February 2026 State Actions Update: K-12 education policies progress

As 2026 legislative sessions progressed through February, lawmakers across the country advanced bills to strengthen student outcomes and expand opportunity.

Sessions in New Mexico and Indiana concluded with multiple bills headed to governors’ desks, reflecting continued momentum behind student-centered policies.

Several key policy areas emerged as trends throughout February. Highlights include:

• Bills prioritizing foundations in literacy and math advanced in 16 states with a focus on evidence-based instruction, early screeners, adolescent literacy and guaranteed access to advanced math pathways.
• Improvements in charter school policy, including expanding access to facilities and funding, moved forward in Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah.
• Fourteen states advanced college and career readiness policies to improve education-to-workforce alignment, access and funding.
• Teacher recruitment and retention policies to strengthen the teacher workforce, increase teacher pay and provide high-quality professional development are trending with bills moving in 10 states.
• Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin moved bell-to-bell phone-free schools legislation that would foster distraction-free learning environments.

ExcelinEd in Action continues to track these developments as legislation progresses nationwide.

To explore the latest education legislation moving in each state, scroll down or use the quick links below. (To stay updated on the status of the latest legislation, sign up for our Weekly State Actions Update emails.) 

| Alabama | Arizona | Colorado | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Maryland | Michigan | Mississippi | Missouri | Nebraska | New Hampshire | New Mexico | Ohio | Oklahoma | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Tennessee | Utah | Virginia | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |

Alabama

• Alabama Sen. Donnie Chesteen’s SB 168 heads to the Governor’s desk for signature. The bill would ban the use of harmful three-cueing instructional practices in K-12 classrooms and educator preparation programs. 
• Alabama Rep. Mack Butler’s HB 353, which would guarantee students’ access to advanced math courses, awaits a vote on the House floor.   
• Alabama Rep. Terri Collins’ HB 396 awaits a vote in its first committee. The bill would strengthen school accountability and student pathways by improving the grading system for public schools and establishing an annual return on investment analysis to ensure students’ experiences lead to post-high school success. 

Arizona

• Arizona Rep. Matt Gress’ HB 2423 passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would guarantee qualified middle school students access to advanced math courses unless a parent opts out and requires schools to notify families about available math pathways.   
• Arizona Rep. Gress introduced HB 4041, which would allow school districts with high percentages of third grade students not demonstrating reading proficiency to spend additional dollars on K-3 reading instruction. 
• Arizona Rep. Pamela Carter introduced HB 4053, which would require all high schools to offer at least two career and technical education (CTE) elective courses each school year, with transferrable credit to community college programs. 
• Arizona Rep. Nancy Gutierrez introduced HB 4078, which would require charter schools to submit employment contracts to the State Board for Charter Schools for posting in a searchable online database with detailed compensation data. 

Colorado

• Colorado Rep. Stephanie Luck introduced HB 1090, which would waive certain requirements for teachers with at least two years of experience teaching full-time at an in-state private school. 
• Colorado Sen. Janice Marchman and Sen. Janice Rich introduced SB 126, which would streamline the licensure process for experienced out-of-state teachers and establish reciprocity with states participating in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. 

Delaware

• Delaware Sen. Eric Buckson and Rep. Kim Williams’ SB 106 passed the legislature and awaits the Governor’s signature. The bill would require school districts and charter schools to develop policies that would create bell-to-bell distraction-free schools. 

