Legislature(2017 - 2018)CAPITOL 106
02/09/2018 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB214 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 214 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 221 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 9, 2018
8:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Harriet Drummond, Chair
Representative Justin Parish, Vice Chair
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative Jennifer Johnston
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative David Talerico
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Zach Fansler
Representative Lora Reinbold (alternate)
Representative Geran Tarr (alternate)
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 214
"An Act renaming a portion of the Alaska Safe Children's Act as
Bree's Law; relating to Bree's Law programs and Bree's Law
activities; relating to dating violence and abuse policy,
training, awareness, prevention, and notices; and providing for
an effective date."
- MOVED HB 214 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 221
"An Act relating to the duties of the Alaska Commission on
Postsecondary Education; relating to a statewide workforce and
education-related statistics program; relating to information
obtained by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
and providing for an effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 214
SHORT TITLE: BREE'S LAW; DATING VIOLENCE PROGRAMS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) DRUMMOND
04/05/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/05/17 (H) EDC
04/12/17 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
04/12/17 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
02/09/18 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
PATRICK FITZGERALD, Staff
Representative Harriet Drummond
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 214 on behalf of
Representative Drummond, prime sponsor.
BUTCH MOORE
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 214.
CINDY MOORE
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 214.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:03:08 AM
CHAIR HARRIET DRUMMOND called the House Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Representatives Parish, Spohnholz, Johnston, Kopp,
Talerico, and Drummond.
HB 214-BREE'S LAW; DATING VIOLENCE PROGRAMS
8:03:28 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 214, "An Act renaming a portion of the Alaska
Safe Children's Act as Bree's Law; relating to Bree's Law
programs and Bree's Law activities; relating to dating violence
and abuse policy, training, awareness, prevention, and notices;
and providing for an effective date."
8:04:11 AM
PATRICK FITZGERALD, Staff, Representative Harriet Drummond,
Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 214 on behalf of
Representative Drummond, prime sponsor. He stated that Bree's
Law is in reference to Bree Moore, who was a victim of dating
violence which ended her life senselessly. He reported that
Alaska ranks in the top ten states with the worst record of
dating violence and sexual abuse, with more than 1,000 high
school students reporting sexual dating violence one or more
times in 2017. Mr. Fitzgerald stated that this statistic
provides "a scary glimpse into the future of ... generations of
Alaskans who think it isn't abnormal to experience abuse in a
relationship." He said everyone has a role in preventing dating
violence, and establishing a line of help and awareness needs to
happen in order to end such violence.
MR. FITZGERALD explained that Bree's Law would address dating
violence sections of the Alaska Safe Children's Act "in an
effort to create an ... effective, knowledgeable awareness to
combat the horrible trend that plagues this state." He said the
hope of the sponsor is that Bree's Law will become recognized
and identified in helping young adults in relationships to
access the help they need to be able to remove themselves from
abusive relationships. He said Bree's Law is being referenced
by educators across the state as "an informal identifier of
dating violence prevention"; passing HB 214 would make that
official. Mr. Fitzgerald informed the committee that Bree's
parents, Butch and Cindy Moore, were on line.
8:06:15 AM
BUTCH MOORE stated, "We have really made some great strides in
reducing dating violence in Alaska." He noted that Governor
Bill Walker had signed a proclamation naming February 2018
Dating Violence and Awareness Month. He reported that in 2015,
10.1 percent of teens polled experienced dating violence. He
said, "That was the year we worked on passing the Alaska Safe
Children's Act." He said in 2017, another poll of teens showed
that the number of them who had experienced dating violence had
dropped to 5.5 percent. He said 3,500 posters are being sent to
all 359 middle schools and high schools, and those posters
provide an 800 number, a text number, and an online chat
resource available 24/7 to anonymously reach a trained advocate,
who can route the person to services in his/her community. He
said this information is crucial, because many times a student
does not want to talk to a teacher. Mr. Moore said there is
also a public service announcement on the governor's web site.
He stated that "we" have a web site that is linked with the
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA), the
Alaska Network on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (ANDVSA),
and Love Is Respect - a national teen dating violence prevention
hotline.
MR. MOORE, regarding the use of Bree's name for educational
purposes, said currently there is no nationwide education for
tenth- through twelfth-graders that addresses "the lethality of
dating violence and actually murder." He said "we" are working
with the Department of Education & Early Childhood Development
and several school districts, including the Anchorage School
District, to develop a small outline and a four- to five-minute
video that teachers can use in the classroom. He said [he and
his wife] have gone to many speaking engagements and to the
Student Advisory Board in Anchorage, which comprises 80
students, and told them about Bree. He stated, "They had no
idea why they had had this education; ... when they realized
that Bree was killed, all the dots were connected for them." He
said he has received input from various boards, from Abused
Women's Aid in Crisis (AWAIC), from Victims for Justice, and
from several Native corporations. He relayed that Native
corporations have said the posters are needed in community
centers and libraries to show people in villages that [dating
violence] is not limited to rural areas. Mr. Moore said "we"
have a lot of support, and he credited timing as one reason. He
mentioned media influence toward change. He offered thanks to
the committee for its work on HB 214.
8:11:06 AM
CINDY MOORE thanked the House Education Standing Committee for
considering HB 214. She said the feedback from school children
is unbelievable. She stated, "They don't even realize that some
of the red flags that exist with dating violence are even an
issue." One example she gave was texting someone "5,000 times a
day." She said, "It's just amazing to see ... the
transformation in ... these kids and their knowledge of dating
violence prevention. So, we're going to save a lot of lives,
everyone. Thank you so much."
8:12:23 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND said she is delighted to sponsor HB 214 and bring
Bree's name forward into law.
8:13:33 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND, after ascertaining that there was no one who
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 214.
8:13:41 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ spoke to the value of putting a name, a
face, and a story to the issue of dating violence. She
speculated that renaming the Alaska Safe Children's Act section
regarding dating violence and prevention after Bree Moore would
help to make a personal connection for many students and
hopefully reduce the incidences of dating violence. She said it
is exciting that teen violence has decreased from [10.1] percent
to 5.5 percent. She added, "But I think we'd all love to see it
go to zero, if possible."
8:15:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH moved to report HB 214 out of committee
with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note.
There being no objection, HB 214 was reported out of the House
Education Standing Committee.
8:15:33 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:15 a.m. to 8:18 a.m.
8:18:08 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:18 a.m.