Senate education committee reports five education measures to full Senate; voice votes advance bills
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Summary
By voice vote the committee reported several education bills to the full Senate, including measures on reporting transfers and investigations, campus safety mapping with FOIA exemption, transcript acceptance and reporting, and higher-education rule changes; the minutes were also approved and the committee adjourned.
The Senate Education Committee reported multiple education-related measures to the full Senate during its March 3 meeting, approving motions by voice vote and advancing bills that the committee counsel summarized for members.
House Bill 43 95: Counsel said the bill would require county superintendents to report any employee suspended, dismissed, or transferred during the course of an investigation and to include the rationale for suspensions, dismissals, or transfers. The bill would expand the state database to include individuals investigated for jeopardizing student health, safety, or welfare and would allow nonpublic schools to provide information to that database. The committee moved to report House Bill 43 95 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass; the motion was adopted by voice vote.
House Bill 45 92: Counsel explained a bill requiring state institutions of higher education to create standardized campus safety mapping data, to consult primary law enforcement before procurement, and to provide mapping data to local first responders and other local entities as appropriate. Counsel stated that data obtained under the bill "are not subject to FOIA." The committee voted to report the bill to the full Senate (under the original double committee reference it will first be referred to the finance committee), and the motion was adopted by voice vote.
House Bill 50 89: Counsel described modifications to requirements that credits and transcripts from public, private, homeschool, micro‑school and scholarship programs be accepted for placement and credit; the bill adds charter schools to the list and requires an annual demographic report of students who reenroll in public schools. The committee voted to report the bill to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass.
House Bill 53 54: Counsel summarized a bill authorizing and repealing proposed rules of the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Community and Technical College Council, including repeal of a purchasing-efficiencies rule, amendments to a mental-health loan repayment program rule, extension of several sunset dates, and a proposed skilled-trades apprenticeship nontraditional degree program rule. The committee voted to report the bill to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass.
Procedural items: The committee approved the minutes from the previous meeting and, after hearing no further business, voted to adjourn.
Votes at a glance (committee action, voice votes unless noted): - Approval of minutes (motion adopted). - House Bill 43 95 — reported to full Senate with recommendation that it pass. - House Bill 45 92 — reported to full Senate with recommendation that it pass; under original double reference, first referred to finance. - House Bill 50 89 — reported to full Senate with recommendation that it pass. - House Bill 53 54 — reported to full Senate with recommendation that it pass.
All listed motions were carried by voice vote; the committee did not provide roll-call tallies during today's meeting.