Legislature(2025 - 2026)

2025-03-10 House Journal

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2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0325
HB 69                                                                                                                         
The following was read the second time:                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     HOUSE BILL NO. 69                                                                                                          
     "An Act relating to education funding; and providing for an                                                                
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
with the: Journal Page                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
 FIN RPT 5DP 4DNP 1NR 1AM 224                                                                                                   
 FN1: ZERO(EED) 224                                                                                                             
 FN2: (EED/FUND CAP) 224                                                                                                        
 FN3: (EED) 224                                                                                                                 
 RLS RPT CS(RLS) NEW TITLE 4DP 3AM 317                                                                                          
 FN1: ZERO(EED) 317                                                                                                             
 FN2: (EED/FUND CAP) 317                                                                                                        
 FN3: (EED) 317                                                                                                                 

2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0326
Representative Kopp moved and asked unanimous consent that the                                                                  
following committee substitute be adopted in lieu of the original bill:                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 69(RLS)                                                                                              
     "An Act relating to education; relating to open enrollment in                                                              
     public schools; relating to charter schools; relating to an annual                                                         
     report for correspondence study programs; relating to the base                                                             
     student allocation; relating to reading proficiency incentive grants;                                                      
     relating to wireless telecommunications devices in public schools;                                                         
     establishing the Task Force on Education Funding; relating to a                                                            
     report on regulation of school districts; and providing for an                                                             
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 1 was offered  by Representative Kopp:                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Page 2, line 25:                                                                                                                
     Delete "school."                                                                                                           
     Insert "school and enrollment of children of members of the armed                                                          
forces."                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Kopp moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                      
Amendment No. 1 be adopted.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There was objection.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Kopp moved and asked unanimous consent to                                                                        
withdraw Amendment No. 1. There being no objection, it was so                                                                   
ordered.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Amendment Nos. 2-7 were not offered.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 8 was offered  by Representative Ruffridge:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, lines 1 – 2 (title amendment):                                                                                          
     Delete "relating to education; relating to open enrollment in                                                            
public schools; relating to charter schools; relating to an annual                                                            
report for correspondence study programs;"                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                

2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0327
Page 1, lines 3 - 6:                                                                                                            
     Delete "relating to reading proficiency incentive grants;                                                                
relating to wireless telecommunications devices in public schools;                                                            
establishing the Task Force on Education Funding; relating to a                                                               
report on regulation of school districts;"                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, line 8, through page 6, line 29:                                                                                        
     Delete all material.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Page 6, line 30:                                                                                                                
     Delete "Sec. 13"                                                                                                         
     Insert "Section 1"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Page 7, line 2, through page 10, line 8:                                                                                        
     Delete all material.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 9:                                                                                                                
     Delete "Except as provided in secs. 21 - 23 of this Act, this"                                                             
     Insert "This"                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Ruffridge moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                 
Amendment No. 8 be adopted.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Himschoot objected.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler, citing Section 111 of Mason's Manual, rose to                                                           
a point of order regarding making references to the office of the                                                               
executive.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
The Speaker stated the point was well taken.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 8 be adopted?"  The roll                                                              
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 69(RLS)                                                                                                                    
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 8                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  15   NAYS:  25   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                              

