The 2007 General Assembly is now in session
February 16, 2007
The last day for committee action on bills is Monday, February 19. House and Senate budget negotiators have until midnight on Tuesday, February 20, to reach a compromise spending plan for the remainder of the 2006-2008 biennium. Adjournment is scheduled for Saturday, February 24.
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
The House and Senate have formally rejected the budgets proposed by the opposite chamber and a conference committee of senior legislators will meet over the next several days to try to reach a compromise spending plan for the remainder of the current biennium. Members of the budget conference committee, as appointed this past Wednesday, are Senators Chichester (Stafford), Wampler (Bristol), Stosch (Henrico), Colgan (Prince William) and Houck (Spotsylvania), and Delegates Callahan (Fairfax), Putney (Bedford), Hamilton (Newport News), Cox (Chesterfield), Wardrup (Virginia Beach) and Joannou (Portsmouth). The lawmakers also were told this past week that although total general fund collections through the first seven months of the current fiscal year are trailing projections, the revenue forecast anticipates much of the FY2007 growth will occur in the fourth quarter (April, May and June).
The budget conferees will not have to resolve differences over teacher pay hikes this year, as both the House and Senate propose a 3% pay raise for school teachers, effective December 1. The two chambers do differ over increasing the retired teacher health insurance credit. While both propose a jump from the current $2.50/month to $4.00/month for each year of creditable service, the House proposes a January 1, 2008 start, while the Senate would make the change effective this July 1. Accordingly, the House set aside nearly $6 million for state costs of this change, while the Senate earmarks double that amount (corresponding bills also reflect these differences).
Click here for access to specific information about the proposed House and Senate budget amendments (State Budget)
Legislation:
Here’s another update on education-related bills being considered in the opposite chamber:
HB 1727 would have required school boards to either provide notice and an opportunity for parents to opt their children out of participating in school-sponsored clubs or advance written permission before a student becomes a member of a club. It was defeated in the Senate Education and Health Committee.
HB 1843 would have created income tax credits for business entities and individuals who contribute to eligible public school foundations and scholarship foundations. It was left in the Senate Finance Committee.
HB 2302, which permits local school boards to enter into agreements with nonpublic schools to provide student transportation to and from the nonpublic schools, passed the Senate Education and Health Committee by a one-vote margin and now is on the Senate floor. An initial effort to return the bill to the committee in order to defeat it for the year was unsuccessful.
HB 2556 would have required school divisions to ensure that enough textbooks and workbooks are available for students to be able to take them home for use. The Senate Education and Health Committee defeated the bill.
SB 795, which now makes only minor policy and technical changes to the Standards of Quality, has received final approval. The House Education Committee had endorsed the measure earlier in the week after removing all the proposed staffing changes that would have required state funding.
SB 1394 proposed several changes to the Neighborhood Assistance Act program, including to provide that nearly all of a $4 million cap increase would be dedicated for education programs, and that $3 million would be provided for grants to private schools for students with disabilities. The bill failed to report in the House Finance Committee this week.
SB 1419 establishes 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. It is being considered in the House Appropriations Committee
Please contact CEPI if you have any questions or need additional information about the 2007 General Assembly.
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