01/21/2022 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION

        HB  53-MILITARY CHILDREN SCHOOL RESIDENCY WAIVER                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:05:23 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND  announced the consideration  of CS FOR  HOUSE BILL                                                               
NO.   53(MLV)  am(efd   add)  "An   Act  relating   to  residency                                                               
requirements for  public school  enrollment for  certain children                                                               
of  active   duty  military  and  National   Guard  members;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:05:42 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  KEN MCCARTY,  Alaska  State Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, introduced himself.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:06:03 AM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:06:38 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:06:51 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY paraphrased the sponsor statement:                                                                       
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill 53  seeks to  allow military  children with                                                                    
     residency outside of the  state, but with documentation                                                                    
     of a  pending military relocation to  the state, access                                                                    
     to    preliminary    registration,    enrollment,    or                                                                    
     application to a  school district at the  time that the                                                                    
     process  is open  to  the  general student  population.                                                                    
     Proof  of residency  is  temporarily  waived until  the                                                                    
     student begins  school. Once the student  begins school                                                                    
     their parent or  guardian has ten (10)  days to provide                                                                    
     proof of residency in the school district.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     This   is  important   to  military   school  children,                                                                    
     especially  those in  high  school.  Often classes  are                                                                    
     filled  during  the  preliminary  registration  of  the                                                                    
     students  already registered  in that  school district.                                                                    
     For military  students who are  high school  juniors or                                                                    
     seniors,  and   are  transferring   to  a   new  school                                                                    
     district, they  may need  to take  a specific  class to                                                                    
     complete   their  requirements.   This  bill   is  also                                                                    
     important  to  those  students   wishing  to  attend  a                                                                    
     Charter School  through lottery or otherwise,  as these                                                                    
     schools often  fill up quickly and  there are deadlines                                                                    
     for entering the lottery.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:07:55 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCARTY provided  the sectional  analysis for  HB
.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Section  1 addresses  children  coming to  the  state with  their                                                               
guardian and  the definition of  a guardian as given  in statute.                                                               
It also defines military installation  as it pertains to students                                                               
moving to Alaska.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Section 2  provides the effective  date of HB  53 as its  date of                                                               
passage.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  HOLLAND explained  that PCS  is an  acronym for  permanent                                                               
change of station.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:08:46 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND acknowledged Senator Stevens joined the meeting.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:09:20 AM                                                                                                                    
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional  Liaison, U.S. Department of                                                               
Defense, Lewis McCord Air Force  Base, Washington, stated that HB
  would  allow  Alaska  to  join  thirty-two  other  states  in                                                               
offering early enrollment for the  children of military families.                                                               
The   Department   of   Defense  (DOD)   supports   the   policy.                                                               
Approximately  185,000   U.S.  military  children   move  between                                                               
schools annually.  Moves usually occur during  the summer, making                                                               
it easy to miss  registration and other school-related deadlines.                                                               
Late  registration impacts  course selection,  resulting in  late                                                               
graduation or needing  to attend summer school.  There are 10,000                                                               
active-duty military  school-age children  in Alaska.  The intent                                                               
of HB  53 is to  provide military  students with the  same timely                                                               
access to  programs and  courses as their  in-state peers.  HB 53                                                               
does not  require the development  of new online systems,  and it                                                               
helps schools project student enrollment.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:11:34 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE  joined the meeting.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:11:41 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BEGICH asked  if HB 53 would affect  other state programs                                                               
with  residency   requirements,  such   as  the   permanent  fund                                                               
dividend.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:12:15 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCARTY responded  there  would be  no impact  to                                                               
agencies that  have residency requirements because  a family must                                                               
be  physically present  in the  state for  residency. HB  53 only                                                               
permits students to enroll in classes.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:12:32 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  STEVENS asked  for  a formal  response  from the  Alaska                                                               
Permanent Fund Dividend Division.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCARTY  stated  he  would  follow  up  with  the                                                               
request.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:13:18 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES  asked if HB 53  would make it possible  to double                                                               
count students. For  example, would a child at  Eielson Air Force                                                               
Base who relocates to Elmendorf Air Force Base be counted twice.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY  responded that out-of-state  students who                                                               
come to  Alaska are  not double-counted,  and therefore  it would                                                               
not be an issue for students who transfer in-state.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGHES  requested a formal  response from  the Department                                                               
of Education and Early Development (DEED).                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:15:05 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND held HB 53 in committee.