Senate Education Committee reviews H 480 draft, sets timeline to consider adding phone-free schools language

The Senate Education Committee on May 9 reviewed draft group 2 of House Bill 480, saying members had checked every section of the 17-part draft and that they will explore attaching language from a separate phone-free schools bill if the House provides a usable draft by Tuesday, with a goal of moving H 480 out of committee by Wednesday.

Committee member said, "we have checked every, section checked off every section of, H 480 draft group draft group 2," and later, "we're gonna get 4 80 out of here on Wednesday." These remarks reflect the committee's stated procedural goal, not a formal vote or final approval.

The draft the committee reviewed includes provisions described in the meeting as covering the conversion of a therapeutic school from a for-profit to a nonprofit entity. Committee staff member Beth will walk members through the version the House turns over on Tuesday, then the agency will present and the committee will hear invited witnesses, the members said. The committee received from the House a list of witnesses the House considers key; committee staff said they will start with that list and add witnesses as needed.

Members discussed folding in a separate "phone-free schools" measure currently in the House. The committee said House Education staff expect to provide a draft of that bill by Tuesday. The vice chair was assigned responsibility for the phone-related section and members said they would coordinate section assignments among themselves.

The meeting included mention of a parent organizer identified as Liza Earl Centris, who was described by a speaker as leading a parents' group on phone-free schools with about 1,400 members. Committee members said they expect to invite that group's representatives and other witnesses during the committee's Tuesday hearing sequence.

No formal motion or vote on H 480 was recorded in the meeting transcript. The discussion produced two clear procedural directions: committee staff will review the House draft with members on Tuesday, and members will consider whether to incorporate phone-free language into H 480 pending receipt of the House draft; the committee's stated target was to report the bill out of committee on Wednesday.

Next steps: members will reconvene Tuesday to walk through the House-provided draft, hear the agency and witnesses, and then take up final work on the bill with the stated aim of completing committee action by Wednesday. The meeting transcript does not record any formal vote, a final amendment, or enrollment of H 480.