HB26-1028 • 2026

Second Language Educational Program for High School Students

Current law provides for a diploma endorsement of biliteracy by completing certain educational requirements in English in addition to a second language. The act changes the educational requirements fo

Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Rep. L. García, Rep. E. Velasco, Sen. L. Cutter, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. A. Boesenecker, Rep. K. Brown, Rep. S. Camacho, Rep. M. Carter, Rep. C. Clifford, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. R. English, Rep. C. Espenoza, Rep. M. Froelich, Rep. L. Goldstein, Rep. E. Hamrick, Rep. J. Jackson, Rep. J. Joseph, Rep. S. Lieder, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. M. Lukens, Rep. J. Mabrey, Rep. M. Martinez, Rep. J. McCluskie, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. J. Phillips, Rep. M. Rutinel, Rep. E. Sirota, Rep. L. Smith, Rep. K. Stewart, Rep. T. Story, Rep. B. Titone, Rep. Y. Zokaie, Sen. M. Ball, Sen. A. Benavidez, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Daugherty, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. N. Hinrichsen, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. K. Mullica, Sen. T. Sullivan, Sen. K. Wallace, Sen. M. Weissman
Last action: 2026-06-02
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not define specific terms like 'biliteracy' or 'bilingualism', so definitions were excluded.

Second Language Educational Program for High School Students

This law changes the requirements for a biliteracy diploma endorsement, creates a new bilingualism endorsement, and allows students to access these programs through other schools or colleges if their own school does not offer them.

What This Bill Does

Changes the educational requirements needed to earn a biliteracy diploma endorsement.
Creates a new diploma endorsement for bilingualism for graduating high school students.
Allows students whose local education providers do not offer these programs to access them through other local education providers or state institutions of higher education.
Permits schools and colleges to charge fees that reflect the actual and indirect costs of running the endorsement programs.
Requires the student's home local education provider to pay any required fees on behalf of the enrolled student.

Who It Names or Affects

High school students seeking a biliteracy or bilingualism diploma endorsement
Local education providers that offer high school diplomas
State institutions of higher education

Limits and Unknowns

The official summary does not state the exact date when these new rules will begin.
The text does not specify how much a fee might cost, only that it must reflect actual and indirect costs.
The bill summary does not list which specific languages qualify for the endorsements.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.002

HOU Appropriations

Passed [*]

Plain English: This amendment changes the rules for high school students seeking a biliteracy or bilingualism diploma endorsement by requiring them to try their own local education provider first before looking elsewhere.

Students must ask their current local education provider (like their home district) for the endorsement before they can seek it from another organization.
If a student's local provider does not offer the program and chooses not to start one, that provider may make an agreement with another local provider or state college to help the student get the endorsement.
The amendment updates legal definitions to include 'state institutions of higher education' and 'local district colleges' as eligible providers for these programs.

This text only shows changes made by a committee report; it does not explain what specific educational requirements students must meet to earn the endorsement.
The amendment refers to existing laws (like Section 23-18-102) and procedures for multilingual learners that are not defined in this document.

L.001

HOU Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: This amendment allows high school students to get a biliteracy or bilingualism diploma endorsement from another local education provider if their own school does not offer the program.

Students must first try to earn the endorsement through their own local school before looking elsewhere.
If a student's school cannot provide the specific language endorsement, it can make an agreement with another approved entity or local provider that offers it.
The bill updates its wording throughout to include 'other local education providers' alongside existing 'approved entities'.
This change ensures students have access to these programs even if their home district does not currently run them.

The amendment text focuses on the process for accessing the program but does not define specific funding rules or how agreements between schools must be structured.
Details about which languages qualify for the endorsement are not included in this specific amendment text.

L.003

Third Reading

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the rule so that only state colleges and universities can provide certain parts of a high school second language program, instead of any approved group.

Replaces 'an approved entity' with 'a state institution of higher education' on page 6, line 25.
Replaces 'an approved entity' with 'a state institution of higher education' on page 7, line 1.
Replaces 'approved entity' with 'state institution of higher education' on page 7, line 8.

The amendment text does not explain what specific tasks or services these institutions will provide in the program.
It is unclear which other types of groups were previously allowed as 'approved entities' before this change.

Bill History

2026-06-02 Governor
Governor Signed
2026-06-01 Governor
Sent to the Governor
2026-06-01 Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
2026-06-01 House
Signed by the Speaker of the House
2026-05-07 House
House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
2026-05-06 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
2026-05-05 Senate
Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-05-04 Senate
Senate Committee on Education Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-04-24 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education
2026-04-22 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-21 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-04-17 House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-02-05 House
House Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations
2026-01-14 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

Current law provides for a diploma endorsement of biliteracy by completing certain educational requirements in English in addition to a second language. The act changes the educational requirements for the biliteracy program and creates a diploma endorsement for bilingualism for graduating high school students.
The act allows high school students in local education providers that do not offer the biliteracy or the bilingualism program to access the program through other local education providers or a state institution of higher education. If the student's local education provider does not offer and chooses not to establish a program that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking, the student's local education provider may enter into an agreement with another local education provider or state institution of higher education that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking.
A local education provider or state institution of higher education may charge a fee to provide the diploma endorsement program. The fee must reflect the actual and indirect costs of running the diploma endorsement program. The enrolled student's local education provider must pay the fee on behalf of the student.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)