Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120
03/04/2021 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB53 | |
| HB34 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 53 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 34 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
March 4, 2021
1:12 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Chris Tuck, Chair
Representative Andi Story
Representative Geran Tarr
Representative Matt Claman
Representative George Rauscher
Representative David Nelson
Representative Laddie Shaw
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 53
"An Act relating to residency requirements for public school
enrollment for certain children of active duty military and
National Guard members."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 34
"An Act naming the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots' Memorial Bridge."
- MOVED HB 34 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 53
SHORT TITLE: MILITARY CHILDREN SCHOOL RESIDENCY WAIVER
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) MCCARTY
02/18/21 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
02/18/21 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/18/21 (H) MLV, EDC
03/04/21 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
BILL: HB 34
SHORT TITLE: NAMING VIETNAM HELI. PILOTS' MEM. BRIDGE
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) SHAW
02/18/21 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
02/18/21 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/18/21 (H) MLV, STA
02/19/21 (H) FIN REPLACES STA REFERRAL
02/19/21 (H) BILL REPRINTED
03/02/21 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/02/21 (H) Heard & Held
03/02/21 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
03/04/21 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE KEN MCCARTY
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 53.
DENEEN TUCK, Staff
Representative Ken McCarty
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
53, on behalf of Representative McCarty, prime sponsor.
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison
Defense-State Liaison Office
U.S. Department of Defense
Olympia, Washington
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 53
DEENA BISHOP, PhD, Superintendent
Anchorage School District
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 53
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:12:48 PM
CHAIR CHRIS TUCK called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:12 p.m.
Representatives Story, Shaw, Tarr, Nelson, Rauscher, Tuck were
present at the call to order. Representative Claman arrived as
the meeting was in progress.
HB 53-MILITARY CHILDREN SCHOOL RESIDENCY WAIVER
1:14:00 PM
CHAIR TUCK announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 53, "An Act relating to residency requirements
for public school enrollment for certain children of active-duty
military and National Guard members."
1:14:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KEN MCCARTY, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented HB 53. He read the sponsor statement, which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
House Bill 53 seeks to allow military children with
residency outside of the state, but with documentation
of a pending military relocation to the state, access
to preliminary registration, enrollment, or
application to a school district at the time that the
process is open to the general student population.
Proof of residency is temporarily waived until the
student begins school. Once the student begins school
their parent or guardian has ten (10) days to provide
proof of residency in the school district
This is important to military school children,
especially those in high school. Often classes are
filled during the preliminary registration of the
students already registered in that school district.
For military students who are high school juniors or
seniors, and are transferring to a new school
district, they may need to take a specific class to
complete their requirements. This bill is also
important to those students wishing to attend a
Charter School through lottery or otherwise, as these
schools often fill up quickly and there are deadlines
for entering the lottery.
1:17:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR asked if there are changes from the last
version.
1:17:56 PM
DENEEN TUCK, Staff, Representative Ken McCarty, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative McCarty, prime sponsor
of HB 53, told Representative Tarr that there were no changes
from the previous iteration of the proposed legislation.
1:18:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN asked if this bill passed the House last
year.
MS. TUCK answered yes.
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN asked for clarification on the "ten-day
requirement".
MS. TUCK answered that after a military family arrives in Alaska
and decides on a school, the parent(s) have 10 days to submit
their paperwork to the school district.
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN asked whether, once the family knows they
are to relocate to Alaska, they can start making school
arrangements at any time.
MS. TUCK replied yes.
1:19:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR commented that the Alaska Defense Forum took
place last year, and the military spouses group brought up
related issues with timing of the orders, stress on the family
with levels of uncertainty with a new school, and access to the
level of services required by a student with special needs.
1:20:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked to get a sense of the scope of the
problem.
1:21:06 PM
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison, Defense-State
Liaison Office, U.S. Department of Defense, expressed support
for the policy changes proposed in HB 53. She clarified her
position as staff for the Pentagon, working for the
Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness with the
mission to be a resource for addressing quality of life for
personnel and families. She stated that passing this
legislation would allow Alaska to join 20 other states in this
policy. Approximately 185,000 U.S. military children change
schools annually, and they often miss their school registration
and other important application dates that happen in the spring,
with long-term negative impact that includes necessary shifts in
study, summer school, and delayed graduation; allowing families
to register for school and arrange classes prior to arrival
helps integrate students into the community. The intent of HB
53 is to provide relocating military families access to
educational programs and courses at the same time as their in-
state counterparts. She noted that this program requires no new
systems and would benefit school districts by reducing the
discrepancy between projected and actual enrollment. She
expressed gratitude to the sponsor of this bill and to Alaska
for its support of military families.
