[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6232091,"mediaKeyId","3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c","parentId",3426857,"title","Committee debate on student cellphone policy exposes sharp divisions; no final committee action","audioSeconds",1938,"startMs",2652000,"endMs",4590000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c&start=2652&end=4590","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c/thumbnail_2652000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6232091/Oregon/Committee-debate-on-student-cellphone-policy-exposes-sharp-divisions-no-final-committee-action","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232091-95e0002e74afff50e958921b80ab90d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770973001&Signature=G5naA7LRBPz-p0tznm6juotJKVh3LGAgIt6M2Mw87k5gefcJAW4B9v8A1ZonJGC6Vb6jYHm6DyYeVcIOGX~o-S3T1fMmq~JzLK5YX30bN9WG9kYFITopGzaaDa6pluocdsSbMlQHau1BtK9bvhGmrg366Bz0vr4wNqeDvy7rJ-GwElgjEcB9F8hFEkwB2X3wWCKph9rVEBAoFz4F2jJMIZ1IS0fmRUe930wo400RVGq-VbMA1X9pP31NlMyMwlLdhyNimO9xkPLDZ~ukb0sHGeu3JnmcogPBdJbcoQZK1fpZf8080TpWkk~8wJtlViuOvlTwVsSa7IUumVYCgzNrXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon Legislature","date","2025-05-21T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Education Committee devoted substantial time on May 21 to a broad and often fractious discussion of House Bill 2,251, a measure that would create statewide rules about student cellphone use in schools. Committee members and outside commenters described a wide range of stakeholder positions: some districts and parents urged stronger restrictions to improve classroom focus, while many superintendents, principals and teachers warned that a prescriptive, unfunded statewide mandate would create enforcement and equity problems.

Chair Frederick framed the options available to the committee — voting on the bill, sending it to the Rules Committee for further work or taking other steps to keep it alive before session deadlines. Members detailed state and local experiences: one senator said her district had adopted strong local policies through community meetings and urged respect for local control; another member said districts were asking the state for guidance because they lacked consistency and local political cover to enforce stricter policies.

Several senators said they worried that a statewide prescription—especially without dedicated implementation funding—would create an unfunded mandate. One committee member said districts in other states received implementation funding (citing New York’s approach) and asked where funding would come from if the state required pouch storage or additional staff to supervise policies. Other senators worried that removing language about \"independent communication\" from statute could harm students who rely on phones and devices for augmentative communication or adaptive tools that are not explicitly listed in individualized education plans or 504 plans.

Supporters of state action argued removing phones from classroom bell-to-bell would help teachers manage instruction and reduce distractions; opponents said the bill, as amended in committee, had become too prescriptive and could restrict legitimate classroom uses of devices for learning. Several senators said they had consulted superintendents, teachers and school-board members in their districts; some reported broad local support for action, while others reported strong opposition. At least one senator said she would support sending the bill to the Rules Committee to work out compromises; others worried that Rules would be a political battleground rather than a problem-solving venue.

The committee did not record a final vote on the bill during the hearing. Members said they would continue discussions outside the hearing room, and Chair Frederick said he would reach out to rules leadership and others to explore whether the Rules Committee could further refine the measure. The committee announced plans to reconvene the following week with teachers scheduled to testify. No formal committee referral or floor action on the cellphone bill was recorded in the transcript excerpt provided.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Education 05/21/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","A lengthy Senate Education Committee debate May 21 over House Bill 2,251 — which would set statewide rules for student cellphone use in schools — highlighted strong division between members who want state guidance and those who argued the bill is too prescriptive and risks harming students who rely on devices for accommodation.","taxTitle","Education, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17625,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6232096,"Sponsor says campus reporting bill fixes gaps; committee forwards measure after sponsor answers questions",1376,1248000,2624000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c&start=1248&end=2624","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c/thumbnail_1248000.jpg","/articles/6232096/Oregon/Sponsor-says-campus-reporting-bill-fixes-gaps-committee-forwards-measure-after-sponsor-answers-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232096-796700f85b9fa8238b6ac51a0976dd59/orig.mp4?Expires=1770973001&Signature=Vhcj7Cuj-hKHrdqnBbbYOE0PyXyaVEVdD0qQ3mLhxBFsq54g-J5fkc8McZZwMJebRk9jVdnfRPSd7mJdxreCeq2dLcgU5V92fmgrfJnmwj5R4WqIB93vknfF-BJJDNXxU5OpxTtcR5T3PUDcJP1QGyqKyBk2TjBfKdQTdy8~8uiPtKMSuwrS7n8U8oF~b5-RQ5WMxf7Oftj6wVqgQLwyGN2yX8FkaCXpFQWO5A6-Es~e71bjUkB-1iZCoEB5PAi5QoRyikXCMmzfFjFHbdEP7tnQswr82oWaLhfE8XZZ~zHwl7z-Os79ddrP9uRcIfcaDD3U3Uc14GNeKjKNBmBTLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Nessa Hartman told the Senate Education Committee on May 21 that House Bill 3,731 changes reporting requirements for misconduct at institutions of higher education to add optional and required narrative sections and to allow an unlimited-length executive summary. The measure, she said, is intended to clarify the context behind the numerical data institutions already report and to address gaps identified after prior reports.

