Assembly education committee approves amended funding cuts to SB 460, shifting open‑enrollment transportation to second year

At a work session, the Assembly Committee on Education voted to amend and do pass Senate Bill 460 after fiscal staff presented a conceptual amendment that substantially reduces the bill’s general‑fund appropriations and moves several payments to the second year of the upcoming biennium.

James Malone, LCB fiscal analyst, told the committee that the bill as amended coming over included about $135.5 million in total general‑fund appropriations for the next biennium, with roughly $115.1 million of that ongoing and $20.5 million one‑time. Malone said the proposed amendment would cut many of those amounts and reduce the grand total to approximately $42.6 million.

The amendment trims multiple line items. Malone summarized, for example, a reduction in the early childhood literacy and readiness account from $50 million in the first year to $12 million in the second year; removal of a $50 million appropriation for Department of Education pre‑K grants; a shift of $7 million for transportation to fiscal year 2027; and other changes across several sections of the bill. Malone walked committee members through a sheet uploaded to NELIS with the line‑by‑line changes.

Assemblymember Danielle Monroe Moreno confirmed the timing change for open‑enrollment transportation: “That $7,000,000 was moved to the second year of the biennium.” The committee also heard that some appropriation language would be split across both fiscal years rather than front‑loaded, and that certain one‑time grants would be reduced and in some cases split between fiscal years.

Committee counsel Asher Killian explained a legal reason for one proposed deletion in the conceptual amendment. Killian said the amendment would eliminate section 11.5 because it conflicts with the K‑12 funding bill (SB 500) already passed and signed by the governor, noting that SB 500 uses a specific method for classifying pupils as “at‑risk” that the change in SB 460 would conflict with. “That change would conflict with the language that’s already in the K‑12 funding bill, that has been signed by the governor,” Killian said.

Committee policy analyst Kelly Lauer told members additional technical amendments from Assemblymember Torres Fawcett and Senator Cannizzaro were attached to the work session document; she also noted an amendment revising provisions in NRS 388G (alternative school choices) was included.

Several members asked questions and offered views before the committee voted. Assemblymember LaRue Hatch said she appreciated parts of the bill but raised substantive policy concerns about state control of low‑performing schools and the composition of takeover boards, saying she would vote no: “I have a lot of concerns, most especially about the state takeover of schools ... I am gonna be a no on this bill.”

Assemblymember Koenig moved the motion to amend and do pass, which received a second. The motion passed; Vice Chair Da Silva and Assemblymember LaRue Hatch recorded nay votes. The committee chair said she would prepare the floor statement.

The amendment as presented reduces the bill’s total general‑fund appropriation from about $135.5 million to roughly $42.6 million, narrows or removes several targeted grants and pre‑K appropriations, requires certain unspent funds to revert each fiscal year, and adjusts the timing of open‑enrollment transportation funding. Committee members noted the changes are fiscal in nature and that some language was removed to avoid conflict with SB 500, the K‑12 funding statute already enacted and signed by the governor.

The work session concluded after the vote; the chair assigned the floor statement to herself and adjourned the meeting.