DAY 28 The activities under the Gold Dome are shifting from the work of many committees to the Rules committee and the full House and Senate floor for votes on bills to move on to the other chambers. On Friday, The Senate Education Appropriations met to hear a presentation of the FY16 budget from the Department of Education. The Senate appropriations committee is scheduled to have it work completed on the budget by March 20th. Monday, March 9, 2015 The Full House passed HB296,
scholarship program; special needs students, expand eligibility for refugee
students; this bill will now move on to the Senate for debate and consideration
in the last ten days of the session. The Full Senate passed SB132
"Quality Basic Education Act"; Move on When
Ready program for high school students to attend post-secondary schools and
SB156
which authorizes the State Charter School Commission
to incorporate a nonprofit foundation to be designated the State Charter
Schools Foundation for the sole purpose of actively seeking supplemental
revenue and in-kind goods, services, and property to promote state charter
schools and any other purpose of the commission. The House Education Committee met to hear:HR4,
allowing municipalities to establish, by local law, an independent school
system Passed HR394,
sales and use tax; distribution of the proceeds for educational purpose between
a county school system and one or more independent school systems; Passed HB502 Title 20 Clean Up bill was amended to remove grades 1 – 2 from testing. Passed as amended Each of these bills will move to the House Rules Committee for consideration. This is scheduled to be the last meeting of the House Education meeting before crossover. The Ways and Means subcommittee and full Ways and Means
committee had hearings on HB243. The bill received a do pass from both
committees. The recent amendment made K
and 1st graders not eligible for this voucher. This voucher bill now moves on to the Rules
committee for consideration to possibly be on the full House calendar either
Wednesday or Friday. Funds can only be
used in Private schools. Please contact your delegation to discuss how
this voucher bill would affect your system. The calendar for the House that was set for Wednesday, March 11, 2015 does not have any Education bills that we have been following. However HB16 may be brought up from the supplemental calendar that was not taken up on Monday. The Senate Calendar for Wednesday contains one educational bill.SB164
provides for positive
behavioral interventions and supports and response to intervention initiatives. Both the House and Senate may have supplemental calendars on Wednesday. The legislators will return to the Gold Dome this week on the following schedule: Tuesday, March 10th in adjournment Wednesday, March 11th Legislative day 29 convenes Thursday, March 12th in adjournment Friday, March 13th Legislative day 30 convenes – Crossover Day Saturday, March 14 through Tuesday, March 17 in adjournment |