Florida

• Florida Rep. Dana Trabulsy’s HB 1071, passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would:   
  • Allow Title I Funds to be used for STEM programs.  
  • Require school districts and charter schools to create comprehensive math instruction plans.   
  • Strengthen school accountability.  
  • Clarify private school eligibility for state education choice programs.  
  • Expand virtual school providers.  
  • Require school districts to report on reading coach placement.  
  • Accelerate intervention plans for students with reading deficiencies. 
  • Allow private schools to operate in non-residential zoning districts without requiring rezoning or land use changes. 
• Florida Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson’s HB 1279 passed the House and heads to the Senate. The omnibus bill would:   
  • Establish a consistent statewide grading scale for high schools. 
  • Raise the in-state student enrollment threshold that Florida universities must meet to receive full state funding from 90% to 95%. 
  • Clarify that dual enrollment is only available to Florida residents. 
  • Allow for additional funding for schools and teacher bonuses. 
• Florida Rep. Peggy Gosset-Seidman’s HB 453 and Sen. Lori Berman’s SB 556  would expand high school graduation flexibility by allowing students with disabilities to earn credit for physical education and performing arts through participation in Special Olympics and marching band. HB 453 passed the House and heads to the Senate. SB 556 heads to the Senate floor. 
• Florida Sen. Alexis Calatayud’s SB 1264 and Rep. Hillary Cassel’s HB 833 would allow small private schools to operate in non-residential zoning districts without requiring rezoning or land use changes. SB 1264 heads to its second committee. HB 833 passed its final committee and heads to the House floor. 
• Florida Sen. Corey Simon’s SB 7036 passed its final committee with an amendment and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would:   
  • Create new secondary math pathways emphasizing career-centered applied math.  
  • Provide recommendations for an AI tool to support math instruction.  
  • Strengthen school accountability by annually identifying districts that need school improvement plans.  
  • Expand teacher preparation program curriculum.    
  • Allow Title I funds to be used for STEM programs and the usage of AI as an instructional tool.  
  • Allow private schools to operate in non-residential zoning districts without requiring rezoning or land use changes. 
• Florida Sen. Calatayud’s SB 7038 passed its final committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would: 
  • Establish a consistent statewide weighted grading scale for high school honors and articulation acceleration courses and create a uniform weighted grading system to calculate GPAs. 
  • Clarify that dual enrollment is only available to Florida residents. 
  • Add private higher education institutions to the list of eligible schools that can offer dual enrollment to high school students. 
  • Add a calculation for additional funding for schools and teacher bonuses. 
• Florida Sen. Keith Truenow’s SB 824 and Rep. Danny Nix Jr.’s HB 1147 would require school districts to report all vacant land owned by the school district annually to the Department of Education. SB 824 passed the Senate and heads to the House. HB 1147 passed its final committee and heads to the House floor. 
• Florida Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka’s HB 995 and Sen. Jonathan Martin’s SB 1296 would make changes to collective bargaining, including requiring a quorum of union members to participate in a certification, decertification or recertification election. HB 995 passed its final committee and heads to the House floor. SB 1296 passed its first committee. 
• Florida Sen. Calatayud’s SB 1718 and Florida Rep. Anne Gerwig’s HB 561 would improve the teacher workforce by expanding opportunities for teachers to get back into the classroom with temporary certifications. SB 1718 passed its final committee and heads to the Senate floor while HB 561 passed the House and heads to the Senate for consideration.  
• Florida Sen. Tom Leek’s SB 482 heads to the Senate floor. The bill would establish the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, including requiring parental consent for minors accessing companion bots and regular platform disclosure requirements that a user is interacting with AI not a human. 
• Florida Sen. Calatayud’s SB 1722 passed its first committee. The bill would ensure that app stores are taking steps to protect minors by requiring age verification and disabling the downloading of certain apps without parental consent consistent with Florida’s current law. 

Georgia

• Georgia Rep. Chris Erwin’s HB 1193 passed the House and moves to the Senate. The bill would improve statewide literacy policy by placing a literacy coach in every elementary school.    
• Georgia Rep. Sandy Donatucci’s Math Matters Act, HB 1030, passed the House and moves to the Senate. The bill would guarantee access to advanced math in middle and high school, require 60 minutes of daily math for grades 4-5 and improve educator preparation programs in math training. 
• Georgia Rep. Phil Olaleye’s HB 310 passed the House and moves to the Senate. The bill would establish a grant program to financially assist teacher candidates during student teaching. 
• Georgia Rep. Bethany Ballard’s HB 372 passed the House and moves to the Senate. The bill would address teacher shortages by allowing retired teachers to fill open positions. 
• Georgia Rep. Carmen Rice’s HB 1107 passed the House and moves to the Senate. The bill would strengthen the state’s Educator Preparation Program Report by adding data for student outcomes, teacher evaluations and retention rates. 
• Georgia Rep. Will Wade’s HB 1164 passed the House and moves to the Senate. The bill would improve financial transparency and reporting in K-12 schools. 
• Georgia Rep. Scott Hilton’s HB 1009 passed the House and moves to the Senate. The bill would create a bell-to-bell distraction-free school policy for high schools. 
• Georgia Rep. Matthew Gambill’s HB 1302 heads to its next House committee. The bill would establish the Office of Education and Workforce Strategy to create a strong cross-agency pathways governance framework. 
• Georgia Rep. Deb Silcox’s HB 1308 heads to its first full committee hearing. The bill would permit charter schools to lease or buy unused or underutilized school facilities from school districts.  
• Georgia Sen. Clint Dixon’s SB 498 heads to its second Senate committee. The bill would establish the Georgia Charter School Facilities Authority and create a state loan fund for charters to finance school facilities at a significantly lower cost. 
• Georgia Rep. Will Wade’s HB 1269 heads to its second House committee. The bill would provide for digital literacy instruction in K-12 education. 

