State Actions Update: Governors Sign Major K-12 Reforms as 2025 Sessions Move Ahead

(For weekly status checks on state education legislation, sign up for our Weekly State Actions Update emails.) 

K-12 education policy is moving fast—and March 2025 delivered big wins for students across the country. Several governors signed key education legislation into law. 

• Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders signed a comprehensive college and career pathways bill—the Arkansas ACCESS Act. 
• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill to create distraction-free learning environments by limiting students’ use of cell phones and other devices. 
• Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed legislation to strengthen early literacy, create phone-free schools and establish the state’s first private education choice program. 
• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed distraction-free learning legislation. 
• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation to strengthen college and career pathways, the teacher pipeline and distraction-free learning. 
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed legislation that strengthens math education. 
• Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a bill creating universal eligibility for education scholarship accounts. 

State legislatures passed several K-12 education policy bills in March, all of which await gubernatorial action. 

• Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is expected to sign legislation to provide teachers with paid parental leave, one of her legislative priorities. 
• Georgia sent bills to strengthen college and career pathways and limit distractions in the classroom to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk.  
• New Mexico sent two early literacy bills and one phone-free schools bill to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for consideration. 

Read on for a full breakdown of this month’s key state actions updates. To explore the education bills moving in your state, scroll down or use the jump links below. 

Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | Colorado | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kentucky | Maryland | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Virginia | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming

Alabama 

• Alabama Sen. Arthur Orr’s dual enrollment bill (SB 196) would allow eligible high school juniors and seniors to enroll full time in college courses at two-year public institutions and earn high school credit for their postsecondary coursework. The bill heads to the Senate floor. 
• Alabama Rep. Leigh Hulsey and Sen. Donnie Chesteen’s companion bills (HB 166/SB 92) would establish cell phone-free learning environments during the instructional day with exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies, IEPs or documented medical needs and require that students complete a social media safety course. The bills await consideration in their full chambers. 
• Alabama Rep. Hulsey’s HB 9, which would ban the harmful practice of three-cueing from K-12 instruction and educator prep programs, heads to the Senate Floor. 
• Alabama Rep. Terri Collins’ HB 272, which would strengthen the teacher pipeline by expanding the state’s current educator loan assistance program beyond math, science and computer science educators to include a broader range of subjects facing shortages, passed the House and heads to the Senate for consideration.    
• Alabama Rep. David Faulkner’s amended HB 332, which would require students to earn at least one credit of computer science to graduate from high school beginning with the graduating class of 2030-31, passed its committee and heads to the House floor. 
• Alabama companion bills sponsored by Rep. Ginny Shaver and Sen. Vivian Figures, granting up to eight weeks of paid parental leave to state and education employees, passed the legislature. The final bill, SB 199, awaits Gov. Kay Ivey’s signature.

Arizona 

• Arizona Rep. Matt Gress’s teacher pipeline bill, HB 2020, heads to the Senate floor. The bill requires an annual study of the state’s teacher supply and demand to identify shortages and surpluses and inform policymaker decisions to improve teacher retention and workforce planning. 
• Two early literacy bills are moving in Arizona: 
  • Sen. David Farnsworth’s SB 1502 would improve early literacy by mandating that all teachers complete training in the science of reading and dyslexia instruction and, for those teaching reading in grades K-5, obtain a literacy endorsement by 2028. The bill passed its first House committee and heads to its final committee stop. 
  • Rep. Gress’ HB 2170, which would require Individualized Education Plans and support for students diagnosed with dyslexia, passed its Senate committees and heads to the Senate floor. 
• Two distraction-free learning bills are moving in Arizona:  
  • Rep. Beverly Pingerelli’s HB 2484, which would create phone-free schools with exceptions for educational purposes or emergencies, passed the Senate and heads to the House for concurrence. 
  • Sen. Shawnna Bolick’s SB 1227, which would support the costs of implementing cell phone-free classrooms, passed the Senate and heads to the House. 

Arkansas

• Arkansas Sen. Jonathan Dismang’s SB 246 passed the legislature and was signed by Gov. Sarah Sanders. The Arkansas ACCESS Act is comprehensive legislation to accelerate college and career pathways, expand access to higher education and non-degree credentials and align K-12 and higher education systems to better serve students. 

Colorado 

• Colorado Sen. Chris Kolker introduced SB 25-200, an early literacy bill that would mandate the implementation of universal dyslexia screening for K-3 students and propose amendments to the READ Act to enhance reading instruction and interventions for struggling readers. The bill heads to its first committee stop.   
• Colorado Rep. Meghan Lukens’ HB 25-1135, which would require charter schools and local boards of education to create policies on phone-free schools, heads to the Senate floor.  

Delaware

• Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer introduced his budget recommendations, which include $8 million to support early literacy, $3 million that will be used to leverage an additional $3 million in private funds to support literacy coaches, and $500,000 to support phone-free schools.   

