The 2007 General Assembly is now in session
February 2, 2007
“Cross-over day,” the last day for each house to act on its own bills, is February 6. House and Senate amendments to the current two-year budget will be released on February 4.
The House Education Committee meets on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. in House Room C and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. in the Appropriations Room. The Senate Education and Health Committee meets on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. in Senate Room B. Sub-committees will meet periodically throughout the session. Click here for a schedule of weekly meetings (Meetings)
Budget Issues
As indicated above, the House and Senate money committees are slated to release their respective amendments to Governor Kaine’s introduced budget at separate meetings Sunday afternoon. Information on the budget proposals should be available on-line later that day. Recall that amendments to the current two-year budget proposed by Governor Kaine last month reduce public education funding for the remainder of the biennium by just over $16 million, primarily due to reductions in student enrollment. The existing budget includes about $22 million in reserve for a 1½ percent pay raise for SOQ positions; the governor proposed additional money to fund the state share of a 3% salary increase for state-supported positions, effective Dec. 1, 2007. He also proposed more than $4.6 million for the Virginia Preschool Initiative to establish pre-kindergarten pilot programs through public and private settings.
The Senate Finance Committee has approved SB 1218 that increases the retired teacher health insurance credit from $2.50 to $4 per month and removes the cap on the credit (which is now set at $75 a month). This measure could cost localities an additional $19 million in FY08. Recall that until 2002, the state paid for this program entirely, and then shifted about $36 million of the costs to localities.
Click here for additional information about Governor Kaine's proposed changes to the budget (State Budget).
Education Legislation
Here’s an update on some of the legislation that has been considered in the final days before the February 6 crossover day of bills:
The House and Senate have taken different action on bills proposed to amend the Standards of Quality (SOQ). The House version, HB 2093, is likely to be left in the House Appropriations Committee without action, while the Senate Finance Committee has approved SB 795. These bills would implement staffing proposals and policy changes endorsed by the Board of Education. The Senate committee added a clause to provide that no staffing changes that require state funding take effect unless funding is included in the 2008 Appropriations Act.
Both chambers have approved bills that address childhood obesity. HB 2214 was approved by the full House and also by the Senate Education and Health Committee, while SB 974 has passed the Senate. The bills require the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Health Commissioner to work together to combat childhood obesity and other chronic health conditions affecting school-age children. The House Rules Committee has approved HJR 637, which would establish a joint subcommittee to study childhood obesity in public schools.
The House and Senate also are advancing bills that would express more state dissatisfaction with the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. HB 2542 and SB 1212 direct the Board of Education to seek waivers from NCLB and if such waivers are not granted by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), to recommend to the General Assembly whether the state should continue to implement the Act. The bill also authorizes legal action against USDOE if federal funding designed to help disadvantaged children is withheld as the result of the state’s withdrawal from participation in NCLB.
Late Thursday night, the Senate Finance Committee voted 8 to 7 to report SB 1419, which would establish a tuition assistance grant program for students with disabilities, providing grants of up to $10,000/year to a private school for certain students with disabilities. The House Finance Committee on Wednesday approved HB 1843, which creates income tax credits for business entities and individual taxpayers who make contributions to eligible public school foundations and scholarship foundations. The bill has been dubbed by opponents as channeling public money to private schools.
HB 2302, which permits local school boards to enter into agreements with nonpublic schools to provide student transportation to and from the nonpublic schools, has passed the House.
HB 2556, which requires school divisions to ensure that enough textbooks and workbooks are available for students to be able to take them home for use, has passed the House on a narrow 51 to 46 vote.
HB 3201, which requires parental notification when a student is removed from class for two or more consecutive days, was reported from the House Education Committee on an 11 to 9 vote
Please contact CEPI if you have any questions or need additional information about the 2007 General Assembly.
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