The Week In Review and Looking Forward into Next Week

Bills, Bills, Bills (Still)...

This week, the NCGA's (Joint) Education Appropriations Committee continued to dive into the Governor's budget proposal with various education entities presenting information to the committees. NCGA members continued to dissect necessary details to help inform decisions throughout the session. As the bill filing deadlines near, education legislation continues to be filed and heard in committees with a total of 221 bills impacting K-12 education filed so far this session. Upwards of 60 education bills have had movement just this week. 

• Senate Filing Deadline (For Public Bills/Resolutions): Tuesday, April 2 
• House Filing Deadline (For Non-Appropriations or Finance bills): Tuesday, April 16
• House Filing Deadline (For all other Public Bills): Tuesday, April 23

Next week, the House: Appropriations, Education Committee will begin constructing the education aspects of the budget.

Also next week, the State Board of Education will have their monthly meeting on April 3 & 4. 

• Agenda for April 3 here
• Agenda for April 4 here

During the April SBE meeting, Greear Webb, our legislative intern and public school student, will be presenting to the Board on the power of public education and the necessity of the student voice. 

Next Monday, Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), SBE member J.B. Buxton, N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teachers (NCCAT) Executive Director Brock Womble, and Superintendent Mark Johnson, along with others, will hold a press conference at the General Assembly to announce education-related education.

• Senator Berger Press Conference: Monday, April 1 at 2:30 p.m.

Board of Education Nominees This week, Governor Cooper sent two nominees for the State Board of Education to the legislature for consideration. The Governor requests that Donna Tipton-Rogers be approved to replace Wayne McDevitt (Western Education Region) and James Hall replace Patricia Willoughby (Member at Large). Mr. McDevitt’s and Mrs. Willoughby’s terms have expired so if approved, these nominees would replace their specific seats. Tipton-Rogers lives in Cherokee County and serves as president/CEO of Tri-County Community College. James Hall of Hertford County is a retired school superintendent who has worked in several districts in northeastern North Carolina. The House read-in Gov. Cooper's new nominations on Monday night before referring them to the House Rules Committee.

Education Crossover To date this session, 18 education bills have made crossover.   Crossover is the long session date by which legislation (that does not include a financial component) must pass from the originating chamber into the other chamber in order for that legislation to be considered during the short session.   2019 Crossover Deadline: Thursday, May 9.   The bills that have made crossover are listed below:   HB 30: Official State Frozen Treat  HB 56: Arts Education Requirement HB 57: Create Term for Public Schs. & Codify NCVPS HB 72: Support Multiple Recesses For Lincoln Co Schl HB 73: Civic Responsibility Education HB 75: School Mental Health Screening Study HB 76: School Safety Omnibus HB 79: Academic Alignment/Boards of Education & CC HB 125: GSC Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act HB 200: Various Education Changes HB 218: Broadcast NC House of Reps Sessions HB 241: Education Bond Act of 2019 HB 263: Fill Vacancies/Modify 2018 Appointments HB 266: School Annual Report Card HB 295: Prohibit Corporal Punishment in Public Schs HB 354: Modify Weighting/School Performance Grades HB 362: 15-Point Scale For School Performance Grades SB 5: Building North Carolina's Future

Relevant Bills with Action

Bills Heard in the Senate/House Chamber or in a Committee This Week:  

House Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)

Senate Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)

1. SB 134: Economics & Financial Literacy Act
2. SB 189: CTE Pilot for Guilford Co. Schools
3. SB 293: Military Dependents/Need-Based Private School
4. SB 230: Excused Absences for Military Children
5. SB 301: Regional School Transportation

See the 2019 Long Session link for bills impacting K-12 education for a list of all the legislation impacting K-12 public education and where they are in the legislative process.

Bills Filed/Assigned to Committees This Week: Week of March 25

House Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)

1. HB 428 (Companion Bill - SB 329): K-3 Reading and Literacy Improvement Act 
2. HB 430: School Ethics Training & Finance Officers
3. HB 433: Economics & Financial Literacy Act
4. HB 434: Suicide Risk Ref./Mental Health/Teen Violence
5. HB 436: Expand Local Option Sales Tax for Education
6. HB 437: Education on the Holocaust and Genocide
7. HB 457: Restore Master's Pay for Certain Teachers
8. HB 467: Establish State Board of Prop
9. HB 482 (Companion Bill - SB 382): Sch. Psychologist Compensation & Recruitment
10. HB 485: Virtual Early Learning Pilot Program
11. HB 490: Winston-Salem/Forsyth Bd. of Ed/Stagger Terms - Local Bill
12. HB 493: Abuse & Neglect Resources
13. HB 499: Omnibus Gun Changes
14. HB 504: Wake Co. Bd. of Ed./Stagger Terms/Districts - Local Bill
15. HB 517: Stokes Co. Bd. Ed./Requested Election Changes - Local Bill
16. HB 518: County Commissioners Approval For Assignment - Local Bill
17. HB 521 (Companion Bill - SB 393): Provisional License/Teacher from Other State
18. HB 524: Additional Funds for School Nurses
19. HB 525: School Assignment within Surry County - Local Bill

