Education Committee- House
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Bills discussed (35)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SB543
Act 883
· 6 mentions in chapter, agenda, transcript
Matched: “SB543 K. Hammer TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICT…”
|
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND AMENDING A PORTION OF … | K. Hammer | Notification that SB543 is now Act 883 |
|
SB556
Act 788
· 5 mentions in chapter, transcript, agenda
Matched: “SB556 J. Dotson TO CREATE THE RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINT ANTIDISCRIMINAT…”
|
TO CREATE THE RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINT ANTIDISCRIMINATION ACT. | J. Dotson | Notification that SB556 is now Act 788 |
|
HB1604
Act 731
· 4 mentions in agenda, chapter, transcript
Matched: “AGENDA (Revised 4/6/2023 @ 7:36 AM) Added HB1604 to Concur in Senate Amendment House Committee on Education…”
|
TO REQUIRE THAT A PETITION OF A STUDENT TO TRANSFER FROM ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO … | Barker | Notification that HB1604 is now Act 731 |
|
SB400
Act 768
· 4 mentions in transcript, agenda, chapter
Matched: “…hair, and thank you, Committee. Is there anyone here to run Senate Bill 400 for Senator Clark?”
|
TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY … | A. Clark | Notification that SB400 is now Act 768 |
|
SB551
Act 786
· 3 mentions in chapter, transcript, agenda
Matched: “SB551 J. Dotson TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS CODE AS IT PERTAINS TO REFE…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS CODE AS IT PERTAINS TO REFERENCES TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE … | J. Dotson | Notification that SB551 is now Act 786 |
|
HB1113
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…AUMA- INFORMED CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION WITHIN ITS CURRICULUM. HB1113 Rose TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE AWARD OF SCHOLARS…”
|
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE SUCCEED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO … | Rose | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1154
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…THE SUCCEED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO STUDENTS IN FOSTER CARE. HB1154 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE TYPE OF LICENSE…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE TYPE OF LICENSE ISSUED TO CERTAIN APPLICANTS IN AN … | L. Johnson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1204
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…PURPOSES OF RECEIVING TEACHER SALARY EQUALIZATION FUNDING. HB1204 Wooten TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL S…”
|
TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STATEWIDE STUDENT ASSESSMENT; AND TO REQUIRE PRIVATE … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1206
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…APPLICANTS IN AN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM. HB1206 Joey Carr TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE INFORMATION…”
|
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE INFORMATION CONSIDERED UNDER THE SCHOOL RATING SYSTEM. | Joey Carr | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1343
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…NG PUBLIC EDUCATION. DEFERRED BILLS Number Sponsor Subtitle HB1343 Scott TO ALLOW THE CONTENTS OF A TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRA…”
|
TO ALLOW THE CONTENTS OF A TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM TO INCLUDE CERTAIN CONTENT THAT PERTAINS … | Scott | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1350
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…THE INFORMATION CONSIDERED UNDER THE SCHOOL RATING SYSTEM. HB1350 C. Fite TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF A MINORIT…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF A MINORITY POPULATION ON SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS. | C. Fite | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1428
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…FECT OF A MINORITY POPULATION ON SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS. HB1428 C. Cooper TO CREATE THE EQUAL ACCESS TO COLLEGE AND CAREER…”
|
TO CREATE THE EQUAL ACCESS TO COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS ASSESSMENTS ACT. | C. Cooper | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1587
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…D INTENDS TO COVER PRIVATE SCHOOL COSTS WITH STATE FUNDING. HB1587 Wooten TO REQUIRE HOME SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVE ANY FORM OF PUB…”
|
TO REQUIRE HOME SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVE ANY FORM OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1668
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1668 J. Mayberry TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003;…”
|
TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO AMEND THE TARGET AVERAGE … | J. Mayberry | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1698
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…END THE LAW CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS. HB1698 Breaux TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT.…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT. | Breaux | Recommended for study in the Interim by Joint … |
|
HB1702
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT. HB1702 Unger TO CREATE RECALL ELECTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF SCHOOL DIST…”
|
TO CREATE RECALL ELECTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS; AND TO AMEND … | Unger | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1708
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…SALARY FOR PURPOSES OF TEACHER SALARY EQUALIZATION FUNDING. HB1708 Vaught TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF A NOVICE TEACHER UNDER TH…”
|
TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF A NOVICE TEACHER UNDER THE TEACHER EXCELLENCE AND SUPPORT SYSTEM. | Vaught | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1715
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…TRANSPORTATION TO CERTAIN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL. HB1715 Womack TO PROHIBIT ADDITIONAL TICKET FEES FOR STUDENT ACTIV…”
|
TO PROHIBIT ADDITIONAL TICKET FEES FOR STUDENT ACTIVITIES; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ELEMENTARY AND … | Womack | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1721
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…CE TEACHER UNDER THE TEACHER EXCELLENCE AND SUPPORT SYSTEM. HB1721 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ADULT EDUCATION CHAR…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ADULT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS; AND TO AMEND THE SOURCES OF … | L. Johnson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1722
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ES OF FUNDING AVAILABLE TO ADULT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS. HB1722 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECOND…”
|
TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO AMEND THE CURRENT SCHOOL RATING … | L. Johnson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1724
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…D THE LAW CONCERNING CONTRACTS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS. HB1724 Tosh TO ESTABLISH THE NUMBER OF LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS A…”
|
TO ESTABLISH THE NUMBER OF LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS A PUBLIC SCHOOL SHALL EMPLOY BASED ON … | Tosh | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1773
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1773 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003;…”
|
TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO AMEND THE LAW TO … | L. Johnson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
SB369
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…DVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES BEFORE DISCIPLINING A STUDENT. SB369 J. Dotson CONCERNING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. Page 3…”
|
CONCERNING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. | J. Dotson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
SB500
· 2 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “SB500 J. Bryant TO CREATE THE STUDENT DATA VENDOR SECURITY ACT.”
