Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106

05/08/2024 08:01 AM House EDUCATION

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Audio Topic
08:04:23 AM Start
08:05:01 AM SB131
08:20:33 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ SB 131 ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAM TELECONFERENCED
Moved SB 131 Out of Committee
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                          May 8, 2024                                                                                           
                           8:04 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Jamie Allard, Co-Chair                                                                                           
Representative Justin Ruffridge, Co-Chair                                                                                       
Representative Mike Prax                                                                                                        
Representative CJ McCormick                                                                                                     
Representative Tom McKay                                                                                                        
Representative Rebecca Himschoot                                                                                                
Representative Andi Story                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 131                                                                                                             
"An Act requiring education in the history and contributions of                                                                 
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders."                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED SB 131 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB 131                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAM                                                                            
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) GRAY-JACKSON                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
04/21/23       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/21/23       (S)       STA                                                                                                    
02/08/24       (S)       STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)                                                                      
02/08/24       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
02/08/24       (S)       MINUTE(STA)                                                                                            
03/12/24       (S)       STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)                                                                      
03/12/24       (S)       Moved SB 131 Out of Committee                                                                          
03/12/24       (S)       MINUTE(STA)                                                                                            
03/13/24       (S)       STA RPT 2DP 2NR                                                                                        
03/13/24       (S)       DP: KAWASAKI, CLAMAN                                                                                   
03/13/24       (S)       NR: WIELECHOWSKI, BJORKMAN                                                                             
03/13/24       (S)       FIN REFERRAL ADDED                                                                                     
04/23/24       (S)       FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532                                                                      
04/23/24       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/23/24       (S)       MINUTE(FIN)                                                                                            
04/25/24       (S)       FIN AT 1:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532                                                                      
04/25/24       (S)       Moved SB 131 Out of Committee                                                                          
04/25/24       (S)       MINUTE(FIN)                                                                                            
04/26/24       (S)       FIN RPT 3DP 2NR                                                                                        
04/26/24       (S)       DP: OLSON, KIEHL, BISHOP                                                                               
04/26/24       (S)       NR: WILSON, MERRICK                                                                                    
05/03/24       (S)       TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                                                                     
05/03/24       (S)       VERSION: SB 131                                                                                        
05/06/24       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
05/06/24       (H)       EDC                                                                                                    
05/08/24       (H)       EDC AT 8:01 AM DAVIS 106                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON                                                                                                       
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  As prime sponsor, presented SB 131.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
BESSE ODOM, Staff                                                                                                               
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson                                                                                                       
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Answered questions during the hearing on SB
131 on behalf of Senator Gray-Jackson, prime sponsor.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
KAYE ROLDAN, Board Member                                                                                                       
Filipino Community Hall                                                                                                         
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 131.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
KEIRA KOCH, representing self                                                                                                   
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of HB 131.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:04:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  JAMIE  ALLARD  called   the  House  Education  Standing                                                             
Committee meeting  to order at  8:04 a.m.   Representatives Prax,                                                               
McCormick, McKay,  Himschoot, Story,  Allard, and  Ruffridge were                                                               
present at the call to order.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
         SB 131-ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAM                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:05:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced  that the only order  of business would                                                               
be  SENATE BILL  NO.  131,  "An Act  requiring  education in  the                                                               
history  and   contributions  of  Asian  Americans   and  Pacific                                                               
Islanders."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:05:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELVI GRAY-JACKSON,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor,  presented  SB 131  and  thanked  committee members  for                                                               
scheduling  the bill.    She  noted that  the  co-founder of  the                                                               
organization,  titled "Make  Us Visible,"  visited last  week and                                                               
met with  legislators on the  importance of  the bill.   She said                                                               
seven states have passed similar  legislation, and she summarized                                                               
that  SB  131  would  require  Asian  American  Pacific  Islander                                                               
education  in  K-12  and  cover  their  contributions  and  their                                                               
history.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:06:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX asked  whether there  is incorporation  into                                                               
school districts currently.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:07:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BESSE  ODOM,  Staff,  Senator  Elvi  Gray-Jackson,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, answered questions  during the hearing on  SB 131 on                                                               
behalf  of Senator  Gray-Jackson, prime  sponsor.   She addressed                                                               
Representative  Prax  and said  that  currently,  the history  of                                                               
Asian  Americans  and  Pacific   Islanders  is  optional  in  all                                                               
schools.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:07:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD opened public testimony on SB 131.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:07:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 8:07 a.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:07:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KAYE ROLDAN, Board Member, Filipino  Community Hall, testified in                                                               
support  of  SB 131  and  noted  that  she  was also  a  steering                                                               
committee member at  "Make Us Visible."  She shared  that she had                                                               
been living in Juneau for the  past 30 years, and while attending                                                               
the University of  Alaska Southeast (UAS), she noted  she did not                                                               
hear much  about Asian  American history.   She  further provided                                                               
her  family's background  and contributions.    She stressed  the                                                               
importance of  sharing contributions with classmates  about Asian                                                               
American and Pacific  Island culture and history  and thanked the                                                               
committee for hearing her testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:12:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEIRA KOCH,  representing self, testified  in support of  SB 131.                                                               
She  shared her  experience that  in schools,  she had  noticed a                                                               
"handful" of  Filipino students  and noted  that an  event called                                                               
"Filipino  Fridays"  was  offered  where food  and  stories  were                                                               
shared, which  she observed resulted  in an uptick  in children's                                                               
happiness.   She  said she  did  not learn  about Asian  American                                                               
history  and   culture  growing  up  and   that  she  experienced                                                               
ignorance regarding  the facts  that she  would hear  from fellow                                                               
classmates.   She thanked  the committee  for the  opportunity to                                                               
speak to SB 131.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:14:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  ALLARD,  after  ascertaining  no  one  else  wished  to                                                               
testify,  closed public  testimony on  SB  131.   She noted  that                                                               
anyone could submit their written testimony to the committee.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:15:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GREY  JACKSON  thanked the  committee  for  hearing  the                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:15:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE moved  to report SB 131 out  of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, SB 131  was reported out of  the House                                                               
Education Standing Committee.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:16:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:16 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:20:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:20 a.m.                                                                 

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
AK AAPI SB 131 Letter of Support.pdf HEDC 5/8/2024 8:01:00 AM
SB 131
Letter of support from school district.pdf HEDC 5/8/2024 8:01:00 AM
Letter of Support for SB 131 Fillipino Community.pdf HEDC 5/8/2024 8:01:00 AM
SB 131
SB 131 Fiscal Note DEED 2.7.24.pdf HEDC 5/8/2024 8:01:00 AM
SB 131
SB 131 Letters of Support Combined.pdf HEDC 5/8/2024 8:01:00 AM
SB 131
SB 131 Sectional Analysis Version A.pdf HEDC 5/8/2024 8:01:00 AM
SB 131
SB 131 Sponsor Statement.pdf HEDC 5/8/2024 8:01:00 AM
SB 131
SB 131 Version A.PDF HEDC 5/8/2024 8:01:00 AM
SB 131