HB 211-EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:33:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNLEAVY  announced the  consideration of  HB 211.  "An Act                                                               
relating  to the  education and  employment  of individuals  with                                                               
disabilities." He noted  that this was the first  hearing but the                                                               
committee  previously  heard  the  companion  bill  sponsored  by                                                               
Senator McGuire. [CSHB 211(FIN) was before the committee.]                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:34:13 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEDMAN moved conceptual Amendment 1.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                          AMENEMENT 1                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     OFFERED IN THE SENATE                   BY SENATOR STEDMAN                                                                 
          TO:  CSHB 211(FIN), Version "P"                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 8:                                                                                                            
          Delete: "State"                                                                                                       
          Insert: "Education"                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY objected for an explanation.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEDMAN explained  that  it's a  technical amendment  to                                                               
correctly recognize the Secretary of Education.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DUNLEAVY   removed  his  objection.  Finding   no  further                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:35:04 PM                                                                                                                    
VASILIOS  GIALOPSOS,  Staff,   Representative  Charisse  Millett,                                                               
introduced HB 211  on behalf of the sponsor.  He highlighted that                                                               
the bill  was the companion  to SB  163 that the  committee heard                                                               
several weeks ago.  He explained that the intent of  HB 211 is to                                                               
make  Alaska  an employment  first  state,  which is  a  national                                                               
movement  for   all  state  agencies  to   work  toward  gainful,                                                               
integrated  employment  for  persons with  disabilities.  Studies                                                               
show  that  this  lowers  public health  costs  while  helping  a                                                               
vulnerable population to self-actualize.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He noted  the differences between HB  211 and SB 163.  On page 1,                                                               
line  15, language  was  added  to clarify  that  in addition  to                                                               
gainful  employment, a  school district's  primary objective  and                                                               
preferred  outcome  also  includes  enrollment  in  postsecondary                                                               
education.  Subsection  (c) in  Section  2  was also  amended  to                                                               
eliminate  the   provision  that   required  the   Department  of                                                               
Education and Early Development (DEED),  to collect data that was                                                               
already being collected by the  Department of Labor and Workforce                                                               
Development (DOLWD).  Eliminating this  redundancy did  away with                                                               
the fiscal impact to DEED so all the fiscal notes are zero.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON asked if there was any opposition to the bill.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GAIALOPSOS  said  there was  one  individual  who  expressed                                                               
concern but other than that,  there has been overwhelming support                                                               
for the bill.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY opened public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:38:53 PM                                                                                                                    
RICH  SANDERS,  Staff,  Governor's Council  on  Disabilities  and                                                               
Special  Education and  Program Coordinator,  Division of  Senior                                                               
and  Disabilities  Services,  Department  of  Health  and  Social                                                               
Services (DHSS), said he was available for questions.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY closed public testimony and solicited a motion.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:39:31 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEDMAN moved  to report CS for HB 211,  as amended, from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
note(s).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DUNLEAVY  announced  that   without  objection,  SCS  CSHB                                                               
211(L&C) moved from the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.