With a vote of 91-0, the House passed a bill titled the Teacher Salary Enhancement Act.  HB1145 brings the minimum starting teacher salary from $31,800 to $36,000 over the next 4 years. The bill includes the entire salary schedule.  We’ve posted it on our website www.arkansashouse.org.Currently, there are 168 schools in the state paying the minimum salary.
The House also passed HB1321 which increases the homestead property tax credit from $350 to $375.
The House passed SB153 which enhances the Right to Read Act.  This bill would require public schools and open-enrollment public charter schools to include a literacy plan in their annual school-level improvement plan.  The plan would have to include curriculum and professional development aligned with the literacy needs of that school and based on the Science of Reading initiative. This bill also requires the Arkansas Department of Education to make a list of material and resources available that are supported by the Science of Reading.
The House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor committee voted to advance HB1302, An Act to Create the Red Tape Reduction Collective Rulemaking Act of 2019. This bill creates a process by which similar agencies could submit rules and regulations collectively which would serve to expedite process.  It would help ensure that agencies needing to respond to new legislation for occupational licensing do so in a timely manner.

The House will convene on Monday at 1:30pm.