Senate Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)

1. SB 329: K-3 Reading and Literacy Improvement Act
2. SB 333: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Task Force
3. SB 336: Smart Start Funds
4. SB 340: NC Skills-Gap Study
5. SB 341 (Companion Bill - HB 135): Government Immigration Compliance
6. SB 343: Changes to Education Reports
7. SB 346: Nonprofit Sales Tax Exemption
8. SB 350: Equal Funding for All Students/Hackney
9. SB 354: Student Notice/Charter School Closure/Restr.
10. SB 366: 9th/10th Grade/College Transfer Pathways
11. SB 382 (Companion Bill - HB 482): Sch. Psychologist Compensation & Recruitment
12. SB 383: NC Teaching Fellows Changes
13. SB 389: Surplus Computers for Public Schools
14. SB 392: Superint. May Approve Charter Facility Bonds
15. SB 393 (Companion Bill - HB 521): Provisional License/Teacher from Other State
16. SB 397: Class Size Waivers/PE K-5 Teacher Funds
17. SB 399: Rehire High-Need Teachers
18. SB 400: Modify Teaching Fellows/CC Requirement
19. SB 401: Require Elimination of Vacant Positions
20. SB 403: State and Local Government Pension/PED Study
21. SB 408: Pensions Benefits Revision
22. SB 411: Require Instruction on Samaritan Laws
23. SB 412: Modify School Qual./Student Success Indicator
24. SB 424: Fully Fund School Counselors & Psychologists
25. SB 427 (Companion Bill - HB 124): Smart Start Funds 

Budget - Education Highlights

Where We Are In the Process This week, it was announced that the House’s budget proposal should be ready by the end of April. This means that the NCGA would start budget season a week or two ahead of previous long sessions. Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) is heading up the writing of the budget in the House, alongside co-chairs Reps. Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus) and Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth). Appropriations subcommittees have been meeting repeatedly in recent weeks, and budget chairs have requested that lawmakers file bills with their budget requests.   Important Budget Resources: Education Items in the Governor's budget here.  Public School Capital Outlays Chart here. Highlights of the NC Public School Budget 2019 here. NC State Board of Education Budget Response here. NC Department of Public Instruction #NC2030 vision here.

School Calendar Flexibility Overview:  This week, lawmakers did not file any school calendar flexibility bills, keeping the total number of SCF bills at 57 for this session.    Under current state law, North Carolina school districts are prohibited from starting the school year earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and ending it later than the Friday closest to June 11.   HB 79, one of several bills focused on allowing systems to start school earlier, passed the House this week and has been assigned to the Senate Rules Committee. This bill would let school systems across NC tie their start dates to local community college schedules. The Senate has traditionally not favored earlier start dates for K-12 schools.

Bills to be Heard in Committee Next Week (Week of April 1): 

House: Rules on Monday, April 1 at 2:30pm  |  Room  1228/1327 LB | Audio

• HB 107: PED Oversight/EPP Changes
• HB 315: Instructional Material Selection
• HB 377: Reduce Testing

House: Health on Tuesday, April 2 at 10am   |   Room 643 LOB | Audio 

• HB 90: DPI/EC Div. Feedback/DIT Study/PED report

House: Education - K-12 on Tuesday, April 2 at 1pm  |  Room 643 LOB | Audio

• HB 411: Modify School Qual./Student Success Indicator

• HB 433: Economics & Financial Literacy Act

• HB 434: Suicide Risk Ref./Mental Health/Teen Violence

• HB 437: Education on the Holocaust and Genocide

House: Commerce on Wednesday, April 3 at 10am  |  Room 423 LOB                  

• HB 298: Restore Lottery Revenue Distrib. Structure

Senate: Education/Higher Education                               1027/1128 LB  Audio

• SB 134: Economics & Financial Literacy Act         

• SB 227: Broaden Charter School Sibling Priority

• SB 301: Regional School Transportation

• SB 343: Changes to Education Reports

*The NCGA Calendar is at the bottom of the update. 

