Senate Education Committee advances several bills in executive action; SB116, SB118, SB271, SB258 among those passed

The Senate Education Committee moved into executive action after concluding the hearing on Senate Bill 278 and considered a series of bills and amendments.

House Bill 151 was amended (including changes to effective dates and applicability related to recruitment and retention at the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind) and the twice‑amended bill passed out of committee on a roll call (committee reported the bill as passing as twice amended).

Senate Bill 116 was carried with sponsor amendments that increase the number of legislative leadership members on a named commission and reduce governor appointees; the amendment passed and the bill passed as amended.

Senate Bill 118 received a significant sponsor‑requested amendment that relocated administration of a "right to be forgotten" and student data provisions from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Education and Workforce Data Governing Board (created in House Bill 949). The amendment aligned de‑identification language with FERPA and allowed use of Social Security numbers only as a matching key in narrowly defined circumstances; the amendment and the bill as amended passed committee.

Other bills moved out of committee: Senate Bill 271 (NIL/NCAA‑related updates for student athletes) passed after some committee opposition; Senate Bill 258 passed following recorded roll call votes; Senate Bill 215, described by its sponsor as promoting transparency in education funding ahead of a decennial study, also passed the committee with recorded roll calls. A motion to take Senate Bill 181 off the table failed on a subsequent roll call.

Where recorded, roll call tallies were read into the record during votes. The committee adjourned after completing executive action and recorded the listed outcomes for transmission to the Senate floor.