SB 148 (2021)

This is an omnibus bill related to education.

First, this bill repeals various laws governing vocational rehabilitation and instead generally authorizes the state board of education to adopt rules relative to the provision of vocational rehabilitation.

Second, this bill makes various changes to the laws governing career and technical education, for example to allow grants for the expansion or replacement of existing regional career and technical education centers.

Third, this bill requires school boards to establish an emergency action plan for responding to serious or potentially life-threatening sports related injuries. The House amended the bill to instead require a plan for responding to all cocurricular related injuries and emergencies.  A conference committee of representatives and senators limited the plans to sports, not all extra-curriculars.

Fourth, this bill revises the definition of "private postsecondary career school" to exclude "Schools offering a yoga teacher training course or program or a yoga instructional course or program."  The Senate amended this part of the bill to more broadly address schools "offering instructional programs or courses for teaching fitness and recreational wellness."  The House amended the bill to instead exclude entities with an annual gross tuition income of $100,000 or less from the definition of "private postsecondary career school."

Fifth, this revises the law and establishes new programs to support environmental education. In particular, this bill directs the state board of education and the Department of Education to review curriculum in environmental education and outdoor recreation education. This part of the bill also modifies the criteria for an adequate education, for example to include "climate and environmental science." The bill also requires the Director of Career and Technical Education to report on the availability of programs in outdoor recreation and the potential for new programs. The bill then directs the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the Department of Business and Economic Development to investigate joining the Outdoor Recreation Industry Confluence Accords. 

The House amended the fifth part of the bill to greatly narrow the scope.  As amended, part five of the bill adds some references to the environment and outdoor recreation to the requirements for an adequate education without mentioning "climate." The amended part five also requires the Director of Career and Technical Education to report on the availability of programs in outdoor recreation and the potential for new programs.