Legislature(2009 - 2010)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

02/19/2010 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION


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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 224 POSTSECONDARY SCHOLARSHIPS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled
= SB 213 FUNDING FOR SCHOOL MEALS
Moved CSSB 213(EDC) Out of Committee
                SB 213-FUNDING FOR SCHOOL MEALS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:04:31 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR  THOMAS announced  consideration of  SB 213.  [CSSB 213,                                                               
26-LS1301\E, was before the committee.]                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:05:34 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI, sponsor  of SB 213, said  the bill provides                                                               
a state match  for school lunches and breakfasts.  For every free                                                               
and reduced-price breakfast the  federal program funds, the state                                                               
will match $.35;  for every lunch the federal  program funds, the                                                               
state will  match $.15. He noted  that Alaska is one  of the very                                                               
few states  in the  country that  does not  already have  a state                                                               
match for these programs.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:06:35 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS  asked if Mr.  Jeans' concern about  the location                                                               
of the bill in statute has been address.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
GEORGE ASCOTT, staff to Senator  Wielechowski, said Mr. Jeans has                                                               
prepared an amendment on that.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI said  he  had no  objection  to Mr.  Jeans'                                                               
proposal.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:07:23 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if Senator  Wielechowski and the department                                                               
agreed the amendment  could appropriately be taken  up in Finance                                                               
if the bill was moved.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI answered yes.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS asked if the amendment was available.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. JEANS indicated no.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR THOMAS called on Eddy Jeans  to speak to the fiscal note                                                               
and the proposed amendment.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:09:17 AM                                                                                                                    
EDDY  JEANS, Director,  School  Finance  and Facilities  Section,                                                               
Department  of Education  and Early  Development (DEED),  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, explained that  the amendment does not  change the fiscal                                                               
note, the  intent of the  bill, or the  language in terms  of the                                                               
allocations; it  just changes  where the  statute is  placed. The                                                               
bill places it in the foundation  program, but it would be better                                                               
placed in  a section  of statute  called special  programs, Title                                                               
14.30.  He said  he was  not able  to get  the amendment  drafted                                                               
prior to the  meeting, but was comfortable moving  it, because it                                                               
does not change the body of the bill at all.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  JEANS said  the  fiscal  note was  based  on  the CS,  which                                                               
corrected an  error in the  allocations for lunch  and breakfast.                                                               
The program adjusts  breakfast and lunch based  on one-quarter of                                                               
the geographic differential and by the Anchorage CPI.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:11:25 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR  THOMAS asked  if  this  fiscal note  is  less than  the                                                               
original.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. JEANS answered yes.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:11:45 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR THOMAS called a brief at ease.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:12:33 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR THOMAS  called the meeting  back to order  and continued                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:13:15 AM                                                                                                                    
CHRIS  JOHNSON,   President  of   the  Alaska   School  Nutrition                                                               
Association, Anchorage,  Alaska, said he was  available to answer                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:14:50 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR THOMAS called a brief at ease.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:25:04 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR THOMAS called the meeting back to order.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:25:20 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR  MEYER  moved to  adopt  conceptual  Amendment 1.  There                                                               
being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked Mr. Jeans to explain the amendment.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. JEANS explained  that Amendment 1 moves the  funding for this                                                               
breakfast  and lunch  program into  AS 14.30.760  and out  of the                                                               
Foundation  Program;  this  component   will  be  renamed  "State                                                               
Support  for  Special  Programs."  It also  inserts  "subject  to                                                               
appropriation"  because   it  is  a  stand-alone   program.  That                                                               
language already exists under the Foundation program.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR THOMAS said the sponsor supports the change.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MEYER moved to report  CSSB 213, 26-LS1301\E as amended,                                                               
from committee  with individual recommendations  and accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes. Without  objection, CSSB  213(EDC) moved  from the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:27:05 AM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR THOMAS called a brief at ease.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                

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