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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE
Room 30, House Building
February 12, 2014

Members Present:    Rep. Francis Gibson, Chair
        Rep. Lowry Snow, Vice Chair
        Rep. Patrice M. Arent
        Rep. Rich Cunningham
        Rep. Steve Eliason
        Rep. Bradley G. Last
        Rep. David Lifferth    
        Rep. Dan McCay
        Rep. Jim Nielson
        Rep. Marie H. Poulson
        Rep. Kraig Powell
        
Members Absent:    Rep. Greg H. Hughes
        Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Val Peterson
        Rep. Dean Sanpei
        Rep. Keven Stratton            
            
Staff Present        Ms. Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        Ms. Linda Service, Committee Secretary
        
Note: List of visitors and copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes.

Chair Gibson called the meeting to order at 4:15 p.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Cunningham moved to approve the minutes of the February 11, 2014 meeting. The motion passed with Rep. McCay and Rep. Powell absent for the vote.

H.B. 337    Teacher Salary Supplement Program Amendments (Rep. B. Last)

Rep. Last explained the bill.

Spoke to the bill:    Dr. Martell Menlove, State School Superintendent

MOTION:    Rep. Poulson moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McCay and Rep. Powell absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Eliason moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McCay absent for the vote.

H.B. 307    Public Education Funding Task Force (Rep. J. Bird)

Rep. Bird explained the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Cunningham moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 2, Lines 29 through 30 :    

             29          (1) There is created the Public Education Funding Task Force consisting of the
             30      following
{   16   }        17       members:


2.    Page 2, Lines 39 through 41 :    

             39          (e) two representatives of school districts appointed by the president of the Senate;
{   and   }

             40          (f) two representatives of school districts appointed by the speaker of the House of
             41      Representatives
{   .   }        ; and

    (g) one representative of charter schools appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives.  

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McCay absent for the vote.

Spoke to the bill:    Chris Bleak, President, Utah Association of Public Charter Schools

MOTION:    Rep. Cunningham moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion failed with Rep. Arent, Rep. Eliason, Rep. Last, Rep. Poulson, and Rep. Powell voting against the motion and Rep. Cunningham, Rep. Lifferth, Rep. Nielson, Rep. Gibson, and Rep. Snow voting in favor of the motion. Rep. McCay was absent for the vote.

H.B. 41    Clean Fuel School Buses and Infrastructure (Rep. S. Handy)

Rep. Handy explained the bill. He was assisted by Mr. David Roberts, Finance Director, State Office of Education, who reviewed a PowerPoint presentation and distributed a handout, "Investment in Clean Air/Safe Kids Funding Proposal."

MOTION:    Rep. Gibson moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 3, Line 61 :    

             61          (b) specifying criteria for selecting a grant recipient
  consistent with the requirements of Subsection (4)       ;

2.    Page 3, Line 63 :    

             63      purchased with grant money has replaced a school bus manufactured before 2002;
{   and   }


3.    Page 3, Lines 65 through 66 :    

             65      than or equal to the amount of a grant received under this section
{   .   }        ;

    (e) requiring a grant recipient to ensure that a replaced school bus is made permanently inoperable; and
    (f) requiring a grant recipient to expend the grant within two years of receiving the grant.
 
           (4) The board shall specify criteria for selecting a grant recipient in consultation with the Division of Air Quality, including the following criteria:

    (a) fuel savings;
    (b) the emissions reduction or environmental improvement over the remaining useful life of a school bus that is taken out of operation;
    (c) the amount of matching funds provided;
    (d) the number and capacity of alternative fuel fueling stations installed; and
    (e) a commitment to use fuel savings to purchase school buses that use alternative fuel or clean diesel fuel until all school buses manufactured before 2002 are replaced.      

             66          
{   (4)   }        (5)       The board shall appoint a committee that includes representatives of school


4.    Page 3, Line 70 :    

             70          
{   (5)   }        (6)       Through the state superintendent of public instruction, the board shall facilitate


5.    Page 3, Line 73 :    

             73          
{   (6)   }        (7)       On or before November 1, 2014, the board shall submit a report to the Public


1.    Page 1, Lines 13 through 16 :    

             13          .    allows the State Board of Education to award a grant to a school district or charter
             14      school to:

             15              .    replace a school bus manufactured before 2002 with a new school bus that uses
             16     
{   CNG, propane,   }        alternative fuel       or clean diesel fuel;


2.    Page 2, Line 46 :    

             46          (a) "Alternative fuel" means CNG
{   or   }        ,       propane        , blended biodiesel, or electricity       .


3.    Page 2, Lines 51 through 53 :    

             51          (2) The board may award a grant to a school district or charter school to:
             52          (a) replace a school bus manufactured before 2002 with a new school bus that uses
             53     
{   CNG, propane,   }        alternative fuel       or clean diesel fuel;


The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McCay absent for the vote.

Spoke for the bill:    Geoff Leonard, Utah School Employees Association
        Patti Harrington, Utah School Boards Association and School         Superintendents Association
        Dr. Brian Moench, Utah Physicians for Healthy Environment
        Kurt Hawes, WRE Biofuels
        Cherise Udell, Utah Moms for Clean Air

Spoke against the bill:    Peter Cannon, citizen

MOTION:    Rep. Cunningham and Rep. Arent moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Eliason and Rep. Last absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. McCay moved to adjourn. Chair Gibson adjourned the meeting at 5:15 p.m. with Rep. Eliason and Rep. Last absent for the vote.        



_________________________________________
Rep. Francis Gibson, Chair