HCSHB159--SUSPENSIONOFSTUDENTS
SPONSOR: Mackey
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonElementaryandSecondaryEducationbyavoteof11to
5.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
159.
REPORTINGREQUIREMENT(Section160.265)
Thisbillrequiresschooldistrictsandcharterschoolstodocument
schoolsuspensionsbeginningJuly1,2024andsubmitareportto
theDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation(DESE)
annually. Inadditiontocurrentlyreportedinformationrelating
toschooldisciplinereportedtotheFederalgovernment,thebill
definescertaintermsandrequires foreachdisciplinaryremovals
specificinformationrelatingtothefreeorreduced-pricelunch
status,educationalservices,andthetypesofalternativemeasures
orinterventionsusedpriortotheremovalamongotherreporting
requirements.
ThebillrequiresDESEtokeeptheidentityofpupilsprivateand
requiresgroupsoffiveorfewerpupilsnotbereleasedpublicly.
DESEisrequiredtousethedatacollectedtoidentifydistricts
andcharterschoolsthatdemonstratebestpracticesandprovide
supportandassistanceuponrequesttothosedistrictsandcharter
schoolsthatwishtoaddressconcerns.
ANNUALREPORTCARD(Section160.522)
Thebillrequiresschooldistrictstoincludeontheannualreport
carddatarelatedtoschooldisciplineincludinginschoolandout
ofschoolsuspensions,removalofpupilswithdisabilities,and
expulsions. Foreachtypeofdisciplinaryoffenseaggregatedata
mustbeprovidedasoutlinedinthebill.
SUSPENSIONHEARINGANDLIMITS(Section167.161)
Thebillrequiresschoolboardstoconsiderreasonablealternative
measurestosuspension,andprohibitsthesuspensionofstudents
fortruancyorabsences. Schoolsareprohibitedfromsuspending
studentsinpreschoolto3rdgradeexceptasprovidedinthebill
anddistrictsmustprohibitzero-tolerancedisciplinarypolicyand
practicesthatresultinanautomaticconsequencewithout
discretiononacase-by-casebasis. ThisbillissimilartoHB1899(2022).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatwhenfullyimplementedthe
provisionsofthisbillwillresultinpositiveconsequencesanda
reductionofinschoolsuspensionsaswell.Oftendistrictsreact
tobadbehaviorwithanoverreachorregressiveactionandthat
schooldisciplineissuesaremorenuancedandcomplex. Having
additionaldataintheaggregateisimportantandbeingableto
evaluatebestpracticesandreviewforpotential"implicitbiases"
wouldbeusefulforadistrictthatwantstoimprove. Kidscannot
learniftheyarenotinschoolanditmakesnopracticalsenseto
sendastudenthomemerelyformissingschoolornotwantingtobe
there.Lossofeducationalopportunityisaformofdiscrimination
andstudentsshouldn'tbesuspendedfor"sneezinginthewrong
direction".
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Mackey;Adam
Bloch;MissouriDisabilityEmpowermentFoundation;LaraWakefield;
AdamBloch;AmyGott;Dava-LeighBrush,MoEEP;Dava-LeighBrush;
HeatherLyth,F.A.C.T.;JessicaLemaster;KarenCooper;Kaycee
Machino;RebeccaUccello;KidsWinMissouri;andAmericanCivil
LibertiesUnionofMissouri.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.