MINUTES OF THE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
Thursday, February 25, 2021 • 8:00 a.m. • 2110 State Office Building


Members Present:
Rep. V. Lowry Snow, Chair
Rep. Susan Pulsipher, Vice Chair
Rep. Kera Birkeland
Rep. Craig Hall
Rep. Dan N. Johnson
Rep. Karen Kwan
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
Rep. Adam Robertson
Rep. Steve Waldrip
Rep. Christine F. Watkins
Rep. Elizabeth Weight

Members Absent:
Rep. Melissa G. Ballard
Rep. Bradley G. Last
Rep. Jefferson Moss
Rep. Val L. Peterson

Staff Present:
Micah Ann Wixom, Policy Analyst
Daniel Ryan, Committee Secretary

Note: A copy of related materials and an audio recording of the meeting can be found at www.le.utah.gov.

Vice Chair Pulsipher called the meeting to order at 8:02 a.m.
MOTION: Rep. Snow moved to approve the minutes of February 23, 2021. The motion passed with a vote of 7-0-8.
Yeas - 7Nays-0Abs-8
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. D. Johnson
Rep. S. Pulsipher
Rep. A. Robertson
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. S. Waldrip
Rep. E. Weight
Rep. M. Ballard
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. K. Kwan
Rep. B. Last
Rep. C. Moss
Rep. J. Moss
Rep. V. Peterson
Rep. C. Watkins
1. H.B. 372 Start Smart Utah Breakfast Program Amendments (Johnson, D.N.)
Rep. Johnson presented the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Snow moved to pass H.B. 372 out favorably. The motion passed with a vote of 8-0-7.
Yeas - 8Nays-0Abs-7
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. D. Johnson
Rep. S. Pulsipher
Rep. A. Robertson
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. S. Waldrip
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. E. Weight
Rep. M. Ballard
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. K. Kwan
Rep. B. Last
Rep. C. Moss
Rep. J. Moss
Rep. V. Peterson
2. H.B. 340 Mathematics and Science Opportunities for Students and Teachers Program (Eliason, S.)
Rep. Steve Eliason presented the bill with the assistance of Kami Dupree, Educator Development Specialist, Utah State Board of Education (USBE).
Dr. Sara Jones, Utah Education Association, spoke in favor of the bill.
MOTION: Rep. Johnson moved to pass H.B. 340 out favorably. The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-5.
Yeas - 10Nays-0Abs-5
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. D. Johnson
Rep. K. Kwan
Rep. S. Pulsipher
Rep. A. Robertson
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. S. Waldrip
Rep. C. Watkins
Rep. E. Weight
Rep. M. Ballard
Rep. B. Last
Rep. C. Moss
Rep. J. Moss
Rep. V. Peterson
3. H.B. 345 School Resource Officers Amendments (Hollins, S.)
Rep. Sandra Hollins presented the bill with the assistance of Tom Ross, Executive Director, Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Darin Adams, Utah Chiefs of Police Association, and Jeffrey Van Hulten, Director of Public Affairs, USBE.
Marina Lowe, Legislative and Policy Council, ACLU of Utah, spoke in favor of the bill.
Natalie Cline, State Board of Education member, speaking on behalf of herself, spoke against the bill.
Jeffrey Van Hulten, USBE, spoke to the bill.
Brett Peterson, Director, Juvenile Justice Services, spoke in favor of the bill.
Ben Horsley, Communications and Community Outreach Director, Granite School District, spoke in favor of the bill.
Kayley Richards, Utah Board of Juvenile Justice, spoke in favor of the bill.
Andrew Riggle, Public Policy Advocate, Disability Law Center, spoke in favor of the bill.
Pam Vickrey, Executive Director, Utah Juvenile Defender Attorneys, spoke in favor of the bill.
Sheriff Chad Jensen, President, Utah Sheriff's Association, spoke in favor of the bill.
Brain Gwiliam, Chief of Police, Lone Peak Police Department, spoke in favor of the bill.
Rep. Kwan moved to amend H.B. 345 with Amendment #1.
Amendment 1
H.B. 345
1.        Page 1, Lines 18 through 20: 
18                 ▸         places conditions on the ability of a local education agency (LEA) to contract with a
19         law enforcement agency for school resource officer services, including requiring:
20                         •         that the contract procure services in elementary and secondary schools;

2.        Page 3, Lines 69 through 71: 
69                 (4) The state board shall work together with the Department of Public Safety, the State
70         Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, and state and local law enforcement to establish
71         policies and procedures that govern { student } school resource officers.

3.        Page 3, Lines 75 through 79: 
75                 (1) (a) An LEA may contract with a law enforcement agency { or an individual } to
76         provide school resource officer services at the LEA only if:
77                 (i) the purpose of the contract is to provide school resource officer services to elementary and
78         secondary schools;
79                 (ii) the LEA governing board , including law enforcement, reviews and approves the contract[.]; and

4.        Page 3, Lines 84 through 88: 
84                 (B) measurable performance metrics , that the LEA and law enforcement agency define, related to meeting the purpose for having school
85         resource officer services to be used to evaluate and improve the school resource officer services within the LEA ;
86                 (C) the { steps } alternative efforts at remediation and intervention, including multidisciplinary school teams, that the LEA and school resource officer took before an arrest { or disciplinary
87         action } , suspension, or expulsion ;
88                 (D) the individual or agency who { initiated } made a report that led to an arrest { referral } or disciplinary action; and

5.        Page 5, Lines 132 through 135: 
132                 (h) if the contract is between an LEA and a law enforcement agency, that:
133                 (i) both parties agree to { jointly } discuss SRO applicants; and
134                 (ii) the law enforcement agency will accept feedback from an LEA about an SRO's
135         performance.

The motion to amend passed with a vote 9-0-6.
Yeas - 9Nays-0Abs-6
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. D. Johnson
Rep. K. Kwan
Rep. C. Moss
Rep. S. Pulsipher
Rep. A. Robertson
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. E. Weight
Rep. M. Ballard
Rep. B. Last
Rep. J. Moss
Rep. V. Peterson
Rep. S. Waldrip
Rep. C. Watkins
MOTION: Rep. Kwan moved to pass H.B. 345 out favorably as amended. The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-5.
Yeas - 10Nays-0Abs-5
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. D. Johnson
Rep. K. Kwan
Rep. C. Moss
Rep. S. Pulsipher
Rep. A. Robertson
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. S. Waldrip
Rep. E. Weight
Rep. M. Ballard
Rep. B. Last
Rep. J. Moss
Rep. V. Peterson
Rep. C. Watkins
MOTION: Rep. Kwan moved to adjourn. The motion passed with a vote of 10-0-5.
Yeas - 10Nays-0Abs-5
Rep. K. Birkeland
Rep. C. Hall
Rep. D. Johnson
Rep. K. Kwan
Rep. C. Moss
Rep. S. Pulsipher
Rep. A. Robertson
Rep. V. Snow
Rep. S. Waldrip
Rep. E. Weight
Rep. M. Ballard
Rep. B. Last
Rep. J. Moss
Rep. V. Peterson
Rep. C. Watkins
Vice Chair Pulsipher adjourned the meeting at 9:45 a.m.