Hartman, who identified herself as the sponsor and representative of House District 40, said the bill is tied to earlier work from the 2023 campus-survivors legislation and that the revisions respond to feedback from Title IX coordinators across the state. “After I listened to the testimony ... I was, for lack of better words, very shocked by the statements that were made by the representative that came from Portland State University,” Hartman said, adding that Portland State later submitted written testimony (May 14) indicating support after earlier confusion.

Kavi Shrestha, legislative aide for Hartman, told the committee he had compiled more than 30 pages of feedback from Title IX coordinators and that the bill and the dash 5 amendment reflected extensive consultation. He said the original survey already asked for the total number of reports and that the bill clarifies how to tally reports where the perpetrating party is unknown. The additional narrative space, he said, lets institutions explain verification status and related law-enforcement investigations.

Committee members asked whether the reports would include \"substantiated\" versus \"unsubstantiated\" findings and whether the public would see case-level details. Staff and the sponsor responded that the bill is intended to improve the quality of publicly available aggregate reporting by adding context; the transcript and sponsor comments emphasized the reports would not disclose identifying information and that small numbers would be handled to avoid identification.

The committee voted to send House Bill 3,731 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; transcript entries show Vice Chair Weber moved the motion and that the motion passed. Committee members said they still wanted additional refinement in rulemaking if needed, and some recommended the rules committee as a venue for continued technical discussion; the sponsor objected to delaying the bill and urged it proceed so that improved reports can be available promptly.

Hartman and staff highlighted that Title IX coordinators sometimes need narrative space to explain why investigations did not result in formal findings (for example, because a complainant chose not to pursue formal investigation) and that aggregated numbers alone can mislead without that context. The committee selected a floor carrier for the bill and the transcript records that Senator Nelson Vaughan will carry the measure on the floor.","Representative Nessa Hartman and staff told the committee House Bill 3,731 clarifies annual reporting on misconduct at higher-education institutions by adding narrative sections and permitting longer executive summaries; the committee approved the bill and sent it to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6232101,"Committee amends STEM investment bill, changes school admissions and assessment rules",319,849000,1168000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c&start=849&end=1168","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c/thumbnail_849000.jpg","/articles/6232101/Oregon/Committee-amends-STEM-investment-bill-changes-school-admissions-and-assessment-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232101-05aa6bf170831c64b8ebb3a1b127ab65/orig.mp4?Expires=1770973001&Signature=jAUF52iS~8y30~GWk2VmJicWy1FWCTsfSL-TX1gKe-6nX3sNgQnp3Sf3akfabKEkXcB4PXBMb5N4iIKk97FfbBa8Ft-he~G8W6T3~J4fWT1MDdg4eNxil2l0oMNz-n6Bkigq65i3XASiOz3lMS5p7ztS-HusGdbzxXrP1iUvQqJHO75Hm5V3ZcRYtUtzxcnCxBigzKROgZ7zi3sXwia3xDwqhl0U70JkpweyIfmdFby6247YBApEJYmfOzbdyjLy3a1aOU0LvLY-VABv1cc3dTtDjA8VzUMgC8~9hGUN-hRNxtVxMruG1thz6IlU1ZJzoZLylB02UcPWqbEn8-5PIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Education Committee on May 21 considered House Bill 3,038, a wide-ranging measure that modifies the STEM Investment Council, repeals the Connecting Education to Careers account, broadens who may receive certain STEM-related grants, adjusts emergency and recovery-school provisions and clarifies admissions for the Oregon School for the Deaf.