Florida

• Florida Sen. Danny Burgess filed SB 1462. The companion, Rep. Mike Giallombardo’s HB 871, awaits its final committee. This bill would expand private and public school choice by allowing students to use Family Empowerment Scholarships for full-time virtual private school under certain conditions and allowing public schools, including charter schools, to operate as hybrid models. 
• Florida Sen. Stan McClain filed SB 1440, which would revise the Family Empowerment Scholarship ESA program to define a “home education program” and expand allowable instructional material expenses to include digital devices and tutoring services. The bill awaits its first committee hearing. 
• Florida lawmakers filed distraction-free learning bills that await their first committee hearings: 
  • Sen. Burgess’s SB 1296 would require the Florida Department of Education to implement policies creating phone-free environments, bell-to-bell, across multiple districts in the 2025-26 school year and provide a report to the legislature on its effectiveness, including a model code of conduct. 
  • Rep. Demi Busatta’s HB 949, which would support distraction-free learning by making the entire school day phone-free and requiring schools to provide designated areas to store phones, passed its first committee and heads to its final committee stop.  
• Florida Sen. Tom Wright’s SB 644, which would expand dual enrollment eligibility for students in adult education programs working toward a diploma. Heads to its first committee stop. 
• Florida Sen. Colleen Burton’s SB 754, which would expand eligibility for the International Baccalaureate bonus to include students who score a ‘C’ on the IB exam, passed its first committee.  
• Florida Rep. Kendall’s HB 85, which would expand school transportation to students who live near dangerous roadways, passed the House floor. Its companion, SB 650, awaits its second committee hearing. 
• Rep. Dana Trabulsy’s HB 1255 will be heard in its last committee. This bill requires districts to report how they assign highly effective teachers in K-2 and allows the Department of Education to approve district reading plans. The bill also defines math interventions and highly qualified math teachers, while adding dyscalculia to the review of teacher competencies. 
• Rep. Kim Kendall’s HB 571, which would require school districts to schedule work-based learning at a time that ensures the greatest number of students can benefit, heads to its final committee before the House floor. The bill would also require high schools to host career fairs for students aged 16 and older with employers that are currently offering paid work experience. 
• Florida Sen. Danny Burgess’ SB 270 heads to its final committee stop before the Senate Floor. The bill would expand eligibility for Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship Program, which rewards Florida high school graduates for academic achievement, to include students from military families. The companion, Rep. Kincart-Johnson’s HB 1105, awaits second hearing. 
• Florida Sen. Gaetz’s SB 140 passed its second committee and heads to its final. The bill would revise the process for converting traditional public schools to charter schools, allow cities to create career-focused “job engine” charter schools, and prioritize unused school property for charter schools or as affordable housing for teachers, first responders and military personnel. The companion, Rep. Alex Andrade’s HB 123 awaits its final committee hearing. 
• Florida Sen. Burgess’ SB 1702, which would provide zoning flexibility for private schools located in certain counties, appears in its first committee this week. Its companion, Rep. Valdes’ HB 1115, passed its first committee.  
• Florida Rep. Randy Maggard’s HB 591, which would expand screenings and support for children with autism, including grant funding for charter schools and summer camps that educate students with autism, passed its second committee. Its companion, Sen. Gayle Harrell’s SB 112, passed the Senate unanimously and is on its way to the House. 
• Florida Sen. Simon’s SB 110, which would expand academic supports, programming and funding for small and rural schools and improve the teacher pipeline by providing up to $15,000 in student loan repayment assistance for educators willing to work in small and rural schools, passed the Senate. Its companion, Rep. Phillip Griffitts’ HB 1427, passed its first committee. 
• Florida Rep. Dean Black’s collective bargaining bill, HB 1217, awaits its first committee hearing. 
• Florida Sen. Colleen Burton’s SB 1122, which would allow Florida Virtual School to serve students beginning in pre-kindergarten and through the first two years of post-secondary education, passed its first committee and heads to its second. Its companion, Rep. David Smith’s HB 885, awaits its first committee hearing.  
• Florida Rep. Jason Shoaf’s education-to-workforce legislation, HB 1145, heads to the House floor while its companion, Sen. Corey Simon’s SB 742, heads to its first committee this week. The legislation would give charter schools access to workforce program grant funds and double the number of programs Florida College System institutions must identify as money-back guarantees to students if they do not find employment in their field of study and at a certain wage upon graduation.   
• Florida Rep. Demi Busatta’s HB 1267 passed its first committee while Sen. Alexis Calatayud’s companion, SB 1708, passed its first committee. This bill would improve the state’s Schools of Hope program to attract more high-performing charter school operators to the state. The bill expands which students Schools of Hope can serve and improves access to vacant, underutilized, and surplus public school property.  
• Florida Rep. Danny Alvarez’s HB 1213, which would require districts to expand school transportation options for students, passed its first committee. 
• Florida Rep. John Snyder’s HB 443, which would establish administrative and regulatory flexibility for charter schools, passed its second committee. The bill would grant charters administrative freedom to increase enrollment and develop student codes of conduct; establish new requirements to ensure the timely sharing of student data, including assessment data, with charter schools; and extend flexibility from zoning changes to charter schools housed on land owned by institutions like Florida colleges and universities. Companion legislation, Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez’s SB 822, heads to its first committee hearing. 
• Florida Rep. Kim Kendall’s charter and private school bill, HB 569, passed its second committee. This bill would prohibit local governments from imposing burdensome local building requirements that restrict student capacity. The companion, Sen. McClain’s SB 1188, passed its second committee and heads to its final. 
• Florida Rep. Susan Valdes’ HB 1111, which would extend eligibility for the Family Empowerment Scholarship’s Transition-to-Work Program to students with disabilities aged 17 to 22 who have not received a high school diploma, passed its second committee. The bill would also give students with disabilities an extra year in high school when they meet credit requirements but have yet to pass required assessments.  
• Florida Kim Kendall’s HB 127, which would establish a workforce credential program for students with disabilities, heads to its final committee before the House Floor. The companion, Sen. Don Gaetz’s SB 102, passed the Senate Floor and awaits the House companion. 
• Florida Rep. Erika Booth’s HB 1367 would tackle chronic absenteeism by requiring school districts to report students who are absent for 10% of the first 45 days of the school year and tasking the state board of education with creating guidelines for school districts to address chronic absenteeism. The bill passed its second committee, and its companion, Sen. Stan McClain’s SB 938, awaits its first committee hearing.   
• Florida Rep. John Snyder’s early literacy bill, HB 1309, passed its second committee. This bill would strengthen intensive reading instruction and interventions for students in grades 4-12 and ensure district reading plans are aligned with state reading goals.  
• Florida Rep. Shane Abbott’s HB 151, which would allow private school and home education students to participate in sports at another school if their school does not offer their desired sport, is on the House Floor. Sen. Corey Simon’s companion, SB 248, awaits its final committee hearing.   
• Florida Sen. Corey Simon’s SB 166, which would water down school accountability and lower student expectations by weakening Florida’s longstanding fourth-grade promotion policy for reading and repealing the requirement that students pass Algebra I and 10th-grade English language arts assessments to graduate, heads to the Senate Floor.   
• Florida Rep. Susan Valdes’ HB 1113, which would improve the quality of math instruction by aligning the minimum math teacher preparation instructional hours in content with the national average, passed its second committee hearing.  
• Florida Sen. Calatayud’s SB 1618, which would strengthen early literacy instruction and interventions, create alternatives for college acceleration courses and tighten eligibility for the state’s School Recognition bonus funding, passed its second committee.  
• Florida Sen. Burgess’ SB 1590, which would establish an educator preparation task force to help inform statewide curriculum, alternative pathways and professional development, is scheduled for its first committee.  
• Florida Rep. Jennifer Kincart Johnson’s education-to-workforce bill HB 1105 passed its first committee. The bill would require state-approved student internship opportunities to be presented in counseling materials and courses required for graduation.   
• Florida Rep. Alex Rizo’s HB 875, which would strengthen early literacy and the teacher pipeline by establishing new requirements for teacher preparation programs that include evidence-based reading practices, a statewide program to provide alternative pathways to enter the teaching profession and an institute at Miami-Dade College that would train high-quality teachers, passed its first committee.  
• Florida Sen. Shevrin Jones’ SB 508 heads to its final committee stop. The legislation would impose new requirements on private schools accepting education choice scholarships to inform parents in writing about specific school policies regarding academics, attendance, specialized services, and accommodations for students with IEPs.  The companion, Rep. Robin Bartleman’s HB 423, awaits its final committee hearing. 
• Florida Sen. Nick DiCeglie’s SB 1458 was heard in its first committee. The bill would expand opportunities for students to participate in work-based learning by improving and standardizing the current funding model for apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship and career and technical education programs. The companion, Lauren Melo’s HB 681 heads to its second committee. 
• Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka’s HB 1387, passed its first committee, and heads to its second. The bill would make changes to collective bargaining, including requiring a quorum of union members to participate in a certification election, restricting release-time allowances, and restricting the ability of public employers from certain activities during a campaign leading up to a certification election. 
• The Florida House and Senate filed separate education scholarship bills, which await hearings in their second committees. The Senate’s SB 7030 would establish a monthly payment cycle for scholarships with new application deadlines. The House’s HB 5101 would place a cap on certain scholarships and establish new applications deadlines. 
• Rep. Susan Valdes HB 1483 passed its first committee. This bill would phase in a more rigorous A-F school grade, culminating in requiring that schools earn at least 90% for a grade of “A,” 80% for a grade of “B,” 70% for a grade of “C” and 60% for a grade of “D.”