Idaho

• Idaho Sen. Doug Pickett introduced H 741, which would increase funding autonomy for public charter schools that demonstrate strong student outcomes, sound financial practices and effective operational management.   
• Idaho Sen. Kevin Cook’s S 1227 heads to the House floor for a vote. The bill would develop statewide guidance regarding responsible AI use in K-12 schools, while protecting student privacy and safety. 

Indiana

• Indiana’s session adjourned with five bills heading to Gov. Mike Braun’s desk. 
  • Sens. Jeff Raatz and Linda Rogers’ SB 199 expands the number of schools eligible for reading professional development, requires institutions of higher education to review average earnings of graduates to ensure positive return on investment and requires the Department of Education to study and make recommendations for paid family leave. 
  • Sen. Rogers’ SB 239 requires parental notification for students at risk of not achieving grade-level proficiency in math and improves facilities access for charter schools. The bill also strengthens career pathways by publishing a list of business and industry partners that will provide incentives to students who earn the Employment Honors Plus diploma seal. 
  • Rep. Bob Behning’s HB 1266 increases flexibility for students using a Career Scholarship Account, requires the Department of Education to recommend 60 minutes of daily math instruction and to develop a new data science pathway. 
  • Sens. Raatz and Greg Goode’s SB 78 requires schools to adopt and implement a bell-to-bell phone- and wireless communication device-free policy. 
  • Rep. Behning’s HB 1408 establishes limits and safeguards for youth social media access.   

Iowa

• Iowa Sen. Lynn Evans’ SF 2220 heads to the Senate floor. The bill would develop an advanced mathematics pathway to ensure high-achieving students are guaranteed access to Algebra I in middle school. 
• Iowa Rep. Skyler Wheeler’s HF 2494 passed committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would require the Department of Education to prepare, publish and submit annual reports on reading and math proficiency. 
• Iowa Rep. Taylor Collins’ HF 2547 passed the House and heads to its first Senate committee. The bill would strengthen alignment between high school programs, community colleges and workforce needs.   
• Iowa Rep. Wheeler’s HF 2610 passed its committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would create and adopt definitions of high-demand, high-skilled and high-wage occupations, strengthening alignment of CTE programming to quality careers. 
• Iowa Rep. Wheeler’s HSB 648, companion to SF 2391, passed committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would amend the Teach Scholarship Program to incentivize teacher recruitment in high-need teaching fields of STEM, English language learning or special education. 
• Iowa Sen. Evans’ SF 2406 and Rep. Gehlbach’s HF 2699 passed their respective committees. These companion bills would allow additional funding to follow a student to a charter school and for charter school students to have access to extracurricular activities available in public schools. 
• Iowa Sen. Jesse Green’s SF 2425 and Rep. Wheeler’s HF 2713 passed their first education committee before the legislative deadline. The companion bills would create revolving loan program funds and authorize the Iowa Finance Authority to issue bonds for charter and nonpublic schools to provide schools with low- or no-interest financing for facilities. The bills also ensure charter school students have access to extracurricular activities available in public schools and create a second application window for education scholarship account students.  

Kansas

• Kansas Rep. Susan Estes’ HB 2468 passed the House heads to its first Senate committee. The bill would double the availability of tax credit scholarships by increasing the program cap by an additional $10 million. The bill would also allow Kansas to opt into the federal tax credit program. 
• Kansas Rep. Estes introduced HB 2660, which would improve literacy policy by requiring the use of evidence-based practices and the development of individual reading plans for high-risk K-3 students. 
• Kansas House Substitute SB 281, which would require the adoption of bell-to-bell phone-free school policies, passed out of the House and heads to its first Senate committee. 

