03/04/2013 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION

         SB 41-SCHOOL SPORTS/INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:01:51 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS  announced that  the first  order of business  would                                                              
be SB  41. He said it  was the second  hearing of the bill  and he                                                              
intended  to move the  bill from  committee.  [SSSB 41 was  before                                                              
the committee.]                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DUNLEAVY  moved to  adopt [SSSB]  41, labeled  28-LS0392\U                                                              
as the working document.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHUCK KOPP, Staff,  Senator Fred Dyson, related that  SB 41 amends                                                              
current  statutes   to  make   participation  in   interscholastic                                                              
activities  at a non-public  school available  to a larger  number                                                              
of students  who are otherwise  not eligible to  participate. This                                                              
is a  continuation of legislative  work that  began in 2012  in SB
 by Senator Meyer.  SB 119 allowed for home  school students to                                                              
participate  in interscholastic  activity at  public schools,  and                                                              
SB 41 adds private schools to that option.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:03:22 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GARDNER joined the meeting.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
JOSHUA  BANKS,  Staff,  Senator  Fred  Dyson,  offered  to  answer                                                              
questions related to SB 41.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS noted that public testimony was closed.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS thanked  the sponsor for drawing  attention to the                                                              
situation. He shared an incident from Chugiak High School.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GARDNER  asked why a private  school would want  to accept                                                              
outside  students  into their  programs  and  incur the  costs  of                                                              
those students.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. KOPP  clarified that the  bill is more  about parents  of home                                                              
schooled   children  wanting   their  children   to  be   able  to                                                              
participate in activities  in a non-public school.  The bill makes                                                              
that partnership possible.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:06:04 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GARDNER asked  why the state should tell  a non-government                                                              
school that  they have the option  to accept students who  are not                                                              
enrolled  in their  program. She  inquired  how the  costs of  the                                                              
programs are handled.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON joined the meeting.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR.  KOPP explained  that  the bill  is  permissive;  it does  not                                                              
mandate that  private schools must  accept home schooled  students                                                              
in  their programs.  It  simply makes  sure  that the  law is  not                                                              
standing  in the way,  should the  private school  wish to  accept                                                              
those students into their activities.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS referred  to the commentary sent  to the committee                                                              
by  Grace  Christian  School  voicing  similar  concerns.  It  was                                                              
pointed  out to the  principal that  the bill  allows students  to                                                              
participate,  but  does  not mandate  that  private  schools  must                                                              
accept them into their programs.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:07:27 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  STEVENS  spoke  of  the  cost  of  transporting  teams  for                                                              
competition. He pointed  out that a private school  would make the                                                              
decision whether or not to accept students into their programs.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. KOPP  agreed.  He said  the language  in SB 41  is similar  to                                                              
that in  SB 119 and  is permissive.  He gave an  example of  how a                                                              
school might decide how many students to accept.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:09:15 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNLEAVY   commented  on   the  difficulty   of  dividing                                                              
students into two classes, public school and private school.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS removed his objection.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:10:44 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNLEAVY SENATOR  moved  to report  SSSB  41, version  U,                                                              
from committee  with individual recommendations and  attached zero                                                              
fiscal note. There being no objection, the motion carried.