Missouri Legislators Begin Filing Legislation for the 2020 Session
Preparing for the 2020 Legislative Session
By: Stacey J. Preis, Ph.D.
Posting of pre-filed legislation for the 2020 session started last week in the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. In the 23 Senate and 37 House education bills that were pre-filed, many familiar topics (e.g., charter schools) are back, but the proposed legislation also introduces new issues.
Six of the 23 pre-filed education bills in the Senate and two in the House deal with laws governing charter schools. Several of them have multiple provisions (SB 527, SB 534, SB 603, SB 649, and HB 1479) including sponsorship authority and charter performance contracts. SB 527 removes the requirement of a performance contract and puts accountability decisions with the sponsor.
A few of the pre-filed charter school bills would make dramatic shifts to current law. SB 534 requires all new charter schools to be sponsored only by the local board of education or special administrative board and phases out the Charter School Commission, eventually abolishing it when the last charter it sponsors expires. In addition, SB 534 removes the flexibility for charter schools to hire up to 20 percent non-certificated personnel. In contrast, SB 527, SB 603, and SB 649 provide additional flexibility and autonomy for charter schools.
SB 734 addresses a critical financial situation that we discussed in our End-of-session blog by changing the local revenue distribution from DESE to the local district. Finally, two of the pre-filed bills—HB 1487 and SB 525—create special focus charter schools for students who are recovering from substance use disorder or dependency.
Some of the pre-filed legislation, both new and reintroduced ideas, reflect timely issues in Missouri and across the country. Regarding school safety, legislators have filed bills dealing with school protection officers (HB 1301), school bus safety cameras (HB 1318), and background checks for adult students (HB 1483). The growing cost of postsecondary education is addressed in legislation on rates of tuition (HB 1340 and HB 1423), student loan debt (HB 1428 and HB 1429), eligibility for in-state tuition for students without full citizenship (SB 642), and compensation for student-athletes (HB 1564).
In general, the pre-filed Senate bills introduce or modify state laws affecting the parameters within which public schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) must operate. A subtle difference in many of the House pre-filed bills is that they are specific in directing policies of local school districts and IHEs. For House bills pertaining to school districts and charter schools, there are bills that address the teaching of cursive writing, Old and New Testament scripture in social studies courses, and human sexuality. Other bills indicate specific policies that school districts must implement, including policies in suspension, wireless devices, suicide prevention training, recording of IEP and Section 504 meetings, and the application of sunscreen. For House bills pertaining to higher education, there are bills requiring institutions to grant credit for AP exams and allowing them to charge different tuition rates for different programs of study.
Numerous bills that address property tax have been filed in both the Missouri House and Missouri Senate. While not directly an issue of education policy, property tax accounts for a considerable portion of the revenue that supports public schools. Many of these bills could have implications for public education funding.
Because of term limits, this session marks the final year for 11 senators and 35 representatives, many of whom have championed education issues throughout their tenure. In addition, several education committee chairs have reached their term limit in their current chamber. Rep. Kathryn Swan, chair of Workforce Development and past chair of Elementary and Secondary Education; and Rep. Dean Dohrman, chair of Higher Education and chair of the Joint Committee on Education; will both finish their terms in the House of Representatives. Senator Gary Romine, chair of the Education Committee, will serve his final term in the Senate. With the number of legislators reaching their term limits, this will be a final opportunity--in their legislative roles--to shape the future of public education in Missouri.
We’re looking forward to keeping track of the education bills that make their way to the House and Senate floor in the upcoming session. As they do, we’ll be sure to update you and give you our take on what these could mean for education in the state of Missouri.