|
TO CREATE THE STUDENT DATA VENDOR SECURITY ACT. | J. Bryant | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
SB512
Act 781
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB512 Irvin CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL POLICIES; AND CO…”
|
CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL POLICIES; AND CONCERNING A SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL POLICIES. | Irvin | Notification that SB512 is now Act 781 |
|
SB514
Act 782
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB514 Irvin TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE LAW THAT RELATE TO…”
|
TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE LAW THAT RELATE TO TOPICS COVERED BY, THE COMPOSITION … | Irvin | Notification that SB514 is now Act 782 |
|
SB532
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB532 C. Penzo TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS;…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS … | C. Penzo | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
SB554
Act 787
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB554 J. English TO AMEND THE FIRE PREVENTION ACT; AND TO AMEND T…”
|
TO AMEND THE FIRE PREVENTION ACT; AND TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO FIRE DRILLS … | J. English | Notification that SB554 is now Act 787 |
|
SB571
Act 791
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…SCHOOL CHOICE ACT AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015. SB571 J. English TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS CODE TO CLARIFY WHICH INDI…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS CODE TO CLARIFY WHICH INDIVIDUALS ARE REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN … | J. English | Notification that SB571 is now Act 791 |
|
SB572
Act 792
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF SCIENTIFIC READING INSTRUCTION. SB572 J. English TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERN…”
|
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING SCHOOL EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT AND BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR … | J. English | Notification that SB572 is now Act 792 |
|
SB573
Act 793
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB573 J. English TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE…”
|
TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING PUBLIC EDUCATION. | J. English | Notification that SB573 is now Act 793 |
|
HB1205
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1205 Wooten TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDING OF AN…”
|
TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDING OF ANY TYPE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
HB1791
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1791 Gazaway TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS TO I…”
|
TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS TO INCLUDE IN STUDENT DISCIPLINE POLICIES THE REQUIREMENT … | Gazaway | Died in House Committee at Sine Die Adjournment |
|
SB510
Act 780
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB510 Irvin TO AMEND THE CRITERIA CONSIDERED IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT…”
|
TO AMEND THE CRITERIA CONSIDERED IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S REDUCTION-IN-FORCE POLICY. | Irvin | Notification that SB510 is now Act 780 |
|
SB570
Act 790
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB570 J. English TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERN…”
|
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT … | J. English | Notification that SB570 is now Act 790 |
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Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
0:00
Senator Dotson, you've got two bills on our agenda this morning. I know you need to be down in Senate Ed. You've got 551 and
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
0:12
556. Which one would you like to start with? Thank
Representative Keith Brooks
Unverified
0:21
you, Mr. Chair. If we could start with 566, I think Representative Brooks is prepared to run 551 if I need to get out of here. 556? 556. All
Speaker 6
0:29
right. If you'll introduce yourself for the record and present your bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee, Senator Jim Dotson, Senate District
Senator Jim Dotson
Unverified
0:38
34. This bill is, Senate Bill 556 is the Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act. If you'll recall, a couple years ago, I filed this exact same piece of legislation. We passed it through the House Education Committee, and after it came out of the committee, had most of the members of the house education sign on as co-sponsors before we sent it to the senate and then similar to this session we it ran out of time on the senate end and so it's it's
exactly the same as what we filed a couple years ago what it does is it ensures it's based off of texas law that was passed um about a dozen or so years ago and um it ensures that public that students in school have their religious viewpoint that it can't be discriminated against either positively or negatively for expressing their viewpoint. So say, for instance, a kid offers
a prayer at school or puts something of a religious nature in their homework, they can't be graded off for that or bonused because of that religious viewpoint. And I think I'll stop there and see if there's any questions. Representative Duke, you're recognized for a question.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:58
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't want to disappoint you. So quick question on the part where it talks about a student. I like the bill. I should start with that. Okay. But where it asks
about the forum and then having the opportunity if someone presumably speaks or does it include prayer? Do you open up to everybody
if it's just one person praying? Do you then have to allow or one person speaking? Does
Speaker 15
2:23
it allow everybody if the forum's not set that way? How does that look? So the
Senator Jim Dotson
Unverified
2:29
district will have to develop the policies, and those policies just can't discriminate based off religious content. However, they can say that it can't be obscene, vulgar, offensively lewd, indecent, and set the parameters of what
sort of, so it can't be a disruptive forum. They would set the school policies and procedures. So So if it would be a prayer at graduation or a speech at graduation or something like that, they can't discriminate on the religious content of that speech or that prayer. All they could do is say, here's the format, here's the time frame, here's the form in which you're authorized to do this, and you're not prohibited from, it says, I'm trying to find it in the bill, I don't have it memorized.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
3:23
Can I have a follow-up? Sure, recognize for
a follow-up. So they can limit the number of people that do participate in it, just not the content.
Senator Jim Dotson
Unverified
3:31
Right, it's the content specific that this is addressing. Okay, any other questions
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
3:37
for members? Seeing none, there's no one signed up to speak for or against the bill. Senator Dotson, you ready to close for your bill? I'm closed and just would appreciate a good vote. That's the will of the committee. Representative Barker, motion do pass. We have a motion do pass on Senate Bill 556.
Discussion on the motion. Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. The ayes have it. You have passed
Senator Jim Dotson
Unverified
4:03
Senate Bill 556. Do you want me to run 551 or let Representative Brooks? Whatever you want to do. Go ahead while you're there. All right. Senate Bill 551, and sorry, I don't have it right in front of me, but Senate Bill 551, it basically changes the name of the director of higher education to be commissioner of higher education. It's 20-some-odd pages long, but it's striking through that language throughout,
and then also allows for the governor to make a direct appointment of that position. It does also have an emergency clause on it. I'm assuming the purpose of that
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
4:41
is just to align the titles of cabinet members as she has put our cabinet together. I believe the other ones are the commissioner as well. Secondary, this aligns with the commissioner of hire. Right. Any other questions from committee? Seeing none, there's no one here to speak for or against 551.
I'm closed. I appreciate a good vote. Closed. Representative Beck, got a motion to do pass by Representative Beck. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. Ayes have it. Congratulations. Thank you, Mr. Chair
and members. All right. Representative Barker, you've got a concurrence in an amendment.
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
5:33
Representative Barker, State House, District 96. This is the amendment to House Bill 1604 that Representative Duke asked and that I said we would put on in the Senate end that allows the schools the option of putting those transfer petitions on either the next regular board meeting or to call a special meeting to take up those transfers as long as it occurs before that board meeting so that it's not a way to put off the transfers. Questions from committee? Seeing none.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
6:04
No one here to speak for or against. Ready to close for your concurrence of the Senate Amendment? I am closed to make a motion due pass. We have a motion due pass on the concurrence of Senate Amendment on House Bill 1604. Discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. The ayes have it. Congratulations.
We are concurred. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Committee. Is there anyone here to run Senate Bill 400 for Senator Clark?
Speaker 22
6:36
All right, we'll come back to that. We've got three for Senator
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
6:46
Irvin, and I know that we have someone here to speak on all three of those. Is anyone here to present? Has she got anybody here to present those three? Sir? And he's not here.
Senator English has a series here that Representative Cozart is going to run. And he is not here. Senate Bill 500. Senator Bryant. no one here for that Senator 543
Senator Hammer Mr. Kozart Kozart was going to run that
Speaker 39
7:44
one as well I know Representative Kozart is down in Senate Ed right now He said anyone could run these that's just
Speaker 40
7:51
their prerogative members give us just a moment here let's
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
8:04
see if we can reach out and get some folks to come across the hall or down the hall and help with these bills
um i'm sure we
Speaker 45
8:24
could probably arrange that for you representative beck Thank you.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
9:48
and run Senate Bill 543. Senate Bill 543, Representative Brooks is going to run that. I know we have someone here signed up to speak on behalf of the bill.
Representative Keith Brooks
Unverified
10:11
So Representative Brooks, recognized to run your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I could, with permission, and bring Mr. Jordan to the end of the table in case we have questions on this.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
10:23
Mr. Jordan, you and Mr. Harder will join Representative Brooks at the end of
Speaker 50
10:28
the table. Mr. Chair. You're recognized. I'm sorry. It's been a long 72 hours. What bill did you mention? Senate Bill 543. 543. I'm going to go ahead and introduce yourself, Mr. Jordan.
Speaker 56
10:56
If you'll introduce yourself for the record and who you represent, you may discuss the bill.
Speaker 57
11:01
Yes, I'm Dan Jordan with the Arkansas School Boards Association. Lucas Harder with the School Boards Association. Mr.
