02/25/2013 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB41 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 41 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 25, 2013
8:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Mike Dunleavy, Vice Chair
Senator Bert Stedman
Senator Charlie Huggins
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Berta Gardner
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Senator Fred Dyson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 41
"An Act relating to student participation in interscholastic
activities in religious and other private schools; and providing
for an effective date."
- HEARD AND HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 41
SHORT TITLE: SCHOOL SPORTS/INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) DYSON
01/30/13 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/30/13 (S) EDC
02/15/13 (S) SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE INTRODUCED-REFERRALS
02/15/13 (S) EDC
02/25/13 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR FRED DYSON
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 41.
CHUCK KOPP, Staff
Senator Fred Dyson
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 41 on behalf of the sponsor.
JOSHUA BANKS, Staff
Senator Fred Dyson
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the sectional analysis for SB 41.
GARY MATTHEWS, Executive Director
Alaska School Activities Association
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 41.
NATE DAVIS, Superintendent
Grace Christian School
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 41.
SUZANNE LUIKEN, representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 41
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:03:42 AM
VICE-CHAIR MIKE DUNLEAVY called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Stedman, Huggins, and Vice-Chair Dunleavy.
SB 41-SCHOOL SPORTS/INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES
8:03:53 AM
VICE-CHAIR DUNLEAVY announced that the first order of business
would be SSSB 41.
SENATOR FRED DYSON, sponsor of SB 41, explained that the
interscholastic activities in Alaska are controlled by a board.
Last year Senator Meyer sponsored a bill that improved an
ambiguity in law and SB 41 makes one correction to that
legislation.
CHUCK KOPP, Staff, Senator Fred Dyson, related that in 1997 the
Alaska Legislature passed HB 158 which allowed for school
children enrolled in correspondence and home school programs to
also enroll part time in school districts to attend classes. In
2012, the legislature passed SB 119, which allowed home school
children to participate in public school sports and classes.
There are currently 32 state-recognized correspondence programs
in Alaska.
MR. KOPP explained that recently it came to the attention of
private school parents that home school children also desired to
partner with private schools in Alaska School Activities
Association (ASAA) programs. It appeared that the words "private
school" were not included in SB 119 and would prevent that
partnering. He said that ASSA agreed that a statutory change was
needed for a partnership between home schooled children and non-
public schools to occur.
He noted that SB 41 is similar to SB 119 in that it is
permissive; it does not require the partnership, but simply
allows for it.
8:07:48 AM
MR. KOPP explained that a proposed sponsor substitute came about
as a result of further conversation with ASAA executive
director, Gary Matthews. He said the word "entirely" in the
original bill [SB 199], referring to alternative education
programs being required to be located entirely in the state, was
problematic because many of the correspondence programs are
internet based. Based on that information, the word "entirely"
was struck from the original bill [SB 119], which is under AS
14.30.365 - interscholastic activities. In a new section, which
controls private and denominational schools, "entirely" is
omitted.
8:09:35 AM
JOSHUA BANKS, Staff, Senator Fred Dyson, presented the sectional
for SB 41:
Section 1
Sec. 14.30.365(a)
Strikes the word "entirely" so that alternative
education programs that receive supplemental
instruction from outside of the state will not be
disqualified from interscholastic activities.
Section 2
Sec. 14.30.365(c)
Provides the definition for "located in the state" as
an alternative education program that is accessed by a
student located in the state and that provides for all
instructional hours to take place at a site in the
state.
Section 3
Sec. 14.45.150(a)
Provides that full-time students enrolled in grades 9
- 12 in an alternative education program located
entirely in Alaska that does not offer interscholastic
activities is eligible to participate in any
interscholastic activities program available in a non-
public school regulated under Alaska Statute, Title
14, Chapter 45 - Private and Denominational Schools.
Further provides that the student must be otherwise
eligible to attend the school were the student not
enrolled in an alternative education program; that the
student requests to participate in interscholastic
activities at the school, and the administrator of the
school approves the request.
Sec. 14.45.150(b)
Provides that the student is eligible to participate
in interscholastic activities if the student is
eligible under requirements established by the school
and the statewide interscholastic activities governing
body; delivers to the school providing the
interscholastic activities program required
documentation (academic transcripts, proof of full-
time enrollment, and medical and disciplinary records,
if applicable); and claims the same school for all
interscholastic activities during a school year.
Sec. 14.45.150(c)
Provides definitions for "alternative education
program", "district", "full-time student", and
"interscholastic activities".
Section 4
States that this act will be effective starting on
July 1, 2013.
8:14:16 AM
VICE-CHAIR DUNLEAVY opened public testimony.
8:14:40 AM
GARY MATTHEWS, Executive Director, Alaska School Activities
Association, testified in support of SB 41. He voiced
appreciation for Senator Dyson's work to amend the first part of
SB 119. He said the new section is acceptable to ASAA's board
and to the private school community.
8:16:17 AM
NATE DAVIS, Superintendent, Grace Christian School, testified in
support of SB 41. He stated that they believe in fair and
equitable practices for both public and private schools. He
opined that it is imperative that each school is allowed to
govern itself and to decide whether it will participate in a
program in any given year. A private school should also be able
to set parameters regarding admission standards, eligibility
standards, the numbers and ratios of home school participants,
and the financial cost of participation. He stated a belief that
a private school or public school should not use a home school
student for the purposes of recruitment.
8:19:35 AM
SUZANNE LUIKEN, representing herself, testified in support of SB
41. She spoke as a home school parent and voiced appreciation
for SB 41.
VICE-CHAIR DUNLEAVY closed public testimony and held SB 41 in
committee.
8:21:15 AM
There being no further business to come before the Senate
Education Committee, Vice-Chair Dunleavy adjourned the meeting
at 8:21 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 02252013_SB41_BillText.pdf |
SEDC 2/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 41 |
| 02252013_SB41_Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SEDC 2/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 41 |
| 02252013_SB41_Sectional.pdf |
SEDC 2/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 41 |
| 02252013_Testimony.pdf |
SEDC 2/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 41 |