Insight Into the Process of Becoming Law What Really Happens in Downtown Raleigh?   Many times, it can be challenging to fully understand and interpret the actions underway at the NC legislature. Many times, what is actually occurring and what is portrayed by the media or spread by word-of-mouth are two drastically different scenarios. Below you will find a "cheat sheet" explaining the parts of a bill, who proposes bills and how, and some of the common language that is heard around the time of a bill's potential passage.    Bill Readings: The "1st Reading" of a bill occurs as a procedural step and just means that the title of the bill is read aloud on the floor of the legislature. The 'second" and "third readings" are where the legislators actually vote on the measures.   Bill Stats: Last session, around 2,000 bills were filed, yet only 360 actually became North Carolina law (around 18%). This just shows the tough vetting process that bills go through in the NCGA before becoming law.   Sponsorship: If the sponsor of a bill is a member of the majority party or the chair/co-chair of a committee related to the bill, the bill's chances of passing (or quickly failing) increase dramatically. Many legislators also file the same bills each session, in the hopes that if the bill did not pass last session, it will gain attention or traction in the current one.    Rules Committee: All bills eventually move to the House or Senate Rules committees. They are either thoroughly vetted and submitted to the floor favorably, thoroughly vetted and discarded for the current session, or shelved upon arrival to be used in later negotiation.

2019 Long Session link for bills impacting K-12 education.

Legislative Calendar

Monday, April 1, 2019 

    2:00 p.m.: Session Convenes (Senate)                                                        Senate | Audio

    2:30 p.m.: House: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House    1027/1128 LB | Audio

                      H107: PED Oversight/EPP Changes.

                      H377: Reduce Testing.

                      H315: Instructional Material Selection.

    2:30 p.m.: Senator Phil Berger -- Press Conference                      Press Room LB | Audio

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 

    8:30 a.m.: House: Appropriations, Education                                               423 LOB

                     Budget Construction for Education Funding   

 10:00 a.m.: House: Health                                                                             643 LOB | Audio

                     H90: DPI/EC Div. Feedback/DIT Study/PED report.   

    1:00 p.m.: House: Education - K-12                                                            643 LOB | Audio

                     H411: Modify School Qual./Student Success Indicator.

                     H433: Economics & Financial Literacy Act.

                     H434: Suicide Risk Ref./Mental Health/Teen Violence.

                     H437: Education on the Holocaust and Genocide.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 

 10:00 a.m.: Senator Berger / Speaker Moore -- Press Conference   Press Room LB | Audio

 10:00 a.m.: House: Commerce                                                                     423 LOB 

                    H298: Restore Lottery Revenue Distrib. Structure

 11:00 a.m.: Senate: Education/Higher Education                                 1027/1128 LB | Audio

                    S134: Economics & Financial Literacy Act.         

                    S227: Broaden Charter School Sibling Priority.

                    S301: Regional School Transportation.

                    S343: Changes to Education Reports.

North Carolina General Assembly 

ONLINE RESOURCES:

• Highlights of the NC Public School Budget 2018
• DPI/SBE Reports to the General Assembly
• About the Legislature
• Who Represents Me?
• How a Law is Made
• House Member List
• Senate Member List
• North Carolina Constitution
• House Page Program
• Senate Page Program
• Governor’s Page Program
• Youth Legislative Assembly
• Educational Resources
• An Introduction to the NC General Assembly – Elementary School Ages
• NC Government – Middle School Ages

Legislative Info and Acronyms  This section includes details pertaining to acronyms and bill information referenced throughout the K-12 Education Legislative Update newsletters.   Biennium- A two-year term of legislative activity Public Bill- Legislation enacted into law that applies to the public at large Local Bill- Legislation put into law that has limited application (How many counties)- Local bills do not have to be signed by the governor Sponsor- The legislator who presents a bill or resolution for consideration Resolution- A document that expresses the sentiment or intent of the legislature or a chamber. Resolutions, when finalized, go to the Secretary of State   Glossary of Legislative Terms- LINK   DPI = NC Department of Public Instruction LEA = Local Education Agency NCGA = North Carolina General Assembly LB/LOB = Legislative Building/Legislative Office Building  SBE = North Carolina State Board of Education   AB = Agency Bill HB/SB = House Bill/Senate Bill JR = Joint Resolution SL = Session Law GS = General Statute  PCS = Proposed Committee Substitute  FY = Fiscal Year

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CONTACT INFORMATION:

• Cecilia Holden  – Director of Government and Community Relations |  919-807-3406
• Anne Murtha  –  Legislative Specialist  |  919-807-3403
• Greear Webb – Legislative Intern

To view previous 2019 Weekly Legislative Updates click here.

 The NC Department of Public instruction offers a number of topics for subscription.

• To subscribe to the Weekly Legislative Update, click here.
• To subscribe to other NC Department of Public Instruction topics, click here.