Speaker 58
11:13
Harder, could you repeat that? Lucas Harder with
Representative Keith Brooks
Unverified
11:20
the School Boards Association. Thank you. So, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senate Bill 543 is brought to us by the School Board Association. It is just bringing an updated code of oath and ethics for members of school boarders in the state of Arkansas.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
11:31
And we'll be happy to take any questions. Representative Duke, you're recognized. Thank
you, Mr. Chair. So, sorry, we're all going through these really fast. so I just have a note down here that I wanted to check on when it says their conduct does what campus does that include I think it's page five lines 21 and 22 does that include like
an away games um conduct there and what is kind of the I guess anyway we'll start there please yes so it
Speaker 67
12:07
It would include away games because that would be a school sponsored activity. And so
Speaker 59
12:13
it would be conduct at such events that if I would say if Joe Six Pack was doing it and and something would require you to want to remove that person because it was so incredibly disruptive, completely unsportsmanlike, the board member should not be treated differently than that person should be able to be removed. And so that that is how that language is intended to be interpreted.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
12:43
You're recognized for your follow-up. Um, so, and that will also thank you, Mr. Chair, that I just want clarity. I don't have a problem
with it. Just want clarity. Um, that will include every activity if they're going away at a ban contest, any activity that's related to the school, if the school board member is in that situation, they're going to be removed. That is correct. Yes. Any other questions for members? Representative Meeks, you're
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
13:12
recognized. I'm just curious if there was anything that was kind of prompting the need for this.
Are we seeing school board members getting out of line, or I'm just curious about the back story?
Speaker 77
13:22
Yes, sir. I'll take that. Last week in this committee, I was speaking against a bill, and I referenced a bill that was going to be filed in the Senate that would provide a method for, uh, enforcing ethical guidelines on school boards, well, this is that bill. And, uh, we know, uh, we strongly believe that, uh, public schools should be governed by local, uh, folks and local elected, uh, people. And we also believe that those elected members, when they lift their hand, they should abide by the rules and the laws and so forth that they are sworn to uphold.
Notwithstanding that, we know that some of them step afoul and some of them act badly. We know that, recognize that. we've all heard about them. We've seen some of those things in the paper. But there's not been, there's never been a protocol. The issue would go to local prosecuting attorneys. To our knowledge for decades, there's never been one, not one, prosecuted or remanded in any way through that process. So we feel a better process would be to go through, to route it through the Ethics Commission so it could be investigated and then meted out with a letter or a punishment or a fine
or even removed from office and so forth. And if it were bad enough, the issue was bad enough, it could go to the prosecutor for prosecution. And I'll pause there and then I'll close at the
Speaker 78
14:42
end if you allow. Any additional questions from members? Representative Flowers.
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
14:51
So how I'm reading this, Could it be that a school board member could get into an argument
at a sporting event and then be charged with a felony?
Speaker 59
15:13
It would have to be quite an extensive argument to result in the felony. I mean, it would be they ideally they should have known better. So the highest it would be would be a misdemeanor, and that would be, I mean, that would require the ethics to investigate and say that their conduct should rise to that level and for a prosecuting
Speaker 63
15:36
attorney to also agree that that should be charged.
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
15:44
Follow up. You're recognized. I'm just looking at Section 5, and it says any board member, administrator, employee, or non-employee who shall knowingly violate the provisions of this chapter, which to me would be any of this, shall be guilty of a felony.
Speaker 59
16:02
That is already current law. the the thing that we changed is that it is knowing or should have known and so the the mental um the the the difficulty is proving that that person knowingly acted in such a manner to violate this I I would and I would generally interpret that someone who got into an argument they should have known better um so that the i do not see that as as likely reaching the
the the mental state to be able to
Representative Keith Brooks
Unverified
16:42
be charged with for knowingly and i would just direct you represent flowers to the the prior section um talking about uh not acting in a manner on school grounds otherwise we were molten removal school board uh basically um violation of criminal laws of the state or federal government. So it's basically attaching the same standards as a member of the public. If Representative Maddox got crazy and lost his mind at a football game and the police had to remove him, then the same standards should obviously apply. Not that he
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
17:16
wouldn't. One last follow-up, please. Recognized. Thank you. Um, so having a standard, I, I fully agree should exist and, and creating standards that go from the lowest to the highest level is
also something that I should think should be clarified. My concern is that sometimes things get personal. Sometimes people have personal issues with folks and in a given school district.
jurisdiction, town, whatever, I would hate to see someone use something like this, which could happen, and turn an argument into a felony. And I'm just super mindful now that that means a lot more than what most people are aware that it does and what they lose, even if it results
in a fine. You know, I think most people, you all know, many of you voted for my bill for nonviolent offenders. Most people have no idea that for something like this, if they're charged with a felony, they could lose their Second Amendment rights. Those are the kinds of things, you know, they would lose possibly until the disposition of the state is complete. They would lose their voting rights. So when I see us apply a
Speaker 98
18:50
felony to something that is not super serious, it makes me nervous.
Speaker 85
18:57
And Representative Flowers, I fully respect your position. and my comment would
Speaker 59
19:03
be that it would require both the Ethics Commission and the prosecuting attorney so you have fully two stages before it could be reached for someone being charged with a felony. And so without that, I would absolutely have the same concern that you do. But I believe that with the Ethics Commission having to do their investigation, that should provide a level
of scrutiny so that it should not rise to the level of being a felony without it being something extremely serious. So, you know, other questions from members,
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
19:43
Mr. Jordan, you were signed up to speak for the bill. Is there additional comments that you would like to make?
Speaker 77
19:48
All I would do is just a quick close and I won't, I won't say everything, but obviously we train and send out materials and so forth. And sometimes those aren't heated as you read things in the newspaper and hear about things that they're bad actors that have acted as board members.
Currently, as has been referenced, there's no review process at all, and no one's been prosecuted. But we think that teachers and administrators and so forth are already through the professional licensure standards of board. There's already a review process for them. We think school board members maybe should have a similar review process. And since the prosecutors aren't really doing anything with that, if we could get to the Ethics Commission, at least there would be a process for a review, whatever that issue was and let it go through their process and investigate the process,
what occurred, and then finalize to whatever, whether it stayed with ethics and a remedy or some kind of penalty levied or if it advanced a prosecuting attorney. And so we think the Ethics Commission is properly suited for that. Thank you. Thank
Speaker 100
20:44
you for your testimony. Representative Brooks, you ready to close for
Speaker 15
20:51
your bill? Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman. I'm closed for the bill. I appreciate a good vote and make the motion do pass.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
20:58
We have a motion do pass by Representative Brooks. Any discussion on the motion?
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
21:03
Representative Duke. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Representative Flowers, I shared a little bit of concern when I saw the felony piece on it, and then I went back and looked at the law and saw that it was in there already. And I think years and days gone by, school board members kind of regulated each other and did a pretty good job of saying, you know, you can do this and you can't do that because superintendents are in a tough spot to try to do that. themselves when they're served with the, you know, pleasure of the board, but I do think that in this day and age, I think we need some accountability on behavior at these different events so that
school board members realize that they need to lead in a way, and I don't, I think it's a pretty high bar for there to be felony charges brought to it, but they're there anyway as far as some other instances, and because I do think we should be held to a higher standard on some of that and should be a good example to our kids and to our community who elected us and to
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
22:03
our people that are working for us. I'm going to vote yes. Representative Flowers. Thank you. So I do
hear and appreciate that the felony was already in the law,
But what was not in the law is language, and I will briefly read this, a board member shall not act in a manner on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event that results or otherwise would have resulted in the removal of the board member from campus. Again, that's misdemeanor behavior, and that that could result in someone being charged with a felony is problematic.
