02/12/2024 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB13 | |
| HB55 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 13 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 55 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 12, 2024
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jamie Allard, Co-Chair
Representative Justin Ruffridge, Co-Chair
Representative Mike Prax
Representative CJ McCormick
Representative Tom McKay
Representative Rebecca Himschoot
Representative Andi Story
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 13
"An Act relating to costs of and charges for textbooks and other
course materials required for University of Alaska courses; and
providing for an effective date."
- MOVED SB 13 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 55
"An Act relating to allocations of funding for the Alaska
Workforce Investment Board; and providing for an effective
date."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 13
SHORT TITLE: UNIVERSITY: TEXTBOOKS/MATERIALS COST
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) MYERS
01/18/23 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23
01/18/23 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/18/23 (S) EDC
03/13/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/13/23 (S) Heard & Held
03/13/23 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/20/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/20/23 (S) Moved SB 13 Out of Committee
03/20/23 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/22/23 (S) EDC RPT 4DP
03/22/23 (S) DP: TOBIN, GRAY-JACKSON, STEVENS, KIEHL
05/05/23 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
05/05/23 (S) VERSION: SB 13
05/08/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
05/08/23 (H) EDC
02/02/24 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
02/02/24 (H) Heard & Held
02/02/24 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
02/12/24 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
BILL: HB 55
SHORT TITLE: EXTEND WORKFORCE INVEST BOARD ALLOCATIONS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) CARRICK
02/01/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/01/23 (H) EDC, L&C, FIN
01/31/24 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
01/31/24 (H) Heard & Held
01/31/24 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
02/12/24 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR ROBERT MYERS
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, introduced SB 13.
CHARLES EDWARDSON, Director
Generations Southeast
Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the hearing on HB 55.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:00:25 AM
CO-CHAIR JAMIE ALLARD called the House Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Representatives McKay,
Allard, and Ruffridge were present at the call to order.
Representatives Prax, McCormick, Himschoot, and Story arrived as
the meeting was in progress.
The committee took an at-ease from 8:01 a.m. to 8:02 a.m.
SB 13-UNIVERSITY: TEXTBOOKS/MATERIALS COST
8:02:23 AM
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced that the first order of business would
be SENATE BILL NO. 13, "An Act relating to costs of and charges
for textbooks and other course materials required for University
of Alaska courses; and providing for an effective date."
8:02:50 AM
SENATOR ROBERT MYERS, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, introduced SB 13. He reminded the committee that the
bill had a simple concept: to give students as much information
as possible to financially plan when they sign up for their
classes. He said it is copied from policy that is making its
way around the U.S., and he said he would appreciate the
committee's support.
8:03:33 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE moved to report SB 13 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, SB 13 was reported out of the House
Education Standing Committee.
8:03:50 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:03 a.m. to 8:07 a.m.
HB 55-EXTEND WORKFORCE INVEST BOARD ALLOCATIONS
8:07:03 AM
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 55, "An Act relating to allocations of funding
for the Alaska Workforce Investment Board; and providing for an
effective date."
8:07:24 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 8:07 a.m.
8:07:30 AM
CO-CHAIR ALLARD opened public testimony on HB 55.
8:08:10 AM
CHARLES EDWARDSON, Director, Generations Southeast, said that in
the Southeast, Alaskans had waited 20 years to be heard on this
issue. Prince of Wales Island, he explained, is an economic hub
which has a state-sponsored regional training center that was
completed in 2014 through the capital appropriations process.
He said it has been very taxing on the community to keep it up
and running, and the opportunity to get into technical
vocational education program (TVEP) funding has not presented
itself because of the reauthorization process. He opined that
reauthorizing it now, considering the audit, would not serve
Alaska well. He stated that he supported reauthorization but
with amendments.
8:11:07 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE referred to Mr. Edwardson's statement about
waiting 20 years to speak to the issue and asked whether his
organization was currently receiving funds under this program.
MR. EDWARDSON responded that there had been an awareness of the
funding, and although they are not looking for full support,
they are just looking to "come alongside" the rest of the state.
He said representatives come and go through elections, and
sometimes, unintentionally perhaps, Southeast Alaska gets
overlooked. Through a competitive bid process, he said he hoped
for the opportunity for Generations Southeast to be included in
the bid.
8:13:56 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE sought clarity as to what the name of the
center was.
MR. EDWARDSON replied it was previously known as the Prince of
Wales Vocational and Technical Education Center, now known as
Generations Southeast, and that it is a hub.
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE asked for a brief description of the
technical and vocational educational opportunities at the
facility.
MR. EDWARDSON responded that training is tailored specifically
around the industries coming up in the region, such as
mariculture, kelp farming, and commercial driver's license (CDL)
programs, to name a few. He pointed out that the region is
accessible to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and many Southern
Southeast regions in general. He further explained programs
that are in development. He thanked the committee for their
time and provided his contact information.
8:19:18 AM
CO-CHAIR ALLARD, after ascertaining that there was no one else
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 55 and
announced that HB 55 was held over.
8:19:56 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:20 a.m.
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