03/03/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

         HB 57-COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:01:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[Due to  technical difficulties, the  call back to order  was not                                                               
captured  on  the  recording  but   was  reconstructed  from  the                                                               
secretary's log notes.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT announced  that the  final order  of business                                                               
would  be CS  FOR HOUSE  BILL NO.  57(L&C), "An  Act relating  to                                                               
wireless  telecommunications  devices   in  public  schools;  and                                                               
providing  for an  effective date."   [Before  the committee  was                                                               
CSHB 57(L&C).]                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY asked  Representative Fields if there  should be a                                                               
sunset  clause  associated  with  CSHB 57(L&C)  and  asked  if  a                                                               
student on an  Individual education Plan (IEP)  should be allowed                                                               
an exception  for cell  phone use.   She  asked why  CSHB 57(L&C)                                                               
does  not direct  school boards  to implement  the proposed  cell                                                               
phone ban.  S                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:02:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ZACK  FIELDS, Alaska  State Legislature,  as prime                                                               
sponsor, answered committee  questions on CSHB 57(L&C).   He said                                                               
that it  would not be effective  to apply a sunset  date and said                                                               
that  he  doesn't  see  the dangerous  effects  of  social  media                                                               
addiction  in children  changing within  the next  three to  five                                                               
years.  He  clarified that Section 1 of  the proposed legislation                                                               
directs school districts to implement  the policy of CSHB 57(L&C)                                                               
and shared his  preference for the bill to go  into effect in the                                                               
fall of 2025.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:06:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ELAM shared  his  appreciation  for the  proposed                                                               
legislation                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:07:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EISCHEID echoed  Co-Chair Story's  idea for  CSHB
(L&C)  to include  a follow-up  report  on the  effects of  the                                                               
proposed legislation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATITIVE  FIELDS shared  his agreeance  that it  could be                                                               
beneficial for the Department of Education and Early Development                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:08:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE UNDERWOOD shared her  understanding that the model                                                               
policy of the proposed legislation  would be the baseline for all                                                               
other policy adopted under CSHB 57 (L&C).                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FIELDS   said  that   Representative  Underwood's                                                               
understanding was correct.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:09:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE  shared her opinion that  the legislators                                                               
must tread carefully when creating  laws that local school boards                                                               
might be able to handle on their own.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:10:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT  asked  how school  districts  around  Alaska                                                               
would get the proposed policies off the ground.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FIELDS  shared   his  understanding  that  school                                                               
districts  would  each adopt  their  own  individual policy  that                                                               
concerned the implementation of the proposed legislation.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:11:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT  opened  public testimony  on  CSHB  57(L&C).                                                               
after ascertaining that  there was no one who  wished to testify,                                                               
she closed public testimony.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:12:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that HB 57 would be held over.