We can't make everything a felony and expect for a felony to mean something or expect for these laws not to be something that is tantamount to a police state. And for that reason, I will not be voting for this and would ask that you do the same. Any
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
23:13
other discussion from members? Seeing none, we have a motion due pass. Senate Bill 543 by Representative Brooks. All in favor say aye.
Aye. Opposed nay. No. The ayes have it.
Speaker 36
23:30
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Representative Wing, I believe you're going to run Senate Bill 400. Yes, sir.
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
23:50
Carlton Wing, District 70, North Little Rock and Sherwood.
I'm running this bill for Senator Clark. This contains all agreed upon language. It's kind of a companion bill to 1733 that we passed out of here last week. this is something that AAA has asked for to help but basically it does four things it allows students who transfer to participate in activities they must sign the CSAP form CSAP changing schools athletic participation form it needs to be signed by both the superintendents and the parents and recruiting is not
allowed that's pretty much what it does and that's why they've asked for it it It does kind of go a little bit hand-in-hand with what we have already done with 1733. Happy to take any questions if I can. Questions from members. Representative Duke. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I did not take notes on this last
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
24:38
night because it was kind of late, so forgive me that I'm not being able to give a page number on this. But when I read it, it looked to me that the only way to really kind of dispute this is if you can prove that recruiting had taken place. How are they going to prove that recruiting?
Because they're not going to be able to subpoena phone records. They're not going to be able to be a part of private conversations. So basically, how are they going to be able to prove they're not going to
know what parent or what coach or whomever may have done the
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
25:10
recruiting? So how are they going to be able to prove that? Well, in the section,
this would be, and basically the same thing is listed twice because it's amending two different sections of code, but it's the same verbiage. I'm looking at page three, line one. recruiting means the use of undue influence of special inducement by an individual who is
connected directly or indirectly with a school that is a member of AAA in an attempt to encourage, induce, pressure, urge, or entice. That's how it is. And so they can prove it. They can prove it. If they can't, they can't. And that's what AAA is there to do, to be able to handle those kinds of disputes. Obviously, if those forms are signed, if that CSAT form is signed, then everybody's in agreement, both superintendents, the superintendent of the district where the student was departing and the superintendent where the student has arrived. You're recognized.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
26:03
Thank you, Mr. Chair. But with that language, if I remember correctly, it's a shall in there. So they've got to be able to prove that there was recruiting, which I think you would agree that's a high bar to be able to prove that their recruiting took place. And so they're going to have to sign it there's not really an option because you got to be able
to prove it so they're they're going to have to sign it it's a very
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
26:29
high bar would you agree it's a it's a high bar but it's the bar that AAA deals with full-time that's what that's what they they do is they deal
with that bar and the definition of that bar representative McKenzie
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
26:43
you're recognized for questions thank you mr. chair so and this is a question out of ignorance and hopefully some leniency is granted in terms of kind of getting to the point here, but the AAA is relevant, is a organization relevant to all activities. How much regulating do they do for FPLA or for Future Farmers of America? Because the bill is relevant to recruiting for all extracurricular activities. So no inducement can exist for wanting someone to come for the Tiddly Williams Club or
for chess club. I mean, this is a bill, I believe, that was drafted relevant to athletics. Correct. But it's for the inducement or a purpose of recruiting
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
27:25
for all activities. I am completely unaware of any recruiting for anything outside of athletics, but this form, the CSAP form, is strictly for athletics. It's the Changing Schools Athletic Participation form, and that's why this is tailored just for athletics. Follow-up.
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
27:43
You're recognized for your follow-up? But the relevant language in the bill is to all activities. I mean, I know the filling out of the form is relevant to athletics. The term and definition that
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
27:59
we're going to codify in the law is relevant to all activities. Yes, but once again, all this is doing with the CSAP form is regards to athletics, and then recruiting um is undue influence for uh
that that's what again that just falls under
the general banner of triple a anyway thank you any other
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
28:21
questions for members representative walker you're recognized you may
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
28:25
have already said this um what happens at the resident school does not sign the form and how
many times can they transfer each year
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
28:35
well if the uh if the if the forms are not signed the student is not allowed to
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
28:44
participate period yeah and how many times can they transfer
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
28:48
in one year um as far as transferring i would
assume you could probably transfer as often as you want but you won't be able to participate in athletics i mean as far as if a student moves three times in a calendar year they can they can transfer to another school, but this is just about
extracurricular activities. They wouldn't be able to participate in those athletics if that CSAT form is not signed. Okay, thank you. You
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
29:14
know, the questions for members? Seeing none, there is no one signed to speak for or against the bill.
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
29:24
Ready to close for your bill? Close for the bill. I just mentioned once again, AAA is in full agreement with this bill, and I'd appreciate a good vote. I'll make a motion.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
29:37
Do pass. I have a motion. Do pass by Representative Wing on Senate Bill 400. Discussion
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
29:43
on the motion. Representative Duke. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So AAA may be an agreement in this, but I feel pretty confident that at least the people in my district, the parents, I'm going to bet the coaches,
and the students, the large majority of the students are not going to be in favor of this. I don't know what the issues are like in other areas of the state. I can't speak to that, although I do know that there have been school districts that have received benefit of people in our area of the state that have come from other areas of the state. But I do see how this is going to work. I've seen super teams built in my area, even with the more strict rules on your participation when you come from one district to another. And as I've loosened, I've seen more of that.
And I think there will be more of that. And I think there will be athletic hopping. And I just don't think that's good for kids. It may be good for some kids, but we're not just about a few kids. We're supposed to be about all the kids. And I don't think it's good for all the kids. And I don't think it's good. I think there's some kids that will do this the right way for the right reasons. There won't be recruiting. They're just going to be moving. I understand that. but I have seen this abused, and you're not going to be able to prove it. The school districts are not going to be able to prove it.
I don't know how you could ever prove it. But you know what happens. You see it every year. And what also concerns me, and this is old school thing, I get it, but what are we teaching kids? Because what happens a lot now, I've seen it for the last several years, a kid gets mad at a coach or a parent gets mad at a coach, and they just leave instead of working through the problems. And my kids
have been on both sides of that issue where they have felt like they have been mistreated. And
we've watched other kids, whether they quit programs or whether they hopped to a different school district because of that.
And my kids worked through it. And they learned a lot through that process. So there's a lot of, like I say, a lot of unintended consequences to this. But in our area, I see the constant hopping already happening, and that's going to continue to happen. I don't see how school districts are ever going to be able to, or the AAA is ever going to be able to regulate that. The AAA may be fine and lockstep. I know with themselves and with you guys who made that agreement, understand that. Do not think my people back home are in support of this bill. I think
they'd feel pretty strongly about it, and so I'm a no, and I hope others will vote no as well.
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
32:06
Any other discussion for members? Representative Wheaton. Yes, all of
your concerns are answered by the superintendent of the district where the school departed. Because if he has even a hint, he doesn't have to prove the recruiting. He just doesn't sign the form, and that stops it right there. That's why AAA wants this bill, is because this prevents that from happening. The burden of proof is not on the superintendent.
The burden of proof would be on AAA. But the superintendent, if he doesn't sign the CSAP form, that student does not participate. That stops the recruiting right there, and we've seen that already in many instances across the state here in the past few years. So that should answer all of your concerns right there. If that superintendent of the host district feels like my student was recruited out of here, he
or she does not sign the form, and that puts a stop to it. Representative McKenzie.
