Committee advances bill to create 'advanced opportunity facilitators' with permissive funding option

The House Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 278, which creates a definition and framework for "advanced opportunity facilitators" and coordinates its language with the STARS Act.

Committee staff said the amendment is technical: it coordinates the subsection outlining in SB278 with House Bill 252 (the STARS Act) to ensure consistent codification. "This just puts in there, what the correct outlining would be so that the language in this bill would be at the correct level," Laura said.

On funding, staff explained the bill requires that districts spend at least 75% of their annual advanced opportunity aid to address students' out-of-pocket costs. "The advanced opportunity aid that is remaining — the 25% or less that's not being spent directly on those out-of-pocket costs — may be spent to pay for the costs of employing an advanced opportunity facilitator," Laura said. Committee members noted that the provision is permissive: districts are allowed, but not required, to use that remaining amount to hire facilitators.

Supporters argued the facilitator role can reduce bureaucratic friction and help districts coordinate with private employers for career and technical education. "It would be very helpful to have a facilitator," Representative Bertolio said, describing a local district that struggled to move a CTE partnership forward because of bureaucratic hurdles. Representative Tillman said the change "will help students." Two members recorded no votes; the voice vote otherwise carried and the committee advanced the amended bill to the House floor. Representative Tillman agreed to be the floor carrier.

What happens next: SB278, as amended, will be carried to the floor for further consideration.