final passage to Senate Bill 185.

It now heads to the governor's desk.

Lawmakers have also passed legislation that supporters say will allow school districts to think outside the box.

Senate Bill 263, was heard in a House committee today sponsoring.

Senator Stephen West, who is chair of the Senate Education Committee, says the bill builds on legislation passed last year.

>> So we passed 207 last year, which is the School of Innovation Bill.

The first part of this bill kind of cleans up that process, makes the waiver process easier, provides some off the shelf waivers.

The good news about this, the second part is a pilot project to allow two schools of innovation to happen in the state of Kentucky, and we have actual budget language that those those two School of Innovation pilot projects are funded in this year's budget.

This is aimed at large school districts who have maybe CSI schools or low performing schools.

And this allows a school to be spun off and an innovation to occur in that school.

So, for instance, if if they've been off level for 20 years, it gives that school the opportunity to do something different.

>> Senate Bill 263 allows local school districts to decide whether to apply for the Schools of Innovation program.

It also requires the Kentucky Department of Education to help districts with the application process.

Within 30 days.

The bill passed out of committee this morning and was heard on the House floor this afternoon.

Some Democrats said the bill sounds like a good idea, but they still had some concerns.

>> I think that if there are statutes and regulations that need to be waived to improve these schools of innovation, then we need to think about having fewer regulations and statutes restricting our public schools.

So I on the surface, it sounds like a good idea, but I have grave concerns about what the consequences may be.

And it sounds an awful lot like a charter school to me.

>> I worry that a bill like this opens the door for bad actors to come to Kentucky.

And so after committee meeting, which was just about two hours ago when we heard this bill for the first time, I asked for drafters to draft an amendment that would restrict the ability of local boards of education to enter into a contract with any education service provider who has been prohibited from providing services in another state.

>> Representative Burke's amendment was not adopted by the full House.

Senate Bill 263 passed the full House by a vote of 75 to 18.

Changes made to the bill were agreed to by the