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
33:09
Yeah, I hate to do this representative wing, but I'm going to be voting against the bill, and it's for the very point because we had the AAA director down here last week or two weeks ago talk about the fact that playing sports is a privilege, not a right. That privilege is normally granted or earned by the student, and one arbiter of that being a superintendent disallowing for whatever reason that the kid, they don't want the kid to leave. They don't want the kid to take advantage of the new school district they're playing is not in the spirit of providing an adequate and excellent education to our students so for that
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
33:40
I'm going to be a no. May I respond as well? Okay so what I would say to that as well is that's when AAA can get involved and so when the superintendent decides to put a hold on that so we've got on one side where the superintendent feels like the student was recruited therefore I'm not going to sign that form. On the other side, superintendent just gets
his feelings hurt and says, I just really would rather this student not sign that. That's when AAA gets involved and is
able to render something that's in the favor of whatever the truth is. That's their job. Any other discussion for members? Seeing none, we
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
34:24
have a motion to do pass. Representative wing. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed nay. No. I haven't ruled yet. Why are you roll
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
34:41
calling? Okay. Well, thank you. The nays have it. Sorry, your bill has failed.
Representative Hodges, you are here to, you're here going to run. So SB
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
35:07
500 is being passed over today because
there's a companion bill in the House that has already passed. So we will move to Senate Bill 510. Representative Hodges, you're recognized. Thank
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
35:22
you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, committee.
Speaker 147
35:27
Um, I'd like to bring up, um, kind of a co-presenter, if that's okay. Steven Delaney. I'm running SB 510 for, uh, Senator Irvin. It deals with, uh, reduction in forest policies for school districts. It does align with the LEARNS Act, and I'll let Mr. Delaney, uh, kind of go into some the details, and we'll do our best to answer any questions.
Speaker 150
36:00
Steven Delaney. I'm president of the Pulaski County Special School District School Board. My board hasn't taken a position on this, so I'm here individually. SB 510 essentially is an attempt to align 617-2407, which deals with reductions in force to the Learns Act or makes an interpretation of how to do that because the Learns Act didn't touch this piece, but in Section 6 of the Learns Act, it did state that district RIF policies must
be primarily based on performance, effectiveness, and qualifications, but we have this other piece of the law out there dealing with RIFs, which is the 617-2407, which says that RIF policy has to be based on objective criteria. And performance and effectiveness, in my opinion, aren't necessarily objective. So it can create this tension between what's in the Learns Act and then what districts have to do with respect to RIFs. Because the Learns Act does talk about hiring and it does
talk about reductions in force in that section six. And so, but then the Learns Act also says that seniority and tenure may not be the primary criteria that you base a RIF on, or excuse me, or any kind of hiring decision or firing decision on. So what happens right now in districts is that most of them adopt the model policy that the School Boards Association produces. It has a rubric, and it gives points for various different things, and districts are free to tinker with them how they want. But in practice, what happens is probably about 75% of those points in scoring
ends up based off of the experience of the teacher. And so what SB 510 will do is allow seniority and education to still receive a weight. It just aligns with the LEARNS Act in saying that it can't be the primary. So it says districts can still use seniority and education, but it can't be more than 50% of the weight. And so what I hope it does is that it encourages districts to look and figure out how to factor in merit, attendance, performance, effectiveness, and ability into their RIF policies,
but it doesn't require that they make it 100%. And it just sort of will, like, spark, like a rejiggering of the rubric, essentially, to start putting those things in. And the most obvious way to do this in terms of merit, performance, effectiveness, and ability is to use the TESS and the LEADS evaluation, which is in law right now. It's pretty heavily regulated and, you know, requires teachers to go on, like, a four-year cycle to be evaluated, and they're given different, like, basic, below basic, proficient, and
distinguished. And so that's the type of stuff that's already in place in districts that they can use to incorporate into their rifts. Little Rock has a rubric that incorporates that in now. So overall, I feel like this is a good, fair bill and an improvement to existing law that still aligns with the spirit and the letter of Section 6 of the Lawrence Act. Any questions
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
39:04
from members? Seeing none. Mr. Delaney, you were the only one that was just covering my bases, covering
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
39:14
your bases. You were the only one here signed up to speak for the bills. Anyone else speak for or against Senate Bill 510?
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
39:22
Seeing none. Representative Hodges, you ready to close?
Speaker 156
39:24
i'll just add that it passed with no opposition in the senate as well so with that i'll close and motion do pass i
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
39:35
have a motion do pass on senate bill 510 by representative hodges discussion on the motion seeing none all in favor of the motion say aye aye opposed nay the ayes have it congratulations your bill has passed ready for 512 yes thank you
Speaker 147
39:50
mr chair you may present Thank you. I'll just go ahead and turn it over to Mr. Delaney to explain some of the details.
Speaker 150
39:56
And again, happy to take any questions. Good. Stephen Delaney, Pulaski County School Board. SB 512, very wholesome bill. I swear it's not stealth local legislation because I've seen in the past people say, okay, school board members here, how's this, you know, being used for his district? It's not. I feel like it improves transparency, accountability, and flexibility for districts, all parties within a district. So, you know, I think of it in terms of, when I say parties, I mean board, administration, teachers, okay?
So this isn't a bill written from a school board perspective. It's, I've been on the board for four years, and, you know, so I've seen PPCs from all sides. We get training on this at ASBA. So what it does, first of all, it gives a veto power to the personnel policy committees in every district. Every district has to have one. They used to not when they had PNAs, but PNAs are done with. Um, so every district has a PPC, um, their advisory, there's the process to develop policy is regulated so that like, um, when a board proposes policy, it must go to the PPC for
a certain number of days. PPC can look at it, um, and then must give a recommendation back, or if it doesn't, the board can act within 10, 10 working days. And so, um, PPCs can also propose, but they never have, um, veto power. Um, and so one thing this does is give PPCs veto power over mid-year policy changes, which would be like if you're in the current school year and they want to reduce the number of sick days that are offered to an employee, a board just can't ram that through. But a PPC can't veto it, it has to go to a vote of the staff. And so this would change that to just give the PPCs a little bit of authority and eliminate
the cumbersome election process. It does preserve all major protections that are currently in law for PPCs and teachers. They can still rescind their contracts if policy changes are made after April 30th. Classroom teachers will always maintain a majority on the PPC. That does not change. And PPC input on policy changes, that does not change as well. There are multiple quality of life fixes in here. What I call quality of life fixes for districts, teachers, and administrators.
You could tell this law was written before the internet really because it requires first class letters to be sent out. If you do policy changes after April 30th, it requires minutes to be put on bulletin boards inside of every school building. We have 25 school buildings. I can guarantee you that they're not up everywhere. No more policy handbook hard copies. That was taken care of as state-required information. Every district has to have those on their website anyway. The mid-year staff votes for changes, I already referenced that, and there's a clear process
for rebooting like defunct PPCs. So like if you had five teachers on your board and they all left, really it's an open question on how to even get that PPC back. So overall, it won't break a single PPC that's currently out there. It's 100% permissive except for the transparency
Speaker 78
42:58
and the accountability piece. That's it.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
43:03
Any questions for members? Representative Duke. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a quick question. So I noticed on page three, on E, they're
going to be audio recorded and made public for transparency.
Can you just kind of, I don't, why was the reasoning
Speaker 161
43:20
on that? Don't know I have a problem. Well, so that one, that was an issue that was raised
Speaker 150
43:26
by, I've seen that raised before, is because everybody uses their PPCs differently. And so sometimes they could be talking about confidential information. But there have been times that I've experienced, again, not local legislation, but there's some question of when something comes to the board, it has to have passed the PPC, but we don't really have any way of understanding what happens in the PPC because we can't go there.
