Committee approves amendment moving start date and asks department to curate high-quality instructional materials list

The committee recommended House Bill 1571 with amendment 900h by a unanimous 7-0 vote. The amendment adjusts the bill's effective date to the beginning of the next biennium and retains a provision that tasks the Department of Education with making available a curated list of high-quality instructional materials aligned to revised standards.

Melissa White, division director for learner support (Department of Education), told the committee that vetted, evidence-based materials for English language arts, mathematics and science are commonly available and reviewed through existing clearinghouses and that the department would likely look to those sources when compiling a list. She said social studies and other content areas are less consistently curated and may be more challenging to assemble.

Committee members discussed whether the required list would impose new costs on the department or create a state-directed preference for materials. White said many states already curate these resources through evidence-based reviews; a committee member observed the state-provided list could reduce district workloads by centralizing preliminary evaluations.

The committee chair said the change of effective date gives the department and the budget process time to account for any additional workload or fiscal implications. The committee voted 7-0 in favor of the amendment and recommended the bill ought to pass.