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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE
Room 30, House Building
February 25, 2013

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. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Jim Nielson
        Rep. Val Peterson
        Rep. Marie H. Poulson
        Rep. Kraig Powell
        Rep. Keven Stratton

MEMBERS EXCUSED:    Rep. Greg H. Hughes
        Rep. Dean T. Sanpei
                        
STAFF PRESENT:    Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        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 4:27 p.m. and announced that Rep. Hughes and Rep. Sanpei are excused.

MOTION:    Rep. Powell moved to adopt the minutes of February 21, 2013. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McCay, Rep. Moss, Rep. Poulson, and Rep. Stratton absent for the vote.

H.B. 134    Parental Notification Related to Student Safety (Rep. G. Froerer)

MOTION:
    Rep. Eliason moved to replace H.B. 134 with 1st Sub. H.B. 134. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McCay, Rep. Poulson and Rep. Stratton absent for the vote.

Rep. Froerer introduced the bill which requires parental notification of certain safety threats to a parent's student.

MOTION:    Rep. Arent moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Nielson voting in opposition to the motion. Rep. Stratton was absent

for the vote.

H.B. 318    Classroom Size Revisions (Rep. R. Edwards)

Rep. Edward introduced the bill which imposes requirements pertaining to class size.

Dr. Martell Menlove, State Superintendent, commented on the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Powell moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:    Rep. Last moved to move to the next item on the agenda. The motion passed with Rep. Arent, Rep. Moss, Rep. Poulson, Rep. Powell, Rep. Gibson, and Rep. Snow voting in opposition to the motion. Rep. Stratton was absent for the vote.

S.B. 51    Higher Education Tuition Waivers (Sen. S. Urquhart) (Rep. D. Ipson)

Sen. Urquhart introduced the bill which amends provisions related to tuition waivers at institutions of higher education. Mr. James Morales, Utah State University, assisted with the presentation.

Mr. Dave Buhler, Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education, spoke in support of the bill.

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

1.    Page 3, Lines 79 through 81 :    

             79          (3) Upon recommendation of the board, a president

{   may   }        shall       grant additional full or partial

             80      tuition waivers to encourage students to enroll for instruction in occupations critical to the state
             81      for which trained personnel are in short supply.
The motion passed unanimously.

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

S.B. 100    Higher Education Scholarship Amendments (Sen. J. Stevenson) (Rep. D. Brown)

Sen. Stevenson introduced the bill which modifies requirements related to certain higher education scholarships.



Commissioner Buhler expressed support for the bill and addressed committee members' questions.

The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
    Ms. Cherlyn Eager, World Class Education Research
    Mr. Ron Mortensen, Citizens for Tax Fairness
    Ms. Ali Sadler, member of Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU)     Ms. Geneva Thompson, Vice President, ASUU
    Mr. Logan Froerer, University of Utah student
    
The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Mr. Adam Eliason, Hillcrest High School student
    Ms. Erin Preston, Superintendent, Providence Hall Charter School
    
Mr. Christian Heugly, student, Providence Hall Charter School
    
MOTION:    
Rep. Lifferth moved to hold the bill.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:    Rep. McCay moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Cunningham, Rep. Lifferth, Rep. Nielson,
Rep. Peterson, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Stratton voting in opposition to the motion.     
    
H.B. 173    Necessarily Existent Small Schools Funding Amendments (Rep. K. Powell)


Rep. Powell introduced the bill which modifies provisions relating to funding for necessarily existent small schools.

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

1.    Page 1, Line 20 :    

             20          
{   None   }        This bill provides an effective date.      


2.    Page 2, Line 29 :    

             29          (1) As used in this section
{   , "board"   }        :

    (a) "Board"  
means the State Board of Education.

      (b) "Necessarily existent small schools funding balance" means the difference between:

    (a) the amount appropriated for the necessarily existent small schools program in a fiscal year; and
    (b) the amount distributed to school districts for the necessarily existent small

schools program in the same fiscal year.  



3.    Page 3, Lines 69 through 71 :    

             69          
{   (8) An amount not to exceed five percent of the total necessarily existent small schools

             70      funding may be distributed in accordance with a formula adopted by the board that considers
             71      the tax effort of a local school board.  
}
 

    (8)(a) Subject to Subsection (8)(b), the board may distribute a portion of necessarily existent small schools funding in accordance with a formula adopted by the board that considers the tax effort of a local school board.
    (b) The amount distributed in accordance with Subsection (8)(a) may not exceed the necessarily existent small schools funding balance of the prior fiscal year.  


4.    Page 3, Line 74 :    

             74      [state] board.
 

    Section 2. Effective date.
    This bill takes effect on July 1, 2013.  

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Last and Rep. Moss absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Powell moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Last and Rep. Moss absent for the vote.

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

MOTION:    Rep. Stratton moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Moss absent for the vote. The meeting adjourned at 6:26 p.m.





            ___________________________________
            Rep. Francis Gibson, Chair