Kentucky

• Kentucky Rep. James Tipton’s HB253 passed the House and awaits a committee hearing in the Senate. The bill would prohibit the use of harmful three-cueing literacy instruction. 
• Kentucky Rep. Tipton’s HB 307, which would establish a direct admissions program, heads to its second House committee.  
• Kentucky Rep. T.J. Roberts’ HB 94 heads to its next House committee. The bill would strengthen college pathways by guaranteeing students can transfer between select college programs while maintaining their credits.

Maryland

• Maryland Del. Eric Ebersole’s HB 1057 and Sen. Katie Fry Hester’s companion SB 720 await consideration in their first committees. The bills would require the Department of Education to provide districts with guidance on responsible use of artificial intelligence in education. 

Michigan

• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Michigan Rep. Mark Tisdel’s HB 4141 into law. The bill requires school boards to implement a distraction-free learning policy during instructional time

Mississippi

• Mississippi Rep. Chris Johnson’s SB 2294 passed the House with amendments and awaits Senate concurrence. The amendment includes adolescent literacy, math policy and expanded financial literacy requirements for middle and high school students. The bill would: 
  • Require evidence‑based literacy practices aligned to the science of reading for grades 4-8. 
  • Expand access to math coaches. 
  • Create a K–5 universal math screener. 
  • Establish an Algebra Readiness Indicator. 
  • Require districts to adopt high‑quality instructional materials for math.   
  • Require financial literacy instruction for grades 6–8.   
  • Mandate a half‑credit personal finance course for high school graduation.   
• Mississippi Sen. Dennis DeBar’s SB 2487 passed the Senate and heads to its first House committee. The bill would strengthen adolescent literacy by providing literacy coaches and interventionists and establishing Individual Reading Plans for students in grades 4-8. The bill also includes an 8th grade retention policy that is not evidence-based. 
• Mississippi Sen. Nicole Boyd’s SB 2242 passed the Senate and heads to its first House committee. The bill would establish the Mississippi Math Act and provide K-5 screening for mathematics readiness, as well as an Algebra Readiness Indicator in grade 5, professional development and math coaching. 
• Mississippi Rep. Zachary Grady’s HB 1234 passed the House and heads to its first Senate committee. The bill would create a public-facing school accountability dashboard with clear, easy-to-read performance information. 
• Mississippi Sen. DeBar’s SB 2002 passed the Senate and heads to its first House committee. The bill would improve open enrollment by removing the approval requirement for interdistrict transfers. 
• Mississippi Sen. DeBar’s SB 2288 passed out of its House committee and awaits action on House Floor. This bill would allow career and technical education (CTE) incentive grants to be used to purchase equipment for programs leading to industry certifications. 
• Mississippi Rep. Donnie Bell’s HB 562 was amended with the UPSKILL Mississippi Act, which would support tuition-free access to community college programs aligned with the workforce. 

Missouri

• Missouri Rep. Cathy Loy’s HB 2872 heads to the House floor. The bill would strengthen literacy policy by implementing new statewide reading screeners, requiring a third-grade promotion gate, and banning the use of harmful three-cueing classroom instructional practices. 
• Missouri Sen. Curtis Trent’s SB 971 was combined with Sen. David Gregory’s SB 906 and passed its first committee. The bill would expand open enrollment, allow school boards to determine district capacity and enable parents to appeal denied transfers. 
• Missouri Rep. Marlene Terry’s HB 2172 was combined with Rep. George Hruza’s HB 2404 and heads the House floor after passing its final committee. The bill would ensure that public charter schools have access to and a right of first refusal on public buildings and allows public entities leasing a building to incur debt for facility improvements. 
• Missouri Rep. Dane Diehl’s HB 2710 and Sen. Curtis Trent’s SB 1653 would strengthen school accountability by overhauling the current school report card system and implementing an A-F grading model. HB 2710 awaits a vote on the House floor. SB 1653 passed its first committee. 
• Missouri Rep. Ed Lewis’s HB 2274 passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would allow Missouri to enter the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. 

Nebraska

• Nebraska Sen. Dave Murman’s LB 1050 was designated an Education Committee priority bill. The bill would amend the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act to require reading proficiency marks and a third grade promotion gate for students who do not reach proficiency. 