1:24:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER stated that he wonders about the
difference between residential and nonresidential college
tuition and how this policy change would apply.
CHAIR TUCK said that this bill would affect K-12 public
education only.
1:25:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked how military families register their
kids for school.
MS. PERREAULT explained that there is a school liaison officer
available on each base, who connects relocating families with
the proper school and provides on-base/off-base information.
1:27:31 PM
DEENA BISHOP, PhD, Superintendent, Anchorage School District,
testified in support of HB 53. She noted that the municipality
of Anchorage and the Anchorage School District (ASD) are honored
to serve military families. She said that HB 53 would ensure
that a school district considers students to be residents of the
district. She described the challenges faced by military
families, from getting the initial orders to move, which can be
anywhere from six months to 30 days in advance, to finding a
home and school in the new city; she also noted that Alaska is
considered "overseas" by the military and moving to Alaska comes
with its own set of challenges. She further noted that the ASD
currently operates in the manner set forth by the proposed
legislation with no problems, but it allows families longer than
the ten-day notification.
1:31:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN asked whether 30 days would be a better
time window from Dr. Bishop's perspective.
DR. BISHOP answered that if the goal is to have a similar policy
across the United States, then she can understand the benefits;
she said that in Anchorage the district provides a window of
upwards of 30 days.
1:32:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY commented that she's pleased to hear that
the Anchorage School District is already operating this way and
asked how many families are typically affected by the
adjustment, and how it impacts the school district's process and
budget.
DR. BISHOP answered that a little under 10 percent of the
district's students are affected by this program, and that
whether or not a child is military, staffing depends on where
parents choose to place their children. The district has
several different types of schools including language-emergent
and charter schools, and their goal is to educate.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY followed up to ask what would change to
reassure families that this practice is happening, since
Anchorage School District is already doing it.
DR. BISHOP replied that families and parents currently learn of
the program simply by calling the school district. This creates
a statewide assurance for all military families, not just those
moving to Anchorage.
1:35:15 PM
MS. TUCK clarified for the committee that the 10-day window
begins when the student starts in school, not when the family
arrives in the state. She stated that she believes there would
be no objection to changing the requirement to 30 days.
1:35:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN said that 30 days is more consistent with
many of other things in society. He asked Ms. Perreault if the
Pentagon would have a problem with changing the window to 30
days.
MS. PERREAULT answered that the Pentagon doesn't require the
change but would have no problem with it. She said that 10 days
has been a standard, but there are states with 15 days or more,
depending on the flexibility of the school district. She stated
again that Alaska is considered an overseas move from the Lower
48, so this would provide an extra cushion because the move is
more challenging than moving within the Lower 48.
CHAIR TUCK asked to confirm that the current standard is ten
days after arriving, but this proposed legislation would change
the standard to 10 days after enrolling.
MS. PERREAULT answered that is her understanding.
1:37:47 PM
CHAIR TUCK announced that HB 53 would be held over.
HB 34-NAMING VIETNAM HELI. PILOTS' MEM. BRIDGE
1:38:01 PM
CHAIR TUCK announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 34, "An Act naming the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots'
Memorial Bridge."
1:38:18 PM
CHAIR TUCK opened public testimony on HB 34. After ascertaining
that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public
testimony.
1:38:49 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN noted that when he first came to Alaska in
1980, he met a helicopter pilot named Gordon McDonald, who owned
a business in Circle called Sunshine Copters; he had been a
pilot in Vietnam and, after all the missions he flew safely in
Vietnam, he was ultimately killed by a caved-in roof.
Representative Claman expressed that Gordon McDonald was a
wonderful person, and any time Vietnam-era helicopter pilots are
mentioned he thinks of him.
1:39:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR moved to report HB 34 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal
note. There being no objection, HB 34 was reported out of the
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.
1:41:19 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 1:41 PM.