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​Legislation 

Establishing safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate school hours is a bipartisan effort. The bills listed here are live or likely to be re-introduced. If there's an active bill in your state, contact your elected representatives and ask them to support the legislation. ​If nothing is happening in your state, lobby your legislators and local officials.​
  • ​To learn about a bill, click on its number (below), which will take you to the legislature's website.
  • ​ If we're missing a bill, let us know! 
  • Learn about past legislation, including Congressional efforts. ​​​​ ​
  • The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) also tracks state and federal legislation on later school start times, with periodic updates.
Establishing a time before which schools should not begin mandated instruction is as fundamental as requiring schools to turn on the heat when the temperature falls below a certain level. Local districts would still set their own hours; they need only meet the minimum 'no earlier than' start time that’s proven to be essential to students’ well-being. It’s time for an evidence-based, sound policy discussion that prioritizes student health and achievement. Teaching adolescents at a time they cannot effectively learn is an ineffective use of public funds and undermines our children’s health and their chances for success today and in the future." - California State Sen. Anthony Portantino,
 
about his bill to "Start the School Day Later" 
​
Volunteers from Start School Later Maryland pose with Gov. Larry Hogan and legislators at the
Volunteers from Start School Later Maryland pose with Gov. Larry Hogan and legislators at the "Orange Ribbon" bill's signing.
​Common Types of School Hours Legislation
1. STUDY BILLS authorize a legislative committee, state agency or special commission to research the school hours issue, report its findings, and make recommendations. 
2. INCENTIVE BILLS "reward" (with a designation or actual funding) school districts that take positive action and meet certain standards.  ​​
3. ​MANDATE BILLS establish a statewide minimum standard all districts must meet to ensure that students are provided with safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate school hours. ​​
AASM Legislative Tracker
​
The dates in brackets indicate when an item was added or updated. As of 8/30/23 bills related to school starting hours have been introduced in at least 26 U.S. states and territories. ​


State Legislation (Pending)


​​​​CONNECTICUT
  • HB5522. An Act Concerning Later Start Time at Public Schools that would amend the general statutes to require "later start times" for all public schools. Referred to Joint Committee on Education 1/18/23.​


MAINE
  • LD257, An Act to "An Act to Provide for a Later Starting Time for High Schools," sponsored by Senator Matthea Daughtry, would prevent public secondary schools from starting the school day before 8:30 a.m. REFERRED to the Committee on EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS. (1/24/23). Committee members voted against this bill and voted instead in favor of a bill that would create a working group to study issues concerning how to structure the school day. (3/29/23)
​​​​
MASSACHUSETTS​
  • HD5140. An Act relative to school start times for middle and high school students. By Mr. Fernandes of Falmouth (by request), a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Zorianna Petrosyan relative to school start times for middle and high school students. Referred to House Committee on Rules (6/10/22).​
  • MA H3980. Resolve authorizing a study of starting times and schedules sponsored by  Rep. Carmine Gentile and the House Committee on Education. Resolve reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means. Pending: House Ways and Means Committee (7/21/21) ​

NEW JERSEY
  • A3816/S2462. Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin and Senator Vin Gopal introduced legislation in March 2022, which proposes to push statewide high school start times in New Jersey to no earlier than 8.30 a.m. beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. (3/25/22) Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (5/2/22).​

NEW YORK
  • A00440/S05449. Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, D-New York City introduced a bill that would amend the state's education law by requiring all public schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and to withhold state funding from any public school failing to do so. Referred to Education Committee (1/9/23), Senate version sponsored by Senator Robert Jackson and Senator Julia Salazar, referred to Education Committee (3/6/23).

​OREGON
  • HB2751 Sponsored by Representative Bowman, this bill would establish a task force on school starting times directed to study and collect related data. Scheduled for hearing by the Task Force on School Starting Times. Directs task force to study and collect data related to school starting times. ​​​​​Referred to Education with subsequent referral to Ways and Means. Committee hearing scheduled for 2/6/23. (2/2/23)
TEXAS
  • HB1691, Relating to the Time at Which Instruction May Begin in Public Schools. Introduced by Rep. Jolanda Jones, this bill would prevent any K-12 instruction before 8 a.m. Introduced (1/26/23).
  • HB363. Relating to the establishment of a task force to study the effect of delayed school start times on students. Introduced (11/14/22)​

State Successes


CALIFORNIA
SB328, (2018), the Start the School Day Later bill, introduced by Sen. Anthony Portantino, "would  require the school day for middle schools and high schools to begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m." The legislation was passed by the state legislature in August 2018 but vetoed by outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown. Portantino reintroduced the bill, also numbered SB328, in February 2019. The legislation was co-authored by Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon, Senators Scott Wiener and Dr. Richard Pen,  and Assemblymembers Todd Gloria and Tasha Boerner Horvath. (Take a look at "School Start Time Research & Information," a downloadable document compiled by Sen. Portantino's office to educate lawmakers and others about the school start time issue. [2/19/19]  Passed by the State Senate. (5/21/19) Passed out of Assembly Education Committee and moved on to the Appropriations Committee for consideration (7/10/19).​ Passed by State Assembly (7/13-14/19).  [This was the third time SB328 was considered.. When first introduced in 2017 it passed out of committee but did not receive enough votes to pass out of the legislature. In 2018 the same bill was resubmitted and, while passed by the full legislature, was ultimately vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown, who cited the opposition of one of the state's two major teacher's unions and state school board association and the appropriateness of "local control." Finally, in the 2018-19 session, the California State PTA made the bill its top priority, co-sponsoring it with Start School Later, and this time despite continued and well-funded opposition, it was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom  on 10/13/19 for enactment  beginning July 1, 2022.]