New Hampshire

• New Hampshire Rep. Mark McLean’s open enrollment bill, HB 751, was considered on the House floor and is heading to conference negotiations between both chambers. The bill would allow students to attend any public school in the state regardless of their zip code. 
• New Hampshire Sen. Tim Lang’s  SB 101 passed the Senate and heads to the House. The bill would create open enrollment, allowing students to attend any public school in the state regardless of their ZIP code. 
• New Hampshire Rep. Margaret Drye’s HB 1270, which would strengthen the teacher pipeline by expanding school district access to adjunct teachers, passed the House and awaits consideration in the Senate.  
• New Hampshire Rep. Kristin Noble’s HB 1828 received an ought to pass recommendation in its House committee and awaits consideration in the floor. The bill would require the Department of Education to review Educator Preparation Programs for effective literacy instruction. 

New Mexico

• New Mexico’s legislative session adjourned after lawmakers passed three education bills, which now head to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk.  
  • Sen. Mimi Stewart’s SB 37, a comprehensive early literacy bill, requires approved high-quality instructional materials for K-3 students, establishes a reading assessment system with parent notification for struggling students and supports low-performing elementary schools with literacy coaches. 
  • Sen. William Soules’ SB 29 increases math coursework requirements for teachers, mandates mathematics professional learning plans and establishes screeners and support plans for K-3 students. 
  • Rep. Debra Sariñana’s HB 30 strengthens the teacher pipeline by increasing pay for teacher trainees (“residents”) and allowing them to fulfill their teaching commitment at any public school once they finish their residency.

Ohio

• Ohio Sen. Andrew Brenner’s SB 19 awaits its next committee hearing. The bill would require school districts to provide evidence-based interventions to students struggling in math or English language arts, develop math intervention plans, ensure high-performing students are guaranteed access to advanced math courses and require the Department of Education to create a list of high-quality math instructional materials.   
• Ohio Sen. Kyle Koehler’s SB 328 awaits its next committee hearing. The bill would: 
  • Establish the Education and Workforce Return on Investment Initiative. 
  • Require the Department of Education and Workforce to create and distribute career pathways resources to students. 
  • Establish a statewide career coaching framework. 
  • Develop professional skills standards aligned to essential workforce skills. 
  • Require schools to offer career exploration to 6th-8th grade students. 
  • Require eighth grade students to complete an academic and career plan.  

