Looking Ahead to 2024 Legislation 2023 interim studies provide a possible glimpse of what’s ahead

By Dr. Jeanene Barnett, Education Policy & Research Analyst & TLE Director

Approved interim studies for 2023 may provide a peek inside the minds of legislators as we approach the 2024 legislative session, which begins in February. The Speaker of the House and Pro Tempore of the Senate have approved 26 House and 13 Senate interim studies that could impact education. Many have yet to be scheduled, but all will be held before November 2023.

Any member of the House or Senate can request an interim study over legislative and policy issues. Some interim studies address issues in legislation that failed to pass in previous sessions but for which members desire more in-depth information and consideration. Interim study requests are assigned to the appropriate House or Senate committees, generally Common Education in the House and Education in the Senate, for most education-related studies. In some cases, House study requests on similar subjects are combined into a single study, and some studies may be considered jointly by the House and Senate. A committee may devote anywhere from one hour to several full meetings to each study. The legislator who requests the study and/or the committee chair frequently invite local and national experts to testify at interim study meetings. In the past few years, CCOSA members and staff have been asked to present at interim studies, and their expertise has provided valuable information and context to these discussions.