Past Legislation

The bills listed here were voted on and didn't pass — or never even received a vote. It doesn't mean these bills are bad. There are many reasons, often political, why a bill doesn't make it out of committee or into a legislature for a vote.
Progress often moves slowly. A bill can be introduced many times, and changed many times, before it succeeds. The ZZZ's to A's Act, a bill first introduced by ​U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (Calif.) in 1997 — has evolved many times over the years and has been introduced again. (Read about it here.) You can follow the links below to learn about these past bills. The ideas might work where you live, or inspire something even better.

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Federal Legislation: Expired Bills

Contact a Member of the U.S. Congress

The school start time-related bills listed below have expired.

State Legislatures: Expired Bills

CALIFORNIA 

• SB328, the Start the School Day Later bill, introduced by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D), "would  require the school day for middle schools and high schools to begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m." The bill (which is featured in the video above) has been approved by the state Senate and by committees of the state Assembly. The legislation was passed by the state legislature in August 2018 but vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown on Sept. 20, 2018. Senator Portantino says he plans to reintroduce similar legislation in the future.

FLORIDA 

• HB67 Provides requirements for district school board policies for high school daily start times. (2014) Failed

MAINE

• LD 711 An Act To Provide for a Later Starting Time for High Schools (2015)

MARYLAND

• HB1081 Orange Ribbon for Healthy School Hours. Passed in the House, failed in a Senate Committee (2015). Reintroduced and signed into law (2016)

MASSACHUSETTS

• S2464, S215 An act authorizing a study of starting times and schedules (2016, 2013)
• S2203 An act enhancing reform, innovation and success in education. (2016)

NEVADA

• SB211 Sets "no earlier than" times for elementary, middle and high schools at 9. Deleted by amendment. (2015)​
• AB166, a bill Revising Provisions Governing Education, introduced by Assemblyman Chris Edwards (R), would require each school district to set the time for the start of the school day as follows: "(1) not earlier than 7:30 a.m. or later than 8:00 a.m. for elementary schools; (2) not earlier than 8:15 a.m. or later than 8:45 a.m. for junior high or middle schools; and (3) not earlier than 9 a.m. or later than 9:30 a.m. for high schools." AB225, a bill Revising Provisions Governing Education, introduced in February 2017 by Assemblyman Richard Carrillo (D), states "each school district shall set the time for the commencement of  the school day which must not be earlier than 9 a.m. for a high school."​ The bills, each labeled by the legislature to "contain an unfunded mandate," did not proceed.

PENNSYLVANIA 

• PENNSYLVANIA
• HB 1912, a bipartisan bill passed by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on November 13, 2017,  instructed its education committee to amend the "Public School Code of 1949" by adding Section 113.1. Study of Secondary School Start Times, which calls for the state's Department of Education to "conduct a study of issues, benefits and options related to instituting a later start time to the school day in secondary schools." According to the bill text, the study must "consider the recent recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics on the establishment of later school start times." The resulting report and recommendations are due to leaders of both the state Senate and Assembly by summer 2018. The measure was introduced by Rep. Alexander Charlton (R), Rep. Michael Schlossberg (D), Todd Stephens (R), Rep. Christopher Rabb (D), Rep. Perry Warren (D), Rep. Tina Davis (D), Rep. Katharine Watson (R), Rep. Matthew Bradford (D), Rep. Marguerite Quinn (R), Rep. Robert Freeman (D), Rep. Jeff Wheeland (R) and Rep. Timothy Briggs (D
• ​HB2105 Requires the state Department of Education to conduct a study on options and benefits of instituting a later start to the secondary school day. (2015)

UTAH

• HCR9, sponsored by Carol Spackman Moss (D) and Sen. Howard A. Stephenson (R), Consideration of a Later School Day Start for High School, encouraging "school districts and charter schools to consider possible benefits and consequences of a later start to the school day for high schools" passed the Utah House of Representatives and was given a favorable recommendation by the Senate Education Committee, but the legislative session ended before the resolution could be heard by the full Senate. (2017)

VIRGINIA

• HB34 Requires local school boards to set the daily school calendar so programs of instruction at public high schools start no earlier than 8 a.m. (2014)

WASHINGTON

• SB6429 Creating the "Sandman Act" would start all schools an hour later. (2016)

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Want to see what's in the works now?
Check out the Current Legislation page.

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