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma Sen. Adam Pugh’s SB 1338 heads to the Senate floor for a vote. The bill would make the state’s literacy instructional team pilot program permanent. 
• Oklahoma Speaker Kyle Hilbert’s HB 4420 heads to its second committee. The bill would amend the Strong Readers Act to ensure students are reading proficiently by the end of third grade. The comprehensive early literacy bill would expand screener requirements, require intervention and parent notification, ban the use of harmful three-cueing literacy instruction, implement a third-grade promotion gate and strengthen teacher training and professional development. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Pugh’s SB 1778 heads to its second committee. The bill would amend the Strong Readers Act by strengthening requirements for screeners, parent notification and interventions and implementing a third grade promotion gate. 
• Oklahoma Rep. Caldwell’s HB 3706 passed its committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would strengthen the Oklahoma Math Achievement and Proficiency Act by expanding it from grades 2-5 to grades K-8, improving math screening and parent notification requirements and establishing minimum daily and weekly math instructional time requirements. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Ally Seifried’s SB 1360 passed its second committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would enhance the Math Achievement and Proficiency Act by ensuring all math teachers have access to evidence-based professional development and create the Office of Mathematics Improvement focused on math instruction for K-5 students. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Pugh’s SB 1546 heads to the Senate floor for a vote. The bill would strengthen teacher recruitment by increasing the annual scholarships available to prospective teachers completing in-state educator preparation programs. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Carri Hicks’s SB 1413 passed committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would require public schools to notify parents when employing an emergency certified teacher and limit adjunct teachers to 270 classroom hours per semester. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Pugh’s SB 1337 heads to its second committee. The bill would strengthen teacher policy by adding paternity leave to the current maternity leave policy for school employees. 
• Oklahoma Speaker Hilbert’s HB 4427 heads to its second committee. The bill would improve the teacher pipeline by setting minimum experience and education requirements for adjunct teachers and prohibiting them from delivering core instruction to students in Pre-K through fourth grade. 
• Oklahoma lawmakers’ are advancing bills that would expand the Parental Choice Tax Credit. 
  • Sen. Lonnie Paxton’s SB 683 heads to the Senate floor. The bill would expand the Parental Choice Tax Credit by including educational costs such as tutoring, instructional materials and assessments as qualified expenses. 
  • Sen. Julie Daniels’ SB 1389 heads to its second committee. The bill would expand the Parental Choice Tax Credit by adding $25 million to the current $250 million cap. 
• Oklahoma Rep. Rob Hall’s charter school bills passed their first committee stops.  
  • HB 3069 would improve charter school policy by allowing charter school applications to be sent to either the local school district or an eligible sponsor.  
  • HB 3372 would strengthen charter school facilities funding by establishing a revolving loan that would help charter schools obtain financing for facility-related costs. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Hicks introduced two literacy bills:   
  • SB 1291 would increase the number of literacy specialists in instructional teams from 10 to 100. 
  • SB 1293 would provide science of reading training to all pre-K through third grade teachers within five years. 
• Oklahoma Sen. David Bullard filed SB 1194, which would strengthen college and career readiness by establishing a pilot program offering grants to eligible public schools with career tech programs for high school students. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Seifried introduced SB 1614, which would require adjunct teachers to have a high school diploma and specify that they cannot serve as full-time math or language arts teachers for grade 1-5. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Pugh introduced SB 1776, which would create a refundable income tax credit of up to $10,000 for certified teachers who teach in the same school district for eight consecutive years and commit to that district for an additional three years.  
• Oklahoma Sen. Mark Mann and Rep. Emily Gise introduced SB 1201, which would extend paid maternity leave from 6 to 12 weeks and provide for 12 weeks of paid adoption leave. 
• Oklahoma lawmakers introduced two bills, which would amend the Parental Choice Tax Credit: 
  • Rep. Ellen Pogemiller’s HB 3009 would limit the annual maximum tax credit available to families earning over $75,000 and eliminate the credit for families earning over $150,000.  
  • Sen. Darcy Jech’s SB 1391 would also limit the program, lowering the program cap and requiring participating private schools to administer state assessments to students for whom the tax credit is claimed. 
• Oklahoma lawmakers filed four charter school bills. 
  • Sens. Pugh, Kendal Sacchieri and Dana Prieto filed SB 2070, SB 1971 and SB 1411. The bills would broaden charter schools’ open meeting requirements and expand the annual oversight and performance reviews conducted by their sponsors and the Statewide Charter School Board. 
  • Sen. Kelly Hines’ SB 366 would remove language requiring charter school applications to be submitted to school districts, redirecting them to sponsors.  
• Oklahoma Sen. Seifried filed SB 1719 to make permanent the one-year bell-to-bell device-free schools policy passed in 2025. 
• Oklahoma lawmakers filed bills to regulate artificial intelligence: 
  • Sen. Seifried’s SB 1734 would require that any classroom AI tools used be educator-directed and have human oversight, stipulate that AI cannot be used for grading or discipline and direct the State Department of Education to issue guidance on responsible AI use. 
  • Sen. Warren Hamilton’s SB 1521 would require age verification for AI chatbot use, require chatbots to clearly disclose to users that they are interacting with a non-human program and place guardrails around chatbot interactions with minors. 
  • Rep. Cody Maynard’s HB 3544 would require age verification for the use of AI chatbots and prohibit interactions with minors, with exceptions for therapeutic chatbots that meet certain requirements. 

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled his proposed budget, which includes: 
  • $35 million for student teacher stipends, a $5 million increase. 
  • $565 million for continued adequacy funding to public schools (evidence-based literacy continues to be an allowable use of these funds). 
  • A call for the legislature to pass bell-to-bell phone-free schools policy and legislation requiring age verification and parental consent for minors using AI chatbots.  
  • $200 million for career and technical education (CTE) funding, an $18 million increase. 
• Pennsylvania Sen. Devlin Robinson’s SB 1014 passed the Senate and heads to its first House committee. The bill would require all public-school entities to create a bell-to-bell distraction-free policy. 
• Pennsylvania Rep. Jordan Harris’ HB 2084 passed committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would provide scholarships covering tuition and fees at community colleges, state-owned and state-related institutions, as well as aid for adult learners pursuing reeducation or industry-recognized credentials. 

