State Legislative Updates

Here are some state legislative updates (Thanks to our friends from The Committee for Children):

• • Trends/Takeaways:
    • Parents Bill of Rights and Divisive concept bills continue to be introduced which might implicate SEL. Some are starting to move (i.e. IA HB85). We are continuing to monitor these bills as they move and happy to talk individually about specific ones in your state.
    • There have been a few early learning bills. For example in Missouri, SB684 to Beginning SY24-25, all school districts shall provide early childhood education and requires curricula, teaching strategies to be research-based, developmentally appropriate and inclusive of social and emotional development, and established a related fund and in New Hampshire, HB620 to establish an early learning pilot program
• • Pro-SEL Bills:
    • Massachusetts: HD686/SD337 to include SEL in public school athletic programs.
    • Minnesota: Multiple pro-SEL bills in Minnesota including SF 183/HF271 to strongly encourages school boards to adopt policy that recognizes that when a student is unable to meet adult expectations, it is often because the student lacks the skills to respond and prioritizes support school staff in using tiered interventions to help students build skills and encourages schools to use evidence-based approaches to reduce exclusionary forms of discipline, and SF619/HF320 to require the commissioner to develop and maintain resources use evidence-based SEL to prevent and reduce discrimination and require the commissioner to develop and adopt SEL standards.
    • Tennessee: HB1034/SB0809: Requires each LEA to provide a pre-kindergarten program which must be designed to comprehensively address the educational needs of children – inclusive of the child’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional needs.
    • New York: Several bills in NY including S02354 directing the  commissioner to develop course materials to be offered as a part of the required continuing teacher and leader education requirements inclusive of mental health, trauma-informed care, ACEs and SEL, and best practices for improving the overall learning environment and A03087 to direct the commissioner of education to create a pilot program to improve social and emotional learning in schools.
    • Washington: Multiple pro-SEL bills introduced including SB501/HB1386 to create a youth development office and grant program, SB5054 to provide a definition of “Instructional hours” to allow for certified staff to participate in professional learning communities to enhance their knowledge and skills to teach and support students’ academic, social and emotional learning and growth., and HB 1411 to analyze the academic and nonacademic supports provided by public schools and CBOs – inclusive of describing where and how SEL standards and benchmarks are being implemented in schools.
• • Anti-SEL Bills
    • Oklahoma:
      • SB 1027: prohibits using SEL curricula and federal, state, or private funds to purchase SEL training, instruction, or education of students, as well as amends existing statute to take out all reference to “social/emotional”.
      • SB 943: creates the Oklahoma Parent Empowerment Act for Kid (OK PEAK Program) for parents to use funds for qualified expenses to provide an education for an eligible student. An eligible student is defined as being eligible if they are enrolled in a public school that has been determined to be a trigger district. In the definition of “Trigger District”, it includes districts that have advocated or tolerated curricula that promote social and emotional learning.
      • HB1781: among other parental right provisions, requires parents to opt their child into any instruction regarding any social and emotional learning program, religion, race, gender, including gender identity.
      • We wanted to note that the first two OK bills are introduced by Sen. Jett – he had an anti-SEL bill that died last year and so we are hoping to find out if his bills this year are projected to have any legs. However, session just started so we will know more soon.
    • Iowa:
      • SF85: This bill prohibits the SEA from displaying on its website or disseminating reference or materials created by CASEL or use such materials as a framework for SEL. Provides that a local board of directors must receive prior written parental consent before requiring a student to take part in any survey, analysis, activity, or evaluation that reveals information concerning personal aspects of the student.
      • See also this media coverage from the subcommittee meeting
      • This bill has both been referred to the Education Committee by the Subcommittee and looks likely to move forward.