic incidents on campus has increased 27%. Only 12% of students surveyed felt that reported incidents were properly addressed by their institutions.

134. 1:10:16

     A- again, in the interest of time, I- I'll, I'll be succinct, but suffice to say, many school districts do not, though they do a great job of educating kids, do not know how to deal with issues of discrimination, of antisemitism, of racism. The federal law under Title VI provides ample protection for groups that are experiencing illegal discrimination and unlawful harassment in our public school systems. What we found in practice, though, is that they're not well understood, consistently enforced, and sufficiently reported.

135. 1:10:46

     A statewide Title VI coordinator is the solution to help protect the civil rights that are already afforded administrators, employees, and students. What we're trying to do is to have a single coordinator for the K-12 system. This is not creating a new job. It is assigning a responsibility to an existing person so that we can have uniformity across the state, we can see trends in the various school systems, and we can address issues properly, because unfortunately, many school systems are not equipped to handle these. Thank you.

136. 1:11:18

     Thank you very much. Um, and we, we did have a question. Uh, Dr. Clark, did you wanna ask the a- author a question?

137. 1:11:25

     Yeah. Um, it's quick. Um, thank you so much, and thank you for your, uh, testimony. Uh, my question has to do with the overlap between, um, federal Title VI protections and what this bill is seeking to do, and I notice on the federal level, there are already protections against race, ethnicity, and national origin. But this bill also adds disability, religion, and marital status as well. Um, or maybe, is it?

138. 1:11:55

     I think that's right. Um, is there a reason why this bill is seeking to go beyond what Title VI does, and is there any concern that this coordinator will now have double the amount of work, since they have to deal with quite a bit more than what the federal level is dealing with?

139. 1:12:13

     Uh, well, I guess I just wanna understand your question. Are you saying those groups should not be protected? Or-

140. 1:12:18

     I'm just asking because this is, y'all, y'all said this is to bring Title VI protections, but currently Title VI protection is race, ethnicity, and national origin, not disability, religion, and marital status. So is it your-

141. 1:12:31

     Well, those are already-

142. 1:12:32

     ... intent-

143. 1:12:32

     ... I think, covered under various federal laws that may or may not be able to be, uh, handled at the school level. So that's, again, one person sort of handling all of those. The, the, the, I think you're referring to line 23, and that's just a restatement of the law, the current law. I think you're looking at LC65-0073, referring to lines 23 and 24, and that's just restating the law. That's, we're not trying to expand civil rights by any stretch.

144. 1:13:00

     Mm-hmm.

145. 1:13:01

     Uh, the timeout. Chair's gonna call timeout and say you, you're referring to zero, 65-0073. We don't have that. The bill we were given was 650065. So I mean, that-

146. 1:13:15

     Well, that, uh, the-

147. 1:13:16

     No, I think-

148. 1:13:16

     I think that issue, yeah, no, understood. But-

149. 1:13:18

     No, I'm just saying. I d- just w- just wanna get the, the right bill in front of the right, the, the, the committee. That's not to say-

150. 1:13:23

     Understood

151. 1:13:23

     ... e- either of you are-

152. 1:13:24

     And I just wanna point out, um, for a point of clarification, you're talking about definitions. Also in section two it is, um, laid out, and it just, the way I'm reading this bill, this Title VI coordinator would be responsible for handling all of these categories, not just the ones that a Title VI pers-, u- um, officer would handle at the federal level.

153. 1:13:46

     The legislat- again, the version I'm looking at, I assume the prior version as well, says that the Title VI coordinator shall receive, document, and investigate complaints of discrimination, harassment occurring in any public school in this state and prepare written findings. Um, and again, it's, the, this is also saying that the Department of Ed designates a coordinator who monitors complaints of discrimination under Title VI, uh, and other applicable federal and state non-discrimination laws, rules, and regs.

154. 1:14:15

     Okay. Thank you.

155. 1:14:15

     Um, a- and again, do you, your LC that you're reading from is LC65-0073?

156. 1:14:22

     Yes, sir.

157. 1:14:22

     Okay. The, the, um, I'm gonna move us forward if, if the whip will allow. We're not gonna, um, re- Oh, we have some folks here that, that wanna testify on the bill. We clearly have some, um, we gotta get on the same page, 'cause if that's 65-0073 and it does have an S on it, it wasn't written as a sub for this bill. That was another draft bill.

