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Senate fast-tracks House Bill 4 to reduce special-education paperwork and update funding weights
Summary
Under suspension of the rules the Senate read and passed House Bill 4 (special education amendments) citing reduced paperwork burdens for special education teachers and updated weighting factors; the motion passed on a roll-call vote of 27-0 with two absent.
The Senate read House Bill 4 (Special Education Amendments, Representative Franson) and, under suspension of the rules, voted to consider it for second and third reading and final passage.
A committee member explained that House amendments removed a growth-factor provision and parts of the earlier "tier system." The bill updates the funding-weighting approach for special-education students (the transcript cites a range of weighting factors "from a 1.6 to 6.2" for the most severely handicapped) and was recommended by the interim committee. Supporters argued the change would reduce paperwork: a senator said the bill could free up "perhaps as much as a fourth of [special ed teachers] total time in paperwork" and allow the change to be implemented during the current school year rather than waiting until the next budget cycle.
Senator Steele read a letter from a special-education teacher emphasizing that any reduction in paperwork would increase time for student learning and relieve stress on instructors; he voiced his support on that basis. Sponsors and committee members said the Houses amendments addressed concerns and that the governor concurred with the changes.
The Senate voted under suspension of the rules to read House Bill 4 for the second and third time and to proceed to final passage. A roll-call vote recorded 27 ayes, no nays, and 2 absentees; the presiding officer announced the bill passed the Senate and would be returned to the House for further action.