Committee staff summarized the bill and the slate of amendments (A5, A6, A8 among others). The A5 amendment required parental or guardian consent before admitting a student to the Oregon School for the Deaf and changed the grade level for certain nationally administered assessments from grade 10 to grade 11, with an operative date of July 1, 2027, for that change. The A6 amendment and A8 amendment resolved conflicts between this measure and related House Bill 3083 and removed a provision that had raised concern about for‑profit entities. Committee staff said the base bill and the amendments received no fiscal impact statements from the Legislative Fiscal Office and no revenue impact statements from the Legislative Revenue Office.

Committee members voted to adopt the A6 and A8 amendments in committee roll calls recorded in the transcript; both amendments were adopted. Following adoption of the amendments, a committee member moved to send House Bill 3,038 A, as amended, to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. The committee voted to forward the bill; the transcript records that at least one member (Senator Brown) indicated a no vote on the floor recommendation while others supported moving the bill.

In committee debate, a senator who opposed the final motion voiced concern that parts of the bill were “a little bit prescriptive,” mentioning specific quizzes and prescriptive approaches to curriculum. Supporters pointed to the bill’s changes to broaden grant-eligible entities and adjust program purposes, as well as clarifications about recovery-school status for approved public charter recovery schools.

The transcript identifies the measure as a committee bill and names the House bill authors and committee sponsors in committee colloquy; staff explained the bill makes emergency declarations and takes effect on passage for some provisions. With the committee’s votes, the measure will proceed to the Senate floor for further consideration.","House Bill 3,038 was amended to modify the STEM Investment Council, repeal a connected account, broaden grant recipients, adjust admissions at the Oregon School for the Deaf and change the grade level for a national assessment contract; multiple amendments were adopted and the bill was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6232104,"Committee advances bill that broadens definition of brain injury for education purposes",140,679000,819000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c&start=679&end=819","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c/thumbnail_679000.jpg","/articles/6232104/Oregon/Committee-advances-bill-that-broadens-definition-of-brain-injury-for-education-purposes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232104-250ce15cbfb962ea63005e5303a54e01/orig.mp4?Expires=1770973001&Signature=IjTXqZruOnL8s~FdmOgZOzAwQ23vn08UzTwLv-II-tFl1Iyg0Q4oh0jMP1QtHjlVtyiy8rbYg6c7QfuirWD0aHDXib~51ox2~ILmAIUadWDhcqYPPUx7lIvn9ksKlR4vRHgWjyqscC8fyDdP7hkq5ZvN1FECqXhLkei2mjgcropJqJQO2C6TuU2373yEs1CQrZZn2pxf0GV6ANk5KqfzmZhvF-7nOVdriTCpj-gy5ApSlLzCxHYbJl04q4jeY89S4XnKoIF8CLcMwok3Zpb1sOlaZ05AyOLsvGZsFDqMDRk1iMHd5HEWJ4bhjTegqTK9Kn4gxXSmpIrULapCrHjmjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Education Committee on May 21 advanced House Bill 2,670, which would modify the definition of brain injury used in education statutes. Committee staff told members the bill aligns the definition of brain injury with ORS 410.075 by including damage to the brain from internal or external sources, and a committee amendment (dash A3) was adopted that places internal brain injuries under the category of \"other health impairment,\" removes the explicit tie to ORS 410.075 and removes inclusion of internal brain injuries from the low-incidence disability statute.

Lisa, committee staff, told the panel the underlying measure and the A3 amendment have minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact. The amendment and the bill as amended received committee approval and were sent to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.

Committee members praised Representative McIntyre’s work on addressing stakeholder concerns during bill drafting; one committee member noted McIntyre asked a lot of questions and helped find a path forward. The committee adopted the A3 amendment on a roll call recorded in the transcript (recorded ayes included Senator Gelser [Blue/Fluor], Senator Robinson, Senator Sullivan, Vice Chair Weber and Chair Frederick). Vice Chair Weber moved the bill, as amended, to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; a subsequent roll call recorded in the transcript shows the motion passed.