Georgia 

• Georgia Rep. Matthew Gambill’s Top State for Talent Act (HB 192) passed both chambers and awaits a signature by Gov. Brian Kemp. The bill aligns existing career-tech and academic credentials with in-demand careers; increases opportunities from high school to postsecondary programs in high-demand fields; and requires a return-on-investment analysis to measure the effectiveness of secondary and postsecondary education-to-workforce programs aligned with the state’s high-demand career list. Read our statement. 
• Georgia Sen. Greg Dolezal’s education choice legislation, SB 152, passed the Senate and passed its first committee in the House. The bill would expand eligibility for Georgia Promise Scholarships by allowing biological and adoptive children of foster care parents to qualify for the state’s ESA program. 
• The Georgia Senate passed their version of the state budget and included a total of $18.5 million to fund 116 literacy coaches and $141 million for the state’s ESA program. The appropriations bill, HB 68, heads to Conference Committee for consideration.     
• Two early literacy bills are moving in Georgia: 
  • Sen. RaShaun Kemp’s SB 93 was amended to ban the harmful practice of three-cueing from only educator prep programs. The bill passed the House and awaits a final vote in the Senate.  
  • Rep. Bethany Ballard’s HB 307, which would ban three-cueing in K-12 instruction and provide support plans for students with characteristics of dyslexia, passed both chambers and awaits a signature by Gov. Brian Kemp. 
• Georgia Sen. Clint Dixon’s SB 82, which would expand public school choice by incentivizing local school districts to authorize and oversee more charter schools and increasing transparency and accountability for local decisions to deny charter school petitions, passed the House and awaits a final vote in the Senate.   
• Georgia Rep. Scott Hilton’s HB 340, which creates phone-free schools, passed both chambers and heads to Gov. Kemp for signature.

