CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 69(RLS) am "An Act relating to education; relating to open enrollment in public schools; relating to school and student performance reports; relating to school and district accountability; relating to charter schools; relating to an annual report for correspondence study programs; relating to the base student allocation; relating to reading proficiency incentive grants; relating to wireless telecommunications devices in public schools; relating to the duty of the legislature to pass a public education appropriation bill; relating to the duty of the governor to prepare a public education appropriation bill; establishing the Task Force on Education Funding; relating to a report on regulation of school districts; and providing for an effective date." 9:35:20 AM Co-Chair Hoffman acknowledged the legislators in the gallery. Co-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the committee substitute for CSHB 69(RLS) am, Work Draft 34-LS0309\U (Marx, 4/7/25). There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Senator Kaufman OBJECTED for discussion. 9:36:16 AM LIZ HARPOLD, STAFF, SENATOR DONNY OLSON, explained the changes in the committee substitute (CS). She relayed that the CS backed everything out of the Senate Education Committee CS except for the $1000 increase to the Base Student Allocation (BSA) and provided for a July 1 effective date. Senator Kaufman remarked that funding needed to be in line with policy changes. He thought a great deal of work had been done in the Senate Education Committee. He thought the CS took away from all the work done and created a simple funding bill. He asked about the path for success. Co-Chair Hoffman believed that the issue needed to be addressed and referenced discussion about the level of funding for the BSA. He continued that the CS was being put forward to determine the level of support for funding at the level proposed. Senator Cronk asked about posing questions to the commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED). Co-Chair Hoffman stated no. Senator Cronk remarked that he had spent some time considering the work of the Senate Education Committee. He observed that the proposed budget for the Anchorage School District (ASD) was substantially higher than other districts when compared to its deficit. He mentioned abnormally high attrition balances. He did not think ASD was proposing to use the fund balances, which would not carry over for the following year. He thought a half-truth was being perpetuated regarding the funds that were needed. Co-Chair Hoffman felt that the question could be applied to each district and stressed that the committee was considering the BSA and what level of support there was in the legislature and as well on the third floor. 9:39:29 AM Senator Kaufman WITHDREW his OBJECTION and remarked that there needed to be a thoughtful and durable compromise that the governor and the other body would support. He was worried that the committee was going down the path of failure. Co-Chair Hoffman acknowledged other legislators in the audience. Co-Chair Stedman MOVED to REPORT SCS CSHB 69(FIN) from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. SCS CSHB 69(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with one "do pass" recommendations, four "no recommendations", and two "amend" recommendations; and with one zero fiscal note from Department of Education and Early Development, one new fiscal impact note from the Department of Education and Early Development, and one new fiscal impact note from the Senate Finance Committee/Fund Capitalization. 9:41:37 AM AT EASE 9:43:42 AM RECONVENED Co-Chair Hoffman handed the gavel to Co-Chair Stedman.