158. 1:14:42

     Maybe that was a prior version. I'm worried.

159. 1:14:44

     Right, and we could, we could be apples and oranges here. I mean-

160. 1:14:47

     I understand

161. 1:14:47

     ... that doesn't make you wrong or right. It's just, it's just we're not on the same page.

162. 1:14:50

     I think the answers would remain the same, but your point is well taken.

163. 1:14:52

     I, I-

164. 1:14:52

     We could be on the same page.

165. 1:14:52

     Right. I mean, we just... Yeah, it's-

166. 1:14:54

     Yeah

167. 1:14:54

     ... there, there's gonna be some questions. So if, if we could do that, I have a lot of people that signed up for this. We have just a couple. Well, we actually have no minutes left. Um-

168. 1:15:04

     I've got another bill downstairs-

169. 1:15:05

     Yeah, well, I-

170. 1:15:06

     ... Mr. Silcox

171. 1:15:06

     ... well, I'm, I'm gonna do this. I'm, I'm gonna apologize to those that came to speak and, and Re- Representative Panitch, you, you, uh, signed on the bill and, and I was gonna actually go to all them before I came to you, 'cause you're here every day. But I'm gonna ask you all to, to come back on Wednesday so we can do this. This is obviously a, a very important issue. It's important to the committee. It's important to the State of Georgia, and it's important to the people, um, uh, of Georgia that it impacts. So if I can, I'm gonna, um, you know, set this and we'll, we'll have it back for the committee. We'll make sure, uh... If you would, uh, Representative Panitch, work with, um, Chairman Silcox and m- make sure we have the, the language you wish us to address.

172. 1:15:41

     And if the whip would agree with me on that, we'll, we'll, we'll set this aside and we'll bring it back for a first hearing and testimony on Wednesday, and we'll, we'll get, we'll get things moving along. Because I think the Pro Tem has joined us, and I need to, uh, hear, hear 1293 if, if, uh, Representative Jones is here. I thank you-

173. 1:15:57

     Thank you

174. 1:15:57

     ... Ed, for bringing that to us. Is that okay, Dr. Clark? You, you agree with us that we'll, we'll get 'em back, get on the right page? Thank you very much. With, with that, we'll move, move on from 1360. My apologies to those that came to speak. I promise you, you will get, uh, you'll get your opportunity to do that on Wednesday. Thank you. Um, Representative Jones is here?

175. 1:16:17

     Yes, there you are. Huh? Yes, ma'am.

176. 1:16:22

     All right. I think I'll-

177. 1:16:23

     It, it-

178. 1:16:26

     ... hopefully be...

179. 1:16:30

     Oh, I do have this to hand out. Take it away.

180. 1:16:34

     Yes, ma'am.

181. 1:16:41

     I hate it when that happens. To be honest.

182. 1:16:47

     For those of you who were-

183. 1:16:48

     I think you're right. I mean, it, I don't think that-

184. 1:16:49

     Was that a subcommittee? Maybe that was committee meeting. It was a committee. Yeah, we're all together. Okay.

185. 1:16:54

     Yeah. Basically just remember everything I was talking about-

186. 1:16:57

     That's better. That's better

187. 1:16:59

     ... that they're gonna do. He's gonna say TCSU's gonna keep an open agenda.

188. 1:17:02

     Fired up today.

189. 1:17:03

     I think we went and made it better. Yeah.

190. 1:17:05

     Y'all are fired up? Okay.

191. 1:17:06

     Yeah.

192. 1:17:06

     That's good. I guess that's good.

193. 1:17:08

     Let's go.

194. 1:17:09

     Thank you.

195. 1:17:10

     Um, to the Speaker Pro Tem, I'm gonna recognize you to present the-

196. 1:17:14

     Thank you

197. 1:17:14

     ... um, the language. And I know we're, we're just, uh, passing out your sub right now, so, um, let- let's get, uh-

198. 1:17:20

     Oh, okay. This is the sub. Okay.

199. 1:17:22

     Oh, is that... No, you were, you were, you were passing out. I thought you were passing out a sub. No, we have-

200. 1:17:26

     No. No. I sent it out. Yeah

201. 1:17:27

     ... we... Okay, we have, you have the sub in your package. Uh, you have the sub. I thought the Pro Tem had another-

202. 1:17:32

     Yeah

203. 1:17:32

     ... another version of it.

