House Education committee approves HB151, tables HB51 and HB138 after debate

After caucus the House Education Committee moved to executive action on three bills.

House Bill 151: Committee approval — Laura (committee staff) summarized HB151 (sponsored by Representative Keogh) as a bill revising education recruitment and retention rules, amending provisions for the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, and making educational sign-language interpreters eligible for the quality educator payment and the Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program. A sponsor-drafted amendment (adding statutory cross-reference language) was described by committee staff and adopted by voice vote. The committee then voted by voice to pass House Bill 151 as amended; the clerk recorded the bill as passed to the House floor.

House Bill 51: Amendment adopted but bill tabled — The committee discussed HB51 (sponsored by Representative Matthews), an act to increase the Montana University System retirement program supplemental employer contribution rate paid to the teacher’s retirement system. Representative Thain moved an amendment to change the amortization schedule (pushing the amortization horizon out and lowering near-term contribution rates). The amendment passed on a roll call (12 ayes, 3 noes). When the committee took a roll-call vote on the bill as amended, the result was 6 ayes and 9 noes. The chair then moved to table the bill and the motion to table carried by voice; House Bill 51 was tabled and did not advance from committee.

House Bill 138: Amendment adopted; bill tabled — Laura summarized House Bill 138 (sponsored by Representative Beatty) to revise the superintendent of public instruction’s powers and duties. The sponsor’s amendment removed proposed language near the start of a section and added a subsection requiring that the superintendent adhere to Board of Public Education policies, rules and procedures when implementing statutes or policies under the board’s authority. Members debated concerns about the autonomy of an elected superintendent and whether the subsection was redundant with the state constitution. The committee adopted the amendment on roll call (12 ayes, 3 noes). Later the committee voted to table HB138 by roll call; the bill is paused and may be brought off the table only by members present in the chamber.

Votes at a glance (recorded from the transcript roll calls): - HB151 (as amended): amendment adopted by voice; bill passed to the House floor (voice vote). - HB51 (as amended): amendment adopted (roll call 12–3); final roll-call on bill as amended 6 ayes, 9 noes; bill tabled by subsequent voice motion. - HB138 (as amended): amendment adopted (roll call 12–3); committee then voted to table the bill by roll call (vote recorded as unanimous to table in the transcript roll call sequence).

Next steps: Staff will provide the amendment texts and spreadsheets that were referenced; committee scheduled further consideration for items when/if they are brought off the table in person. The committee adjourned at 5:00 p.m.