03/27/2001 03:37 PM House HES

HB 98-HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA FOR CERTAIN WWII VETS                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  announced the  committee  would  hear testimony  on                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  98, "An  Act  relating to  the award  of a  high                                                               
school diploma  to certain World  War II veterans."   [Before the                                                               
committee was CSHB 98(MLV)]                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 0090                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CAROL  CARROLL,   Director,  Administrative   Services  Division,                                                               
Department  of  Military  &  Veterans'  Affairs,  came  forth  to                                                               
testify on  HB 98.   She stated that  this bill will  allow World                                                               
War  II veterans  and Alaska  territorial guards  who served  the                                                               
United States  during that time to  get a high school  diploma if                                                               
they hadn't had one before.   She remarked that there are various                                                               
stipulations  such as  [the  veterans] would  have  to have  been                                                               
honorably  discharged.    The  [veterans]   would  apply  to  the                                                               
Department of  Education & Early  Development and get  a diploma,                                                               
which would  not be an  honorary diploma.   She added  that there                                                               
are fewer  than 150 people  in the state  of Alaska who  would be                                                               
affected by this and allowed to get a diploma.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 01-37, SIDE A                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked if somebody had requested this.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CARROLL  replied that  this  is  a national  effort,  called                                                               
Operation  Recognition.   She stated  that various  states across                                                               
the  United States  are  passing legislation  of  this type  this                                                               
year.    She added  that  the  veterans organization  brought  it                                                               
before the [Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs].                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 0050                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA remarked that  at a constituent meeting she                                                               
was heartened  when a  constituent approached  her who  had heard                                                               
about  this  bill and  said  that  this  would make  an  enormous                                                               
difference to her father.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL stated  that  he thinks  it  is great  to                                                               
honor those  veterans.  He asked  if there is any  possibility to                                                               
go back and find what Alaska's  diploma looked like at that point                                                               
in history and bring that to [the veterans] accordingly.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CARROLL answered  that  most of  the time  it  is the  local                                                               
school districts  that give the  diplomas.  However, at  one time                                                               
there  were  state-operated  schools,  and she  thinks  that  the                                                               
[Department  of Military  & Veterans'  Affairs] could  try to  do                                                               
that.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 0114                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL made a motion  to move CSHB 98(MLV) out of                                                               
committee with individual recommendations  and zero fiscal notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection,  CSHB 98(MLV)  moved  from the  House                                                               
Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.