CONNECTICUT
  • Senate Bill 1, or an Act Concerning Childhood Mental and Physical Health Services in Schools, includes proposals such as increasing funding for social workers in schools, the use of Narcan training for school nurses and teachers, providing Narcan to school districts and offering mental health training to coaches of youth sports. (2/15/22) Signed by Governor 5/24/22 but unclear how it will be used to support later school start times.
​
FLORIDA
  • HB733/SB 1112 mandates that middle schools begin classes no earlier than 8 a.m., and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. It would be effective in July 2026, to give schools and families time to prepare. Filed by State Rep. John Paul Temple. (2/10/23). Cross filed by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, filed the proposal (SB 1112) for consideration during the legislative session that will start March 7 (2/23/23). Passed favorably by committee, who heard a staff analysis report and testimony by John Lopos of the NSF, Dr. Rafael Pelayo, and Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom, with just one nay (3/9/23). Passed favorably (11 to 2) in Pre-K-12 Appropriations Committee (3/16/23). Passed favorably with CS by House Education Committee (3/23/23). SB1112 passed favorably by Senate Education Committee (3/27/23). Scheduled for full House vote on Thursday, 3/30/23. Passed by House, 92:20. (3/31/23) Passed favorably by Senate Appropriations Committee, 12:1 (4/18/23). Passed favorably by Senate Fiscal Policy 15:2 (4/20/23). SB1112 replaced by HB733 and scheduled for 3rd reading (5/3/2023). Signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis (5/12/23).
INDIANA
  • Indiana H.B. 1005 (2016) amended the state code to urge the Legislative Council to assign to the appropriate study committee the topic of school start time effects on “student safety, student achievement, and lost instruction time for students.”
MARYLAND
  • Education, Section 7-122 (2016) the Orange Ribbon for Healthy School Hours certification recognizes districts that implement start times that are consistent with the hours recommended by the Maryland Department of Education and specified organizations. (See the Orange Ribbon Tool Kit)
  • HB883 | SB14 (2014) established a Task Force to Study Safe and Healthy School Hours for Maryland Public Schools. (Read its report.)​

NEW MEXICO
  • HM56 Introduced by Rep. Joy Garrett of Albuquerque, this bill will have the  legislative education study committee study high school start times and make recommendations in enacting a statutory high school start time by working with high school students, the public education department and staff from New Mexico school districts and charter schools to develop recommendations on a statutory high school start time; and issuing a report. (Introduced Feb. 17, 2023).​​ Passed on March 18 2023.)

NEW JERSEY
  • S2485/A3845. Education, P.L.,15 Chapter 96 (2015) an Act Requiring the Department of Education to Conduct a Study on School Start Times. Read the resulting 2017 report.) ​
  • S3160 (2018)/A4865 (2019). An Act Establishing a Pilot Program ... on Later School Start Times for High School Students) ​
​​​
PENNSYLVANIA
  • SR 417 (2018), a resolution introduced by Sen. Andrew Dinniman, directs the Joint State Government Commission to create a committee to conduct a study of issues, benefits and options related to instituting a later start time for secondary schools. The resolution unanimously passed the Senate in October 2018 and a report and recommendations from the Joint State Government Commission were issued in October 2019.

​UTAH
  • House Concurrent Resolution 3.In December 2019 Representative Suzanne Harrison introduced a resolution encouraging districts to look at later high school start times. (12/15/19)  Favorable recommendation (unanimous) from House Education Committee (2/3/20). Passed by House (2/11/20). Unanimously passed by Senate and now going to Governor for signature (2/21/20). Signed into law 3/24/2020).

National Legislation


ZZZ's to A's Act (HR8787), introduced by U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren directs the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct a study to determine the relationship between school start times and adolescent health, well-being, and performance. (Introduced August 31, 2022)

Back to the Future

Bills are often introduced many times before they succeed. To learn about past legislative efforts — including versions of the "ZZZ's to A's Act," a bill first introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.) in 1997 — visit our page about Past Legislation. ​Some of the ideas might work where you live, or inspire something even better.

Local Acts and Actions

Many municipalities and local governments have passed legislation and resolutions related to school day start times. Visit the page of your state or local Start School Later Chapter to learn more.

Know of a bill that's not here? Contact us!
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