Hawaii

• Hawaii Rep. Justin Woodson introduced HB 1343, which would create cell phone-free environments during school hours, passed the House and heads to the Senate.   

Idaho

• Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed three bills into law: 
  • Sen. Van Burtenshaw’s early literacy legislation, SB 1069, requires publicly funded schools to create an extended-time, evidence-based intervention program for K-3 students who score at or below basic on reading screeners and provide professional development in the science of reading for all K-3 teachers and administrators. 
  • Sen. Treg Bernt’s SB 1032 requires local school boards and charter schools to adopt policies to limit distracted learning and devices during school hours. 
  • Rep. Wendy Horman’s HB 93, which establishes the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit—the state’s first private education choice program. The program would allow parents to apply for a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per student for qualified educational expenses, such as tuition, textbooks and tutoring.   
• Idaho Rep. Douglas Pickett’s HB 331, which would revise the Public Charter Schools Facilities Program to increase the program’s funding cap allowing more charter schools to participate, passed both chambers. 
• Idaho Senate Education Committee’s SB 1096, passed the Senate and heads to the House. The bill would replace the K-12 funding formula with a weighted per-pupil funding formula based on specific student characteristics–increasing funding by 175% for special education students; 100% for students in alternative schools and 25% for economically disadvantaged students, English language learners and gifted/talented students. 

Illinois

• Illinois Rep. Curtis Tarver introduced HB 2975, which would limit classroom distractions by establishing cell phone-free instructional time in schools. The bill awaits its first hearing. 
• Illinois Sen. Christina Castro’s SB 2427, which would require all school boards to adopt a cell phone-free classroom policy, heads to the Senate floor. 

Indiana

• Indiana Sen. Linda Rogers’s SB 518, which would require revenue from school property tax levies to be shared with local charter schools, awaits its second committee hearing in the House.    
• Indiana Reps. Jake Teshka, Julie McGuire and Bob Behning’s HB 1634, a comprehensive math policy, passed its first Senate committee. The bill would require math screenings for students in grades K-2, supports and interventions for students at risk of falling behind, educator preparation in math curriculum and content, and automatic enrollment in advanced math courses for high-performing middle school students. 
• Indiana Sen. Linda Rogers’ teacher pipeline bill, SB 146, was amended and passed its House committee stop. The bill would increase the minimum teacher salary to $45,000, create a teacher recruitment program and provide health insurance coverage and paid parental leave. The teacher recruitment program would provide grants to educators in critical shortage areas. 
• Indiana Sen. Jeff Raatz’s SB 365, which would require the Indiana Department of Education to conduct a return on investment (ROI) analysis of career and technical education (CTE) programs, passed out of its House committee.  
• Indiana Rep. Bob Behning’s HB 1498, which would task the Indiana State Board of Education with creating a new school accountability system based on student proficiency rates, passed out of the Senate and awaits House concurrence. 

Iowa

• Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ priority bills all advanced in March.  
  • HF 782, which would create cell phone-free instructional time, heads to the Senate and awaits its first committee referral.   
  • HF 787, which would strengthen the teacher pipeline by requiring the creation of an online state job posting system for jobs offered by school districts, charter schools, education agencies, the Department of Education and accredited nonpublic schools, heads to the Senate and awaits its first committee referral.  Iowa Senate Education Committee’s companion bill, SF 442, awaits a vote on the Senate floor.  
  • SF 450, which would strengthen math policy by requiring math proficiency assessments for K-6 students as well as additional math instruction training in educator preparation programs, awaits a vote on the Senate floor. Its House companion bill, HF 784,  passed the House and awaits its first Senate committee referral. 
• Iowa Sen. Lynn Evans’ SF 211, which would allow students enrolled in online courses to complete summative assessments online with specific timing, monitoring and verification requirements, awaits a vote on the Senate floor. 
• The Iowa Department of Education’s HF 316 would create a list of industry-recognized credentials for students in grades 9-12 and require districts to report, but not make public, student credential attainment data. The legislation also would add career exploration opportunities for fifth and sixth graders. The bill passed the House and heads to its first Senate committee stop. 

Kentucky 

• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed Rep. Josh Bray’s HB 208 into law. The bill requires school districts to adopt policies establishing phone-free schools for the full school day. The bill includes exceptions for instructional use as directed by a teacher.  

Maryland 

• The Maryland State Board of Education adopted a comprehensive Pre-K-12 math policy. The policy aims to improve student achievement in math education by ensuring all students have access to a high-quality curriculum. Read our statement. The policy includes:  
  • Minimum daily instructional time and research-based professional development for educators. 
  • Structured interventions and additional instructional time for struggling students as well as automatic enrollment and access to challenging coursework for high performers. 
  • A rigorous, integrated two-year Algebra course to build a strong foundation for advanced math learning as well as access to advanced math pathways, such as courses in data analytics, calculus, statistics and probability.  
  • Parent notification on student progress, interventions and opportunities for advanced coursework.   

