Committee retains bill that would require public education to meet a strict "evidence-based" definition; department warns of wide impact

The Finance Committee’s Division II retained HB 129 on Jan. 29, a bill that would require “all methods delivering public education” to meet a strict definition of “evidence based.” The motion to retain the bill passed on a recorded voice roll call; the committee did not adopt the measure into law and left it on the table for further work.

The Department of Education cautioned members that the bill’s proposed definition is more restrictive than federal standards and could require local districts to rework curricula, training and other materials. Melissa White, division director for learner support at the Department of Education, told the committee the draft definition demands “reproducibility in multiple well designed studies within a single discipline” or “an independent confirmation by well designed studies across multiple disciplines,” and said that standard would be difficult to apply broadly.

Why it matters: The committee heard that applying a narrow, single-definition requirement across K–12 could affect long-standing local practices and recently adopted statewide efforts.…