03/12/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

         HB  57-COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:37:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY 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."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:38:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STORY  moved to  adopt  Amendment  1 to  CSHB  57(L&C),                                                               
labeled 34-LS0064\I.2, Bergerud, 3/10/25, which read as follows:                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 14:                                                                                                 
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
        "*  Sec.  2. The  uncodified  law  of the  State  of                                                                    
     Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                                         
          REPORTS.  (a)  Not later  than  June  30, 2026,  a                                                                    
     school   district  shall   report   to  Department   of                                                                    
     Education and  Early Development describing  the policy                                                                    
     the school  district adopted under AS  14.33.300(b) and                                                                    
     the   effect  of   the  policy   on  student   academic                                                                    
     achievement and behavior in the school district.                                                                           
          (b)  Not later than  July 31, 2026, the Department                                                                    
     of  Education and  Early  Development  shall prepare  a                                                                    
     report that  describes, for  each school  district, the                                                                    
     implementation  process of  policies  adopted under  AS                                                                    
     14.33.300(b) and  the outcomes  of prohibiting  the use                                                                    
     of    nonschool-issued   wireless    telecommunications                                                                    
     devices,  including  the  effect  on  student  academic                                                                    
     achievement and  behavior. The Department  of Education                                                                    
     and Early  Development shall make the  report available                                                                    
     to  the  public,  submit  the   report  to  the  senate                                                                    
     secretary  and   the  chief  clerk  of   the  house  of                                                                    
     representatives,  and notify  the legislature  that the                                                                    
     report is available."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill section accordingly.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:38:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY explained that Amendment  1 to CSHB 57 (L&C) would                                                               
create a  section that mandates  that school districts  report to                                                               
the Department  of Education and  Early Development  (DEED) about                                                               
the effects of  the proposed policies on  student achievement and                                                               
behavior.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:39:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT asked  how a  school district  might properly                                                               
deliver the report proposed by Amendment 1.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STORY answered  that  it  would be  "up  to the  school                                                               
district" to handle  how they would complete  the report proposed                                                               
by Amendment 1.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:42:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM asked  if the report proposed  by Amendment 1                                                               
could be considered a "satisfaction survey."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:43:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ZACK  FIELDS, Alaska  State Legislature,  as prime                                                               
sponsor, answered committee  questions on CSHB 57(L&C).   He said                                                               
that  the purpose  of the  amendment  would be  for districts  to                                                               
report both how they implemented a  ban on cell phone use and the                                                               
impacts of a ban.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:44:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHWANKE shared  her concern  that the  amendment                                                               
would create  unnecessary oversight  of local districts  from the                                                               
state  government and  said  that  she is  unsure  if the  report                                                               
proposed by  Amendment 1 is  even necessary, given  the certainty                                                               
of the possible positive effects.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:46:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STORY commented  that  she did  not  make the  proposed                                                               
Amendment  extremely prescriptive  because she  is "sensitive  to                                                               
more reporting from districts".                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:47:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM asked if the  proposed Amendment could be re-                                                               
drafted to clarify its intention.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY commented that Representative  Elam's idea for the                                                               
proposed report was already covered by current bill language.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:48:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EISCHEID asked if his  understanding as to how the                                                               
proposed amendment's policies would be administered was correct.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR   STORY   confirmed   that   Representative   Eischeid's                                                               
understanding was correct.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:51:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FIELDS commented  that the  goal of  the proposed                                                               
amendment was  to both study the  impacts of a cell  phone ban in                                                               
schools and make the implementation of such a policy easier,                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:51:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT removed her objection.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE objected.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY  commented her desire  for the report  proposed by                                                               
Amendment  1  to contain  accurate  and  concise information  and                                                               
reiterated   her    apprehension   to   creating    any   further                                                               
administrative burden for school districts in Alaska.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:52:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 9:52 a.m. to 9:54 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:54:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote was  taken.  Representatives  Dibert, Eischeid,                                                               
Story,  and Himschoot  voted  in  favor of  Amendment  1 to  CSHB
(L&C).   Representatives  Schwanke, Elam,  and Underwood  voted                                                               
against it.   Therefore, Amendment 1 was adopted by  a vote of 4-                                                               
3.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:55:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease from 9:55 a.m. to 9:56 a.m.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:56:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY moved  to report CSHB 57(L&C), as  amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal notes  and [to allow  Legislative Legal Services  to make]                                                               
conforming changes,  as needed.   There being no  objection, CSHB
(EDC)  was  reported  out  of   the  House  Education  Standing                                                               
Committee.