Minnesota 

• Minnesota Sen. Alice Mann introduced SF 510, which would establish a voluntary pilot program to increase access and automatically enroll qualified students in advanced English language arts, math or science coursework. ExcelinEd in Action provided expert testimony in committee in March. 
• Minnesota Sens. Steve Cwodzinski and Julia Coleman’s SF 2067 would weaken school accountability by limiting the state assessment to grades 3-8 and requiring a nationally recognized college entrance exam (such as the ACT) to be administered to high school students in grades 11 or 12. ExcelinEd in Action provided expert testimony on the bill, which was amended before passing its first committee. The amended bill, which would still weaken school accountability, now awaits its next committee hearing. 

Mississippi

• Four Mississippi education bills failed to pass their committee stops in their opposite chambers. 
  • Rep. Jansen Owen’s HB 1435 would have eliminated the requirement for a student’s home district to approve transfers to another district, require districts to publicly share their transfer policies and available capacity and create a $5 million fund to help districts cover the associated costs of public-school open enrollment transfers. 
  • Rep. Rob Roberson’s HB 1432 would have supported charter schools by clarifying the law to allow charter management organizations to manage multiple charter schools, provide salary supplements to help charter schools recruit and retain teachers and expand where charter schools can be located. 
  • Sen. Nicole Boyd’s SB 2527 would have established the Mississippi Resident Promise Grant Program to allow students to attend community college tuition-free with remaining costs covered after financial aid is applied. 
  • Sen. Briggs Hopson’s SB 2151 would have established phone-free schools. 
• Mississippi Sen. Nicole Boyd’s SB 2527, which would establish the Mississippi Resident Promise Grant Program to allow students to attend community college tuition-free, passed its first House committee stop and awaits consideration at its final committee stop. 

Missouri

• Missouri Sen. Jill Carter’s SB 150, which would create the Career-Tech Certificate Program to reimburse eligible students for tuition and other educational expenses while pursuing career and technical education, passed the Senate and heads to its first House committee. Rep. Ann Kelley’s companion bill, HB 331, passed the House and awaits its first Senate committee referral. 
• Missouri Sen. Mike Henderson’s early literacy bill, SB 556, would ban the use of the harmful three-cueing literacy instructional practice and mandate instruction based on the science of reading was heard in committee. 
• Missouri Rep. Cecelie Williams’s HB 1153 would strengthen the teacher pipeline by expanding pathways for teachers to earn a certificate to teach, including college programs, online courses, alternative certification programs, specialized certificates for professionals with relevant degrees and a visiting scholar’s certificate for experts filling understaffed positions in schools. The bill passed the House and awaits its first Senate committee hearing. 
• Missouri Rep. Ed Lewis’s HB 941, which would ban the harmful three-cueing literacy instructional practice and mandate instruction based on the science of reading, passed its first committee. Sen. Mike Henderson’s companion SB 556 awaits a vote on the House floor.  
• Missouri Rep. Brad Pollitt’s HB 711, which would allow public school students (excluding charter school students) to utilize inter-district open enrollment starting in kindergarten, passed the House awaits a committee hearing in the Senate. 
• Missouri lawmakers advanced several bills to expand public school choice:    
  • Sen. Curtis Trent’s SB 215 would expand public school choice by extending open enrollment to include both public and charter school students. The proposal also would establish the $80 million Parent Public School Choice Fund to assist low-income students with transportation costs for open enrollment transfers. The bill passed committee and heads to the Senate floor.   
  • Rep. Marlene Terry’s HB 1062, which would strengthen public school choice by prohibiting restrictions that stop school districts from leasing, selling or transferring property to a charter school for an educational purpose, heads to the House floor. 
• Missouri Sen. Rick Brattin’s SB 195 would create the Missouri Parental Choice Tax Credit Act, a refundable tax credit up to $6,760 that private school or homeschooling families could claim for their child’s educational expenses. The bill heads to the Senate floor.   
• Missouri Sen. Mike Hendersen’s SB 68, which would require school districts to adopt policies creating phone-free schools bell-to-bell with exceptions for emergencies, awaits a vote in its House committee.  
• Missouri Rep. Brenda Shields’ HB 267, which would extend the state’s teacher externship program, passed the House and awaits a referral to its first Senate committee.  The program provides teachers with professional development by allowing them to spend time working in industries outside the classroom where they can learn current practices, technologies and skills that they can bring back to the classroom.  
• Missouri Rep. Cathy Jo Loy’s HB 77, which would create the Missouri Parental Choice Tax Credit Act, awaits a vote in its first committee. The bill would create a refundable tax credit that private or home school families could claim for their child’s educational expenses up to $6,760. 

Nebraska 

• Nebraska Sen. Bob Andersen’s LB 427, which would create a universal education scholarship account (ESA) program with no funding or enrollment caps received a committee hearing and awaits a vote. 
• Nebraska Sen. Tony Sorrentino’s LB 131 would expand families’ private education choice options by adding elementary and secondary school tuition costs as approved expenditures in the state’s 529 plans and offering tax deductions for families who use their 529 plans to cover K-12 tuition costs. The bill was heard in committee and awaits a vote.  
• Nebraska Sen. Ben Hansen’s LB 633, which would allow students who were rejected from the state’s inter-district open enrollment program to appeal that decision or request an ESA, was heard in committee and awaits a vote.   
• Nebraska Sen. Rita Sanders filed LB 140, which would require school districts to adopt a policy creating cell phone-free school environments. The bill heads to the chamber floor for a vote. 

