05/01/2025 08:00 AM House TRIBAL AFFAIRS

             HB  59-STATE-TRIBAL EDUCATION COMPACTS                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:04:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DIBERT announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  59,  "An Act  relating  to demonstration  state-                                                               
tribal  education  compacts;  relating  to  demonstration  state-                                                               
tribal education compact schools;  and providing for an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:05:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  noted that  the next committee  of referral                                                               
for HB  59 would  be the House  Education Standing  Committee, of                                                               
which she  is a member.   She commented on discussion  plans that                                                               
this committee has for HB 59.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DIBERT  expressed agreement  that  the  proposed bill  has                                                               
brought up some  good discussion.  She  expressed appreciation to                                                               
the tribes and their work on the bill.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:07:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY  observed  that she  missed  the  amendment                                                               
deadline,  and she  noted  her plans  to  introduce an  amendment                                                               
during the  next committee of  referral.  She explained  that the                                                               
amendment  would request  that  the Department  of Education  and                                                               
Early  Development  compile  a  list  of  curricula  and  lessons                                                               
recommended  by  Tribal Compacted  Public  Schools  (TCPS).   She                                                               
expressed the importance of this  concerning school districts and                                                               
students across the state.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:10:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHWANKE   moved  to   adopt  Amendment   1,  34-                                                               
GH1518\A.1 to HB 59, Bergerud, 4/30/25, which read as follows:                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 9:                                                                                                            
          Delete "seven"                                                                                                        
          Insert "five"                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, line 15:                                                                                                           
          Delete "2033"                                                                                                         
          Insert "2031"                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, line 21:                                                                                                           
          Delete "2032"                                                                                                         
          Insert "2030"                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:10:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DIBERT objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:10:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHWANKE explained  that  there  are many  moving                                                               
pieces in  tribal compacting, and  with the advancement  of TCPS,                                                               
she expressed  the understanding  that issues  would arise.   She                                                               
stated that the proposed amendment  would change the reevaluation                                                               
period for  TCPS from  seven to  five years.   She argued  that a                                                               
review after  five years would  allow discussion and  insights on                                                               
the compacting  progress before the  five-year contracts  end and                                                               
the renewal  process begins.   She  suggested that  this timeline                                                               
adjustment would better serve the stakeholders.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:12:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  questioned whether  the amendment  had been                                                               
discussed with the sponsor of the proposed legislation.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE responded in the negative.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:13:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOEL ISAAK,  PhD, Compacting Consultant, Department  of Education                                                               
and Early  Development (DEED), stated that  the seven-year period                                                               
was used  to give  tribes enough  time to  start and  operate the                                                               
TCPS program.  He expressed  the understanding that the change in                                                               
Amendment 1 would still give tribes  time to do this.  Concerning                                                               
the  timeframe for  submitting the  report  on TCPS  back to  the                                                               
legislature,  he pointed  out  that the  current  version of  the                                                               
proposed  legislation  would  give   DEED  a  flexible  timeline;                                                               
therefore,  the amendment  would  align with  the  intent of  the                                                               
proposed bill.   He expressed  the understanding that  the tribes                                                               
would  be  appreciative of  coming  back  before the  legislature                                                               
"sooner rather than later."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:14:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DEENA  BISHOP, Commissioner,  Department of  Education and  Early                                                               
Development, expressed  support for  Amendment 1.   She expressed                                                               
the  understanding that  this could  help tribal  compacting move                                                               
forward into the five-year process  sooner.  She stated that DEED                                                               
is "eagerly awaiting" approval so the TCPS program could begin.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:15:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DIBERT removed  her  objection.   There  being no  further                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:16:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY moved to report  CSHB 59, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHB  59(TRB)  was                                                               
reported out of the House Special Committee on Tribal Affairs.