Legislature(2015 - 2016)BILL RAY CENTER 208
05/03/2016 08:15 AM Senate CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB156
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB156 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| = | HB 156 | ||
HB 156-SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES; FED. LAW
8:16:45 AM
CHAIR KELLER announced that the only order of business would be
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 156(FIN), "An Act relating
to a parent's right to direct the education of a child; relating
to the duties of the state Board of Education and Early
Development, the Department of Education and Early Development,
school boards, and school districts; relating to public school
curriculum and assessments; relating to compliance with federal
education laws; relating to public school accountability;
relating to a statewide assessment plan and review of education
laws and regulations; repealing the minimum expenditure for
instruction for school districts; relating to sex education,
human reproduction education, and human sexuality education;
relating to suicide awareness and prevention training; relating
to contracts for student assessments; relating to questionnaires
and surveys administered in public schools; relating to physical
examinations for teachers; and providing for an effective date."
8:17:03 AM
CHAIR DUNLEAVY moved that the Conference Committee for HB 156
adopt the Senate committee substitute (CS) for CS for HB
156(FIN), Version 29-LS0566\Q.
8:17:29 AM
SENATOR OLSON objected for discussion and asked to hear a review
of the Senate changes to the House version.
8:18:08 AM
CHRISTA MCDONALD, Staff, Senator Mike Dunleavy, Alaska State
Legislature, directed attention to the committee packet and
paraphrased from the document titled, "Summary of Senate Changes
to House Bill 156," which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
Parental Rights
Section 1. Codifies parental rights by requiring local
school boards to adopt policies allowing parents to
withdraw their children from any activity, class, or
program, or standards based assessment to which the
parent objects. Provides parents with at least a two
week notice before presentations on human reproduction
or sexual matters.
Section 2. Exempts the curricula and materials for The
Alaska Safe Children's Act from the definition of
"human reproduction or sexual matters."
Fiscal Concerns Addressed
Section 10. The Senate added an amendment to this
section that would allow the Department of Education
to administer a standards-based assessment between the
dates of July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2019 should the
Unites States Department of Education provide notice
of its intention to withdraw federal education
funding. This has resolved the fiscal concerns
associated with the bill and resulted in a zero fiscal
note.
Technical Changes to Crisis Prevention Training
Section 11 - Section 16. These sections contain
technical corrections to the crisis prevention
training established last year in HB 44 by replacing
"School" with "District" for tracking trainings.
Department of Education has explained that it is
logistically challenging to track these trainings at
the school level. This will enable the districts to
organize and schedule the required trainings.
Physical Examinations for Teachers
Section 17. Allows school districts to require
physical examinations for teachers, but clarifies that
the district is not required to cover the costs. This
change was made at the request of school districts
throughout Alaska.
Sex Education Teachers & Curriculum
Section 18. Adds a new section that only a certified
teacher, or person supervised by a certified teacher,
may teach a class in sex education. It establishes
that curriculum and materials for sex education
classes must be approved by the school board and
available for parents to review. It also provides that
before a person who is not a certified teacher teaches
sex education they must be approved by the school
board and the person's credentials made available for
parents to review.
Section 19. Provides that the teacher certification
and supervision requirements do not apply to the
sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and
prevention training on dating violence abuse
awareness. (Bree's/Erin's Law)
Technical Change to Suicide Prevention Training
Section 20. Removing "in grades seven through 12" from
AS 14.30.320 to bring AS 14.30.362 into alignment with
the requirements contained in four other statutes that
"all certificated staff" receive suicide prevention
training. This change came at the request of the
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development.
Procurement Code Exemption for Student Assessments
Section 21. Amends AS 36.30.850(b) to exempt
department contracts for student assessments from the
state procurement code. This change to statute was
made at the request of Interim Commissioner McCauley
in order to make the process of selecting an
assessment cheaper, more efficient and to improve
transparency throughout the process.
Repeal of the 70/30 Provision
Section 22. Repeals AS 14.17.520, the minimum
expenditure for instruction. Repeal of the 70/30
provision is supported by school districts, the Alaska
Association of School Boards and the State Board of
Education.
Student Surveys
Section 24. Repeals sec. 4, Ch. 2, SSSLA 2015, which
created an opt-in system for all student surveys. This
section will revert the system back to an opt-out for
surveys which do not contain information that
inquiries into the personal and private family
affairs. This was requested by AASB who annually
distributes a "School Climate and Connectedness
Survey" which is used to improve the school
environment.
8:21:07 AM
CHAIR DUNLEAVY pointed out that the described changes were
contained in the Senate version that was submitted to the House
for consideration.
CHAIR KELLER opined that the House version began as a piece of
good legislation, which was improved upon by the Senate version.
8:21:40 AM
SENATOR OLSON asked whether a health professional visiting, or
relocating to, a community would be allowed to make a
presentation to a classroom as a guest speaker.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY responded that the bill requirement is for anyone
providing sex education in a public school to obtain prior
approval from the [local] school board. He emphasized that no
groups or individuals are being prohibited classroom access
through this legislation.
8:22:41 AM
SENATOR OLSON withdrew his objection.
8:22:48 AM
CHAIR KELLER, hearing no further objection announced that the
Conference Committee has agreed to recommend the adoption of the
Senate CS for CSHB 156(FIN).
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 156 House CS Version X-A.PDF |
JHB156 5/3/2016 8:15:00 AM |
HB 156 |
| HB 156 Senate CS Version Q.PDF |
JHB156 5/3/2016 8:15:00 AM |
HB 156 |
| HB 156 Summary of Senate Changes.pdf |
JHB156 5/3/2016 8:15:00 AM |
HB 156 |
| HB 156 Fiscal Note 2.PDF |
JHB156 5/3/2016 8:15:00 AM |
HB 156 |
| HB 156 Sectional Version Q.pdf |
JHB156 5/3/2016 8:15:00 AM |
HB 156 |