01/31/2025 09:15 AM House LABOR & COMMERCE

         HB  57-COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:52:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced  that the only order  of business would                                                               
be   HOUSE  BILL   NO.   57,  "An   Act   relating  to   wireless                                                               
telecommunications devices  in public schools; and  providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS  stated the  committee  would  be looking  at  a                                                               
committee substitute (CS), sponsored by himself, to HB 57.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:52:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COURTNEY OWEN,  Staff, Representative  Zack Fields,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of  Representative Fields,  prime sponsor                                                               
of HB  57, presented the summary  of changes for Version  N of HB
 [copy included  in the committee file], which  read as follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, lines 11 and 12, Sec 14.33.300 (a)                                                                               
      This section was added to include exceptions for the                                                                      
     use of wireless                                                                                                            
      telecommunication devices for educational purposes,                                                                       
     when permitted by a                                                                                                        
     teacher or school administrator.                                                                                           
     Page 2, lines 5 and 6, Sec. 14.33.300 (b)                                                                                
      This section was added to include exceptions for the                                                                      
     use of wireless                                                                                                            
      telecommunication devices for educational purposes,                                                                       
     when permitted by a                                                                                                        
     teacher or school administrator.                                                                                           
     Page 2, lines 9 and 10, Sec 14.3.300 (c)                                                                                 
     This section was added to emphasize the privacy rights                                                                     
     of students with                                                                                                           
     regards to their personal telecommunication devices.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:53:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS thanked Ms. Owen  for her presentation.  He noted                                                               
that  the  CS  would  bring  the bill  into  alignment  with  the                                                               
proposal from the administration  and the Department of Education                                                               
and Early Development.   Co-Chair Fields asked  Co-Chair Hall for                                                               
a motion.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:54:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HALL moved  to adopt the proposed CS for  HB 57, Version                                                               
34-LS0064\N,  Bergerud,  1/28/25,  ("Version  N")  as  a  working                                                               
document.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:54:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER objected for the purposes of discussion.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  noted  that   when  he  was  in  school,                                                               
wireless   telecommunication  devices   were  not   provided  for                                                               
educational purposes.   He asked what kind of  devices are issued                                                               
to the students by the schools.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:54:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. OWEN deferred to Ms. Lessens of the Anchorage School Board.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:54:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK expressed  appreciation for  the language                                                               
in the proposed  CS, Version N.   She noted that while  she was a                                                               
substitute teacher in Fairbanks,  Alaska, there were occasions in                                                               
which the  technology was  not functional  in the  classroom, and                                                               
students  would  use  their   cellphones  to  access  educational                                                               
materials.    Representative  Carrick   stated  her  support  for                                                               
Version N.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:55:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KELLY LESSENS,  Individual Member, Anchorage School  Board, as an                                                               
invited  testifier, answered  questions on  HB 57.   Ms.  Lessens                                                               
answered that Chromebooks  are the devices issued  to students by                                                               
the schools.  She explained that  prior to the influx of COVID-19                                                               
relief funds,  growing budgetary restraints did  not permit every                                                               
student  to receive  electronic devices  in the  Anchorage School                                                               
District (ASD).  The ASD  purchased a large number of Chromebooks                                                               
after the  pivot to remote learning  due to COVID-19.   After the                                                               
COVID-19 funding  ended, the district  walked back their  grade 3                                                               
to  12 1:1  device  initiative to  a  grade 6  to  12 1:1  device                                                               
initiative.    She stated  that  roughly  half of  the  Anchorage                                                               
School  District has  a  Chromebook, which  they  are obliged  to                                                               
bring  into  the  classroom  every  day.   She  noted  that  when                                                               
students  forget  their  Chromebooks  or  forget  to  charge  the                                                               
devices,  they are  unable to  participate  in class  activities.                                                               
She explained  that sometimes  the quality  of instruction  via a                                                               
Chromebook would  be   compromised if a  student is  not prepared                                                               
for  class.    Ms.  Lessens  stated that,  to  her  knowledge,  a                                                               
Chromebook is the only issued  device, although she admitted that                                                               
there may be hotspots, but she is unsure.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:58:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   SADDLER  said   he  appreciated   the  increased                                                               
flexibility in  the proposed  CS, Version N.   He  commented that                                                               
implementation of Version N would be difficult.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER removed  his objection  to the  motion to                                                               
adopt the proposed  CS for HB 57,  Version 34-LS0064\N, Bergerud,                                                               
1/28/25,  as  a  working  document.     There  being  no  further                                                               
objection, Version N was before the committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
[HB 57, Version N, was held over.]