SCR 1-CIVICS EDUCATION TASK FORCE  [Contains discussion of HB 89.]  8:03:59 AM CHAIR KELLER announced that the first order of business would be CS FOR SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 1(EDC), Relating to a legislative task force on civics education. 8:04:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for CSSCR1(EDC), labeled 29-LS0237\I, Glover, 3/11/16, as the working document. Without objection Version I was before the committee. 8:04:52 AM TIM LAMKIN, Staff, Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State Legislature, presented the CS, with the incorporated changes and notations of the requesting member, which read: Change 1: Page 1, Line 8, following "knowledge," INSERT: "based on an understanding of the values of our founders that are revealed in our founding documents," Intent: Requested by [Chair Keller], to give specific reference to the U.S. founding documents. Change 2: Page 2, Lines 1, following "help": DELETE: "ensure that schools" INSERT: "encourage schools to" Page 2, Line 2, following "for all students": DELETE: "through" INSERT: "in such a way so as to compliment" Intent: Representative Seaton requested this to clarify that the task force would not be adopting new state standards for civics education. Change 3: Page 2, Line 14-20, following (4): INSERT: "(5) Evaluate the merits of and implementation requirements for requiring high school seniors to take and satisfactorily pass the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services under 8 U.S.C. 1446(b) as a contingency of graduating from high school; (6) Review the merits of and consider ways to best implement the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as it pertains to civics education in Alaska;" Result: Adds two subsections to the duties of the task force. Intent: Incorporates the goal behind HB 89, and considers new federal policy in the field of civics education under ESSA. Change 4: Page 3, Lines 8-9: DELETE: "one member of the National Education Association [(NEA)] who is a" INSERT: "one current or retired high school teacher with significant teaching experience in civics or social studies education in the state" Intent: Chair's request to remove explicit reference to the NEA. 8:09:41 AM CHAIR KELLER expressed support for the bill and gratification for inclusion of the specific language inserted on his request. He stressed the importance for including the reference, and paraphrased the proposed language from page 1, line 8, which read: ... develop civics knowledge based on an understanding of the values of the nation's founders as revealed in the nation's founding documents, including knowledge of our system of government and how it works, ... 8:10:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE COLVER turned to the fiscal note, and asked whether civic groups, or other non-profits organizations, have been solicited to cover the costs of the task force. MR. LAMKIN indicated the frugality incorporated into the fiscal note and that costs will be borne by members of the task force. The fiscal note was previously zeroed out, he reported. 8:12:23 AM The committee took an at-ease from 8:12 a.m. to 8:13 a.m. 8:13:24 AM REPRESENTATIVE COLVER moved to report the CS for CSSCR 1(EDC), labeled 29-LS0237\I, Glover, 3/11/16, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal notes. 8:14:29 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON objected for discussion, and upon receiving clarification that the motion was on Version I, removed his objection. CHAIR KELLER without further objection HCS for CSSCR 1(EDC) was reported from the House Education Standing Committee.