And so the thought process on that was just if there's ever any question about what happened in terms of votes or if this actually passed or not, because stuff arrives on our agenda, and we're told it's for the PPC approved it, but we don't know. So, and then there's questions, you know, among the staff, like, you know, what's going on in our PPC? So, that was the reason I put it in there, but I think there was some concern about the confidentiality part. I don't know if that's what you were getting to, is possibly there could be conversations like that, but from my perspective, is that you can actually just go off record. Okay,
you can define, because in the first page, it gives you the ability, it gives, it puts the bylaws and the rules and the processes of a PPC into personnel policy. So if that's an issue where you use your PPC and your district to discuss these type of things, you know, then just write a simple line that says, you know, we're going to reset, you can recess and go off record and then have your discussion and then
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
44:45
come back on. Members, any other questions for bill sponsor Mr. Delaney? Seeing none, and he was the only one signed up to speak for the bill.
Speaker 147
44:57
Representative Hodges, are you ready to close for your bill? Yeah, again, I'll just add this also passed out of the Senate with no
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
45:06
opposition as well, so I appreciate a good vote. I'll make a motion. Do pass. As a member
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
45:11
of the committee, we have a motion do pass by Representative Hodges on Senate Bill 512. Discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor of the motion
Representative Sonia Eubanks Barker
Unverified
45:20
say aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. The ayes have it. Representative
Speaker 166
45:23
Hodges, you've passed your bill. Ready to run 514? Yes, thank you. This is the last one. Thank you all for your patience on this.
Speaker 168
45:32
I will turn it over to Mr. Delaney to wrap
Speaker 150
45:36
this up. Very short. It's basically the same play as 512, but for classified support staff, the only major difference is that support staff PPCs have various categories that they're required to, you know, elect people from, like support staff and stuff. All the same stuff that was in 512 is in here, except it was amended in the Senate to allow for, keep those categories, but allow districts some flexibility. If you outsource your food service, your transportation, whatever, they can use that category for something
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
46:04
else if they outsource. Bill has been presented. Any questions from members? Seeing no questions. Mr. Delaney was the only one signed up to speak for the bill. Does anyone else like to speak for or against the bill? Seeing none, Representative Hodges, you ready to close for your bill? This
Speaker 156
46:26
one also passed out of the Senate with no opposition. Appreciate a good vote. Motion do pass. As
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
46:31
a member of the committee, we have a motion do pass by Representative Hodges
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
46:34
on Senate Bill 514. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing no discussion.
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
46:43
Oh, Representative Vaught. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm trying to catch up from running from another committee meeting to get down here for this. So from what I understand, these committees will now be appointed by school board, and no one's going to want to be on these committees, which is problematic.
I mean, we are having trouble getting people to be interested in helping in our schools as it is, and if they can't, I don't know.
I'm seriously worried about the last two bills, though, and what it's going to do to our schools. Any
Speaker 56
47:32
other discussion from members? Representative Duke. Thank you, Mr.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
47:37
Chair. Okay, I apologize. I missed that piece. So the school board, because I don't think the school
board wants to get in the middle of appointing that.
So is that a misunderstanding or? Chair, do
Speaker 132
47:49
you mind if we understand we're no longer in Q&A? As a member of the committee, you may
Speaker 148
47:56
respond. So I think that's a misunderstanding. So in 1971 when PPCs were exempt. Sorry. Who, who, who, who, okay.
Speaker 150
48:04
So PPCs used to be that way in 1971 when they were created. But this does not change that. It only says that if they don't conduct the election, like that's
Speaker 148
48:14
required by law, then they can be appointed.
Speaker 56
48:16
Okay, thank you. Representative Vought, you've got clarity on that now.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
48:23
Thank you. Any other discussion from members? Seeing none, Representative Hodges, you are closed with a motion to do pass. All in favor of the motion, say aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. No. The ayes have it. Congratulations, you have
passed Senate Bill 514. Representative Cozart, you have got...
Speaker 184
48:55
said he wasn't associated with 554, only 570. Okay, you're running a
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
49:00
House sponsor on 570, 571, 572, and 573. You're going to run those for Senator English? Yes, sir. Can I
batch them? Can you batch them? No, sir, but we could probably go through them at your pace.
If you want to start with Senate Bill 570, we'll start
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
49:24
there. All right. Are you ready? Oh, 70? Yes, sir. You may proceed. Okay. So I've got somebody to come. It's supposed to help me, but she's not here yet, but I'll try to do the best I can because these I have very briefly looked at these because of some other big bill that's been taking a lot of my time. 570, Bruce Cozart, Representative Bruce Cozart, District 91, sorry. This is amend the provision of Arkansas Code concerning the Arkansas Opportunity Public School Choice Act and Public School Act of 2015.
I'm going to kind of hit the stricken language on these so we can make this a little faster. Basically, this bill will change about compelled wishes of a parent or guardian guardian of a student that is 18 years of age or older. That is on the first page. On second page, it has to do with the rating of an F. The state board rules is allowed under the subsidies. A resident public school has a rating of F that these kids could request to move during public
school choice is what it is. This is about being moved. I think the LEARN Act takes a lot of this stuff. And it's just this why this has to change. So like I said, I haven't really studied this bill, but and okay, so except is provided in a subsection of this section, the parent, guardian, or student of the student is 18 years or older, has notified both residing and receiving our non-resident school district of the request to transfer no earlier than January 1, January 1, and no later than May 1 of the school before the year in which the student
intends to transfer and it's basically about transferring it has a lot of other pages in here says the same thing in a lot of places it is really more about these kids that are 18 was making that right decision to change at the right time doing what they need to do on the January 1 or no later than May 1 to enroll in another school coming from a failing school so I'll try to stop there If you have any questions, I'll try to go in here and find it.
Chair
Unverified
51:30
Representative Flowers, you're recognized for a question.
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
51:33
Just real quick, I think this is on page 2, line 19, the whole section around parents or guardians who are active duty in the military. Why was that stricken from existing language? Because I don't think it will make any difference is really what I think. I think
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
51:51
it will still apply to everyone. Got it. Okay. All right. Thank you. Representative Duke. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
52:01
I just had a quick question. I don't know if you're going to know the answer to it, but on page six, lines six and seven, and I think ten, it references the student capacity as far as they can't be
required to accept somebody if it makes them have to hire a new teacher. Yes, I believe that's
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
52:17
standard in any school. Right. If they can't make them have to hire another teacher for that class. Are you aware
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
52:23
if we're going to raise those thresholds at all or not, if they're staying consistently where they are now because people are planning? You
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
52:30
know, I can't say. That was just me guessing.
I wouldn't say we would raise thresholds of class sizes,
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
52:35
especially in the lower grades. Now, high school, I think that's a little variance in that. But the only thing, if it makes a school have to hire another teacher for one or two kids, that's kind of hard for them to do and pay that bill because they're
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
52:49
already struggling on some of that. So I would
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
52:52
say that's the reason why that is there. Representative
Chair
Unverified
52:59
Charlene Fite, you're recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Representative Cozart, relating to what Representative Flowers asked,
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
53:08
the bill that I ran on the floor yesterday that passed pertaining to military families, would it not cover the questions that were asked? Yes, ma'am, that's exactly what
it does. Thanks so much. Representative Garner, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a quick question. Does this go into effect now? Or I mean, I know it doesn't have an emergency clause, but, or will it wait until the LEARNS Act? What I'm asking is if it's a former succeed or in need, it would start as soon
as rules are made for LEARNS Act, and then if it's, is it going to follow the same guidelines is LEARNS or is 18? That I can't speak to, I'm going to tell
you. It would go into effect in July when all bills are usually, without emergency clause, they would go into effect
in July. So an 18-year-old, no matter what, no matter where they fit into the LEARNS categories, would be? Yes, or older, yes. Okay, perfect. Thank you.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
54:07
That's what I wanted to know. Any other questions for members? Seeing none, there's no one signed up to speak for or against 570.
