Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
02/28/2018 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB214 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 214 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 214-BREE'S LAW; DATING VIOLENCE PROGRAMS
CHAIR STEVENS announced the consideration of HB 214. [HB 214,
version 30-LS0781\O, was before the committee.]
PATRICK FITZGERALD, Staff, Representative Harriet Drummond,
Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 214 on behalf of the
sponsor. He said Bree's Law refers to Bree Moore, who was a
victim of dating violence that ended her life. Alaska ranks in
the top 10 states with the worst records of dating violence and
sexual abuse, with more than 1,000 high school students
reporting sexual dating violence one or more times in 2017
alone. Not only is it a horrifying statistic, but it is a scary
glimpse into the future of generations of Alaskans who think it
isn't abnormal to experience abuse in a relationship.
MR. FITZGERALD said everybody has a role in preventing dating
violence. Bree's Law will address the dating violence section of
the Alaska Safe Children's Act in an effort to create an
effective, knowledgeable awareness to combat the horrible trend
that plagues Alaska. Their hope is that Bree's Law will be
recognized and identified in helping young adults in
relationships being able to access any help they need to remove
themselves from abusive relationships. Bree's Law, which is
being referenced by educators all over Alaska, is the informal
identifier of dating violence prevention. Passing HB 214 will
make it official.
8:02:19 AM
At ease.
MR. FITZGERALD presented the sectional.
Section 1: Amends the AS 14.30.355 portion of the
Alaska's Safe Children's Act to be known as the Alaska
Safe Children's Act. This section also renames AS
14.30.356 portion of the Alaska Safe Children's Act as
Bree's Law.
8:03:16 AM
Section 2: Establishes that all education, training
programs, and activities developed or undertaken by
school districts to implement AS 14.30.356 shall be
known as Bree's Law programs and Bree's Law
activities.
8:03:36 AM
Section 3: Establishes retroactivity of Sections 1 and
2 to June 30, 2017.
8:03:58 AM
Section 4: Establishes sections 1 and 2 of this Act.
Section 5: Establishes Section 3 takes effect
immediately.
8:04:25 AM
BUTCH MOORE, Bree Moore's father, spoke in support of HB 214. He
said in the Safe Children's Act Task Force report, at the bottom
of page 10, there was a special note. The task force recognized
that additional curricula is needed for grades 10-12. The
education mandated across Alaska grades 10-12 contains nothing
about the lethality of dating violence. No peer-reviewed, data-
driven curricula in the country acknowledges that someone could
be murdered. They have been working with multiple organizations-
-the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), the
Anchorage and Mat-Su School Districts, multiple Alaska Native
corporations--to create material, including a small module, a
video, that can be downloaded with a short, one-page, question-
and-answer sheet to use in classroom discussion.
8:07:22 AM
MR. MOORE said when they speak to students, the students
identify with Bree's story. Governor Bill Walker declared
February teen dating violence awareness month. Mr. Moore and his
wife printed and mailed 3,500 posters to all 359 middle schools
and high schools in the state. The poster has a hotline phone
number teens can contact. One of the big gaps is that teachers
are put in the position of teaching something they had never
taught before and students did not always want to talk to
teachers. Working with multiple agencies, they came up with an
800 hotline number staffed by trained advocates, part of
national teen dating violence awareness prevention by
loveisrespect.org. Teens, parents, and teachers can text or talk
anonymously with someone through this service. This has been a
huge missing link. Curricula can be delivered in classrooms, but
now an additional resource is available. DEED Commissioner
Michael Johnson wrote a letter explaining the campaign that was
sent with the posters. Mr. Moore will forward an email to
committee members with a copy of the letter. He mentioned that
Rhonda McBride [KTVA program Frontiers] did a story Sunday on
teen violence and prevention and awareness in Alaska. He said
what the kids have to say in the program is so strong and
compelling. They want and need this education.
8:11:07 AM
MR. MOORE said the video module will be in schools next year.
Work is being done to have an 800 number in Alaska available
through the crisis center in Fairbanks so someone under the age
of 18 will have someone to call in Alaska. Until the governor
signed the February teen violence dating awareness month
proclamation, he and his wife were not aware of what this
campaign has accomplished, through the work of the legislature,
teachers, parents, kids. The 2015-2017 teen violence numbers
that just came out show that number cut in half. This campaign
is like the wear-your-life vests campaign, which has cut
drowning deaths in half. It is a huge step in reducing domestic
and sexual violence in Alaska, where Alaska is still number one
in men killing women. Over 50 percent of women in Alaska have
been sexually assaulted or physically abused.
