House panel advances bill to make expulsions and pending expulsions part of student transfer records

Representative Hawk presented HB 1495 as amended to the House Education Committee, saying the measure would require disciplinary records related to expulsions or pending expulsions to transfer with the student when they enroll in another public or private school.

"This is a safety thing for our schools, our parents," Representative Hawk said, describing the bill as a response to requests from superintendents in Grant County, Saline County and neighboring areas.

The bill, as explained by Jeremy Lassiter of Bryant Public Schools, would make receiving districts aware of expulsions or pending expulsions and allow—but not require—the receiving district to deny admission based on that information. "Under this bill, it would allow but not require a receiving school district to deny it," Lassiter said. He added districts sometimes accept students who have been expelled if they have services to support the student.

Committee members asked about related records. Representative Duke asked whether absentee records would transfer; Lassiter said absence data is already available through the state system but this bill focuses on expulsions. Representative Gonzalez Worthy asked whether expelled students still receive educational services during expulsion; Hawk and Lassiter pointed to existing state law that permits continuing access to educational services even during suspensions or expulsions.

Representative Garner and others asked about the mechanics and safeguards for transferring records. Lassiter and Hawk said the bill requires each school to designate a certified staff member to handle and verify transferred disciplinary records and said records requests would be made before enrollment decisions or school board hearings. Hawk emphasized the intent is to give receiving districts timely, verified information so they can decide how to place or serve a student.

Committee debate touched on private-school discipline standards and possible unintended consequences for faith-based schools. Vice Chair McKenzie and Representative Summer raised concerns about differences in discipline definitions across public and private schools; Hawk said some private schools expressed support because the records can help the whole system track patterns if families move students between several schools.

After discussion, the committee voted by voice to give HB 1495 a favorable recommendation as amended. No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript; the vote was taken by voice and the chair declared the bill passed as amended.

The measure as written limits the transferred record content to expulsions and pending expulsions and puts the initial decision about enrollment in the hands of the receiving district and its superintendent/principal designee. It does not create a denial-for-cause requirement; it creates a mandatory records-transfer process tied to those disciplinary categories.