Representative Cozart, you ready to close? I'm closed I'll make a motion to do pass Representative Cozart is closed and as a member of the committee has made a motion to do pass on Senate Bill 570 Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor of the motion say aye Aye Opposed nay, the ayes have it
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
54:41
Congratulations, you passed your bill 571 Yes sir, 571 Senate Bill this men's of the code to clarify the individuals required to demonstrate
proficiency in the knowledge of practice of scientific reading all teachers in a classroom teaching position that requires a license to teach elementary schools and grades kindergarten through 6 or a license to teach a special education course that directly relates to literacy for students in the grades kindergarten through 12 shall demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge of practice of scientific reading and instruction I believe that was a our Our former bill from Senator Clark over here about reading proficiency would fall into that.
And that was one of the changes on the front. The second changes are on the very back with the conditions of licensure. Within one year, the teacher is already licensed or employed in the waiver of license required in this subsection. Shall not apply to teach who has already demonstrated proficiency through approved prescribed pathway and adding an endorsement to his or her teaching. So those are the conditions who begin employment in 2023. Those shall have to have that demonstration of proficiency.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
55:51
Representative Cozart presented the bill. Any questions for members? Seeing no questions, there's no one signed up to speak
for or against the bill. Representative Cozart, very close for your bill. I am close to
my bill and make a motion to do pass, please. Representative Cozart, close for the bill with a motion to do pass. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Opposed nay? The ayes have it. Congratulations, you've passed your bill. 572.
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
56:22
572, to amend the provisions of Arkansas Code concerning school employees' misconduct and background checks for
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
56:27
registered volunteers. The superintendent finds no bias or allegations from criminal misconduct. He or she may require to place any documents relative to allegations and subsequent investigation in the personnel file. However, if the superintendent, this new language, finds probable cause that that employee has engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor, then the superintendent or her designee shall not provide a favorable recommendation
of employment on the behalf of this employee. Concerning criminal records, checks and conditions, initial employment for non-licensed personnel is amended to read as, except for provision and subdivision of this section, this Board of Directors of Education entity shall require a condition for initial employment or non-continuous re-employment in the non-staff position, the person applying to Bureau of Division of Arkansas State Police for a non-criminal record check
to later be protected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, except this new language, to provide under a subsection of this section if a registered volunteer, as defined, is in this process of obtaining a coaching certificate. I will be working with students in athlete coaching capacity when the board of directors or educational entity to which the individual is applying to be registered volunteer shall require as a condition for the registered volunteer's unsupervised contact with students that a registered volunteer apply for identification bureau
to the identification bureau of the Division of Arkansas State Police for statewide and national criminal record checks. A national criminal record check conducted as required of the subdivision and the section shall be conducted by the federal Bureau of Investigation. That's pretty well the new language in this. And basically, at the very last, it's all registered volunteers. So this is about registered volunteers also. Registering volunteers. And I'll just state that just about any organization you're with, churches, boys' clubs, girls' clubs, things like that,
If you're a volunteer working with kids, you're just about going to have to have that background check. So this just kind of clarifies this on this. Representative
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
58:37
Cozart has explained the bill. Any questions by members? Seeing none, no one is signed to speak for or against the bill. Representative Cozart, you ready to close
for your bill? Yes, sir, I am closed. I make a motion to do pass. Representative Cozart has made a
motion to do pass on Senate Bill 572. discussion on the motion seeing none all those in favor of the motion say aye
opposed nay the ayes have it you passed your bill you got one more 573 yes and
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
59:08
i know less about this one than i did the first one so
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
59:14
it's military might be you ready to run your bill sir
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
59:17
i am ready and you may proceed to men of various provisions of the
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
59:21
arkansas code concerning public education basically uh this one kind of fits into active duty full-time duty status in uniform Uniformed Service of the United States, including members of the National Guard, Reserve, and other pursuants of this chapter.
Active members, active duty members of the Uniformed Service as defined in this compact, including members of the National Guard and Reserve and active duty pursuant to the chapter 1209 and 1211 of the code, but basically it goes down to English language, English learners, means an individual whose native language is a language other than English and comes from an environment where their language is other than English has significant impact on an individual level of English language proficiency is not considered proficient in English as measured by an approved English language proficiency.
So that means that these kids serving are contributing, making a decision-making team without limitation, teams that are convened under this rehabilitation lag to respond to intervene teams, English learner programs. That's the new language. Parental involvement and family engagement programs, positive behavior interruption support programs, advanced placement,
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:00:36
and those things all the way on down. It basically changes the language in this bill from English, English, what I can't say, language learner to English learner programs. I'm trying to marry Bentley,
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:00:50
and I can't do it real good today. It does strike some language about applicants from an employment for school bus driver shall submit an application to the school district in which he or she seeks employment. Instead, it strikes out the division of public school
academic facilities and transportation. They do not apply to them. They apply directly to the school. Basically, it's the English language learner part that's stricken to take out the language learner make it english learner that's pretty well what the rest of the bill
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:01:23
is mostly striking stricken language for that language taking out english language so basically about our english language learners thank you representative
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:01:31
cozard has explained the bill questions for members seeing none there's no one here signed up speak for against the bill
representative cozard ready to close for your
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:01:42
bill i am closed motion of do pass please
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:01:45
I have a motion due pass on Senate Bill 573. Discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Opposed nay? The ayes have it. Congratulations
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:01:57
you've passed your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you,
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
1:02:02
committee, for your patience with me. Representative Wing, for what purpose? Motion request. You tell me which one it is, a motion or a request. I'll hear your request. Request.
I would like to be able to rehear
Senate Bill 400. I was doing this as a favor for Senator Clark, who had to be in Judiciary Committee and was unable to attend. I'd like for him to be able to present his bill. Okay. By parliamentary procedure,
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:02:28
that is allowable. Senator Clark, would you like to go present your bill?
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:02:44
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, members of committee. Let me first apologize to you that I have not been in communication. I have been in a lot of communication with AAA and AAEA, and this bill was originally very simple. It was a one-page bill, and it just said that you could not discriminate against a child because they use school choice. You can't do it with band. You can't do it with chess. You can't do it with anything but athletics.
And it's more complicated because I've amended it three times, and each time I amended it, it was at the request of AAEA and the AAA. Lance Taylor's on the way to Harrison. He's trying to get somebody here to testify for the bill. Again, we're not aware it would be a problem because they are now in support. But AAEA is here, and my last member actually was not only at their request,
it was at the request of the speaker. And at that point, it was agreed on by everyone. It doesn't go nearly as far as I would like to go, but it moves the ball forward. It allows juniors and seniors who transfer schools the ability to have this sign-out form. I'd rather we didn't have to have a sign-out form, but that's what we do here. And it's a sign-out form they already have up through the 10th grade, but it would allow juniors and seniors.
