HB 18-TEACHERS: NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION  8:04:30 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 18, "An Act relating to national board certification for public school teachers." 8:04:52 AM CO-CHAIR STORY moved to adopt Amendment 1 to HB 18, labeled 32- LS0168\A.8, Marx, 1/24/22, which read as follows: Page 1, line 6: Delete "2025" Insert "2027" Page 1, line 10: Delete "2026" Insert "2028" 8:05:00 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND objected for the purpose of discussion. 8:05:06 AM CO-CHAIR STORY noted that during the committee's hearing on HB 18 on Monday, Lisa Parady, Executive Director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators, had suggested moving the date for the goal of 4 percent of Alaska teachers reaching National Board certification from 2025 to 2027, because the process is cyclical, and the windows of entry are limited for teachers. The change would give teachers time to enroll in [and complete] the three-year process. She said she spoke with the bill sponsor "to make sure that he was comfortable with this amendment." 8:06:54 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND removed her objection. There being no further objection Amendment 1 was adopted. 8:07:18 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether "taking the standards from what is essentially a private organization" would violate [the last sentence of] Article 7, Section 1, which read: No money shall be paid from public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution. 8:07:55 AM REPRESENTATIVE JONATHON KREISS-TOMKINS, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor of HB 18, responded that in statute, a variety of private, nonprofit organizations are cited for various purposes, including: the Alaska Village Public Safety Officer program, the Alaska Federation of Natives, and others. He said these entities play a certain role others do not play, and he indicated this applies to this issue. REPRESENTATIVE PRAX said it seems to him this is a different situation, and he suggested the bill sponsor "might want to check on that." CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND pointed out that there have been National Board certified teachers for decades, and this issue has never arisen. REPRESENTATIVE PRAX indicated that a teacher may want to get the certification, and that would be a good idea, but it is not the decision of the legislature. 8:10:18 AM REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked whether the proposed bill would require school districts to spend money. REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS answered no. 8:10:52 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRAX, in response to the bill sponsor, offered further detail regarding his concern, and he said it sounded like the committee was leaning toward consideration of providing funds for teachers to get the certification. 8:12:08 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND emphasized that HB 18 has a zero fiscal note and does not propose the provision of scholarships. 8:12:33 AM REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS confirmed there would be no money spent, and he said he had not looked into the constitutional issue voiced by Representative Prax because "it does not apply in this instance." 8:13:17 AM CO-CHAIR STORY moved to report HB 18, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. 8:13:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRAX objected. 8:13:45 AM The committee took an at-ease from 8:13 a.m. to 8:17 a.m. [Due to technical difficulties, the audio at the call back to order was not recorded but was captured in the secretary's log notes. Just following the call back to order, Co-Chair Story withdrew her motion to report HB 18, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the attached fiscal notes; therefore, HB 18, as amended, was once more before the committee.] 8:17:51 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 18 was held over.