03/10/2017 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

         HB 64-READING PROFICIENCY TASK FORCE; DYSLEXIA                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:29:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DRUMMOND  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 64, "An  Act relating to the  establishment of                                                               
the  Task Force  on Reading  Proficiency and  Reading Instruction                                                               
for  All  Students  and  on  the  Effects  of  Dyslexia  on  Some                                                               
Students."                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DRUMMOND  asked  Representative  Parish  to  withdraw  his                                                               
motion  to  report  HB  64   out  of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations  and forthcoming  fiscal notes.   [The  motion by                                                               
Representative Parish and  the objection to the  motion stated by                                                               
Representative Talerico were made and left pending on 1/30/17.]                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:29:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH withdrew his motion.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:30:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PARISH  moved  to adopt  the  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute (CS)  for HB 64, labeled  30-LS0345\J, Glover, 3/2/17,                                                               
as  the working  document.   [Without  objection,  Version J  was                                                               
before the committee.]                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:30:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KRISTIN  KRANENDONK,  Staff,   Representative  Harriet  Drummond,                                                               
Alaska State Legislature,  presented the changes made  by the CS,                                                               
which are  offered to address  concerns voiced during  a previous                                                               
hearing.   She directed attention  to the  bill on page  1, lines                                                               
11-12, and explained  language was changed to  recognize the work                                                               
the state is doing for  students, while still acknowledging there                                                               
is  room  for  improvement.    Continuing to  page  2,  line  27,                                                               
[subparagraph] (C)  was added to  examine what  education reforms                                                               
are currently  being implemented in  the state and to  provide an                                                               
effectiveness  evaluation.   On  page 2,  beginning  on line  27,                                                               
through  page 3,  line 2,  language  was changed  to clarify  the                                                               
scope  of the  task force  and  language related  to funding  was                                                               
removed.   On page 4,  lines 1-3,  language was changed  to allow                                                               
one member to  represent either the Association  of Alaska School                                                               
Boards or the  Alaska Council of School Administrators.   On page                                                               
4, lines 4-5,  language was removed regarding a  seated member of                                                               
the task force being a  non-voting judge and replaced that member                                                               
with a  person representing the Alaska  Association of Elementary                                                               
School Principals.   On page 4, line 13, language  was changed to                                                               
recognize  all non-profit  organizations focused  on reading  and                                                               
education  issues and  to  include  that at  least  one of  those                                                               
members  is  a parent  of  a  child  with a  reading  disability.                                                               
Finally, on  page 4, line  31, language  was added to  define the                                                               
term "dyslexia," using the most universally accepted definition.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FANSLER  referred to  the removal of  the judicial                                                               
member and  asked if there is  any concern that the  removal will                                                               
be detrimental in any way.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KRANENDONK  said the  judicial  member  was removed  at  the                                                               
request of  the court system  as judges  are not permitted  to be                                                               
partisan and serve on a task force.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:34:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PARISH  moved  to  report CSHB  64,  Version  30-                                                               
LS0345\J,  Glover,  3/2/17,  out  of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations  and the  accompanying zero  fiscal note.   There                                                               
being  no objection,  CSHB 64(EDC)  was reported  from the  House                                                               
Education Standing Committee.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:34:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:34 a.m. to 8:36 a.m.