The amendment changes how internal brain injuries are categorized for special-education and disability statute purposes; committee staff emphasized the changes are intended to clarify definitions rather than to create new programmatic funding requirements. The committee record shows the bill will now move to the next stage of legislative consideration.","House Bill 2,670 was amended to modify the definition of brain injury to include internal and external sources and then moved to the floor with a do-pass recommendation; an amendment placed internal brain injuries under 'other health impairment' and removed linkage to ORS 410.075.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6232110,"Senate panel approves amendment expanding climate education to several subjects",499,121000,620000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c&start=121&end=620","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426857-20049a2407088526ed861d6727302d1c/thumbnail_121000.jpg","/articles/6232110/Oregon/Senate-panel-approves-amendment-expanding-climate-education-to-several-subjects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232110-3f98e09d453a35d16a9630e56697b453/orig.mp4?Expires=1770973001&Signature=e0gOcjtuKWbuHjfVyVkm3Rh7dagn~rlu8OFgilIVrPdeieL10ufGd2ons4~eY4r~tGp~ryy4Xr5x5MpfO7PCyzaDCE1exe6PEz89J1iH9vOlKtx-V-HsN2fS0issbruAz8Oi19Vvhy1weCiVZ5NO0OKs7xlVCUzphZA2EEl665ho5Rbv6Z-LaQBpbKL4YJcozJW37l6ILK1zS9ldnIXeS8bI6VUQMY49J9jnlds9PUwHcZlmo0i91ms1bXlSb0k6ntB-~-cVtAX5n-0sSrxYYtCQelQOvK-IUfTBMS8EfuRzBCDL49yd9A8jsNa2i2GCSYm9X-lI9NB4oRSZAjItYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Education Committee on May 21 adopted an amendment to House Bill 3,365 that replaces a requirement to include climate change instruction in \"core subjects\" with a directive that the State Board of Education ensure climate education is included in science, health, history, geography, economics and civics during standards reviews. The committee later voted to send the bill as amended to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.

The amendment — described in the hearing as the “dash 8” change — was presented to the committee by staff. Committee members debated whether instruction about causes, effects and response strategies for climate change belongs in K–12 standards. In committee discussion some members expressed concern that climate change is politicized and that classroom instruction could become one-sided; other members said the amendment allows time and curriculum review cycles to incorporate the topic across multiple disciplines.

Lisa, committee staff, summarized the bill for the committee, saying that House Bill 3,365 “requires the State Board of Education to ensure that academic competence for core subjects provide sufficient instruction on the causes and effect of climate change and strategies for responding,” and that the dash 8 amendment replaces the single “core subjects” requirement with the multi-subject mandate and has a minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact.

Vice Chair Weber moved adoption of the dash 8 amendment; a roll-call recorded in the transcript shows the amendment passed (recorded ayes from Senator Gelser [Blue/Abdullah], Senator Solman, Vice Chair Weber and Chair Frederick; recorded no from Senator Robinson). The committee later approved a motion moved by Vice Chair Weber to send House Bill 3,365 as amended to the floor with a do-pass recommendation; the transcript records a roll call and shows the motion passed.

Committee members who supported the amendment said they appreciated that the change ties new requirements to the regular schedule for standards review rather than imposing immediate curricular changes. Supporters noted geography, economics and civics as logical places to discuss human movement and societal responses to natural events, and said many constituents had urged inclusion of climate-related learning. Opponents voiced concerns about classroom emphasis, testing priorities and possible student anxiety relating to climate change.

The bill, as amended, applies the new requirement to content-standard reviews and revisions that occur after the measure’s effective date. Committee staff said the underlying measure and the amendment have minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact.

The committee’s action sends the matter to the next stage of floor consideration; the transcript shows the committee selected a floor carrier but did not record further amendments on the Senate floor during this hearing.

The committee’s discussion placed emphasis on how the State Board of Education implements content revisions during regular review cycles and on balancing classroom time for foundational literacy and math skills with broader civic and scientific literacy topics.","The Senate Education Committee adopted an amendment that narrows a previous proposal to require climate change instruction in core subjects and instead directs the State Board of Education to ensure climate education is included in specific subjects during standards reviews; the committee then sent the amended bill to the floor with a do-pass.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

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Committee amends STEM investment bill, changes school admissions and assessment rules

Committee advances bill that broadens definition of brain injury for education purposes

Senate panel approves amendment expanding climate education to several subjects