04/27/2004 03:11 PM House HES

SB 179-CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS/TEACHERS                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
CS FOR  SENATE BILL  NO. 179(FIN), "An  Act relating  to criminal                                                               
history records and background checks;  allowing persons to teach                                                               
in the  public schools for up  to five months without  a teaching                                                               
certificate if the  person has applied for a  certificate and the                                                               
application  has  not  been  acted  upon  by  the  Department  of                                                               
Education  and Early  Development  due to  a  delay in  receiving                                                               
criminal  history  records;  allowing teacher  certification  for                                                               
certain  persons based  on a  criminal  history background  check                                                               
without fingerprints; and providing for an effective date."                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  committee decided not to proceed                                                               
with  motions  made  at  the  last  meeting  on  SB  179  because                                                               
additional information came to the  committee's attention.  There                                                               
was consensus  from the committee  that version V  was preferable                                                               
over version W.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 0117                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to rescind  previous action to report                                                               
HCS CSSB 179(HES), version W,  out of the House Health, Education                                                               
and Social Services Standing Committee  on April 20, 2004.  There                                                               
being no  objection, the previous  action to report out  HCS CSSB
(HES) was rescinded.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  moved to  rescind House  Health, Education                                                               
and Social Services  Standing Committee action in  adopt HCS CSSB
(HES), version  W, as  the working document.   There  being no                                                               
objection, the motion to adopt  HCS CSSB 179(HES), version W, was                                                               
rescinded.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 0389                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  moved to  adopt CSSB 179(FIN),  version V,                                                               
as  the  working  document.    There  being  no  objection,  CSSB
(FIN), version  V is  before the  House Health,  Education and                                                               
Social Services Standing Committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 0402                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ZACK  WARWICK, Staff  to Senator  Gene  Therriault, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, testified on SB 179  for Senator Therriault, sponsor                                                               
of SB 179.   He explained that version V of  this bill allows the                                                               
Department of  Education and Early Development  the authorization                                                               
to grant  the 60-day extension  in the case  of a backlog  at the                                                               
U.S. Department  of Justice.   He emphasized that  the department                                                               
has given  assurances that  this is  an authorization  that would                                                               
not be taken lightly.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WARWICK asked  if the  committee would  need to  rescind its                                                               
action on the title change resolution.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON  said no.   The title  change resolution  only dealt                                                               
with version W which will not be heard.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  asked if  there  is  a fiscal  note  with                                                               
version V.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. WARWICK replied no.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 0426                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  moved to report CSSB  179(FIN), version V,                                                               
out  of   committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  the                                                               
accompanying  fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection,  CSSB
(FIN),  version  V, was  reported  out  of the  House  Health,                                                               
Education and Social Services Standing Committee.