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.
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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.
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Relevant Bills with Action
Bills Heard in the Senate/House Chamber or in a Committee This Week:
House Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)
- HB 107: PED Oversight/EPP Changes
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HB 200: Various Education Changes
- HB 266: School Annual Report Card
- HB 275: CTE Pilot for Guilford Co. Schools
- HB 276: Modify Low-Performing School Definition
- HB 295: Prohibit Corporal Punishment in Public Schs.
- HB 315: Instructional Material Selection
- HB 340: Amend Appt For Compact on Education/Military
- HB 354: Modify Weighting/School Performance Grades
- HB 362: 15-Point Scale For School Performance Grades
- HB 377: Reduce Testing
Senate Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)
- SB 134: Economics & Financial Literacy Act
- SB 189: CTE Pilot for Guilford Co. Schools
- SB 293: Military Dependents/Need-Based Private School
- SB 230: Excused Absences for Military Children
- 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)
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HB 428 (Companion Bill - SB 329): K-3 Reading and Literacy Improvement Act
- HB 430: School Ethics Training & Finance Officers
- HB 433: Economics & Financial Literacy Act
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HB 434: Suicide Risk Ref./Mental Health/Teen Violence
- HB 436: Expand Local Option Sales Tax for Education
- HB 437: Education on the Holocaust and Genocide
- HB 457: Restore Master's Pay for Certain Teachers
- HB 467: Establish State Board of Prop
- HB 482 (Companion Bill - SB 382): Sch. Psychologist Compensation & Recruitment
- HB 485: Virtual Early Learning Pilot Program
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HB 490: Winston-Salem/Forsyth Bd. of Ed/Stagger Terms - Local Bill
- HB 493: Abuse & Neglect Resources
- HB 499: Omnibus Gun Changes
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HB 504: Wake Co. Bd. of Ed./Stagger Terms/Districts - Local Bill
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HB 517: Stokes Co. Bd. Ed./Requested Election Changes - Local Bill
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HB 518: County Commissioners Approval For Assignment - Local Bill
- HB 521 (Companion Bill - SB 393): Provisional License/Teacher from Other State
- HB 524: Additional Funds for School Nurses
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HB 525: School Assignment within Surry County - Local Bill
Senate Bills (Excluding School Calendar Flexibility Bills)
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SB 329: K-3 Reading and Literacy Improvement Act
- SB 333: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Task Force
- SB 336: Smart Start Funds
- SB 340: NC Skills-Gap Study
- SB 341 (Companion Bill - HB 135): Government Immigration Compliance
- SB 343: Changes to Education Reports
- SB 346: Nonprofit Sales Tax Exemption
- SB 350: Equal Funding for All Students/Hackney
- SB 354: Student Notice/Charter School Closure/Restr.
- SB 366: 9th/10th Grade/College Transfer Pathways
- SB 382 (Companion Bill - HB 482): Sch. Psychologist Compensation & Recruitment
- SB 383: NC Teaching Fellows Changes
- SB 389: Surplus Computers for Public Schools
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SB 392: Superint. May Approve Charter Facility Bonds
- SB 393 (Companion Bill - HB 521): Provisional License/Teacher from Other State
- SB 397: Class Size Waivers/PE K-5 Teacher Funds
- SB 399: Rehire High-Need Teachers
- SB 400: Modify Teaching Fellows/CC Requirement
- SB 401: Require Elimination of Vacant Positions
- SB 403: State and Local Government Pension/PED Study
- SB 408: Pensions Benefits Revision
- SB 411: Require Instruction on Samaritan Laws
- SB 412: Modify School Qual./Student Success Indicator
- SB 424: Fully Fund School Counselors & Psychologists
- 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.
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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.
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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
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HB 107: PED Oversight/EPP Changes
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HB 315: Instructional Material Selection
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HB 377: Reduce Testing
House: Health on Tuesday, April 2 at 10am | Room 643 LOB | Audio
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HB 90: DPI/EC Div. Feedback/DIT Study/PED report
House: Education - K-12 on Tuesday, April 2 at 1pm | Room 643 LOB | Audio
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HB 411: Modify School Qual./Student Success Indicator
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HB 433: Economics & Financial Literacy Act
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HB 434: Suicide Risk Ref./Mental Health/Teen Violence
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HB 437: Education on the Holocaust and Genocide
House: Commerce on Wednesday, April 3 at 10am | Room 423 LOB
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HB 298: Restore Lottery Revenue Distrib. Structure
Senate: Education/Higher Education 1027/1128 LB Audio
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SB 134: Economics & Financial Literacy Act
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SB 227: Broaden Charter School Sibling Priority
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SB 301: Regional School Transportation
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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.
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2019 Long Session link for bills impacting K-12 education. |
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.
ONLINE RESOURCES:
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
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CONTACT INFORMATION:
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.
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