Commission staff outline provisions in HB 1782 and K‑12 guardrails in HB 1734

Commission staff summarized two pieces of legislation they said would shape the commission’s work on AI in schools.

Michael Hannigan briefed members on House Bill 1782, which he said received floor amendments that add language permitting state agencies to pursue gifts and donations into a designated fund, expand the advisory council membership to 19 and broaden allowable uses for the fund to include research on child welfare, workforce and public engagement. “We got explicit permission for agencies to pursue gifts and donations, which is a big win,” Hannigan said. He added that the bill did not secure direct funding in its current version but would create a transparent, pooled vehicle for agency contributions and grants.

Hannigan also described House Bill 1734 as a K‑12‑facing policy bill with three central features: required parental disclosure of AI tools in classrooms (what tools are used, what data they use and how they’re deployed), an opt‑out mechanism for parents and a reporting requirement to OSDE about data‑minimization and privacy compliance. “It’s more of school facing, really, about K‑12… it requires some kind of parental disclosure,” Hannigan said.

Commissioners discussed the operational implications if the bills pass. Representative Williams urged the commission to consider what role staff should play in advising local school districts once 1734 becomes law, including whether the commission should prepare model policy templates for districts. Dr. Karen Leonard said she will post a model template and work with the commission to expand guidance.

Members said they will monitor senate floor scheduling for HB 1782 and expected the House to need to approve any senate amendments before the bill could reach the governor’s desk.

No formal action was taken by the commission on the bills during the meeting.