204. 1:17:33

     Yeah.

205. 1:17:33

     So, all right. Please, go. You have the floor.

206. 1:17:34

     Members of the committee, um, for those of you who were at the last committee meeting, there were a number of questions. And in light of the questions, and to be honest, I had grappled with some of the same issues, I made some changes. And so I wanted, uh... But before I do, I, I did wanna... I, I'm handi- I just didn't have time to edit or anything, just sending you what I re- re- uh, got from DOE. The question was, how many of these completion school sites are there to, that students who are, have dropped out or at risk of dropping out can attend in the state?

207. 1:18:09

     So right now there are 57 sites, uh, l- like physical locations where students from their regions can attend, and I attached where they are on the, in the, uh, uh, on the map. And that does not include, um, the, uh, either two, two of them that are opening imminently, and that n- there would be no changes to current law until, for a couple years, when they will have opened.

208. 1:18:42

     And that would be the Columbus area and the Macon area. But I didn't even realize there were so many. But there are 57 sites in the four regions that have opened, and more are opening for... If, if you look at the memo I attached for you, uh, Discovery, uh, which is, uh, down in the, the Albany area, and it has opened, they're planning or they're talking to, um, putting one at ABAC, um, and also, um, with, uh, some other partnerships as well.

209. 1:19:19

     So they're, they're kinda spreading all over the state, to be honest. What we were referring to, that there were questions about, are the five locations through the technical system, uh, technical school system, where students who are 16 and 17, in addition to 18 through 22, can attend to get their high school degree. And I wanted to demonstrate, we have many more sites that are available to students now, with many more coming online in the next couple years. The changes that I made, and the only changes in the bill, uh, are lines 193 through, um...

210. 1:19:59

     Well, the, the pertinent changes are 193 through 200. So the change I made is... 'Cause I, I have had a concern about this, and y'all pointed it out. If you're not going to have one of these completion school consortiums anytime soo- soon, are we taking something away from you? And the truth is, we would have. So I've made it that until or if you ever get one of these completion school consortiums in place, and I've talked with, uh, Technical School System of Georgia, they've agreed they will continue to offer it.

211. 1:20:35

     It's two locations right now in the Atlanta ar- one's in Atlanta Tech and one is at Chattahoochee Tech in Marietta. So those two would continue to offer services, uh- Indefinitely. And, um, but what the rest of the bill would allow TCSG to hone their focus in areas that frankly are better served through these completion schools, but hone their focus and extend, expand, not in five locations, but statewide to offer, um, classes so that students who are 18 to 22 could complete their high school degree at a technical college while working on certifications or other training.

212. 1:21:23

     Uh, the wraparound services would specifically be related to time management counseling, 'cause remember, these are students that have, have dropped out. So it didn't work for them before. Just for whatever reason, th- the services are designed to help them get back on track and, uh, get a high school degree and get some training. And with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

213. 1:21:48

     Thank you, Madam. I think the only other change, um, Madam Pro Tem, was that we moved it up to, to 28, because since you were given the latitude for the, the schools, we, we moved the, the date from 29 to 28.

214. 1:21:59

     I had done that last time.

215. 1:22:00

     You had done that last time.

216. 1:22:00

     Yeah, I did.

217. 1:22:01

     Okay. I- I-

218. 1:22:01

     Yeah

219. 1:22:01

     ... couldn't recall. Yes, ma'am. Thank-

220. 1:22:02

     Yeah

221. 1:22:03

     ... thank you very much. So that, that, that is the changes. You ha- you had a couple of questions.

222. 1:22:07

     Sure.

223. 1:22:07

     Uh, number, number 28. Um-

224. 1:22:09

     I'm when...

225. 1:22:10

     Well, we're not, we're not quite there. I know you're, you're ready, but we're, we're- Yes, yes. Uh, Dr. Clark.

226. 1:22:16

     Um, thank you, Mr. Chair. And I just wanna say thank you for-

227. 1:22:18

     Sure

228. 1:22:18

     ... considering some of the concerns that I had in the last committee. I do think that this current change does address something that was giving me a little bit of heartburn. So I just wanna-

229. 1:22:27

     And it gave me-

230. 1:22:27

     ... say that

231. 1:22:27

     ... heartburn. I appreciated y'all kind of put, making that, making me aware that my concerns were valid, too, and I just had not, uh... I was kind of forging ahead, and it's like, we don't, we don't have to do everything at once.

