05/06/2004 04:55 PM Senate STA

            HB 551-DRUG FELONY DISQUALIFIES TEACHER                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GARY  STEVENS  announced  CSHB   551(JUD)  to  be  up  for                                                               
consideration.  He  noted that  there  was  a proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS) and  asked  for  a motion  to  adopt  it as  the                                                               
working document.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JOHN COWDERY  made  a  motion to  adopt  the \I  version                                                               
Senate CS CSHB 551 for discussion purposes.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY STEVENS explained that  the \I version is a compromise                                                               
and provides a 10 year  look-back for felony offenses for teacher                                                               
certification  purposes rather  than the  35 year  look-back. The                                                               
compromise is  an acknowledgement  that people make  mistakes and                                                               
they can change their behavior.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BERT STEDMAN  questioned the viability of  the bill since                                                               
there  was little  support  and that  the  industry thought  they                                                               
could take  care of the  problem within their own  system without                                                               
this legislation.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY  STEVENS agreed there  was resistance, but  he thought                                                               
it was important to make the bill  a little better and send it to                                                               
the  Health   Education  and   Social  Services   Committee.  The                                                               
Professional Practices Commission and  the Anchorage School Board                                                               
acknowledge  that the  change to  10  years is  better, but  they                                                               
still  weren't  entirely happy  with  it,  but it's  better  than                                                               
before.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JOHN   COWDERY  asked  whether   "controlled  substance"                                                               
includes alcohol.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY  STEVENS informed  him it  doesn't include  alcohol or                                                               
marijuana.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEDMAN reiterated  that he wasn't sure there  was a need                                                               
for the bill.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY STEVENS  said it was late in the  session and it might                                                               
not make  it through the system,  but he didn't want  to hold the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COWDERY  motioned  to  report  SCS  CSHB  551(STA)  from                                                               
committee with  individual recommendations and zero  fiscal note.                                                               
There being no objection, it was so ordered.