A bill supporting an 8:30 am start time for high schools in Maine is moving forward in the state legislature.

It provides funding for interested school districts to explore the change, and is an amended version of a proposal that would have required an 8:30 a.m. start time.

The amended bill passed the Senate in a 20-13 vote on Tuesday and passed through the House unanimously on Wednesday, but will need more votes in both chambers.

Opponents of the bill say it would disrupt school bus schedules and limit opportunities for student internships and afterschool jobs. They also say it could interfere with child care schedules.

The bill is sponsored by Democratic Senator Mattie Daughtry of Brunswick. It’s original aim was to align school start times with adolescent sleep patterns and was intended to improve students’ health, alertness, and academic outcomes by allowing teenagers more opportunity for adequate sleep.

The 8:30 start time for high schoolers has been proposed several times in the Maine legislature, most recently in 2023.