Gov. Spencer Cox on Wednesday signed his first batch of bills passed by legislators during the first few weeks of the legislative session.
The bills included the end to the pandemic-prompted Test to Stay program for schools, as well as several budget bills. With the governor's signature, they now become law.
"In-person learning is critical to the development of children and youth," Cox said in a statement. "With this bill, we have clarified how schools transition to remote learning when significant illness threatens a school's ability to safely continue in-person learning."
He called the Test to Stay program "one element of a layered approach" to safe in-person learning. The law clarifies how the state could again implement the program "when it is determined that it will be helpful in controlling the spread of COVID-19," Cox said.
"The virus has been evolving and our response needs to, too," he added.
The bills Cox signed Wednesday:
- HB183, In-Person Learning Amendments.
- HB1, Public Education Base Budget Amendments.
- HB5, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Base Budget.
- HB6, Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Base Budget.
- HB7, Social Services Base Budget.
- SB1, Higher Education Base Budget.
- SB4, Business, Economic Development, and Labor Base Budget.
- SB6, Infrastructure and General Government Base Budget.
- SB7, National Guard, Veterans Affairs, and Legislature Base Budget.
Cox noted that the state's "rainy day" fund stands at more than $1.15 billion for fiscal year 2022.
"We're thrilled that the Legislature agrees that planning for future unknowns is vital to our economic health with the allocation of an additional $57 million in rainy day fund deposits," the governor said.
He also praised the Legislature for addressing bonds in the budget for the prison redevelopment and FrontRunner double-track projects "to ensure that our children do not have to pay for what we want today. This excellent use of one-time funds demonstrates the fiscal responsibility and foresight that our federal partners lack," Cox said.