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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE
Room 445, State Capitol
February 6, 2012

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Francis Gibson, Chair
        Rep. Bill Wright, Vice Chair
        Rep. Patrice Arent
        Rep. LaVar Christensen
        Rep. Becky Edwards
        Rep. Steven Eliason
        Rep. Greg H. Hughes    
        Rep. John G. Mathis
        Rep. Kay L. McIff
        Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Merlynn Newbold
        Rep. Marie H. Poulson
        Rep. Kraig Powell
        Rep. Ken W. Sumsion

MEMBERS EXCUSED:    Rep. Rebecca D. Lockhart             
            
STAFF PRESENT:    Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        Linda Service, Committee Secretary
        
Note: List of visitors and copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes.


Rep. Gibson called the meeting to order at 2:07 p.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Edwards moved to approve the minutes of February 2, 2012. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Arent, Rep. Christensen, Rep. Hughes, Rep. McIff, Rep. Newbold, Rep. Sumsion, and Rep. Wright were absent for the vote.

H.B. 218    Local School Board Business Administrator (Rep. D. McCay)

Rep. McCay introduced the bill which changes procedures related to hiring a business administrator of a school district.

MOTION:    Rep. Newbold moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Hughes, and Rep. Wright were absent for the vote.

MOTION:
    Rep. Eliason moved to place the bill on the consent calendar. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Christensen, Rep. Hughes, and Rep. Wright were absent for the vote.


H.B. 230    Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind Amendments (Rep. J. Seelig)

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

1.    Page 1, Lines 18 through 19 :    

             18              .    report
  verbally and in written form       annually to the Education Interim Committee on the Utah Schools for the

             19      Deaf and the Blind;

2.    Page 3, Lines 64 through 89 :    

             64          [(3) (a)] (4)
  (a)       The board shall:

             65          [(i) appoint members of the Advisory Council for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and
             66      the Blind; and]
             67          [(ii) receive and consider the recommendations and advice of the advisory council.]
             68          [(b) The board is not obligated to follow the recommendations of the advisory council.]
             69          
{   (a)   }        (i)       establish the Advisory Council for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and

             70      appoint no more than 11 members to the advisory council;
             71          
{   (b)   }        (ii)       make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative

             72      Rulemaking Act, regarding the operation of the advisory council; and
             73          
{   (c)   }        (iii)       receive and consider the advice and recommendations of the advisory council but is

             74      not obligated to follow the recommendations of the advisory council.
    
  (b) The advisory council described in Subsection (4)(a) shall include at least:

    (i) two members who are blind;
    (ii) two members who are deaf; and
    (iii) two members who are deafblind or parents of a deafblind child.  

             75          [(4)] (5) The board shall approve the annual budget and expenditures of the Utah
             76      Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
             77          (6)
  (a)       On or before the November interim meeting each year, the board shall report to the

             78      Education Interim Committee on the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
    
  (b)       The report shall        be presented verbally and in written form to the

Education Interim Committee and shall      


             79      include:
             80          
{   (a)   }        (i)       a financial report;

             81          
{   (b)   }        (ii)       a report on the activities of the superintendent and associate superintendents;

             82          
{   (c)   }        (iii)       a report on activities to involve parents and constituency and advocacy groups in

             83      the governance of the school; and
             84          
{   (d)   }        (iv)       a report on student achievement including:

             85          
{   (i)   }        (A)       student academic achievement data, including longitudinal data for both current and

             86      previous students served by the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind;
             87          
{   (ii)   }        (B)       graduation rates; and

             88          
{   (iii)   }        (C)       students exiting the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and their educational

             89      placement after exiting the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Hughes and Rep. Wright were absent for the vote.

Rep. Seelig introduced the bill which modifies provisions relating to the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Supt. Martell Menlove, Deputy Superintendent, Utah State Board of Education, and Dixie Allen, State Board of Education, assisted in the presentation of the bill.

Ms. Jan Ferre, Legislative Coalition for Persons with Disabilities, spoke in support of the bill.

The following spoke to the bill:
    Mr. Dan Mathis, deaf community
    Mr. Philippe Montalette, UAD President

MOTION:    Rep. Sumsion moved to pass the bill out as amended with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Wright was absent for the vote.

H.B. 285    Repeal of Higher Education Tuition Assistance Program (Rep. S. Eliason)


Rep. Eliason introduced the bill which repeals the Utah Higher Education Tuition Assistance Program. Mr. Dave Buhler, State Board of Regents, assisted in the presentation.

MOTION:    Rep. McIff moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously.



MOTION:    Rep. Newbold moved to place the bill on the consent calendar. The motion passed unanimously.

MOTION:    Rep. Poulson moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously. Chair Gibson adjourned the meeting at 3:04 p.m.













            ___________________________________
            Rep. Francis Gibson, Chair