01/28/2022 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

         HB 114-EDUCATION & SUPPLEMENTAL LOAN PROGRAMS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:05:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  DRUMMOND announced  that  the first  order of  business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL NO. 114,  "An Act relating to  the education                                                               
loan program and Alaska supplemental  education loan program; and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND  reminded members that the  committee had heard                                                               
HB  114  last year  in  April  and again  early  this  week.   No                                                               
amendments were submitted by the 5 p.m. deadline yesterday.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:05:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STORY reminded  members  that she  sits  on the  Alaska                                                               
Commission  on  Postsecondary  Education  where  this  issue  was                                                               
considered.  She said the commission  supports HB 114.  She noted                                                               
there  are differences  regarding loans  from the  commission, as                                                               
opposed  to other  sources, being  that there  is neither  a loan                                                               
initiation fee  nor a penalty  fee for  paying off a  loan early,                                                               
and there is assurance that the  amount borrowed is the true cost                                                               
of  tuition.   She  concluded,  "So, I  think  there's some  good                                                               
protections ... on the bill."                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:07:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX  said he did  not find any audits  related to                                                               
the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary  Education or the [Alaska]                                                               
Student Loan Corporation  but did find a  2016 performance review                                                               
report, which he observed was  a favorable report that included a                                                               
number of  suggestions for  improvement.  He  said he  would give                                                               
the  report to  Co-Chair  Story, since  she is  a  member of  the                                                               
commission.  He said the  commission indicated it would follow up                                                               
on the  report, but he  had not been  able to find  the follow-up                                                               
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:09:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SANA   EFIRD,   Executive    Director,   Alaska   Commission   on                                                               
Postsecondary  Education,  Department   of  Education  and  Early                                                               
Development, proffered  that the  commission has been  using that                                                               
performance  report  to  make  the  changes  for  more  efficient                                                               
operations.   Currently the commission  is working on  an updated                                                               
strategic plan to  determine the progress being made  on the list                                                               
of suggestions.   She told  Representative Prax that there  is an                                                               
annual  audit available  on the  commission's  website; the  most                                                               
recent one posted shows no adverse findings.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:11:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND noted  Ms. Efird would be  offering more detail                                                               
during the budget subcommittee process.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:12:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY  moved to  report HB [114]  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, HB 114  was reported out of  the House                                                               
Education Standing Committee.