ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE  April 30, 2007 1:31 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Bettye Davis, Chair Senator Joe Thomas, Vice Chair Senator John Cowdery Senator Kim Elton Senator Fred Dyson MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT  Representative Mark Neuman COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE BILL NO. 2 "An Act relating to the vocational education account and appropriations from that account; and providing for an effective date." MOVED HB 2 OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 2 SHORT TITLE: VOCATIONAL EDUC ACCOUNT SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) NEUMAN 01/16/07 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/5/07 01/16/07 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/16/07 (H) HES, FIN 03/15/07 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106 03/15/07 (H) Moved Out of Committee 03/15/07 (H) MINUTE(HES) 03/16/07 (H) HES RPT 4DP 1NR 2AM 03/16/07 (H) DP: NEUMAN, FAIRCLOUGH, SEATON, ROSES 03/16/07 (H) NR: GARDNER 03/16/07 (H) AM: CISSNA, WILSON 03/29/07 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519 03/29/07 (H) Moved Out of Committee 03/29/07 (H) MINUTE(FIN) 03/30/07 (H) FIN RPT 8DP 2NR 03/30/07 (H) DP: FOSTER, STOLTZE, CRAWFORD, NELSON, JOULE, THOMAS, MEYER, CHENAULT 03/30/07 (H) NR: HAWKER, KELLY 04/18/07 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 04/18/07 (H) VERSION: HB 2 04/20/07 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/20/07 (S) HES, FIN WITNESS REGISTER Representative Neuman Alaska State Capitol Juneau, AK 99801-1182 POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 2. ACTION NARRATIVE CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS called the Senate Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:31:19 PM. All members were present at the call to order. HB 2-VOCATIONAL EDUC ACCOUNT    1:32:09 PM CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS announced HB 2 to be up for consideration. REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN, sponsor of HB 2, said that the bill will create an education funding account that will allow private industry to put money towards vocational education. CHAIR DAVIS asked if there were any questions, and if the sponsor had any more to say about the bill. 1:33:18 PM SENATOR THOMAS asked for a definition of regional educational attendance areas as referenced in the bill. REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN replied that the regions are organized units within unorganized parts of the state. The bill is three years in the making and stays within the guidelines of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act so that children can get technical educations while staying within the parameters of NCLB. The bill will bring in upwards of $10 million a year for vocational education; the commissioner of labor will watch over quality standards, and people will be able to submit applications for teaching such programs in rural areas. CHAIR DAVIS interjected that the committee is in support of the bill, and she asked for a motion. 1:36:03 PM SENATOR DYSON made a motion to move HB 2 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There being no objection, the motion carried. There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Davis adjourned the meeting at 1:36:27 PM.