Nevada 

• Nevada Sens. Carrie Buck and Jeff Stones’ SB 252 would establish the Nevada Education Savings Account Program, a universal tax credit-funded ESA open to all students for expenses, including tuition, textbooks and tutoring. The bill awaits its first committee hearing. 
• Nevada Sen. Carrie Buck introduced SB 253, which would require districts to share local facility funding with charter schools at a rate of $600 per low-income student and $300 for other students. The bill awaits its first committee hearing.   
• The Nevada Department of Education’s SB 45 passed its Senate committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would allow school districts and charter schools to apply for grants for career and technical education programs based on student enrollment in advanced courses, including work-based learning, dual credit courses and industry recognized credential activities. 
• Nevada Assemblymember Steve Yeager introduced AB 398, which would provide additional compensation for certain hard-to-fill positions in public schools, ensuring students in the highest-need schools and subjects have access to qualified educators.   
• The Nevada Senate on Education introduced SB 444, which would require school districts to adopt a policy creating distraction-free schools by limiting use of electronic devices while at school, awaits its first committee stop.  
• The Nevada Department of Education’s SB 52, which would strengthen early literacy policy by aligning the definition of “long-term English language learner” and the third-grade retention exemption criteria with best practices, passed the Senate and heads to the Assembly. 
   

New Hampshire 

• Two New Hampshire bills that create phone-free school environments are moving through their respective chambers: 
  • Rep. Melissa Litchfield’s HB 781, which would create device- and phone-free environments at least during instructional hours, awaits final consideration on the House floor. 
  • Sen. Denise Riccardi’s SB 206 would create phone-free schools. This bill passed the Senate floor.  
• New Hampshire Sen. Victoria Sullivan’s SB 295, which would expand Education Freedom Accounts by removing income eligibility thresholds, passed the Senate. The bill would create a new enrollment cap of 10,000, which would be subject to an escalator of 25 percent if enrollment reaches 90 percent of a given year’s enrollment cap. New Hampshire’s EFA program currently serves more than 5,000 students from households with incomes at or below 350% of the federal poverty line.  
• New Hampshire Rep. Glenn Cordelli’s HB 741 would create an open enrollment policy to allow parents to send their children to the school of their choice regardless of their zip code. The bill passed the House heads to the Senate. 
• New Hampshire Rep Rick Ladd’s HB 354, which would create alternative certification pathways for career and technical education (CTE) instructors, making it easier to recruit skilled professionals for CTE programs, passed the House and heads to the Senate. 

New Mexico 

• New Mexico Sen. Mimi Stewart’s SB 242 would require teachers seeking their licenses to demonstrate competency in the science of reading and would mandate the use of high-quality instructional materials aligned with structured literacy. The bill passed the House and heads to its first Senate committee. 
• New Mexico Sen. William Soules’s SB 235, which would update the Mathematics and Science Education Act to include dyscalculia screeners, establish the Math and Science Bureau and create a math leadership framework, passed the Senate and heads to the House. 
• New Mexico Sen. Crystal Brantley’s SB 11, which would encourage public and charter schools to adopt a cell phone-free school policy and reimburse schools for specialized storage equipment necessary for implementation, passed both chambers and heads to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk. 
• Two early literacy bills head to New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham’s for consideration:   
  • Rep. Joy Garratt’s HB 156 would increase teacher salaries, require K-3 literacy curriculum based on the science of reading, and provide funding allocations for literacy programs, teacher training and evidence-based reading instruction.  
  • Rep. Garratt and Rep. Diane Torres-Valsquez’s HB 167 would require postsecondary teacher preparation programs to teach the science of reading and evidence-based instructional practices. 

North Carolina

• Two distraction-free learning bills are moving in North Carolina.  
  • North Carolina Sen. Michael Lee’s SB 55 passed the Senate and awaits consideration in the House. The bill would create device and phone-free instructional time with exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies, IEPs or documented medical needs. 
  • North Carolina Rep. Neal Jackson’s HB 87, which would require schools to adopt a policy establishing phone-free classrooms, passed the House and heads to the Senate.    
• North Carolina Rep. Robert Reives introduced education-to-workforce legislation, HB 365, which would revamp the state’s Community College System’s funding model to align community college programs with the state’s workforce needs, emphasizing high-demand, high-wage sectors and streamlining education for students. The bill awaits its first committee hearing. 
• North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein released his budget recommendations, which include additional funding to expand the state’s successful early literacy policies to support middle-grade students; funding for a pilot program to limit classroom distractions with strategies such as cell-phone lockers or pouches; and salary supplements for the state’s Advanced Teaching Roles program, which rewards highly effective teachers who mentor and train newer educators. 
• North Carolina lawmakers introduced two teacher pipeline bills that await a first committee hearing.  
  • Sen. Michael Lee filed SB 508, which would create a pathway to full licensure for individuals with limited licenses based on measurable growth of student outcomes.  
  • Sen. Lee filed SB 506, which would increase funding for the Advanced Teaching Roles program by $36 million over the next two years. The program allows highly effective educators to advance their careers and supplement earnings by mentoring and supporting new teachers. The bill also includes another $1 million to expand the program to more schools during the upcoming school year. 