2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0328
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Bynum, Costello, Coulombe, Elam, Johnson, McCabe, Moore,                                                                 
Nelson, Prax, Ruffridge, Saddler, Schwanke, Stapp, Tomaszewski,                                                                 
Underwood                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Allard, Burke, Carrick, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid, Fields,                                                                
Foster, Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie,                                                                 
Josephson, Kopp, Mears, Mina, Rauscher, Schrage, Story, Stutes,                                                                 
Tilton, Vance                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 8 was not adopted.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 9 was offered  by Representatives Costello, Johnson,                                                               
Ruffridge, Coulombe, McCabe, Saddler, Bynum, Tomaszewski,                                                                       
Tilton, and Allard:                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, lines 1 - 2 (title amendment):                                                                                          
     Delete "relating to open enrollment in public schools; relating                                                          
to charter schools; relating to an annual report for                                                                          
correspondence study programs;"                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, lines 4 - 5:                                                                                                            
     Delete "relating to wireless telecommunications devices in                                                               
public schools; establishing the Task Force on Education Funding;                                                             
relating to a report on regulation of school districts;"                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, line 8, through page 6, line 29:                                                                                        
     Delete all material.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Page 6, line 30:                                                                                                                
     Delete "Sec. 13"                                                                                                         
     Insert "Section 1"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Page 7, line 13:                                                                                                                
     Delete "sec. 14"                                                                                                           
     Insert "sec. 2"                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Page 7, line 23, through page 10, line 9:                                                                                       
     Delete all material and insert:                                                                                            
"* Sec. 4. Sections 1 and 2 of this Act take effect July 1, 2025.                                                             
   * Sec. 5. Section 3 of this Act takes effect June 30, 2034."                                                               

2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0329
Representative Costello moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                  
Amendment No. 9 be adopted.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Galvin objected.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 9 be adopted?"  The roll                                                              
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 69(RLS)                                                                                                                    
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 9                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  19   NAYS:  21   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Allard, Bynum, Costello, Coulombe, Elam, Johnson, McCabe,                                                                
Moore, Nelson, Prax, Rauscher, Ruffridge, Saddler, Schwanke, Stapp,                                                             
Tilton, Tomaszewski, Underwood, Vance                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Burke, Carrick, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid, Fields, Foster,                                                                
Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie, Josephson,                                                              
Kopp, Mears, Mina, Schrage, Story, Stutes                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 9 was not adopted.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 10 was offered  by Representatives Tilton, Costello,                                                               
Johnson, Ruffridge, Coulombe, Saddler, McCabe, Tomaszewski,                                                                     
Bynum, Vance, Schwanke, Rauscher, and Allard:                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, line 2 (title amendment):                                                                                               
     Delete "an annual report for"                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Page 6, following line 29:                                                                                                      
     Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                         
"* Sec. 13. AS 14.17.430 is amended to read:                                                                                  
         Sec. 14.17.430. State funding for correspondence study.                                                              
     Except as provided in AS 14.17.400(b), funding for the state                                                               
     centralized correspondence study program or a district                                                                     
     correspondence program, including a district that offers a                                                                 
     statewide correspondence study program, includes an allocation                                                             
     from the public education fund in an amount calculated by using                                                        
     [MULTIPLYING] the ADM of the correspondence program                                                                        
     reported under AS 14.17.500(a) and 14.17.600(a) [BY 90                                                                 
     PERCENT]."                                                                                                                 

2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0330
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Page 7, line 13:                                                                                                                
     Delete "sec. 14"                                                                                                           
     Insert "sec. 15"                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 5:                                                                                                                
     Delete "17"                                                                                                                
     Insert "18"                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 8:                                                                                                                
     Delete "Section 15"                                                                                                        
     Insert "Section 16"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 9:                                                                                                                
     Delete "secs. 21 - 23"                                                                                                     
     Insert "secs. 22 - 24"                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Tilton moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                    
Amendment No. 10 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There was objection.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 10 be adopted?"  The roll                                                             
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 69(RLS)                                                                                                                    
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 10                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  20   NAYS:  20   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Allard, Bynum, Costello, Coulombe, Elam, Johnson, Kopp,                                                                  
McCabe, Moore, Nelson, Prax, Rauscher, Ruffridge, Saddler,                                                                      
Schwanke, Stapp, Tilton, Tomaszewski, Underwood, Vance                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Burke, Carrick, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid, Fields, Foster,                                                                
Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie, Josephson,                                                              
Mears, Mina, Schrage, Story, Stutes                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 10 was not adopted.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                