CHAIR STEVENS thanked the Moores for their advocacy.
8:14:56 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said he wanted the Moores to know their patience
and perseverance have been critical for putting teen dating
violence in the forefront.
8:15:33 AM
CINDY MOORE, Bree Moore's mother, spoke in support of HB 214.
She encouraged everyone to watch the Frontiers show with Rhonda
McBride. She described how droves of kids hug them after they
speak. They all say thank you for bringing this to light. They
say in the past they have not known what to do, they had been
led to believe it's not something to talk about. This is like
other public safety campaigns. People can do something when they
see dating violence. People should not turn a blind eye. Senator
Lisa Murkowski has sponsored a bill to name Bree's Law
nationally, cosponsored by Senator Sullivan. Representative Don
Young has a mirror bill in the House. They see this as something
like the AMBER alert. When people hear of an AMBER alert, they
know what that means. It is an education in two words. That is
what they hope to develop with the naming of Bree's Law. Instead
of saying this is the Alaska Safe Children's Act, teen dating
violence prevention and awareness education, she said, "We say
'Bree's Law,' two words. Everyone knows exactly what is meant."
It is all about creating awareness and starting a conversation.
8:18:58 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked if the email Mr. Moore planned to send would
include the Rhonda McBride piece.
8:19:10 AM
MR. MOORE said he would send the link to their Facebook page
with the KTVA program.
8:19:31 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked if students are instructed to call law
enforcement to report this activity.
8:20:01 AM
MR. MOORE said reporting requirements for hotlines are only to
report in cases of child abuse or senior abuse. They have worked
to get most of the service agencies in Alaska into the
loveisrespect database so the loveisrespect hotline can refer
people to services. He is not trained as a responder, but they
do have a system and tree to route calls.
8:22:28 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked if middle school and high school students
are encouraged to call law enforcement during training.
8:22:53 AM
MR. MOORE said the first part of training addresses the
apprehension about going forward and who to contact. When they
present at schools, multiple kids come up and cry and tell their
stories. They do not tell people to go directly to law
enforcement. Hundreds of people have contacted them in last few
years because they don't know what to do. It is important to
connect them to resources. The first priority is not to get them
to law enforcement. Certainly if a crime is committed that is
the route.
8:25:09 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were any public testimony. There
was none.
8:25:36 AM
SENATOR GIESSEL said SB 171 by the Senate Rules Committee by
request of the governor takes the first half of bill they just
heard, HB 214, but adds reporting mechanisms. The governor's
bill addresses reporting requirements for people who know about
things that have been happening to students who are not school
employees. She heard, in the Moores' testimony about kids coming
forward after their presentations and telling their stories, the
phrase "are happening" to them. Adults that hear that become
automatic mandatory reporters. She sees that issue addressed in
the Senate version put forward by the governor. When an adult
hears something happening to a child, that has to be reported to
the appropriate authorities. HB 214 doesn't address that
critical piece.
8:28:06 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said Mr. Moore's response is about making sure
the victim is tended to, but she is worried about the
perpetrator repeating the violence with others. She is not sure
of the best way to handle it. She understands that for someone
experiencing this it is a tender, tough situation, but if they
do not go after the perpetrator there will be more victims. If
this is the most dangerous state for women, they need to address
that.
8:29:00 AM
CHAIR STEVENS said the issue of adults needing to report is
something they need to address.
8:29:08 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said he sees both bills as separate bills.
Although SB 171 talks about changing the name [to Bree's Law],
that bill takes more work. This one, as Cindy Moore testified,
ensures a clear brand that speaks to kids immediately. Hopefully
HB 214 will be moved on to the floor to get that piece of the
law taken care of while looking at the complex issue of
protecting kids' safety. This is a first step. It can happen
immediately while they continue deliberating to create a strong
Senate bill.
8:30:43 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said dealing with perpetrators would be more a
matter for the Judiciary Committee instead of the Education
Committee, but she wanted to make that comment on the record.
8:31:05 AM
CHAIR STEVENS held HB 214 in committee for further review.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB214_BreesLaw_BillText_VersionA.PDF |
SEDC 2/28/2018 8:00:00 AM |
HB 214 |
| HB214_BreesLaw_FiscalNote01_DEED.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2018 8:00:00 AM |
HB 214 |
| HB214_BreesLaw_Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2018 8:00:00 AM |
HB 214 |
| HB214_BreesLaw_SupportingDoc_ADN.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2018 8:00:00 AM |
HB 214 |