Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Legislation Votes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate Education Committee concurs on HB 158 and HB 260; HB 262 fails on tie vote
Summary
The Senate Education Committee voted to concur in House Bill 158 (reemployment of retired teachers) and House Bill 260 (indexing national-board stipend), and rejected House Bill 262 (reading policy statement) after a 7-7 roll call tie; committee later agreed to table HB 262.
The Montana Senate Education Committee on an executive-action roll call agreed to concur in House Bill 158 and House Bill 260 and failed to pass House Bill 262.
House Bill 158, offered by Representative Melissa Nicolaakos, would extend a retired-teacher reemployment window from three years to five years and maintain existing sunset provisions. Committee staff summarized the four‑page bill and noted the only substantive change was allowing retired teachers to teach five years instead of three. A fiscal summary in the record showed $33,182 per year in additional revenue related to the provision; committee members asked whether Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) contributions pause while retirees work and discussed how TRS employer contributions would continue under 19-27-32, including a referenced 20.11% figure. After brief discussion the committee took a voice vote; the chair announced that House Bill 158 had passed out of the Senate Education Committee.
House Bill 260 would change the stipend for National Board Certified Teachers from a fixed amount to an amount linked to the state’s quality educator payment so the stipend would adjust with inflation. Committee staff summarized the change and members recorded positions during the vote; Senator Beard was recorded as a no, and multiple members registered as in favor by proxy. The chair announced House Bill 260 had passed out of the committee.
House Bill 262, a policy statement about science- and evidence‑based reading instruction, generated extended debate. Several senators voiced concern that setting reading‑instruction policy is the purview of the Board of Public Education or local school districts rather than the Legislature. Senators who opposed the bill said they did not want to legislate curriculum; supporters called the bill a non‑binding statement of best practice. The committee conducted a roll call vote that resulted in a 7‑7 split; the chair stated “House Bill 262 has failed to pass Senate Education.” The committee then moved to table the bill and, by voice vote, ordered it to be tabled without objection.
The committee noted carriers: Senator Novak agreed to carry House Bill 260 and Senator Emmerich agreed to carry House Bill 158 to the floor as needed.
Votes at a glance: - House Bill 158 — Motion to concur (mover: Vice Chair Temple). Outcome: concurred (voice vote). Fiscal summary: $33,182/year (noted in committee fiscal summary). TRS contributions discussed; statutory reference: 19-27-32 MCA (TRS employer contributions). - House Bill 260 — Motion to concur (mover: not specified on record). Outcome: concurred (voice/proxy votes; Senator Beard recorded as no; proxies recorded for several members). - House Bill 262 — Motion to concur (mover: not specified on record). Outcome: failed on roll call (tie 7 yes, 7 no); motion to table subsequently carried (voice vote).
The committee’s formal actions close the docket for the day; sponsors and committee leadership will carry the passed bills forward to the next steps in the Senate process.
