Committee advances cleanup to teacher due‑process law, proposing to move hearings to AG's office

Representative Mike Clines, R‑68, told the committee that House Bill 415 is a cleanup measure to improve implementation of earlier teacher due‑process legislation (House Bill 300). "So what the subs do is, we glean a few things from, Representative Tipton's bill 102 to help facilitate the communication between EPSB and superintendents," Clines said, describing changes that narrow burdens on teachers and ease administrative processes.

Clines described the substitute's intent to remove a prior requirement that teachers with a complaint meet EPSB in person or virtually for certain meetings, calling that requirement "burdensome." He also proposed moving appeal hearings from the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) to the Attorney General's office effective July 1, 2027, to give the AG time to be prepared to handle hearings and appeals.

Several members thanked sponsors for the work and noted the lengthy bipartisan process to reach consensus. Representative Grossberg asked to explain his yes vote and thanked fellow members and staff for the years of work to reach the current language.

The committee moved the substitute and approved HB 415 by roll-call; the chair announced the bill passes with the committee substitute attached. The transcript records a broad majority of yes votes; no opposing votes were recorded during the roll call announced in the hearing.

Under the language described in the hearing, the change would shift the venue for appeal hearings from EPSB to the Attorney General's office beginning July 1, 2027, and would remove the committee's previously criticized in-person meeting requirement from the regulatory approach. The committee did not specify a funding mechanism for the change to hearing administration during the hearing.

The bill advances to the House floor.