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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE
January 16, 2007
Room W135, West Office Building, State Capitol Complex

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair
        Rep. Patrick Painter, Vice Chair
        Rep. Sylvia S. Andersen
        Rep. Brad L. Dee
        Rep. Craig A. Frank
        Rep. James R. Gowans
        Rep. Kory M. Holdaway
        Rep. Bradley G. Last
        Rep. Rebecca D. Lockhart
        Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold
        Rep. LaWanna "Lou" Shurtliff
        Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion    
        Rep. Stephen Urquhart
        Rep. Mark A. Wheatley
            
STAFF PRESENT:    Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        Diane Obeshaw, Committee Secretary
        Dee S Larsen, Associate General Counsel

Note: List of visitors and copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes.


Rep. Hughes called the meeting to order at 2:20 p.m. Committee members and staff introduced themselves.

Rep. Moss gave an English lesson on the difference between "its" and "it's."


H.B. 3    Minimum School Program Base Budget Amendments (Rep. B. Last)

Rep. Last introduced the bill which provides base funding for the Minimum School Program.

MOTION:    Rep. Dee moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Gowans absent for the vote.


H.B. 68    School Fee Waiver Amendments (Rep. L. Shurtliff)

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




1.    Page 1, Lines 16 through 18 :    

             16          This bill appropriates:
             17          .    as an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints,
{   $900,000   }        $1,500,000       from the

             18      Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2007-08 to the State Board of Education.

2.    Page 3, Lines 81 through 83 :    

             81          As an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, there is appropriated
             82      from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2007-08,
{   $900,000   }        $1,500,000       to the State Board of

             83      Education to distribute to school districts impacted by fee waivers as provided by Section

The motion to amend the bill passed unanimously with Rep. Gowans absent for the vote.

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


1.    Page 1, Line 13 :    

             13          .    establishes criteria for the distribution of the funds;
{   and   }

    
  . beginning on July 1, 2009, makes compensation for impacts of fee waivers conditioned upon compliance with certain financial reporting requirements; and      


2.    Page 3, Line 79 :    

             79      application for and distribution of funds under this Subsection (7).
  (d) Beginning on July 1, 2009, a school district or charter school may not receive a distribution of funds under this Subsection (7) unless the school district or charter school accounts for revenues collected and expended at the school level in accordance with rules of the State Board of Education which shall:

    (i) require that revenues collected and expended at the school level be classified in accordance with a uniform chart of accounts;
    (ii) provide for the identification of revenues from fees and how fees are expended; and
    (iii) require that revenues collected and expended at the school level be:

    (A) reported to the state superintendent for inclusion in the annual report of the state superintendent provided by Section 53A-1-301 ; and
    (B) included in the annual audit report required under Section 51-2a-201.  


The motion to amend the bill passed unanimously with Rep. Gowans absent for the vote.

Rep. Shurtliff introduced the amended bill which provides money to reimburse school districts for fee waivers.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
Superintendent Noel Zabriskie, Ogden School District
Bruce Penland, Ogden School District
Vic Arnold, Utah Education Association
Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association and School Superintendents Association

The following commented on the bill:
Jean Hill, Utah State Office of Education
Cheryl Phipps, Utah PTA

MOTION:    Rep. Holdaway moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Frank, Rep. Newbold, and Rep. Sumsion voting in opposition. Rep. Gowans was absent for the vote.

H.B. 79    Concurrent Enrollment Amendments (Rep. K. Holdaway)

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

1.    Page 6, Lines 177 through 179 :    

             177          (4) Each year the Legislature shall increase the money appropriated to the State Board
             178      of Education in Section 53A-17a-104 for concurrent enrollment based on enrollment growth in
             179      concurrent enrollment
  from additional students enrolled, courses offered, and credit hours taken       .


The motion to amend the bill passed unanimously with Rep. Gowans absent for the vote.

Rep. Holdaway introduced the bill which modifies funding of the concurrent enrollment program.


The following spoke in support of the bill:
Superintendent Patti Harrington, State Board of Education
Rich Kendall, State Board of Regents
Rhonda Rose, Utah State PTA
Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association and School Superintendents Association

MOTION:    Rep. Gowans moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

MOTION:    Rep. Lockhart moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.

Rep. Hughes adjourned the meeting at 4:15 p.m.




_____________________________
Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair