State Actions Update: Education legislation building momentum in February 2024 

If anyone thought K-12 education legislation would be slow going during the 2024 presidential election year, they thought wrong. States that hit the ground running in January continued building momentum this month toward strong, student-centered policies. And a handful of state legislatures started their sessions in February with bold, transformative education bills. 

ExcelinEd in Action tracks and reports on state education bill action each month on our blog. Below are key legislative trends we witnessed in February, followed by a detailed, state-by-state recap of education bills that advanced this month. (For those who would like to receive weekly State Action Updates, sign up for ExcelinEd in Action email updates here.) 

Key Legislative Highlights – February 2024 

• As we head into National Reading Month during March, it’s heartening to see that a whopping 12 states—California, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia—advanced early literacy policies in February. Bills range from banning the harmful instructional practice of three-cueing and aligning teacher preparation to the science of reading to strengthening supports and the third-grade reading gate for struggling readers. Notably, the New Mexico legislature adjourned in February, following passage of a state budget that includes $30 million for Gov. Lujan Grisham’s new literacy center initiative. 

• Thirteen states advanced legislation to expand public and private educational opportunities for students. Charter school legislation moved in nine states to level the playing field for public charter schools, including Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Tennessee and West Virginia. Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee are considering open enrollment measures that would empower students to attend public schools outside their assigned districts. Eight states—Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Tennessee and West Virginia—made progress expanding existing or creating new private school choice programs, such as education scholarship accounts (ESAs). Notably, the Arizona legislature defeated a bill that would have weakened its pioneering universal ESA. 

• Legislation that would improve college and career pathways moved forward in nine states. Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Virginia and West Virginia  are focused on funding, studying outcomes and aligning career and technical education programs with workforce needs. 

• Efforts to strengthen the teacher pipeline are heating up, with nine states (Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia) considering bills to create teacher recruitment and retention incentives, such as retention grants, student teacher stipends, educator pay increases and new pathways to earning a teaching endorsement. 

• Nine states advanced cutting edge digital policies. Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee took strides to eliminate distracting smartphone use from the classroom. Florida and Tennessee are considering studies to create policies around artificial intelligence in schools. Florida, Georgia and Tennessee hope to protect children’s mental health by limiting the access of minors to social media platforms. 

• Florida, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee took positive steps toward improving proficiency in mathematics with bills that would help schools better identify and support students who are struggling with math. 

• Education legislation headed to governors in five states. Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a charter school expansion bill into law, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is also considering a charter school bill. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will review a social media bill aimed at protecting minors from harmful content. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is considering an artificial intelligence bill and a math bill. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is considering an early literacy bill, and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is likely to join him, as a comprehensive early literacy bill awaits a final concurrence vote in the legislature.  

State-by-State Education Bill Breakdown – February 2024 

Alabama 

• Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her State of the State Address and submitted her Executive Budget request for Fiscal Year 2025. She proposed fully funding the state’s Numeracy and Literacy Acts; investments in teacher salaries and benefits; and the new Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act, which is an education scholarship account program for low-income students that would become universal in its third year. 
• Alabama Rep. Danny Garrett’s HB 129 passed the House. The bill would create an education scholarship account (ESA) program for low-income students that would become universal in its third year. The Senate companion bill, Sen. Arthur Orr’s SB 61, awaits a committee vote.   

Arizona 

• Arizona Rep. Pingerelli’s HB 2793 passed the House. The bill would increase classroom learning by requiring school districts and charter schools to prescribe policies that limit the use of smartphones and other devices by students during school.   
• Arizona Sen. Christine Marsh’s SB 1354, which would have restricted education savings accounts by placing onerous regulations on private schools to comply with unfunded federal mandates, failed in the Senate. 
• Arizona Sen. Ken Bennet’s SB 1465 passed the Senate Education Committee. This bill would harm efforts to improve early literacy by repealing the required literacy endorsement for teachers in grades K–5, making the endorsement only voluntary.  
• Arizona Rep. Beverly Pingerelli’s HB 2675 passed the House. The bill would weaken school accountability by removing A-F letter-grading and replacing it with vague “performance classifications.” The Senate version, Sen. Ken Bennet’s SB 1654, passed the Senate Education Committee. 

California 

• California Rep. Blanca Rubio introduced AB 2222, which would improve early literacy by aligning literacy standards, teaching performance expectations and student instruction with the science of reading. 

Colorado 

• Colorado Sen. Tony Exum’s SB 24 heads to the Appropriations Committee. The bill would establish the Colorado Workforce Demonstration Grants Pilot Program to expand workforce training programs throughout the state. 
• Colorado Sen. Jesse Danielson’s SB 104 passed its first committee and heads to its next committee stop. The bill would focus education-to-workforce pathways on in-demand jobs by aligning high school career and technical education and registered apprenticeships with occupations related to infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, education or health care. 
• Colorado Sen. James Coleman’s SB 143 passed its first committee. The bill would require the Department of Higher Education to collaborate with agencies to integrate quality, nondegree credentials into the state’s education and workforce systems. 
• Colorado Rep. Karen McCormick introduced HB 1087, which now heads to its first committee. The bill would expand pathways for obtaining a teaching endorsement in special education. 

Florida 

Education Budget Bills 

• The Florida Senate education appropriation bill, SB 2516, was laid on the table and substituted for Rep. Josie Tomkow’s bill, HB 5101. The bill is currently in budget conferencing. 

Digital Policy Bills 

• HB 1, sponsored by Florida Rep. Tyler Sirois, Rep. Fiona McFarland and Sen. Erin Grall, passed the Senate and heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis for consideration. The bill would protect students’ wellbeing by preventing children under the age of 16 from accessing social media and children under the age of 18 from accessing “harmful content.”  
• Florida Rep. Karen Gonzalez-Pittman’s HB 483 passed its first committee stop. This bill would establish the Artificial Intelligence in Education Task Force and require the Department of Education to adopt a statewide plan for K-12 computer science education.  
• Florida Sen. Jennifer Bradley’s SB 1680 awaits a hearing on the Senate floor. This bill would establish a government council to recommend policies regarding new technologies, including artificial intelligence. Among other things, the council would examine what policies can be deployed to ensure students are prepared to navigate the digital age. The House companion, Rep. Fiona McFarland’s HB 1459, awaits a hearing on the House floor. awaits a hearing on the House floor. 

Early Literacy and Math Bills 

• Florida Rep. John Temple’s HB 1361 substituted SB 7038 in the Senate, passed unanimously in both the House and Senate and will head back to the House for a concurrence vote. This bill would expand support for early learners by extending eligibility for New Worlds Scholarship Accounts to students enrolled in Florida’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program and by expanding its purpose to include math as well as reading. The bill also establishes a new grant program to provide AI-powered tutoring for students and professional development for teachers.  
• Florida Sen. Linda Stewart’s SB 46 passed the Senate unanimously. This early literacy bill would expand the Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence (RAISE) program, which allows high school students to tutor students in grades K-3 during and after the school day. The House companion bill, Rep. Patricia Williams’ HB 315, awaits hearing on the House floor. 
• Rep. Dana Trabulsy’s HB 7025 awaits hearing on the House floor. This bill incorporates Department of Education recommendations to provide certain types of regulatory relief to public school districts and enhances early literacy efforts in K-2 by expanding parental notification and access to interventions and supports. 

College & Career Pathways Bills 

• Florida Rep. Lisa Dunkley’s HB 553 awaits hearing on the House floor. This bill would bolster career pathways by requiring school districts to inform parents about career-themed courses available to middle school students. The companion bill, SB 1688, passed the Senate. 
• Florida Rep. John Snyder’s HB 917 passed the House floor. This career pathways bill would provide exemptions to allow minors (aged 16 or 17) to work in certain professions. It also would examine existing career and technical education (CTE) offerings, funding and outcomes to better align CTE programs with Florida’s workforce needs. The Senate companion, Sen. Corey Simon’s SB 460, awaits hearing on the Senate floor.  
• Florida Sen. Erin Grall’s SB 7032 passed the Senate. This bill would create an alternative graduation program that provides students ages 16–21 who have dropped out of school an opportunity to obtain postsecondary course credits at no cost while earning their high school diploma or equivalent. The House companion bill, Rep. Lauren Melo’s HB 7051, awaits hearing on the House floor.  

Teacher Policy Bills 

• Florida Rep. Alex Rizo’s HB 7039 was substituted for an amended SB 7002 and passed the House. The bill would reduce public school regulations and give school boards more flexibility related to collective bargaining and teacher apprenticeships.  
• Florida Sen. Colleen Burton’s SB 240 passed the Senate. The bill would revise the student score calculations used for teacher bonuses when students achieve certain scores on International Baccalaureate exams. Its companion, Rep. Fiona McFarland’s HB 667, awaits its second committee stop. 

Educational Opportunity Bills 

• Florida Rep. Jennifer Canady’s HB 1285 passed the House and awaits hearing in the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee. Among other provisions, the bill strengthens private school growth opportunities by reducing duplicative local zoning and land use red tape. It also creates new opportunities for classical charter schools by establishing a new enrollment preference for students previously enrolled at a classical school and a classical teaching certification. The Senate companion, Sen. Danny Burgess’ SB 996, is awaiting further consideration.  
• Florida Sen. Corey Simon’s SB 7048 awaits a hearing on the Senate floor. This bill would establish deadlines for student funding organizations administering the state’s education scholarship accounts (ESAs); update reporting requirements; increase the annual growth of scholarships for students with unique abilities; and merge the HOPE Scholarship Program with the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The House version, Rep. Tomkow’s HB 1403, passed the House and awaits further consideration. 

Georgia 

• Georgia Rep. Hilton’s HB 1186 passed its first committee and heads to its next stop. The bill would improve accountability and transparency by clarifying that schools receive a single summative score based on student achievement plus other factors. It also lays out specific timelines for schools and the Department of Education to publish school ratings online. 
• Georgia Rep. Scott Hilton’s HB 318, which would increase transparency, improve oversight of Georgia’s charter schools and authorizers and protect charter school autonomy, passed the final chamber and awaits a signature from Gov. Brian Kemp. 
• Georgia Rep. Scott Hilton filed HB 1122, which passed its first committee and heads to its next. The bill would ensure charter schools are provided funding for principals and superintendents and would allow students to enroll in charter schools in which their parents are employed. 
• Georgia Rep. Matthew Gambill’s HB 982 passed the House and awaits consideration in the Senate. The bill would require the state to publish a high-demand career list and focus funding on programs that align with in-demand careers. 
• Georgia Sen. Jason Anavitarte’s SB 351 passed the Senate and awaits consideration in the House. The bill would protect students from harmful impacts of social media by requiring age verification for social media accounts; local boards of education to adopt a social media policy for schools; and the Department of Education to develop a social media literacy program. 

 
Hawaii 

• Hawaii Rep. Justin Woodson’s HB 1655 passed its second reading. The bill would require the Department of Education to create a public digital platform by the 2025–26 school year that shows how schools are adopting high-quality instructional materials for K-6 English Language Arts. 
• Hawaii Rep. Woodson’s HB 1657 passed its second reading. The bill would require all public schools to screen all K-3 students for dyslexia to identify and support students who are at risk of dyslexia and other learning disabilities. 

 
Idaho 

• Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed Rep. Judy Boyle’s HB 422 into law. The bill will improve Idaho’s charter school law by streamlining the authorization and reauthorization process for charter schools; establishing pilot charters using innovative models, such as hybrid learning environments; and providing a 12-year renewal term for high-performing charter schools.    
• Idaho Sen. Ben Toews’s SB 1359 passed the Senate. The bill would increase funding for the Advanced Opportunities initiative, which provides funding for public, private and homeschool students who want to take advanced coursework while attending an Idaho school in grades 7-12.  
• Idaho Rep. Mike Moyle’s HB 521 passed the House. The bill would provide the largest-ever state investment in school facilities funding by dedicating $1.25 billion in sales tax revenue over the next 10 years to the new School Modernization Facilities Fund. 

Indiana 

• Indiana Sen. Linda Rogers’ SB 1 passed the House and heads back to the Senate for a concurrence vote. This early literacy bill would provide summer school intervention and supports for struggling young readers; require universal screening, parent notification, progress monitoring and reading instruction aligned to the science of reading for K-8 students; and strengthen the third-grade promotion gate.   
• Indiana Sen. Jeff Raatz’s SB 212, which would ban three-cueing in teacher preparation programs, passed the House and heads back to the Senate for a concurrence vote. 
• Indiana Sen. Raatz’s SB 6 passed the House and heads to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk for signature. This bill would expand literacy policy to identify and support students in grades 4–8 who are not proficient in reading.  
• Indiana Sen. Raatz’s SB 185, which would ban the use of cell phones in schools unless they are needed for instructional use or in case of emergency, passed the House and heads to Gov. Holcomb’s desk for signature.  
• Indiana Rep. Jake Teshka, Rep. Robert Behning and Rep. Chuck Goodrich’s HB 1304 passed committee and heads to its final Senate committee stop. The bill would require the Department of Education to develop a plan to tackle math screening and interventions for struggling students. 
• Indiana Sen. Rogers’ SB 270, which would streamline funding and operations for charter schools, passed the House and awaits final action from the Senate. 
• Indiana Rep. Behning’s HB 1380, which would streamline operations and level the playing field for charter schools, heads to its final Senate committee stop. 
• Indiana Rep. Behning’s HB 1243 heads to its final Senate committee stop. This bill would make changes to state assessments, establish new diploma requirements, add computer science as a graduation requirement and streamline Career Scholarships Accounts and work-based learning programs. 

Iowa 

• Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’s SSB 3155 passed its final committee stop and heads to the Senate floor. This bill strengthens early literacy by banning the harmful instructional practice of three-cueing in teacher preparation programs; requiring personalized reading plans for struggling students; and creating a retention opt-in for third-grade students who are not proficient in reading. 
• Iowa Gov. Reynolds’s HSB 673, which would give charter schools the right of first refusal in purchasing or leasing school district property, passed its final House committee and heads to the House floor. 
• Iowa Sen. Jeff Taylor’s SF 2004 awaits hearing in its first full committee. The bill would establish a grant program to assist teachers with the costs of earning an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. 

 
Kansas 

• The Kansas Senate Committee on Education and the House Committee on Education held hearings on SB 407 and HB 2521, respectively, which require the State Board of Education to grant teaching licenses to individuals who complete an alternative certification program. These bills await committee votes. SB 407 passed its first committee, and HB 2521 awaits a vote in its first committee.  
• Kansas Rep. Adam Thomas’s HB 2641 passed the House Education Committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would require school districts to adopt policies that support student learning by limiting the use of cell phones during school hours. 

Kentucky 

• Kentucky Rep. James Tipton’s HB 162, which was amended to provide universal math screeners and math improvement plans for grades K-3, passed its first committee. 
• Kentucky Rep. Suzanne Miles filed HB 2, which awaits committee hearing. The bill would amend the state’s constitution and remove constitutional hurdles for education choice by allowing state funding for students attending private school.  
• Kentucky Rep. Josh Bray’s HB 383 passed its first committee and awaits further consideration. The bill would require local boards of education to adopt a policy that would ban smartphones and other personal devices during instructional time. 
• Kentucky Rep. James Tipton’s HB 612, which would ban the use of three-cueing at the K-12 level and in educator preparation programs, passed its first committee and awaits further consideration. 

   
Massachusetts 

• Massachusetts Rep. Dan Sena’s H 579 and Sen. Sal DiDomenico’s S 263 passed the Joint Committee on Education. These companion early literacy bills would require all elementary schools in the state to teach children to read using evidence-based instruction; provide for screening and identification of struggling readers and provide interventions; and offer professional development for educators. The joint committee’s rewrite of these bills is H 4423.  

 
Michigan 

• Michigan Sen. Jeff Irwin’s SB 567, which would require screening students for dyslexia, awaits a vote in its first committee.  
• Michigan Sen. Dayna Polehanki’s SB 568 awaits a vote in its first committee. The bill would require teacher preparation programs to train teachers in the science of reading and in teaching students with dyslexia. 

 
 
Mississippi 

• Mississippi Rep. Larry Byrd introduced HB 1177, which awaits a vote in its first committee. The bill extends support to students with dyslexia by requiring the Department of Education to reimburse families for dyslexia evaluations if the child is diagnosed with dyslexia.  
• Mississippi Rep. Kevin Felsher introduced HB 925, which would require schools to develop policies that regulate cell phone use only for educational purposes, as directed by teachers. The bill heads to its first committee. 
• Mississippi Rep. Fred Shanks introduced HB 765 to extend the state’s Critical Teacher Shortage Act until 2027 and continue efforts to recruit and retain teachers in school districts with teacher shortages. The bill heads to its first committee. 
• Mississippi Rep. Rob Roberson introduced five bills that all await committee votes.  
  • HB 1450 would enter Mississippi into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, a multi-state agreement that expedites teacher licensure for teachers licensed in another state.  
  • HB 1449, the Mississippi Student Freedom Act, would offer education savings accounts to about 6,500 low-income students in the next school year and would be available to all students by 2029.  
  • HB 1229 would give the legislature the opportunity to amend or expand the state’s Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs ESA program later in the legislative session. 
  • HB 1452 would provide vouchers to students of families earning up to 250% of the federal poverty level (up to $78,000 for a family of four) and students in D- or F-rated school districts to attend a private school and provide new open enrollment opportunities to allow public school students to transfer to another public school of their choice.  
  • HB 1453 would create a new public school funding formula that would provide additional funding to help low-income students, and increased funding to schools for student outcomes in dual enrollment and career and technical education coursework. 

• Mississippi Rep. Jansen Owen introduced HB 867. The bill, which awaits a committee vote, would create an open enrollment policy, allowing students to transfer to another school district if approved by the accepting school district. 
• Mississippi Sen. Chris Johnson introduced SB 2234, which awaits a committee vote. The bill would provide more open enrollment opportunities for children to attend a public school outside of their geographically assigned school district. 
• Mississippi Rep. Randy Boyd introduced HB 1076, which would allow state universities and community colleges to serve as charter school authorizers. The bill awaits its first committee vote. 
• Mississippi Rep. Jansen Owen introduced HB 1683, which awaits a committee vote. The bill would allow community colleges and universities to become alternative charter school authorizers and would allow the Charter Authorizing Board to authorize charter schools in more school districts. 

 
Missouri 

• Missouri Sen. Curtis Trent’s SB 1366, which would establish accountability measures for all public elementary and secondary schools, passed committee and heads to the Senate floor. 
• Missouri Rep. Brad Pollitt’s HB 1989 passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would expand education choice by establishing an open enrollment policy for public schools. 
• Missouri Sen. Curtis Trent’s SB 1051, which allows traditional public and charter schools to opt into open enrollment, passed committee review and heads to the Senate floor. 
• Missouri legislators advanced five bills to expand and improve the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. 
  • Rep. Phil Christofanelli’s HB 2104 and Rep. Richey’s HB 1738 await a vote in their respective first committees. The bills would increase the ESA cap by $25 million and provide additional funding for English as a Second Language students, students with an Individualized Education Plan and students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch (FRL). The bill would also expand income eligibility to households with income of up to 400% of FRL ($222,000 for a family of four).  
  • Sen. Trent’s SB 1392 passed committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill includes the same policies as those in HB 2104 and HB 1738 and, in addition, would increase public school options for families by expanding the districts in which charter schools may operate. 
  • Rep. Hudson’s HB 1615 awaits a vote in its first committee. The bill would remove a residence-related eligibility requirement and also expand eligibility to students with a household income of up to 200% of the FRL threshold ($111,000 for a family of four).  
  • Rep. Matthiesen’s HB 1671 awaits a vote in its first committee. The bill would remove the ESA eligibility requirement that a student must have attended a public school for a semester within the last 12 months unless they are entering kindergarten. 

 
Nebraska 

• Nebraska Sen. Lou Ann Linehan’s early literacy bills, LB 1252 and LB 1254, await an Education Committee vote. The bills would require and fund regional reading coaches for schools with the greatest need and add accountability and reporting requirements to the professional learning system. LB 1252 would also ban the harmful literacy instructional practice of three-cueing. 
• Nebraska Sen. George Dungan’s LB 1121 awaits an Education Committee vote. This teacher retention bill would allow for an additional $1,500 grant for any teacher who has completed six years at a Nebraska school and has signed a new contract to continue teaching full-time in the state.  
• Nebraska Sen. Lynne Walz’s LB 1053 awaits an Education Committee vote. The bill would address the teacher shortage by creating a retention grant for retirement-eligible teachers who continue serving as full-time teachers. 
• Nebraska Sen. Lou Ann Linehan’s LB1402 funds scholarship granting organizations and prioritizes low-income students and siblings of previous scholarship recipients when granting education scholarships. This bill passed its committee and now heads to the Senate floor. 
   

New Hampshire 

• New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu gave his last State of the State address in which he highlighted the major accomplishments of his administration over the past seven years. He also expressed support for HB 1665, which would expand the income eligibility of the Education Freedom Account program from 350% to up to 500% of the federal poverty level (from $109,200 to $156,000 for a family of four). The bill passed the full House. 
• New Hampshire Sen. Timothy Lang’s SB 342, which would create a new school building construction allocation program for district and charter public schools, heads to the Senate floor. 

 
New Mexico 

• New Mexico’s session adjourned on February 15 following the passage of the state budget that included nearly $4.5 billion for the Public Education Department and $1.3 billion for higher education. The budget included $30 million requested by Gov. Lujan Grisham for funding a new literacy center. 

 
Oklahoma 

• Oklahoma Sen. Ally Seifried’s committee substitute for SB 1321 passed out of committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would require the State Board of Education to establish a two-year pilot grant program incentivizing public middle and high schools to create phone-free spaces. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Pugh’s SB 1314, which establishes an incentive program for school districts that adopt a cellphone-free campus policy, passed its first committee and heads to its next committee stop. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Ally Seifried’s SB 1213, which would strengthen the teacher pipeline by funding student teacher stipends, passed its first committee and awaits a hearing in its next. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Adam Pugh introduced two bills to strengthen the teacher pipeline. SB 1311 would create a tuition assistance program to help honorably discharged veterans earn a teaching degree in exchange for teaching in an Oklahoma school district for three consecutive years. SB 1313 would increase teacher salaries. Both bills passed the Senate Education Committee and await hearings at their next committee stop. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Adam Pugh’s SB 1358 passed its first committee and heads to its next. The bill would provide more education-to-workforce funding for students to earn credentials in high-need occupation areas. 

 
Pennsylvania 

• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a $48.3 billion state budget that includes $1.1 billion in new K-12 education funding, $872 million of which would be allocated to address past underfunding and inequity. Gov. Shapiro also reiterated his support for a private school scholarship program, calling it “unfinished business.” 
• Pennsylvania Sen. Ryan Aument’s SB 801, which would require evidence-based instruction and high-quality instructional materials to be used in schools, passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously. It also requires educator professional development to be grounded in the science of reading; screeners to identify struggling readers, along with individual reading plans to provide interventions; and it explicitly bans three-cueing in instruction and curriculum.   

 
South Carolina 

• South Carolina Rep. Weston Newton’s H 4700 passed in the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would require age verification for social media accounts and was amended to add a requirement for the Department of Education to create programs that would improve social media literacy in schools.  
• South Carolina Sen. Greg Hembree’s early literacy bill, S 418, passed the Senate and awaits a final vote in the House. The amended bill would ban three-cueing in reading curriculum and instruction, ensure students are administered a reading screener three times per year and expand summer reading camps to first and second grade students.   

Tennessee  

• Tennessee Rep. Scott Cepicky and Sen. Joey Hensley’s companion bills HB 1630/SB 1711, which would require local boards of education to create explicit rules and policies for AI usage in schools, passed both chambers. HB 1630 was rolled into SB 1711 and awaits Gov. Bill Lee’s signature. 
• Tennessee Rep. Cepicky and Sen. Hensley’s companion bills to improve student math proficiency, HB 1655/SB 1712, passed both chambers. HB 1655 was rolled into SB 1712 and awaits Gov. Lee’s signature. The bills would require the Tennessee Department of Education to approve a professional development course on math instruction at no cost to educators in grades K-8 and require an analysis of current math proficiency levels in the state. 
• The Tennessee Senate will consider three private school choice amendments that would create an Education Freedom Scholarship program.  
  • Tennessee Gov. Lee’s administration filed an amendment to SB 2787, which would create an Education Freedom Scholarship program to provide students with approximately $7,000 for various educational uses. The program would be capped at 20,000 students in the first year, with 10,000 of the scholarships reserved for students whose household income does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level or are eligible for the current Tennessee school choice programs. In the following school year, the cap would be removed, but if applications exceed available scholarships, students who received the scholarship in the preceding year and low-income students would get priority.  
  • Tennessee Sen. Jon Lundberg also filed an amendment to SB 2787, which would mirror that of the governor’s, except it would allow funds to be used on out-of-district public school enrollment and include testing requirements for scholarship program participants. 
  • Tennessee Rep. Mark White filed an amendment to HB 1183 which would create an Education Freedom Scholarship program similar to the proposed Senate programs, except the House version would increase the household income limitations and does not include testing requirements for program participants. The bill would also make several changes to public schools in Tennessee, including reducing testing requirements and making changes to the state’s fourth-grade retention law. 

• Tennessee Rep. Ryan Williams’ HB 1191 was amended to include language that would make it easier for charter schools to access vacant and underutilized school district properties. The amended bill passed its first committees and awaits further committee consideration. Its companion bill, Sen. John Steven’s SB 135, passed its first committee and awaits a final Senate vote. 
• Tennessee Rep. Johnny Garrett and Sen. Bo Watson’s companion bills, HB 2709/SB 2372, which would prohibit a social media company from using addictive features on its platform, were referred to committee and await consideration. 
• Tennessee Rep. Rebecca Alexander’s HB 2758 passed its first committee and awaits further committee consideration. The bill would require local boards of education to adopt a policy to ban smartphones from schools during instructional times. 
• Tennessee Rep. Cepicky’s HB 1927 passed its first committee and awaits further committee consideration. The teacher retention bill would reimburse up to $1,000 for teachers’ childcare expenses each month.  

Utah 

• Utah Rep. Candice Pierucci’s HB 431 awaits further action following its second reading in the Senate. The bill would create an educator support hotline and create the Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program, which would improve teacher retention via growth opportunities, such as innovative teacher leadership pathways. 

 
Virginia 

• Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas’s SB 624, which would improve provisions of the Virginia Literacy Act and includes an explicit ban on three-cueing instruction, passed the full House. Virginia Delegate Carrie Coyner’s companion bill HB 647 also passed the full Senate. The bills are now headed to Gov. Glenn Youngkin for consideration.   
• Virginia Delegate Coyner’s HB 1087 passed its first Senate committee and heads to the floor. The bill would require the Department of Education and the Virginia Community College System to establish the College and Career Ready Virginia Program to provide dual enrollment opportunities for all students in Virginia. 
  • Virginia Delegate Coyner’s HB 1083 passed its second Senate committee and heads to the floor. The bill would rename and retool the Virginia Longitudinal Data System as the Virginia Education and Workforce Longitudinal Data System to better reflect the link between education and workforce data in the Commonwealth. 

• Virginia Sen. Tammy Brankey Mulchi’s SB 142 passed its second House committee. The bill would direct the Board of Education to allow local school boards to issue one-year renewable teacher licenses to qualified individuals to teach solely within their district. 
• Virginia Sen. Mark Peake’s SB 352 passed the full House. The bill would create alternate routes for teacher licensure, including for teachers of career and technical education (CTE) programs. 

West Virginia 

• West Virginia Delegate Joe Ellington’s HB 4814 passed its first Senate committee and heads to the floor. This college and career pathways bill would extend the sunset date of the State Advisory Council on Postsecondary Attainment Goals to December 31, 2027. 
• West Virginia Delegate Michael Hornby’s HCR 24, which would require a study on the state’s school aid funding formula, passed the House and heads to its first Senate committee.  
• West Virginia Sen. Patricia Rucker’s SB 761 heads to the Senate floor. The bill would require county school boards to publish an annual list of buildings closed, unused or unoccupied in order to provide greater access to charter schools. 
• West Virginia Delegate Paul Espinosa’s HB 4945 passed its final committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would amend various codes to improve administration of the Hope Scholarship Program.