North Dakota 

• North Dakota Sen. Michelle Axtman’s SB 2241, which would allow public charter schools in North Dakota for the first time, was heard in its first House committee. 
• North Dakota Sen. Axtman’s SB 2354 would require school districts to adopt a distraction-free school policy that minimizes student use of personal electronic devices during school hours. The bill includes certain exceptions, including for students with an IEP or medical conditions. The bill was heard in its first House committee. 
• Two North Dakota lawmakers advanced private school choice legislation. 
  • Rep. Ben Koppelman’s HB 1540, which would establish a $40 million ESA program to provide $4,000 scholarships for up to 9,000 students, was heard in its first senate committee.  
  • Sen. Axtman’s SB 2400, which would create an ESA with tiered scholarship amounts ranging from $500 up to $3,500 based on students’ household income, heard in its first house committee.  

Ohio

• Ohio Reps. Nick Santucci and Josh Williams introduced education-to-workforce legislation, HB 98. The bill, which awaits its first committee hearing, would establish the Community Connectors Workforce Program to connect students to jobs, internships and career professionals in their communities.   
• Ohio Reps. Justin Pizzulli and Adam Bird introduced HB 62, which would reduce barriers to student participation in dual credit courses by requiring participating colleges to use open-source materials instead of purchasing textbooks, had its first committee hearing.   
• ExcelinEd provided written testimony on Rep. Brian Stewart’s HB 96, the vehicle for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget recommendations, in committee. The appropriations bill includes: 
  • Funding for universal access to the state’s “EdChoice” voucher program.   
  • The final phase-in of the fair school funding plan that improves funding equity for charters schools.  
  • Support for improving early literacy, including $12 million each fiscal year for literacy coaches trained in the science of reading.   
  • Increased funding for charter school facilities.  
  • Improved access to advanced math courses for high-performing students.  
  • A policy to create cell phone-free schools during the instructional day. 

Oklahoma 

• Oklahoma Sen. Ally Seifried’s SB 794 to expand the teacher pipeline passed the Senate and heads to the House. The bill would establish student teaching requirements, including completion of a minimum number of weeks of field experience or completion of a qualified, job-embedded, competency-based, teacher-registered apprenticeship program. 
• Oklahoma Rep. Mike Kelley’s HB 1287, which would establish a math tutoring pilot program for the lowest-performing ninth grade students in public schools in districts with at least 30,000 students, was referred to its first senate committee. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Mark Mann’s teacher policy bill, SB 186, which would create a grant program to help teachers with emergency certificates obtain alternative placement teaching certificates, was referred to its first house committee. Grants would be awarded annually to 1,000 individuals on a first-come, first-served basis to pay for subject area competency exam preparation and fees or professional development hours needed for teacher certification.  
• Oklahoma Sen. Adam Pugh’s SB 235, which would strengthen the teacher pipeline by creating the Grow Your Own Educator Program, was referred to its first house committee. The program would provide school districts with matching funds to support eligible district employees pursuing undergraduate degrees from an accredited educator preparation program with tuition or loan repayment assistance.  
• Oklahoma Sen. Ally Seifried introduced SB 224, which would create the Oklahoma Education and Workforce Statewide Longitudinal Data System to collect and report on data needed to evaluate education-to-workforce programs, identify gaps in education and training, inform decision-making, allocate resources effectively and drive outcomes aligned to the state’s workforce needs, was referred to its first house committee.  
• Oklahoma Sen. Seifried and Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore introduced SB 215, which would create the Oklahoma Math Achievement and Proficiency Act. The act would require all public schools to screen students three times a year for math proficiency, incorporate evidence-based math in the classroom and provide math intervention services, was referred to its first house committee. 
• Two Oklahoma phone-free schools bills passed their first chambers and await committee referrals.  
  • Sen. Seifried’s SB 139 would require school districts to establish cell phone and smartwatch-free schools, with exceptions for emergencies.  
  • Rep. Chad Caldwell’s HB 1277 would allocate $7.5 million in grants to public middle, junior high and high schools to incentivize phone-free schools. The funding would support equipment purchases to store cell phones. 

South Carolina  

• The South Carolina House passed their state budget plan, which now heads to its first Senate committee. The budget would:  
  • Raise the minimum teacher salary by $1,500, setting first-year teacher pay at no less than $48,500.  
  • Provide additional funding for summer reading camps and math resources.  
  • Increase funding for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund. 
  • Maintain the phone-free schools policy from last year.  
• South Carolina Rep. Shannon Erickson’s teacher pipeline bill, H 3196, heads to its final committee stop. The bill would provide teachers greater contract flexibility and allow retired South Carolina educators to maintain certification and return to employment with a school district on either a temporary or full-time basis. 
• South Carolina Sen. Greg Hembree’s S 79, which would strengthen the teacher pipeline by establishing a five-year pilot program allowing public school districts to fill up to 10% of teaching positions with non-certified educators who meet certain qualifications, passed the Senate and awaits consideration in the House. 

