Legislature(2023 - 2024)BUTROVICH 205
04/11/2023 03:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) | |
| SB106 | |
| SB24 | |
| SB91 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 106 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 24 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 91 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 24-PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
3:50:25 PM
CHAIR WILSON reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 24 "An Act relating to mental
health education; and providing for an effective date."
He noted that the committee heard the introduction and took
invited and public testimony during the first hearing. He
further noted that there was an amendment for the committee to
consider.
3:50:55 PM
At ease.
3:57:04 PM
CHAIR WILSON reconvened the meeting and moved to adopt Amendment
A.1 ("Amendment 1"), work order 33-LS0232\A.1.
33-LS0232\A.1
Wallace/Marx
4/3/23
AMENDMENT 1
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR WILSON
Page 1, following line 9:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 2. AS 14.03.016(a) is amended to read:
(a) A local school board shall, in consultation
with parents, teachers, and school administrators,
adopt policies to promote the involvement of parents
in the school district's education program. The
policies must include procedures
(1) recognizing the authority of a parent
and allowing a parent to object to and withdraw the
child from a standards-based assessment or test
required by the state;
(2) recognizing the authority of a parent
and allowing a parent to object to and withdraw the
child from an activity, class, or program;
(3) providing for parent notification not
less than two weeks before any activity, class, or
program that includes content involving human
reproduction, [OR] sexual matters, or mental health is
provided to a child;
(4) recognizing the authority of a parent
and allowing a parent to withdraw the child from an
activity, class, program, or standards-based
assessment or test required by the state for a
religious holiday, as defined by the parent;
(5) providing a parent with an opportunity
to review the content of an activity, class,
performance standard, or program;
(6) ensuring that, when a child is absent
from an activity, class, program, or standards-based
assessment or test required by the state under this
section, the absence is not considered an unlawful
absence under AS 14.30.020 if the child's parent
withdrew the child from the activity, class, program,
or standards-based assessment or test or gave
permission for the child's absence."
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
Page 2, line 29:
Delete "sec. 3"
Insert "sec. 4"
Page 3, line 4:
Delete "sec. 3"
Insert "sec. 4"
3:57:17 PM
SENATOR KAUFMAN objected for purposes of discussion.
3:57:21 PM
CHAIR WILSON explained that the amendment adds "mental health"
to AS 14.03.016(a)(3), which is the education statute pertaining
to parents' rights to notification and their child's education.
He read paragraph (3) with the proposed addition. The subsequent
bill sections are renumbered accordingly.
CHAIR WILSON asked if there were questions or comments.
3:58:28 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR asked if parent notification was already in
statute.
CHAIR WILSON answered that parental notification is in existing
statute but it's not in the education statutes. His reason for
adding mental health to this piece of statute is to help ensure
that parents are aware and can be prepared for any reaction
their child might have as a result of discussions about mental
health situations.
3:59:43 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR observed that mental health is a broader category
than human reproduction and sexual matters, which are
specifically mentioned in paragraph (3), and that other parts of
the bill call for specific instruction in mental health. He
asked the Chair if he envisioned that only specific courses
would require notification or if it would be required for any
lesson that touches on mental health.
CHAIR WILSON responded that he wasn't sure that the bill had a
definition for "mental health."
CHAIR WILSON asked Sharon Fishel or Kelly Manning whether there
was a definition in statute for "mental health."
KELLY MANNING, Deputy Director, Innovation and Education
Excellence, Department of Education and Early Development
(DEED), Juneau, Alaska deferred the question to Ms. Fishel.
SHARON FISHEL, Education Specialist II, Innovation and
Excellence in Education, Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED), Juneau, Alaska, stated that she would follow
up with an answer.
4:01:54 PM
CHAIR WILSON responded to Senator Dunbar's question with the
explanation that mental health is used broadly and is intended
to provide guidelines for instruction, similar to programs about
domestic violence and sexual assault and Brie's Law for dating
violence. Mental health is added to paragraph (3) to ensure that
the department develops guidelines for programs relating to
mental health and that parents receive notification about those
programs.
SENATOR DUNBAR asked whether Brie's Law had a parental
notification component.
CHAIR WILSON answered yes; it falls under domestic violence and
sexual assault.
4:03:08 PM
At ease.
4:04:05 PM
CHAIR WILSON reconvened the meeting.
