05/12/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                          May 12, 2025                                                                                          
                           8:05 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Rebecca Himschoot, Co-Chair                                                                                      
Representative Andi Story, Co-Chair                                                                                             
Representative Maxine Dibert                                                                                                    
Representative Ted Eischeid                                                                                                     
Representative Jubilee Underwood                                                                                                
Representative Rebecca Schwanke                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bill Elam                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 25                                                                                                   
Supporting and encouraging the continued recruitment and                                                                        
retention of international educators on J-1 and H-1B visas in                                                                   
the state.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HJR 25 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HJR 25                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: INTERNATIONAL TEACHER VISAS                                                                                        
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) MINA                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
05/07/25       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
05/07/25       (H)       EDC                                                                                                    
05/07/25       (H)       EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106                                                                               
05/07/25       (H)       Scheduled but Not Heard                                                                                
05/09/25       (H)       EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106                                                                               
05/09/25       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
05/09/25       (H)       MINUTE(EDC)                                                                                            
05/12/25       (H)       EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GENEVIEVE MINA                                                                                                   
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:   As prime  sponsor, presented HJR 25  to the                                                             
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:05:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REBECCA  HIMSCHOOT  called  the  House  Education                                                             
Standing   Committee    meeting   to    order   at    8:05   a.m.                                                               
Representatives  Dibert,  Eischeid, Underwood,  Schwanke,  Story,                                                               
and Himschoot were present at the call to order.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
               HJR 25-INTERNATIONAL TEACHER VISAS                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:06:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT announced  that  the only  order of  business                                                               
would  be   HOUSE  JOINT  RESOLUTION   NO.  25,   Supporting  and                                                               
encouraging   the   continued   recruitment  and   retention   of                                                               
international educators on J-1 and H-1B visas in the state.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:07:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GENEVIEVE  MINA,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime sponsor,  presented HJR 25  to the committee.  She referred                                                               
to the proposed legislation's previous  committee hearing for any                                                               
information related to  it and thanked the  committee members for                                                               
their time in hearing HJR 25.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:07:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STORY moved  to report  HJR  25 out  of committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, HJR 25  was reported out of  the House                                                               
Education Standing Committee.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:08:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR   HIMSCHOOT   thanked   committee  members   for   their                                                               
dedication  and   hard  work  in  forwarding   policy  goals  for                                                               
education  in Alaska.   She  offered a  "sweet treat"  to Zachary                                                               
Lawhorne,   the  Legislative   Information  Office   (LIO)  House                                                               
Education Standing Committee worker.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:09:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY  commented that  she would like  to see  the House                                                               
Education  Standing  Committee  work  to  address  the  issue  of                                                               
deferred  school  maintenance in  the  2nd  session of  the  34th                                                               
Alaska State Legislature and thanked  educators around Alaska for                                                               
their work.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:11:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EISCHEID   remarked  his  appreciation   for  the                                                               
members and work  done on the House  Education Standing Committee                                                               
and shared his excitement for  constituent outreach in the coming                                                               
fall.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:13:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT invited "every legislator  not just to visit a                                                               
school, but to substitute teach for  a day or a week, without sub                                                               
plans preferably,  go in there and  give it a whirl,  see how you                                                               
do."                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:13:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:13 a.m.