BILL · 2025–26 SESSION

HB 1538: Capital assistance/schools

Providing capital financial assistance to small school districts with demonstrated funding challenges.

Summary

Creates a supplementary capital grant program for school districts with enrollments of 1,000 students or fewer for comprehensive instructional facility modernization or replacement.
Requires that grants be coordinated with the School Construction Assistance Program to the extent that a district has program eligibility.
Requires school districts awarded a grant to provide a district share equal to 50 percent of a district's remaining debt capacity for capital purposes, capped at an estimated property tax rate increment of $1.75 per $1,000 of assessed district value, under various assumptions.

From the House Bill Analysis 2025 (HB 1538), written by the Legislature's nonpartisan staff. Read the full report ↗

Did not pass Did not pass · died in committee

AN ACT Relating to capital financial assistance to small school districts with demonstrated funding challenges;

No recorded floor votes. This measure never reached a floor vote.

Bill numbers restart every two years, so the same number is a different bill in each session.

HB 1538 (2023–24) Special district malfeasance · Did not pass · died in committee
HB 1538 (2021–22) Aviation & aerospace cmte. · Did not pass · died in committee
HB 1538 (2019–20) Sunshine committee recs. · Did not pass · stalled on the House floor
HB 1538 (2017–18) Subcontractor bonding · Enacted · Chapter 302, Laws of 2017
HB 1538 (2015–16) Education employee COLAs · Did not pass · died in committee
HB 1538 (2013–14) Public health nurses/meds · Did not pass · passed House, stalled in Senate
HB 1538 (2011–12) Animal health inspections · Enacted with partial veto · Chapter 204, Laws of 2011
HB 1538 (2009–10) Small domestic wineries · Did not pass · died in committee