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HB 1530

Education; Education Reform Act of 2025; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Dick Lowe

The bill directs a 2025–26 interim study to identify causes and needs of the special education teacher shortage and propose legislative solutions.

Second Reading referred to Rules
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Bill Summary · HB 1530

Summary — HB 1530 (North Dakota, 69th Legislative Assembly, 2025)

Title: An act to provide for a legislative management study on the circumstances and needs of special education teachers and the related special education teacher shortage.

Note: Multiple states use the bill number “HB 1530.” This summary covers the North Dakota House Bill No. 1530 (introduced in the 69th Legislative Assembly, 2025), which directs a legislative study of special education teacher workforce issues.

Main purpose and intent

Require the Legislative Management (the interim study body of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly) to study causes, circumstances, and needs related to special education teacher shortages during the 2025–26 interim, and to report findings and any recommended legislation to the 70th Legislative Assembly.

Key provisions

  • Directs the Legislative Management to conduct a study during the 2025–26 interim on recruitment and retention of special education teachers.
  • Specifies topics the study must address, including:
    • Workload and caseload issues: inequitable caseloads and complexities between educators; addition of students mid‑year; lack of objective formulas for assignments; policies set without sufficient educator input; workloads that jeopardize compliance with IEPs and state/federal law.
    • Student and staff safety: need for accessible crisis/emergency plans and trained personnel; availability and training on protective equipment and restrictive procedures; uncompensated time for behavior intervention planning; inadequate space and insufficient paraprofessional support for students with violent behavior; inequitable treatment of staff injured on the job.
    • Paraprofessional management: expectations that special educators provide training, scheduling, and annual evaluation of paraprofessionals without additional time or compensation; inadequate availability and training of qualified paraprofessionals.
    • Paperwork and compliance burdens: uncompensated time for federal/state/disability‑related paperwork, IEP meetings outside workday, and lack of training/mentoring and administrative support for compliance and due‑process requirements.
    • Additional considerations: review pertinent data and develop remediation plans that include projected costs and implementation timetables.
  • Requires the Legislative Management to report findings, recommendations, and any drafting of implementing legislation to the 70th Legislative Assembly.

Who is affected

  • Special education teachers (workload, compensation, training, safety)
  • Paraprofessionals (training, staffing levels, supervision)
  • Students with disabilities (service delivery, safety, IEP compliance)
  • School districts, administrators, and the State Department of Public Instruction (potential programmatic and budgetary implications)
  • Policymakers (will receive recommendations and possible draft legislation)

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Study period: 2025–26 interim.
  • Report due to: 70th Legislative Assembly (next regular session following the interim).
  • The bill does not appropriate funds or mandate specific policy changes; it requires study, data review, and reporting with cost projections for any recommended remedies.

Potential impact

  • The study could lead to recommended legislative changes addressing caseload limits/formulas, compensation for out‑of‑workday duties, staffing ratios, safety protocols, training requirements, and funding needs. Concrete costs and timelines are to be developed as part of the study.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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