MT HB557

Prohibits pupil-instruction-related (PIR) days from being used for attending state meetings of teacher organizations, removing this activity from the list of approved uses

Restricts professional development during PIR days to activities "solely devoted to improving the quality of instruction" and aligned to Board of Public Education standards

Changes school closure for annual teacher organization meetings from mandatory ("shall close") to permissive ("may close"), giving trustees discretion

Limits approved PIR day activities to teacher activities (parent conferences, end-of-term records) or qualifying professional development that meets the new alignment requirements

Effective date of July 1, 2025; legislative findings cite concerns about political activity and "divisive partisan content" in recent teacher professional development