MINUTES OF THE

SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE

210 Senate Building, Utah State Capitol Complex

March 10, 2015

 

Members Present:     Sen. Ann Millner, Chair

                                    Sen. Jim Dabakis

                                    Sen. Mark B. Madsen

                                    Sen. Aaron Osmond

                                    Sen. Howard A. Stephenson

                                    Sen. Stephen H. Urquhart

                                                                       

Members Excused:    President Wayne L. Niederhauser

           

Members Absent:      Sen. Jerry W. Stevenson

           

Staff Present:             Ms. Allyson Goldstein, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Brooke Parrish, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:  A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

 

Chair Millner called the meeting to order at 8:20 a.m.

 

2nd Sub. H.B. 186       State School Board Membership and Election Amendments (Rep. F. Gibson)

 

Rep. Gibson explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Ms. LeAnn Wood, citizen

                                                Ms. Deon Turley, Utah Parent Teacher Association

                                                Mr. Chase Clyde, Utah Education Association

 

Spoke against the bill:             Mr. Nick Pond, citizen                       

 

MOTION:  Sen. Osmond moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

H.B. 363      School Land Trust Program Amendments (Rep. R. Cunningham)

 

Rep. Cunningham explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Mr. Tim Donaldson, School Children’s Trust, Utah State Office of Education

                                             Ms. Tracy Miller, Trust Lands Board Specialist, Utah Parent Teacher Association                

 

MOTION:  Sen. Madsen moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

1st Sub. H.B. 355        Southern Utah Stem Initiative (Rep. J. Stanard)

 

Rep. Stanard explained the bill to the committee.                             

 

MOTION:  Sen. Osmond moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

S.B. 299       Classroom Instruction Time (Sen. M. Madsen)

 

Sen. Madsen explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Mr. Brad C. Smith, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Utah State Office of Education                   

 

MOTION:  Sen. Osmond moved to proceed with the next agenda item. The motion passed unanimously.

 

H.B. 367      Education Ethics Training Requirement (Rep. J. Briscoe)

 

Rep. Briscoe explained the bill to the committee. The handout “HB 367 Educator Ethics Training Requirement” was distributed to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Dr. Sydnee Dickson, Deputy Superintendent, Utah State Office of Education

 

Spoke against the bill:             Mr. Nick Pond, citizen           

 

MOTION:  Sen. Urquhart moved to adopt the following amendment:

 

1.     Page 1, Lines 13 through 13a

House Floor Amendments

3-5-2015:     


             13             requires a local education agency (LEA)  Ĥ [or private school]   {and certain private

             13 a     schools}   »Ĥ  to require new employees


 

2.     Page 1, Lines 16 through 17a

House Floor Amendments

3-5-2015:     


             16 the LEA;

             17             requires an LEA  Ĥ [or private school]   {and certain private schools}        »Ĥ  

                                       to require

             17a      employees  Ĥ [and certain volunteers] »Ĥ  to


 

3.     Page 1, Lines 18 through 20

House Floor Amendments

3-5-2015:     


             1 8 complete approved education ethics training on an ongoing basis; and

             19             provides for an LEA  Ĥ [or private school]   {and certain private schools}   

                                       »Ĥ  to

             19 a     approve certain education ethics training

             20 courses.


 

4.     Page 2, Lines 34 through 35

House Floor Amendments

3-5-2015:     


             34        (i)  meets the education ethics training requirements described in Subsection (5);

             35        (ii)  is approved by an LEA   {or private school}   in accordance with Subsection (2);

                        and


 

5.     Page 2, Lines 41 through 46

House Floor Amendments

3-5-2015:     


             41          {(c)  "Private school" means a school that:

             42        (i)  is not part of the public education system; and

             43        (ii)  enrolls scholarship students under Chapter 1a, Part 7, Carson Smith Scholarships

             44        for Students with Special Needs Act.} 

             45          {(d)}    (c)    "School employee" means  Ĥ [:

             46        (i)] »Ĥ  an employee of an LEA   {or private school}    Ĥ [; or


 

6.     Page 2, Lines 49 through 50

House Floor Amendments

3-5-2015:     


             49        (2)  An LEA   {or private school}   shall approve at least one education ethics training

             50 course that a school employee of the LEA   {or private school}   may take to meet the requirements


 

7.     Page 2, Line 52

House Floor Amendments

3-5-2015:     


             52        (3)  Except as provided in Subsection (4), an LEA   {or private school}   shall require

                        a


 

8.     Page 3, Lines 59 through 61:     


                                     59        (b)  An LEA   {or private school}   may exempt a school employee who worked at another

                           60 LEA     {or private school}    from the requirement described in Subsection (3)(a) if the    employee

                                     61 fulfilled that requirement at the previous LEA   {or private school}  .

 

The motion passed unanimously.       

 

MOTION:  Sen. Urquhart moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended.  The motion passed with Sen. Stephenson voting in opposition.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Osmond moved to approve the minutes of the March 6, 2015 meeting.  The motion passed unanimously.   

 

MOTION:  Sen. Urquhart moved to adjourn.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Chair Millner adjourned the meeting at 9:53 a.m.

 

 

 

________________________

Sen. Ann Millner, Chair