Bills Survive Second Committee Deadline

Yesterday was the deadline for House committees to pass bills that had already passed the Senate and for Senate committees to pass bills that had already passed the House. If a bill wasn’t brought up for a vote, it died in committee. In total, 247 bills met this fate—126 House-passed bills in Senate committees and 121 Senate-passed bills in House committees.

Most bills did not die because of an official vote but rather because committee chairmen chose not to bring them forward. Some bills were set aside because similar legislation was already advancing in the other chamber. Others faced opposition due to policy concerns, while many were casualties of broader political negotiations.

However, bills related to taxation, spending, and borrowing were not subject to yesterday’s deadline, meaning major tax bills remain alive.

Most school choice bills did not survive yesterday’s deadline, including a bill to allow students to transfer to another district without their home district being allowed to block the transfer; a bill to allow charter public schools to be created in more school districts; and a bill to correct a problem created last year in the education scholarship program for students with special needs that kicked 150 children off the waiting list for that program.

A few key pieces of legislation on education, justice, and work moved forward:

Education

• HB 809 – Clarifies school choice options for children of military personnel, particularly National Guard members. The House and Senate versions differ in scope.
• SB 2618 – Amended to include a provision allowing students to transfer to another public school district if the receiving district agrees, removing the current veto power of the sending district.

Justice

• SB 2233 – Directs a study on dyslexia among inmates, following findings in other states that dyslexia affects nearly 50% of incarcerated individuals.
• HB 1476 & SB 2357 – Expand the work release program, allowing inmates nearing release to work regular jobs, reducing recidivism.
• HB 1001 – Enables inmates to sell handmade crafts through the state prison industries agency.

Work

• SB 2248 (Fresh Start Act) – Allows individuals with criminal records to obtain occupational licenses unless their crime is directly related to the profession.
• SB 2290 – Establishes a task force to explore streamlining government assistance programs and helping low-income individuals transition into employment.

These bills now move forward for further consideration in the House and Senate.