Legislative Briefs
Mandatory reporting changes reach House
What it does: SB 1540-A exempts from the definition of “abuse” any sexual contact or intercourse by youths between the ages of 12 and 21 if the two people are not more than 3 years apart in age and sexual contact is not the result of force or coercion. The bill also contains a legislative fix for SB 101 (2017) to authorize the Department of Human Services or law enforcement to conduct abuse investigations on school premises.
What’s new: The House Human Services and Housing Committee listened to testimony related to the changes made in the Senate, where the age contained in the definition of abuse was lowered to 12. Several amendments were offered for discussion that would have moved the age back to 14, but the committee voted the bill out on a party line vote without amending.
What’s next: The bill is scheduled for a House vote Tuesday, Feb. 27. The House Republicans have given notice of a minority report on this bill. A minority report is a committee report written by at least two committee members who are in the minority on the issue to officially state their position on the issue.
Student athlete concussions bill heard in House
What it does: The bill expands the definition of health care providers who can return a student to play after suffering a concussion. The bill also sets up the framework for certification/training for health care providers to complete before seeing a student athlete wanting a release to return to play.
What’s new: The bill was heard by the House Health Care Committee last week. The committee had several questions before passing the bill about the process for returning a student to play and why athletic trainers would be on the list.
What’s next: The bill is scheduled for a House vote Tuesday. OSBA testified against the expansion of the providers, noting there have been no school districts or parents who have indicated they can’t find a physician to get a release to play. OSBA also has concerns about the increased liability that adding providers could have on schools, who may need to check that new providers have been certified.
Bill on class-size negotiations to have hearing but no work session
What it does: HB 4113 would make class size a mandatory subject of collective bargaining. OSBA is opposed to the bill and has extensive informational resources available for opposition to the bill.
What’s new: HB 4113 was referred to the Senate Committee on Education. Procedurally, for a bill to be voted on in a committee, that bill had to be scheduled for a work session no later than Thursday, Feb. 22. HB 4113 was not scheduled for a work session. It is not possible for the Senate Education Committee to vote on the bill this session.
What’s next: The bill will receive a public hearing in the Senate Education Committee. Barring an extremely unusual and unlikely maneuver on the Senate floor, HB 4113 is dead.