SB 8-STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRES AND SURVEYS  8:35:36 AM CHAIR DICK announced that the next order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 8, "An Act relating to questionnaires and surveys administered in the public schools." [Public testimony remained open from the previous hearing.] 8:36:52 AM BRUCE JOHNSON, Executive Director, Alaska Counsel of School Administrators (ACSA), stated support for SB 8 and said the organization he represents stands fully behind the effort. He shared a quote [source not known], stating, "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." The bill will provide the necessary data to design prevention programs that will assist young people to avoid certain risks, he opined. 8:37:47 AM CARL ROSE, Executive Director, Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB), stated support for SB 8 and said that without data it is not possible to know the effect of implemented programs. Passage of SB 8 is a means to gather meaningful data, he opined. 8:39:22 AM ANDREA THOMAS, stated support for SB 8 and described the difficulties that occur when trying to obtain active parental consent for surveys. She said that the system is cumbersome: a notice arrives in the mail alerting parents to expect the consent form; the consent form arrives sometime after the notice; and finally the form is filled out and returned to the school in a timely manner. Finally, she stressed that the bill does not eliminate a parent's option to decline consent. 8:42:26 AM PETE HOEPFNER, President, Cordova School Boards, stated support for SB 8 and said that consent forms are often lost in the process, when they are mailed to homes, which results in low participation on surveys and poor data collection. 8:43:32 AM DR. CHRISTINE ERMOLD, EdD, Principal, Kenai Peninsula School District, Member, Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals, stated support for SB 8 and said the collection of active consent forms presents an undue burden to the staff in small schools; particularly, when multiple schools are represented which are not in proximity to each other. The data that is collected is critical for informing the decisions that impact students, she stressed, and urged passage of SB 8. 8:44:50 AM CHAIR DICK stated support for SB 8 and expressed a personal belief that it will be helpful for cultivating communication. 8:46:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON stated support for SB 8 and, referring to the Sponsor Statement, paraphrased the language, which read [original punctuation provided]: The Youth Risk Behavior Survey helps guide and evaluate important health and prevention programs in both the public and private sectors. Local, state, and federal officials, schools, state and federal agencies, public and private grant programs, and nonprofit health organizations rely on these surveys to educate, allocate resources, and compare trends concerning safe behaviors. These include injury prevention, tobacco prevention and control, obesity prevention, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke prevention, safe and drug free schools, substance abuse prevention, violence and suicide prevention, HIV and STD prevention, and connectedness to teachers, parents and other adults. In short, SB 8 simply makes it easier to obtain information on youth risk behaviors without violating students' or parents' rights to privacy, nor diminishing the ability of parents to supervise their children. At the same time SB 8 increases parental notice with ample opportunity, instruction, and forms to opt out. REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON said this is important legislation that will facilitate the ability to obtain information on individual schools. 8:47:51 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT voiced concern that the bill is not restricted to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and may have far reaching affects. Directing attention to page 2, line 14, he paraphrased from the language of the bill, which read [original punctuation provided]: A student may refuse to answer specific questions on  or participate in a questionnaire or survey administered in a public school. A student's parent or legal guardian may refuse to allow the student to participate in a specified questionnaire or survey by  submitting to the teacher or school principal a  written denial of permission for the student's  participation. REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT opined that a principal might decide to design and administer an independent survey, which could be accomplished without departmental oversight. 8:49:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON offered that the bill establishes specific guidelines in the first section. He directed attention to page 1, line 5, and paraphrased language from the bill, which read [original punctuation provided]: ... a public school may not administer or permit to be administered in a school a questionnaire or survey, whether anonymous or not, that inquires into personal or private family affairs of the student ... unless written permission is obtained ... REPRESENTATIVE SEATON explained that the language establishes the blanket requirement for permission to be obtained, and Section 4 exempts the YRBS specifically. Section 3 allows students and parents a means to deny consent for any survey, including the YRBS. To further address Representative Pruitt's concern, he said that Section 1 stipulates that without the written approval, any survey is disallowed; however, Section 4 allows passive consent for the administration of the YRBS, as the exception. 8:54:20 AM JEAN MISCHEL, Attorney, Legislative Legal Counsel, agreed with the interpretation offered by Representative Seaton, and said YRBS represents the only allowable exception. The notice provisions in Section 2 would apply to all surveys. REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT asked for clarity, pondering whether Section 3 counteracts Section 1, as it does not specify the YRBS. MS. MISCHEL explained that Section 3 provides an added ability for a student or parent, during the course of any survey to not answer specific questions. She offered that the bill structure may be difficult to follow; however, the language remains consistent and appropriate throughout. 8:56:54 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON moved to report SB 8 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, SB 8 was reported from the House Education Standing Committee. 8:57:20 AM The committee took an at-ease from 8:57 a.m. to 8:59 a.m.