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Committee advances grant program to expand student access to rigorous courses; amendment narrows eligibility
Summary
House Bill 819, which would create a Department of Education grant program to expand access to rigorous secondary courses and subsidize exam fees if funded, was reported from the House Education Committee as amended in a 19–7 vote.
House Bill 819, which would create an Access to Rigorous Courses grant program in the Department of Education and authorize exam-fee subsidies for eligible students if funding is appropriated, was reported from the House Education Committee as amended.
The bill, sponsored by Representative Malagari, would allow school entities to apply for grants beginning in the 2025–26 school year to expand students’ opportunity to enroll in rigorous coursework. The measure also establishes a program within the department to subsidize the cost of end-of-course exams to the extent funding is available.
The committee considered and adopted amendment A00117. The amendment narrows eligibility by prioritizing entities with fewer than eight course offerings and sets a poverty threshold of 185 percent for exam-fee reimbursement; a committee roll call on the amendment produced a recorded result of 21 yeas and 5 nays.
Representative Malagari told the committee the bill “needs to be funded” and that the measure sets up the program while leaving appropriation decisions to the legislature. He said the bill would support professional development for educators and provide options for schools that do not currently offer advanced coursework.
Opposition speakers raised concerns about cost and vendor dynamics. Representative Anderson, a former Advanced Placement teacher, said the College Board is a private company and argued that dual enrollment or college-in-the-classroom options can guarantee transferable college credit without paying fees to a private vendor. “I am in opposition to this bill ... only because it’s gonna put a lot of money into the pockets of the College Board,” Anderson said, arguing that dual enrollment credits transfer more reliably.
Other members echoed concerns that incentives could push students toward AP courses rather than trade pathways. Supporters and the committee chair emphasized the bill is vendor neutral and intended to expand options — including multiple providers and dual-enrollment expansion discussed separately.
A final roll-call on the bill as amended produced a committee tally announced by the chair as 19 yeas and 7 nays. House Bill 819 was reported from the committee as amended and will proceed to the next stage pending further action and funding decisions.
The committee record shows the bill establishes the grant program but does not itself appropriate funds; implementation depends on future appropriations.
