Committee amends and advances Ruby Bridges Walk-to-School bill

The K-12 Education Subcommittee voted to give House Bill 486 (the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day and school pedestrian awareness measure) a favorable recommendation after approving an amendment to remove a provision that would have created a state-declared pedestrian walk day.

The chair said last year’s version passed the House but stalled in the Senate after language was added requiring the state to declare a pedestrian walk day and to assign duties to the state department. He said he spoke with the bill sponsor and that the sponsor agreed to strip the added language and return the bill to the form that passed the House previously.

A committee member moved to recommend the amendment favorably; a second was recorded as April Miller. The chair called for a vote on the bill as amended; he announced the motion to move the bill forward and confirmed the committee approved it as amended.

Committee members described the change as an effort to restore last year’s passed version and improve the bill’s chance in the Senate. The amendment and favorable recommendation send HB 486 to the next committee or the floor with the modified language.