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Interim Studies 2021 Tax Protests, EMOs, Student Success, and More By Dr. Jeanene Barnett, CCOSA Education Policy and Research Analyst
The work from interim studies can guide future legislation and reveal topics that interest leaders. Any member of the House or Senate can request an interim study over legislative and policy issues. Sometimes, interim studies address issues that have been the subject of legislation that failed to pass in previous sessions but members desire more in-depth consideration. A committee may devote anywhere from one hour to several full meetings to each study. Local
and national experts may be invited to testify at interim study meetings. In the past few years, CCOSA members and staff have been asked to make presentations. In the Senate, the President Pro Tempore approves the interim study requests and then assigns them to the appropriate standing committee. The committee chair then decides which studies will be heard and when. Of the 72
Senate interim studies, 14 are education-related. In the House, the Speaker decides which studies to approve or disapprove. In some cases, House study requests on similar subjects are combined into a single study. Some studies may be considered jointly by the House and Senate. Of the 135 approved House interim studies in 2021, 43 are education-related.