4:04:08 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR wondered whether there was a way to narrow the
amendment so the notification requirement is specific to the
instructional units about mental health. He explained that he
didn't want a teacher to be disciplined if a class discussion
strayed into mental health matters. He cited the hypothetical
example of a literature class discussing a poet who died by
suicide and that topic is raised in the course of the class
discussion.
CHAIR WILSON articulated his intent to ensure that a parent or
guardian is notified if a topic such as suicide is brought up in
class so they're able to support their child if the need arises
as a result of the class discussion.
CHAIR WILSON asked Ms. Fishel if the parental notification
requirement in the existing statute relating to programs or
classes about human reproduction and sexual matters extended to
discussions in other classes that touch on those topics.
4:06:48 PM
MS. FISHEL reminded the committee that SB 24 is about developing
guidelines for teachers to develop standards for programs about
mental health and not a curriculum. She pointed out that
teachers need to have some leeway to have conversations with
students when topics relating to mental health and suicide come
up organically in a classroom.
CHAIR WILSON indicated that his question wasn't really answered.
4:07:50 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL countered that Ms. Fishel's response did answer
the question. She said Ms. Fishel used the example of suicide,
but she was thinking about everyday situations such as a child
who is distraught because of domestic violence in their family
or their best friend's family and they bring that up in a
classroom. The teacher or a counselor in that situation has to
help those students process, and that is mental health. She
commented that it was odd to add mental health to the subjects
that require two weeks advance notice because it would tie
teachers' hands and prevent them from addressing everyday topics
or conversations that might arise in any given school day.
4:09:45 PM
CHAIR WILSON said he was willing to rework the amendment and
address mental health in a separate curriculum.
4:09:55 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON suggested the committee consider removing
the word "activity."
CHAIR WILSON opined that removing the word "activity" would
affect the other items in the paragraph.
SENATOR KAUFMAN commented that it would be worthwhile to take
the time to make it right.
4:10:53 PM
CHAIR WILSON withdrew Amendment 1, work order 33-LS0232\A.1, and
committed to work with the sponsor.
4:11:02 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON requested permission for the committee to
hear DEED's reasoning and explanation for the large fiscal note.
When the bill was introduced in the previous legislature, the
fiscal note was $71 thousand; this year the fiscal note had
increased to $256 thousand. She questioned the reason for
increasing the size of the committee from 20 to 30 members
CHAIR WILSON agreed to hear the explanation.
4:12:45 PM
KELLY MANNING, Deputy Director, Innovation and Education
Excellence, Department of Education and Early Development
(DEED), Juneau, Alaska, stated that the department met with the
sponsor and then met separately to consider how to reduce the
fiscal note. The conclusion was that the fiscal note is
reflective of the current cost of the work. She recounted the
following factors that DEED evaluated:
• The size of the committee increased from 20 to 30 members
because DEED determined that was appropriate for the type of
work that SB 24 considers. It will include subject matter
experts in mental health as well as district representatives
throughout the state to reflect different size and geographic
locations.
• The work requires a facilitator who understands the national
and Alaska landscape and is able to negotiate challenging
conversations in groups that have different perspectives.
• The fiscal note for SB 24 is higher than it was for the
original bill because the cost for this work has increased
significantly since COVID.
• In the past DEED was able to attract educators with lower
stipends, but higher stipends recognize the extra-duty work of
educators as an important component of teacher engagement.
CHAIR WILSON commented on the general increase in fiscal notes
from last year to this year and stressed that Senate Finance was
taking a hard look at the increases.
4:17:58 PM
CHAIR WILSON held SB 24 in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 91 Supporting Testimony - MS Society Letter of Support 4.4.23.pdf |
SHSS 4/11/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 91 |
| 3.23.23 David Barnes Medical App_Redacted.pdf |
SHSS 4/11/2023 3:30:00 PM |
Consideration of Governor's Appointees - David Barnes - State Medical Board |
| SB 106 DOH Medicaid Svcs.pdf |
SHSS 4/11/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 106 |
| SB 24 Amendment A.1.pdf |
SHSS 4/11/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 24 |
| SB 91 Amendment A.6.pdf |
SHSS 4/11/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 91 |
| SB 91 amendment A.8.pdf |
SHSS 4/11/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 91 |
| SB 91 Amendment A.6 am 4.11.23.pdf |
SHSS 4/11/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 91 |