04/18/2001 01:44 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 101                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating  to charter schools; and  providing for                                                                   
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MIKE   TIBBLES,  STAFF,   REPRESENTATIVE  WILLIAMS   provided                                                                   
members with  Amendment 1 (copy  on file). He  explained that                                                                   
the amendment would  modify the section that  provides a $500                                                                   
dollar grant  per student  and adds a  pro rata provision  in                                                                   
the event of a shortfall.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Williams MOVED to ADOPT  Amendment 1. Representative                                                                   
Croft OBJECTED  for the  purpose of  discussion. Mr.  Tibbles                                                                   
reiterated  that the amendment  would  add subsection  (c) to                                                                   
pro rata the appropriation if  there are insufficent funds to                                                                   
apply  $500 dollars  per  student  for every  charter  school                                                                   
student. Each  student's share would be reduced  equally. The                                                                   
cost is approximately $1.6 million dollars.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Croft   maintained  that  the   appropriation                                                                   
should be  fully funded. He stated  that he did not  want the                                                                   
fiscal note to  drive the text. He felt that  the fiscal note                                                                   
should be funded at the level of the legislation.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Mulder  spoke in  support and  stated his  desire to                                                                   
fund  the entire  fiscal note.  He noted  that the  amendment                                                                   
would provide future flexibility.  Mr. Tibbles added that the                                                                   
fiscal note would  be funded in the conference  committee. He                                                                   
observed  that the  same pro  rata language  is contained  in                                                                   
other education  funding such  as the foundation  formula. He                                                                   
noted that  the student count  could change between  the time                                                                   
the fiscal note is funded and the student count occurs.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Mulder clarified  that the same  pro rata  language                                                                   
exists in regulation for pupil transportation.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative Croft expressed  hope that the intent would be                                                                   
to fully fund the appropriation  and withdrew his objections.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Mulder  MOVED  to  report CSHB  101  (FIN)  out  of                                                                   
Committee with  the accompanying fiscal note.  There being NO                                                                   
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  101 (FIN)  was REPORTED  out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass"  recommendation  and  with   two  previously  published                                                                   
fiscal impact note  by the Department of Education  and Early                                                                   
Development (#1 and #2).