HB 106: EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM CHAIR BUNDE noted that it was the second time the bill had been before the committee. He invited Rep. Kay Brown to speak to the bill. Number 244 REP. KAY BROWN, PRIME SPONSOR, gave a brief presentation on the provisions of HB 106. (Rep. Brown gave a detailed presentation on HB 106 on March 10, 1993. The records of that meeting are on file.) She said HB 106 would establish an Education Technology Program in the Department of Education. She gave the program's highlights: technological assistance to school districts and libraries; training for teachers; a plan for computer networks; a departmental directive to coordinate existing resources; establishment of a fund requiring matching funds (though HB 106 did not deposit money into the fund). She said another bill in the committee, HB 107, provided for capitalization of the fund. She said HB 106 also established eligibility pre-requisites for libraries or districts for grants. CHAIR BUNDE observed that the local match formula in HB 106 was based on the formula contained in HB 82, and that HB 82 had been amended to include a five percent minimum match and to exclude a sliding scale. Number 274 REP. BROWN said she had asked Rep. MacLean, chair of the House Finance Committee, whether she anticipated more changes to the matching formula in HB 82, and was answered that such changes were likely. Rep. Brown said she was willing to adjust her matching formula with the formula in HB 82 as amended. She said that if the bill passed in its current form, she would move a conforming amendment in the House Finance Committee. CHAIR BUNDE said he would prefer the matching formula in HB 106 coincide with the formula in the committee substitute for HB 82 as amended by the HESS Committee. REP. BROWN also said HB 106 would provide for an education technology committee to develop funding distribution guidelines; would amend the school report card to include reporting on technology; and would require a survey of public school and library technology resources. Number 306 REP. BROWN noted that there were two fiscal notes from the Department of Education, and that the third fiscal note, from the Department of Revenue's treasury division, would not apply until the fund was capitalized. She claimed broad support from educators for her bill. She said the Alaska Association of School Boards liked the bill and was concerned about technology as an important element of education that was absent in the Alaska 2000 reform effort. She said passing HB 106 was important, even before the Education Technology Fund was capitalized. Number 327 CHAIR BUNDE asked Rep. Brown how she would define an equitable distribution of funds. Number 330 REP. BROWN said one measure would be per-capita basis. She said other criteria would be the current level of technology in a particular school; the size of classes; the number of teachers; and the location of the school. She said it was probably better not to legislate a specific formula. She said it would be easier to allocate money after knowing how much money was available to allocate. Number 360 KAREN CRANE, DIRECTOR OF ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, testified in Juneau to reiterate the support of the commissioner and the department for HB 106. She noted that the commissioner felt that the bill, and technology, should play a strong role in the Alaska 2000 effort. She noted that the bill also had the support of the Alaska Library Association, as the bill also addressed library needs. Number 375 CHAIR BUNDE asked Rep. Brown if she would consider as a friendly amendment a change to HB 106 calling for the matching formula would be the same as that in CSHB 82(HES). (Rep. Toohey arrived at 3:32 p.m.) REP. BROWN responded she would consider that a friendly amendment. She noted that the language was on page 6 starting with line 5. She added that the HESS Committee had not adopted the proposed committee substitute, which she identified as being drafted by Ford and dated 2/16/93. She said the CS made minor changes relating to libraries, upon which she had worked with Ms. Crane. Number 402 CHAIR BUNDE asked if Rep. Brown was referring to the CS of HB 106. REP. BROWN answered yes, and pointed out the location of the amendment on page 6 of the CS. She asked if CSHB 82(HES) included a phase-in period. CHAIR BUNDE answered that it did not. Number 406 REP. BROWN noted that page 9 of her proposed CS did have a phase-in provision, modeled after that in the governor's original version of HB 82, but which had been cut from HB 82 by the HESS Committee. She said, "The committee might wish to adopt a conceptual amendment and direct the drafters to make this language conform to the earlier - that's what I did in requesting this draft, was asking them to make it conform to HB 82." CHAIR BUNDE said the HESS Committee wanted the language in the CSHB 106 to conform to the HESS committee version of HB 82 instead of the governor's original version. (Rep. Toohey arrived at 3:32 p.m.) Number 415 CHAIR BUNDE said that he needed a motion to adopt the CS version of HB 106 in order to proceed procedurally. (Rep. Kott arrived at 3:35 p.m.) REP. BRICE MOVED the committee adopt CSHB 106 as a working draft of the bill. Number 420 CHAIR BUNDE asked for objections and heard none. He said the amendment before the committee was the conceptual amendment that he and Rep. Brown had been discussing, which would amend the matching grant provisions in CSHB 106 to match the provisions in CSHB 82(HES). REP. BRICE MOVED the conceptual amendment suggested by Chair Bunde. Number 425 CHAIR BUNDE asked for objections and heard none. He declared that the committee was now considering CSHB 106 as amended. He asked for further discussion. REP. B. DAVIS asked if there were other people wanting to testify on the bill. CHAIR BUNDE said he had heard none. He then closed public testimony and asked the pleasure of the committee. Number 438 REP. B. DAVIS MOVED PASSAGE OF CSHB 106 FROM THE COMMITTEE WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS and asked for unanimous consent. REP. OLBERG OBJECTED. CHAIR BUNDE invited Rep. Olberg to speak to his objection. REP. OLBERG declined. CHAIR BUNDE called for a roll call vote on the motion. Those voting yes were: Reps. Toohey, Bunde, G. Davis, Kott, B. Davis and Brice. Those voting no were: Reps. Vezey and Olberg. The motion PASSED 6-2. Chair Bunde declared CSHB 106 as amended by the Hess Committee had PASSED WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS. He then brought HCR 17 to the table.