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Committee rejects first amendment and later votes ‘do not pass’ on HB 1251 after debate on holidays and local control
Summary
Representative Jonas and others debated House Bill 1251, which would prohibit schools from requiring students to participate in extracurricular activities on specified holidays. The committee considered multiple amendments, including versions listing Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter; after debate the committee adopted a 'do not pass' position.
House Bill 1251, which would restrict schools from requiring students to participate in extracurricular activities on certain holidays, drew extended debate in the House Education Committee and ultimately received a committee recommendation of 'do not pass.'
Representative Heilman offered an amendment intended as a compromise, adding language that a school may not require a student to participate in extracurricular activities; the amendment aimed to preserve students’ choice to opt out of activities held on holidays. That amendment failed on roll call (the transcript records the vote as 5 yes and 9 no). Representative Jonas later proposed an amendment that would have required schools to adopt a policy forbidding required participation on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Easter Sunday; the amendment prompted further discussion about travel for large out-of-state events (for example, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or New Year’s events) and the effect on marching bands and other groups. Representative Jonas later withdrew that holiday-specific amendment.
Following additional discussion and after the sponsor withdrew the holiday-specific amendment, Representative Jonas moved a 'do not pass' recommendation on HB 1251. The committee recorded the do-not-pass recommendation; the transcript contains an announcement of the tally that was corrected in the record (the clerk announces '4 to 10 do not pass' in the course of the roll call exchange). The transcript also documents questions from members raising concerns about introducing new statutory terminology such as 'family days' and about whether the proposed prohibition would inadvertently prohibit travel and participation in national events.
Throughout the discussion, members repeatedly emphasized local control, with several representatives saying local school boards and superintendents should handle policy decisions and accommodations rather than the state imposing a statewide prohibition. Representative Jonas asked to withdraw a later holiday amendment after members raised concerns about large events such as the Macy’s Parade; following that withdrawal the committee returned to the original bill and recorded the do-not-pass recommendation.
