2020 House Bill 5912 / Public Act 148

Authorize Remote Public School Instruction Only in 2020-21 (as passed)

Introduced in the House

May 24, 2020

Introduced by Rep. Andrea Schroeder (R-43)

To revise and waive many of the rules on the required number of hours and days of public school instruction, including allowances for snow days, rules for conducting classes online, and the amount of state funding provided for both these exceptions to regular schooling, and to days on which fewer than 75 percent of a school’s students are in attendance. Public schools could continue to operate under distance learning plans during the coronavirus epidemic, but with added steps intended to assure students receive instruction and meet academic goals.

Referred to the Committee on Education

July 21, 2020

Reported without amendment

Refer to the Committee on Ways and Means with the recommendation that the substitute (H-3) be adopted.

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

July 22, 2020

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-4) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Amendment offered by Rep. Thomas Albert (R-86)

To assert that the bill "must not be construed as imposing mandates on nonpublic schools".

The amendment passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Andrea Schroeder (R-43)

To require schools to try to accommodate requests from a parent or teacher for additional protective barriers, masks, or gloves, and make clear that doing so creates no duty to make the same accommodation for others.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Passed in the House 57 to 47 (details)

Received in the Senate

July 23, 2020

Referred to the Committee on Education and Career Readiness

Aug. 15, 2020

Amendment offered by Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-1)

To eliminate a provision requiring that as a condition of getting state money school districts must ensure that their plans for remote instruction only in the 2020-21 school year that "at least 75% of the students who are enrolled get at least one 'two-way interaction' per month between the child and his or her teacher".

The amendment failed by voice vote

Passed in the Senate 23 to 15 (details)

To waive the requirement that schools provide 1,098 hours of instruction in the 2021-22 school year, and waive the requirement that at least 75% of the students enrolled must be present a on a school day for the district to get state aid for that day. Instead, it appears that with some exceptions and ambiguities, schools would get funding during the declared coronavirus epidemic emergency if they “ensure” that at least 75% of the students who are enrolled for non-classroom instruction get at least one “two-way interaction” per month with one of their teachers, which could be an email, phone call or text message, or an actual face-to-face conversation. For purposes of tracking and public reporting, the standard is two teacher contacts per week. <br>School districts that choose not to provide in-person instruction would only be required to “provide pupil instruction...online, digitally, by other remote means, in a synchronous or asynchronous format” that “deliver the educational or course content that would have been delivered in 180 days and 1,098 hours”.

Received in the House

Aug. 17, 2020

Amendment offered by Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-23)

To waive the proposed requirement that schools must “ensure” that at least 75% of the students who are enrolled for non-classroom instruction get at least one “two-way interaction” per month with one of their teachers.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-40)

To not count students who may actually be ill with COVID-19 in the requirement that at least 75% of the students who are enrolled for non-classroom instruction get at least one “two-way interaction” per month with one of their teachers.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Passed in the House 77 to 29 (details)

To waive the requirement that schools provide 1,098 hours of instruction in the 2021-22 school year, and waive the requirement that at least 75% of the students enrolled must be present a on a school day for the district to get state aid for that day. Instead, it appears that with some exceptions and ambiguities, schools would get funding during the declared coronavirus epidemic emergency if they “ensure” that at least 75% of the students who are enrolled for non-classroom instruction get at least one “two-way interaction” per month with one of their teachers, which could be an email, phone call or text message, or an actual face-to-face conversation. For purposes of tracking and public reporting, the standard is two teacher contacts per week. <br>School districts that choose not to provide in-person instruction would only be required to “provide pupil instruction...online, digitally, by other remote means, in a synchronous or asynchronous format” that “deliver the educational or course content that would have been delivered in 180 days and 1,098 hours”.

Signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Aug. 20, 2020