Gov. Kevin Stitt signed his first bill of the 2020 session Monday, a measure requiring the State Department of Education to list on its website all accrediting associations approved by the State Board of Education to take part in the Lindsey Nichole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program, and issued a signing statement to accompany his action on the measure.

HB1230, by Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, and Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, was carried-over from the 2019 legislative session. It passed the House originally 94-0 March 13 and was amended in the Senate Education Committee on April 9. The Senate passed the bill 41-0 on April 22, but the bill's Senate amendments were not taken up by the House before the Legislature adjourned the 2019 session sine die.

The House accepted the Senate amendments Feb. 18 and passed the bill 68-17, which allowed it to be the first measure sent to Stitt for his consideration.

In an executive order issued in conjunction with the bill's signing, Stitt wrote, "HB1230is intended to increase transparency but may lead to the unintentional release of confidential student information in violation of state and federal law.

"To ensure clarity in the implementation of HB1230 and to provide guidance for the Department of Education, I declare that it is my intent that no confidential student information be released through compliance with and implementation of HB1230. Additionally, under no circumstances shall information be released that would allow public identification of individual children attending specific schools," the governor added.

The bill lacks an effective date and an emergency clause. It will take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die.