2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0331
Amendment No. 11 was offered  by Representatives Ruffridge,                                                                      
Costello, Johnson, Coulombe, Saddler, McCabe, Tomaszewski, Tilton,                                                              
Vance, Allard, and Rauscher:                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Page 3, line 12, through page 4, line 8:                                                                                        
     Delete all material and insert:                                                                                            
"* Sec. 6. AS 14.03.255(c) is amended to read:                                                                                
         (c)  A charter school shall operate under a contract between                                                           
     the charter school and the local school board. A contract must                                                             
     contain the following provisions:                                                                                          
              (1)  a description of the educational program;                                                                   
              (2)  specific levels of achievement for the education                                                             
     program;                                                                                                                   
              (3)  admission policies and procedures;                                                                           
              (4)  administrative policies;                                                                                     
              (5)  a statement of the charter school's funding                                                              
     allocation from the local school board during the first three                                                          
     years of                                                                                                               
                  (A)  the charter school's operation; and                                                                  
                  (B)  an expansion of the range of grades the                                                              
         charter school serves;                                                                                             
              (6)  a statement of the charter school's funding allocation                                                   
     from the local school board and costs assignable to the charter                                                            
     school program budget that applies in circumstances other than                                                         
     those described in (5) of this subsection;                                                                             
              (7) [(6)]  the method by which the charter school will                                                        
     account for receipts and expenditures;                                                                                     
              (8) [(7)]  the location and description of the facility;                                                      
              (9) [(8)]  the name of the teacher, or teachers, who, by                                                      
     agreement between the charter school and the teacher, will teach                                                           
     in the charter school;                                                                                                     
              (10) [(9)]  the teacher-to-student ratio;                                                                     
              (11) [(10)]  the number of students served;                                                                   
              (12) [(11)]  the term of the contract, not to exceed a term                                                   
     of 10 years;                                                                                                               
              (13) [(12)]  a termination clause providing that the                                                          
     contract may be terminated by the local school board for the                                                               
     failure of the charter school to meet educational achievement                                                              
      goals or fiscal management standards, or for other good cause;                                                           
              (14) [(13)]  a statement that the charter school will                                                         

2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0332
     comply with all state and federal requirements for receipt and use                                                         
     of public money;                                                                                                           
              (15) [(14)]  other requirements or exemptions agreed on                                                   
     [UPON] by the charter school and the local school board."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Page 4, line 22:                                                                                                                
     Delete "The"                                                                                                               
       Insert "Except as provided in (e) of this section, the [THE]"                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Page 5, following line 8:                                                                                                       
     Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                         
"* Sec. 9. AS 14.03.260 is amended by adding a new subsection to                                                              
read:                                                                                                                           
         (e)  For the first three years that a charter school operates or                                                       
     expands the range of grades the charter school serves, the annual                                                          
     program budget of the charter school must, at a minimum, equal                                                             
     the greater of                                                                                                             
              (1)  the amount of the funding allocation stated in the                                                           
     contract between the charter school and the local school board for                                                         
     the operation or expansion, as required by AS 14.03.255(c)(5); or                                                          
              (2)  the amount calculated under (a) of this section."                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Page 7, line 13:                                                                                                                
     Delete "sec. 14"                                                                                                           
     Insert  "sec. 15"                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 3:                                                                                                                
     Delete "Sections 5 - 9"                                                                                                    
     Insert "Sections 5 - 10"                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 4:                                                                                                                
     Delete "secs. 5 - 9"                                                                                                       
     Insert "secs. 5 - 10"                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 5:                                                                                                                
     Delete ""17"                                                                                                               
     Insert "18"                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 6:                                                                                                                
     Delete "Section 12"                                                                                                        
     Insert "Section 13"                                                                                                        

2025-03-10                     House Journal                      Page 0333
Page 10, line 8:                                                                                                                
     Delete "Section 15"                                                                                                        
     Insert "Section 16"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, line 9:                                                                                                                
     Delete "secs. 21 - 23"                                                                                                     
     Insert "secs. 22 - 24"                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Ruffridge moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                 
Amendment No. 11 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There was objection.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The Speaker stated that, without objection, the House would recess to                                                           
2:10 p.m.; and so, the House recessed at 1:02 p.m.