South Carolina

• South Carolina’s appropriations bill, H 5126, passed its committee stops and heads to the House floor. The budget proposal includes:  
  • $23.2 million for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, which would fund 15,000 private school choice scholarships.  
  • $75 million to fund rural and charter school facilities projects. 
  • $15 million for summer reading camps.  
  • $1.4 million for a career ladder pilot program to provide effective educators with opportunities for career advancement and $5 million for strategic teacher compensation. 
• South Carolina Sen. Greg Hembree’s S. 454 awaits a vote in its first House committee. The bill would require charter authorizers to make charter applications and renewals publicly available, and the Department of Education to conduct annual reviews of charter authorizers. 
• South Carolina Rep. Brandon Guffey introduced H 5253, which would establish guardrails for responsible use of artificial intelligence educational products in the classroom. 

Tennessee

• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee released his FY26 budget, which includes:  
  • Nearly $304 million to support school choice scholarships, increasing the program cap by 20,000 additional students. 
  • An additional $40 million for charter facilities. 
• Tennessee Sen. Dawn White’s SB 2141 passed the Senate unanimously. The bill would strengthen college pathways by guaranteeing students can transfer between select college programs while maintaining their credits. 

Utah

• Utah lawmakers sent two bills to Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk for signature:  
  • Sen. Jen Plumb’s SB 81 strengthens screening, parent notification and reading supports for students identified with dyslexia.  
  • Sen. Lincoln Fillmore’s SB 69 requires school districts to adopt and implement a phone- and smart watch-free school policy with exceptions.  
• Utah Sen. Ann Millner’s SB 241 passed the House and will return to the Senate for concurrence. The bill would improve early literacy by banning harmful three-cueing reading instruction, establishing individualized reading plans for struggling students, training educators in evidence-based practices and deploying literacy coaches. 
• Utah Rep. Ariel Defay’s HB 393 passed the Senate and will return to the House for concurrence. The bill would establish a statewide evidence-based dyslexia screening pilot program and expand educator training and resources. 
• Utah Rep. Karen Peterson’s HB 352 passed its committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would direct the Utah Board of Higher Education to create stackable credentials, making it easier for credits to transfer between colleges and universities. 
• Utah Sen. Mike McKell’s SB 152 heads to the House floor for a vote. The bill would support college readiness programs and enhance access to higher education by establishing a partnership between Utah’s higher education and public education systems to share data for students in grades 7-12. 
• Utah Sen. Millner’s SB 216 passed committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would establish a process for determining enrollment and performance funding for degree-granting universities and technical colleges.    
• Utah Rep. Candice Pierucci’s  HB 146  passed committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would create a permanent teacher mentoring and leadership program and provide funding to support professional development to improve educator retention. 
• Sen. Heidi Balderree’s SB 186 passed committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would analyze charter school administrative costs and funding options, including evaluating Utah’s current funding formula and considering other beneficial models.  
• Utah Rep. Karianne Lisonbee’s HB 234, which would have weakened school accountability and placed the state on a path to dismantle its statewide summative assessment system, failed on the House floor. 
• Utah Rep. Pierucci’s HB 467 passed committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would modify the education scholarship account (ESA) program by: 
  • Ensuring participating students are not charged unfair tuition or fees. 
  • Allowing students to participate in extracurricular activities. 
  • Ensuring all siblings in a household are eligible for scholarship funding. 
  • Allowing qualifying private schools to receive student funding without undergoing the preapproval process. 

Virginia

• Virginia Del. Sam Rasoul’s HB 332 heads to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk for signature. The bill allows teachers at higher education institutions to teach high school career and technical education (CTE) courses while maintaining current employment. 
• Virginia Del. Jackie Glass’ HB 253 passed the House and heads to the Senate. The bill would allow Virginia to join the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. 

West Virginia

• West Virginia Sen. Amy Grady’s SB 155 passed its House committee and heads to the floor. The bill would allow adjunct teachers to be hired to teach when no fully certified teacher is available. 
• West Virginia Speaker Roger Hanshaw’s HB 5412 passed the House and heads to the Senate for consideration. The bill would require K-5 classroom teachers to be trained in the science of reading.

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Reps. Lindee Brill and Joel Kitchens’ AB 948 passed the Assembly and is headed to the Senate for consideration. The bill would require schools to adopt and implement a bell-to-bell phone-free schools policy. 

Wyoming

• The Wyoming Joint Education Interim Committee’s SF 59 passed its House committee and heads to the Senate for concurrence. The bill would require the use of high-quality instructional materials and practices aligned with the science of reading in literacy instruction. 
• Wyoming Sen. Schuler’s SF 72 passed the Senate and awaits its third reading vote in the House. The bill would allow Wyoming to join the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.