Tennessee

• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed Rep. Rebecca Alexander’s HB 932 into law. The bill creates phone-free classrooms with exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies, or students with an IEP.  
• Tennessee Rep. William Lamberth’s HB 1322 and Sen. Jack Johnson’s SB 1310 would establish a process for existing public charter schools to replicate within the same district and, in certain cases, allows sponsors to apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to open a new school. SB 1310 passed the Senate and HB 1322 awaits consideration in its third committee before heading to the House floor.  
• Two Tennessee lawmakers advanced teacher pipeline legislation. 
  • Sen. Jack Johnson’s SB 1311 and Rep. Williams Lamberth’s HB 1323, would strengthen the teacher pipeline by revising teacher licensure requirements, prioritizing filling vacancies with certified teachers and expanding educator pathways. The companion bills are advancing, HB 1323 awaits its third committee hearing before heading to the House floor and SB 1311 passed the Senate and awaits a final vote in the House. 
  • Tennessee Sen. Todd Gardenhire filed an amendment to SB 11, which would expand eligibility for the state’s ESA program to include students in Clarksville-Montgomery, Knox and Rutherford counties. The program currently is limited to low-income students zoned for Metro Nashville, Memphis-Shelby and Hamilton County Schools. The amended bill failed to pass through its final committee.  
• Tennessee Rep. William Lamberth’s HB 1324, which would establish the TennesseeWORKS Scholarship as a new last dollar scholarship at technical colleges, passed its second committee. The scholarship would fully cover tuition and fees at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology for all students and alleviate the extra costs of tools and equipment for those with the greatest need.      
• Tennessee Rep. Mark White’s HB 504, which would remove certain eligibility requirements for the Future Teacher Scholarship and extend the program until 2030, passed its second committee and awaits further consideration in its third committee.  

Texas 

• Texas Sen. Brandon Creighton’s SB 26, which would strengthen teacher retention by increasing funding and district participation incentives for the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment program, passed the Senate and heads to the House. The program currently provides more than 25,000 teachers with the opportunity to earn more than $100,000 a year and allows districts to base compensation on performance and reward outstanding teachers. 
• Texas Rep. Brad Buckley’s HB 2 received its first public hearings and awaits further consideration in its only committee stop. The bill would strengthen the teacher pipeline by expanding the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment, which currently puts more than 25,000 teachers on a pathway to earn more than $100,000 a year and strengthen early literacy by providing financial incentives to districts to ensure teachers complete literacy academies that train teachers on evidence-based instruction. 
• Texas Rep. Brad Buckley’s HB 3, which would establish the state’s first private school choice program, received a hearing and awaits consideration in its only House committee stop. The universal ESA program would provide families with more than $10,000 for educational expenses, such as private school tuition and fees, textbooks, instructional materials, therapies, CTE, dual enrollment and transportation. Students from low-income families and students with special needs would be prioritized if there are more applicants than there is funding available. 
• Texas Rep. Harold Dutton’s HB 123 received a hearing and awaits further consideration in its only committee stop. The bill would strengthen early literacy and math policy by requiring K-3 literacy and math screeners, progress monitoring and evidence-based interventions for struggling students and professional development academies for reading interventionists. 
• Texas Rep. Caroline Fairly’s HB 1481, which would require districts to adopt cell-phone free school policies during instructional time, received a hearing and awaits further consideration in its only committee stop. 
   

Utah

• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed four bills into law.  
  • Sen. Lincoln Fillmore’s SB 99 ties teacher bonuses to performance, incentivizing excellence in teaching and creating a pathway for professional recognition. 
  • Sen. Fillmore’s SB 178 creates distraction-free classrooms by prohibiting student use of cell phones, smart watches and emerging technology during instructional hours. 
  • Sen. Val Peterson’s SB 260 strengthens college and career pathways by establishing a master list of approved industry-recognized credentials that will be transferable to higher education institutions and technical colleges.   
  • Rep. Karen Peterson’s HB 265 requires the Utah Board of Higher Education to begin reviewing and reporting their student pathways over the next three years with the goal of removing or reducing funding for underperforming programs. 
• Utah Rep. Mike Schultz’s HB 447, which would create the Catalyst Center Grant Program to provide students with work-based learning experiences, heads to the Senate floor. 

Virginia 

• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Del. Katrina Callsen’s HB 2686 into law. The bill would require school boards to establish eligibility criteria for students in grades 5-8 to enroll in advanced or accelerated math. 
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin provided the legislature with his amendments to the state budget that passed in February. The Governor’s amendments include $15 million for College Partnership Schools, $25 million for the Opportunity Scholarship and $50 million for school construction grants and loans.

West Virginia 

• West Virginia Del. Joe Statler’s early literacy bill, HB 2143, passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would require the state Department of Education to provide professional development in the science of reading, require that public school teachers be trained in the science of reading by the 2026-27 school year and ban the harmful practice of three-cueing from literacy instruction. 
• West Virginia Speaker Roger Hanshaw’s distraction-free schools bill, HB 2003, passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would prohibit the use of electronic devices, including cell phones, during instructional time with specific exemptions for medical or educational needs. 
• West Virginia Sen. Amy Grady’s SB 911, which would allow individuals with at least four years of experience or a degree in a subject area to be an adjunct teacher if no certified teacher is available, passed the Senate and heads to the House. 

Wisconsin 

• Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed Rep. Robert Wittke’s AB 1, which would have required the Department of Public Instruction to align assessment cut (passing) scores, score ranges and other metrics used in the state report cards with those set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Read our statement. 
• Wisconsin Rep. Kitchens’s AB 2, which would require each school district to adopt a distraction-free learning policy that limits student use of wireless communications devices during instructional time, had its first Senate committee hearing. ExcelinEd provided written testimony. 
   

Wyoming 

• Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed Rep. Ocean Andrew’s HB 199, which expands the state’s education savings account program. The “Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act” removes household income restrictions to make all Wyoming resident students eligible for ESAs and increases the annual scholarship amount from $6,000 to $7,000.