02/25/2005 01:30 PM House FINANCE

 HOUSE BILL NO. 1                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
      "An Act relating to the base student allocation used in                                                                   
      the formula for state funding of public education; and                                                                    
      providing for an effective date."                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
 Co-Chair Meyer announced that HB  1 and HB 30 would be  taken                                                                  
 up first, followed by HB 135 and HB 134.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
 CODY RICE,  STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE  CARL  GATTO,  offered  to                                                                  
 answer questions about HB 1.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
 Co-Chair Meyer related that  the base student allocation  for                                                                  
 HB is $4,919, which is  an increase of $70,089,500 over  last                                                                  
 year.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
 EDDY JEANS, DIRECTOR, EDUCATION SUPPORT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT                                                                   
 OF  EDUCATION  AND  EARLY  DEVELOPMENT,  explained  that  the                                                                  
 $4,919 increase  is a  $343 increase  per student  over  last                                                                  
 year  and  an  $8  million   increase  over  the  Governor's                                                                   
 proposal.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
 Co-Chair Meyer shared  that he would like  to see the  amount                                                                  
 higher, and noted  that there  was a great  deal of  previous                                                                  
 testimony to  that effect.   He  pointed out  that there  are                                                                  
 several issues,  PERS/TRS,  and the  recently  released  cost                                                                  
 differential study,  which  could impact  education  funding.                                                                  
 He stated a preference to  move the bill so that there  could                                                                  
 be early funding for school districts.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
 1:45:28 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
 Representative Foster  MOVED to  report CSHB (HES)  1 out  of                                                                  
 Committee with the  accompanying fiscal  notes.  There  being                                                                  
 NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
 CSHB 1 (HES) was REPORTED  out of Committee with a "do  pass"                                                                  
 recommendation,  and  with  two  new  fiscal  notes   by  the                                                                  
 Department of  Education  and Early  Development, and  a  new                                                                  
 fiscal note by Military and Veterans Affairs.