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SAI Weekly Legislative Update – February 14, 2025
This marked Week 5 of the Legislative Session, and once again, a significant number of education-related bills were in motion, with even more introduced that will require our attention next week.
There was movement on the SSA front. On Tuesday the Senate passed their 2% SSA bill, SF 167, and it passed 29-18. On Thursday, the House took that bill and amended it with their language from HSB 138 that included several other items that were shared with you last week. That passed the House, 58-35, and is now back to the Senate.
While none of the proposals were all of what we were looking for, it was apparent early on that they simply were not going to set SSA at an acceptable rate, so the House version was the best that we had. It remains to be seen what it will look like in the end. We do appreciate that they are trying to get this done early in the session.
Both Education Committees met and passed several bills out to the floor for potential debate. Here are the more important ones.
House Education Committee:
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HF 33 – AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: Establishes a grant program in the DOE for agricultural education. (PASSED 23-0.)
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HF 120 – YEAR-ROUND HIGH SCHOOL: Authorizes public and private high schools to apply to the DOE to offer year-round classes. (PASSED 23-0.)
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HF 136 – MEASURING SCHOOL DROPOUTS: Does not count the second drop out in school performance measures of a student who drops out, returns to school, and drops out again. (PASSED 23-0.)
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HF 186 – CHILD ABUSE AT SCHOOLS: Requires Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the DOE, to adopt rules for school boards on procedures for handling child abuse reports. Requires employees who are the subject of an on-going child abuse investigation to be put on administrative leave. (PASSED 23-0.)
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HSB 34 – PREGNANCY EDUCATION: Requires that Human Growth and Development courses include instruction on pregnancy and fetal development, including videos showing the development in the womb. (PASSED 16-7.)
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HSB 107 – SCHOOL BUS DRIVER TRAINING: An attempt to clarify and minimize the training requirements for bus drivers. (PASSED 23-0.)
Senate Education Committee:
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SF 61 – ROBOTICS: Creates sponsored HS robotics competitions. (PASSED 16-0.)
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SF 141 – SCHOOL SPORTS ENTRY FEES: Requires public schools to accept legal tender for entry into HS events. (PASSED 16-0.)
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SSB 1066 – DEFINING GROOMING BEHAVIOR: Adds new definition of grooming. (PASSED 13-3.)
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SSB 1077 – SCHOOL ABSENCES: Requires the DOE to develop, in consultation with county attorneys, a model policy on enforcing truancy provisions. Adds activities to the excused absences from school, including for military entrance purposes and to attend weddings. Adds additional ways to contact the parent of a chronically absent student. Requires school officials to use the school engagement process for students who are absent more than 15% of the time in a grading period if the official determines that the work of the student has suffered. (PASSED 16–0.)
There were also numerous subcommittees, some of which are listed below, and you can view here by typing in the bill number in the “Bills” box, then clicking on the magnifying glass.
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HF 149 – Redefines bullying and harassment.
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HF 102 – Requires seizure training for all staff.
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SF 34 – Requires 30 consecutive minutes of physical activity for elementary students.
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HSB 105 – Deals with charter school students and concurrent enrollment.
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HF 122 – Allows operational sharing for SROs with a weighted count of five.
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HSB 106 – Cell phone and device bill. (Governor’s bill.)
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HSB 84 – Would prohibit any instruction in grades 7-12 on gender identity or sexual orientation.
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HSB 157 – Allows for equity in dropout prevention funding; has several conditions.
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SF 138 – Allows religious scripture in a social studies class.
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HF 204 – Allows robotics as a sponsored activity.
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SF 177 – Concerns public records in a school and the availability to access.
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SF 204 – Expansion of home school rules.
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HF 220 – Allows 8th graders to participate in athletics.
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HF 150 – Prohibits standards-based grading in grades 6-12.
This is not all but most of the subcommittees from this week. These bills were released as well but have not had a subcommittee, yet. All are Governor’s bills.
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SSB 1092 – Math Counts: Similar to reading initiative with improvement plans. It also includes passing a required Civics test for graduates.
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SSB 1100 – Governor’s Omnibus bill: This has several good things in it that we mostly favor.
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HSB 145 – Preschool/Child Care: We are looking for clarification on what this bill expects and offers… more to come.
Final Thought
While some of these bills might give you heartburn if they become law, keep focused on your role as an educational leader. You provide guidance and support for the staff in your buildings as they educate our kids, and you communicate and positively influence your community. Use your skills and tools to the best of your ability. Be a great leader.
Have a great weekend.
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