In the state Legislature, we are pressing toward the third-reading deadline for bills to be heard in their chamber of origin. March 26 is the date by which all House bills must be advanced to the Senate and all Senate bills to the House. We considered 173 bills on the House floor this past week and have about 300 still eligible.
House Bill 2988 passed in the House. This would add $2.5 million to expand the Terry Peach Act to help us continue our efforts to eradicate harmful woody species, such as eastern red cedars, that consume massive amounts of water and present a fire danger.
We've made progress in our area after previous passage of bills to establish and fund this program. With lingering drought and persistent wildfire conditions throughout Oklahoma, we cannot stop until we have a consistent statewide plan to reverse the threat of these invasive species. I look forward to the Senate quickly approving this bill and sending to Gov. Stitt to be signed into law.
House Bill 3277 also passed. This request from the salvage industry would cleanup language related to inspections of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) on salvaged vehicles.
Another bill that passed this week was House Bill 3151, which would increase the minimum number of instructional days in Oklahoma public schools. I appreciate all of the work and the amendment offered by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert on this bill. His efforts gained the approval of the major education groups.
Although I supported the amended proposal, I still am concerned and will continue watching our public school funding to ensure our rural schools are not affected adversely, especially those not reliant upon funding formula dollars.
The bill, as amended, would make no changes to professional development or parent teacher conferences counting towards instructional days, consistent with current statute. The legislation would only go into effect if the State Department of Education budget is $175 million greater in Fiscal Year 2028 than it is in the current budget year FY26.
Research is clear that adding instructional time helps children learn, but we're well aware we have to provide funding for this and ensure our educators are part of the conversation.
With our focus on improving literacy, I am looking forward to passing House Bill 3016 that would create a two-year pilot program to expand vision screening for early childcare students. Improving vision is a lifesaver in helping with reading and other learning. I hope to present this to the full House in the next few days.
It is exciting to think of U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullins being in charge of Homeland Security, pending U.S. Senate approval. With all the current international tension, I believe he will do a great job at protecting our homeland from terrorism by regimes that have oppressed and massacred since 1979. His potential open seat already has created a cascade of openings throughout our state offices that will make for a historic election cycle.
Please remember, if I can help you with something, do not hesitate to reach out. You also can follow regular updates on my House Facebook page or call or email anytime at (405) 557-7407 or Mike.Dobrinski@okhouse .gov.