Rules committee moves package of bills including magistrate retirement changes, cursive instruction and Airbnb insurance requirement

The Rules committee voted unanimously Feb. 26, 2026, to move a package of bills out of committee, sending a group of measures — including changes to magistrate judge retirement rules, a proposal to require cursive instruction in schools, and a bill to require insurance for short-term rental guarantees — on to the next stage.

Committee discussion was brief and largely procedural. A member described a magistrate-judge bill as giving magistrates more control over their board selection and amending retirement terms so magistrates could opt for earlier retirement ("they wanna choose their boards," the member said), and said the current retirement age was 60 with an option to retire at 55 "but if they go to 55, it's a 3% reduction for every year that they're not at 60." When asked about a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) the member said, "I don't believe there's a COLA to that plan," and that the magistrate plan is separate from the judicial retirement system.

The same member described another bill he referenced as a cursive-instruction measure, saying it would require cursive writing "not to be confused with cursing," so students could sign their names and read founding documents. He also summarized an "Airbnb" bill as a consumer-protection measure that would "make them have insurance as a backstop to their guarantee."

Senator Payne briefly described Senate Bill 485 as a measure allowing students in their final semester to take the master's social work licensing examination before graduating.

After members named and confirmed a final list of bills to be advanced — Senate Bill 240; Senate Bill 437; Senate Bill 443; Senate Bill 447; Senate Bill 463; Senate Bill 468; Senate Bill 471; Senate Bill 497; Senate Bill 527; Senate Resolution 800; and HB 377 — the committee took a voice vote. The chair recognized a motion to move the list, and the chair noted a second from "Senator Anderson." The committee approved the motion by voice and the chair stated, "Motion carries unanimous." The meeting then adjourned.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to advance listed package (SB240; SB437; SB443; SB447; SB463; SB468; SB471; SB497; SB527; SR800; HB377): moved (mover not specified in transcript), seconded by Senator Anderson, outcome: approved by unanimous voice vote (tally not specified in transcript).

What the committee did not decide

The committee did not record detailed floor amendments, formal roll-call vote tallies, or final text changes during the session. Several bills were only named or received brief descriptions; where the transcript lacked specifics (for example, exact benefit formulas beyond the 3%-per-year comment or whether the cursive bill specifies curricula), this article notes the detail as not specified in the transcript.

Next steps

The bills advanced by the committee will proceed to the next legislative stage according to internal chamber procedures; the committee adjourned after the unanimous voice vote.