Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
04/07/2017 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB102 | |
| SB103 | |
| SB104 | |
| SB99 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 99 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 103 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 104 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 102-INTERNET FOR SCHOOLS; FUNDING
8:05:40 AM
CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SB 102.
8:05:48 AM
BRITTANY HUTCHISON, Staff, Senator Anna MacKinnon, Alaska State
Legislature, reviewed SB 102 on behalf of the Senate Finance
Committee. She related that the goals of the suite of bills are
to prioritize K-12 education and how the legislature spends
limited funds. They propose to improve outcomes for Alaska
students and to provide for efficiency and streamlined
deliveries of education processes and procedures. Alaska student
outcomes are not where they should be to be prepared for life
after high school. Alaska students deserve a 21st Century
Education.
8:07:01 AM
MS. HUTCHISON addressed concerns regarding SB 102. According to
the Alaska Telephone Association bandwidth can be prioritized
within the network and each provider can control the traffic as
schools request it in their contract. All schools in Alaska are
currently able to go up to 25 Mbps, even those using satellite.
An increased internet capability can help resolve latency and
buffering issues, depending on how many people/classrooms use it
at once. The bill will not require any new infrastructure and
does not pay for anything but internet services.
8:07:56 AM
CHAIR HUGHES noted she would distribute ATA's letter of support.
8:08:35 AM
HEIDI TESHNER, Director, Administrative Services, Department of
Education and Early Development (DEED), addressed the fiscal
note for SB 102. She explained that the fiscal note is for a
library operations component, with $34,000 requested for the
increased E-rate contractor to approve the applications, for
technical assistance, and for regulation changes. She said $16
million is estimated in the grant component to bring the 197
schools up to 25 Mbps.
8:09:40 AM
SENATOR BEGICH confirmed that name change is to the Higher
Education Fund.
MS. TESHNER said yes.
8:10:01 AM
PATIENCE FREDERIKSEN, Director, Division of Libraries, Archives,
& Museums, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED),
presented information on SB 102. She explained that the division
has been running the School Broadband Assistance Grant (School
BAG) program for three years. They have the capacity to add 64
more schools to the School BAG program.
8:10:32 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked how many schools would be served.
MS. FREDERIKSEN replied that 133 schools are receiving services
now; there are 197 schools that would need support to get to 25
Mbps.
8:11:13 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said he would support passing the bill out of
committee, but disagrees with the funding source. He wanted to
have more than three days to vet the bill.
8:11:50 AM
SENATOR COGHILL thought the bill was a good solution.
SENATOR COGHILL moved to report SB 102, version A, from
committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal
note.
CHAIR HUGHES announced that without objection, SB 102 moved from
the Senate Education Standing Committee.