232. 1:22:41

     Thank you.

233. 1:22:42

     Thank you.

234. 1:22:42

     Whitt Park.

235. 1:22:44

     Mr. Chairman. Um, uh, Madam Pro Tem, thank you for the changes at the appropriate time. I'd happy, I'd be happy to second the motion from Chairman Carpenter.

236. 1:22:51

     We're, we're, we're one question away from that. Yes, ma'am.

237. 1:22:54

     And the one question is a good question, so thank you again-

238. 1:22:56

     Yeah

239. 1:22:56

     ... Pro Tem, for bringing this. Um, in line 64 and 65, would that preclude... It's a, it's striking, um, stricken in this, um, part of, of the bill. Would the QBE formula earnings for, um, poverty weight be also included for these students when and if it's funded? I, I just saw that it's pr- got-

240. 1:23:21

     So... Let me share my screen. Department of Education. So...

241. 1:23:32

     I, I be- I believe, Madam Pro Tem-

242. 1:23:34

     Yeah

243. 1:23:34

     ... isn't, isn't that where you're, you're, you're resetting the way that, that, that's being, uh, budgeted in the, in the-

244. 1:23:40

     So-

245. 1:23:40

     ... fur- further back in the bill, correct?

246. 1:23:41

     Well, at, well, and, and at the last iteration, like, I guess it was last year, it was, they, they were thinking that this, they were going to lead that program, but only in those five locations. I'm taking it back to before last year, where it's QBE funding, and it's why in another section of the bill, we have to add, uh, a new funding weight to give these kids counseling and the other things that they would have gotten in QBE.

247. 1:24:12

     So-

248. 1:24:12

     And so that will be determined over the next year by the de- by the department.

249. 1:24:17

     That's exactly why I was asking-

250. 1:24:18

     Thank you. Yeah

251. 1:24:19

     ... to see if that weight-

252. 1:24:20

     I had to go think about it for a minute

253. 1:24:20

     ... would be supportive of the wraparound-

254. 1:24:22

     That's right

255. 1:24:23

     ... services. Um, if it's QBE poverty weight-

256. 1:24:26

     Right

257. 1:24:27

     ... that that money can follow that child to those schools-

258. 1:24:29

     Right

259. 1:24:29

     ... so that they can get those wraparound services.

260. 1:24:31

     That's right.

261. 1:24:32

     Okay. Thank you so kindly.

262. 1:24:35

     Thank you.

263. 1:24:35

     Ma- Ma- Madam Pro Tem, you guys, like, have exhausted all the questions. That's hard to do on this committee, um-

264. 1:24:40

     Well-

265. 1:24:40

     ... late in the afternoon

266. 1:24:40

     ... well, they were all last, last week.

267. 1:24:41

     No, they, they did. Uh-

268. 1:24:42

     So

269. 1:24:42

     ... I appreciate the members-

270. 1:24:44

     We got 'em all last week, and thank you-

271. 1:24:45

     Appreciate-

272. 1:24:46

     ... to today

273. 1:24:46

     ... you working with our members on that. With that, we are at the appropriate time. We have before us, uh, LC 610425S. It's available for consideration before the committee. What's the pleasure of the, uh, committee on that?

274. 1:24:58

     Move do pass.

275. 1:24:59

     I have a motion do pass and second from, uh, motion by Chairman Carpenter, second by Whip Park. LC 610425S, is there discussion? Discussion? Hearing no discussion, all those in favor say aye.

276. 1:25:12

     Aye.

277. 1:25:12

     Aye.

278. 1:25:12

     Any opposed, no. You move on to Rules with a do pass recommendation.

279. 1:25:16

     Well, thank you.

280. 1:25:17

     Thank you.

281. 1:25:17

     Thank you.

282. 1:25:17

     Thank you, Madam Pro Tem. Um-

283. 1:25:19

     You forgot to pound the gavel.

284. 1:25:19

     Yeah, I did. Yes. Uh, uh, Representative says... I thank everyone else. Uh, again, uh, apologies for the, the tough, uh, uh, schedule today. Thank you, everyone. We will meet again Wednesday at 1:00. Um, no further business for the committee. We'll stand adjourned without objection, and we are adjourned.

285. 1:25:44

     Yeah.