And I've been assured that the only reason that a child will not be allowed to transfer, two reasons, transfer to another school that the superintendent who is letting them go could refuse to sign, is one, they were transformed for the reason of athletics that's in the bill. And the other is demonstrable evidence of recruiting. Not just suspicion of recruiting, but demonstrable evidence of recruiting.
And we're all against recruiting, but we're all also for kids and families being able to choose what's right for their family and for their kids. And like I said, it is now agreed on, and I wish I could share with you some of the coaches of top athletic programs around the state who have called. They have kids, too, in support of this bill. I can't share their names, but it's just, again, I have some of the concerns some of the rest of you have.
I would rather it went further. I would rather that some of the language is not there, but it's much better than what we
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:05:40
have now, and I'd be happy to take any questions. Members, any questions
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:05:45
for Senator Clark? Representative Garner, you're recognized for a question. I just have a quick question, and it's for clarity as to when these things would happen more than anything else. So does this coincide with the way the LEARNS Act will be enacted incrementally
so that as school choice becomes available for everyone, then everyone is allowed? Or does this, just for clarity, does this
start as soon as the bill is
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:06:14
enacted? Well, there's no emergency clause, so officially it wouldn't start until July or August. We would hope that the spirit of the law would be honored as kids change in May or their families at that deadline.
And by the way, there was some other confusion that kids might be able to go to one school and play one sport and go to another school. You can only sign up once a year, and it has to be by May 1st for school choice. You can't hop from here to there. This doesn't cover homeschoolers. There was another bill that covered homeschoolers. This is public school to public school. And it just allows children not to be held back because they happen to be an athlete.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:07:02
Representative Duke, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm glad you were able to get down here because that's tough to have it run and you not be here. So I'm glad you were able to get down here. So you said you spoke to top programs. coaches they they reached out to me for sure
i get it okay um my concern is not with the top programs because they're probably not going
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:07:24
to lose kids unless they're disgruntled oh no i'm sorry this was college this wasn't this wasn't high school this was college coaches who have kids okay and so
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:07:35
i don't see it hurting some some of the schools have very successful programs or the
larger schools but would you agree that if you are a smaller school or you're your neighbor some of these other schools that this could be very problematic when you have um when you do and they come through every now and then um have
just extraordinary athletes um that it it could be problematic for them them staying there in
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:08:01
that district you know i'm a high school athlete and And as was my wife, and as were our kids. And so I understand that.
I don't think our primary concern can be the competitiveness of the local team. It's got to be parents' ability to do the right thing for their children. But having said that, what's currently happening, now, again, the bill says you can't change for purpose of athletics. But we have kids changing from larger programs to smaller programs who just aren't starting, don't even make the team, and then have to sit out a year at the smaller school.
We even had one, we had a legislator get involved, but we had one where a young man who was offered a baseball scholarship went to the local school because they promised they were going to have a baseball team. He was playing outside that. But then they didn't and then weren't going to allow him to go to another school where they had baseball without sitting out for a year. And so we've got some gaps in here that we just, no law is ever perfect, but this is much better than what we have.
It allows, my main thing in school choice is I believe in the selfishness of parents. I believe that parents, more than anyone else, are going to do the right thing for their kids. Sometimes they'll mess up. Sometimes they're not good people, but they're better than the government. So this is the one place where we hold people up, and AAA is in support. EA is at least neutral, but we've done this to make them happy, the amendments.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:09:49
I'm sorry. Any other questions from members? Seeing none, is there anyone here that's now speak for or against Senate Bill
400? Mr. Mertens? If you'll identify yourself for the record, who you represent, and provide your testimony.
Speaker 220
1:10:19
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm Mike Merton. I'm with the School Administrators Association. And we did originally oppose the bill, but Senator Clark was gracious enough to work with us and AAA to address our concern. So the bill basically puts what's in policy, what, and yeah, AAA policy now in the law. And so we do support the bill as amended.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:10:50
And I'll be glad to answer any questions. Any questions for Mr. Mertens? Seeing none, thank you for your testimony, sir. Don't believe there's anyone else here to speak for or against. Senator
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:11:09
Clark, you ready to close for your bill? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think I've spoken enough. I think you understand the bill, and I'd appreciate a good
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:11:18
vote. Senator Clark has presented his bill. It's the will of the committee.
Representative Meeks, you're recognized. We have a motion by Representative Meeks. Pass it to Senate Bill 400. Discussion on the motion. Representative
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:11:30
Duke. Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, I want to clarify, this is not for me about the athletic portion.
I mean, it is because we're talking about athletics because we're not generally seeing people recruit for band or for choir or for things like that. I mean, not that people don't have a passion about it, but we just don't see that happen to the same degree. But it's more than that. I mean, these, especially when you're in smaller communities, it is, our communities are neighboring communities.
I mean, it's about the kids, and it's about the opportunities that you build in a team together. And I was fortunate. I had someone who moved from other part of Arkansas, and her family moved up into my area in my junior and senior year. And I ended up having a fantastic basketball experience in large part because she came there. And it wasn't just because we were so competitive, but it was because all the other pieces that she brought to the table for our team and for our community.
And I'm afraid that, well, I know what happened in Summer League. I know where she played during Summer League. And that's great. She had that opportunity, but I'm afraid what these smaller communities will miss out on and what the kids will miss out on, both sides. I understand parental choice. I support it, but sometimes we just go a little too far. We don't think about undidated consequences, and we don't think about the other kids. To me, my kids aren't in school anymore, but I've watched this over the last 15 years,
how this has played out and how it's impacted schools, how it's impacted kids. And I appreciate the AAA. I understand the perspective they're coming from. But I just don't think that's what's best for the community and all of the kids. There could be waivers put in place, other options put in place, but it's such a broad piece of how do you prove recruiting. So it hasn't changed where I sit on it.
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
1:13:27
But thank you. Representative Flowers. I know we're past the question and answer, and hopefully in someone else's discussion remarks, they can speak to this. I'm confused. I'm confused as to whether or not this law, if this bill passes and became law, would it make it harder for parents and a child to go to another district or easier? and would this apply to just athletics or all activities?
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:14:03
Thank you. Okay. Representative Flowers has made her discussion. Representative Cozart, you're recognized. Representative Flowers,
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:14:15
you know, I can't tell you exactly or 100%, But I think it will make it easier for them to be able to transfer. But they still have to do it in the time frame, I believe, correct time frame to do
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:14:29
that. Any other discussion? Seeing none, we have a motion by Representative Meeks.
We do pass. All in favor, say aye. Aye.
Representative Sonia Eubanks Barker
Unverified
1:14:40
Opposed, nay. No. The ayes have it. Congratulations. Your bill is passed. Thank
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:14:46
you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, members of the committee. Senator Penzo, members, we've got, we are supposed to be, members, members, we are on a, you know, we are on a very tight schedule, but we want to
make sure everyone has the opportunity to present their bills. We are supposed to be out of here at 1030.
Senator Penzo, you're here to present Senate Bill 532. Yes, sir. If you'll identify
Speaker 5
1:15:12
yourself for the record, you may present your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Clint Penzo, Senate District 31.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:15:17
And I want to say it's good to be sitting at this end of the House table again. Senator Penzo, I believe this is the first time we've seen you in a House committee down here this
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:15:26
session. Yeah, yeah. Good to see you. Good to see you all. Yeah, yeah. Y'all are welcome. Hi. Thanks, Howard.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:15:37
Okay. Moving along. Senate Bill 532 amends the law concerning nonpartisan elections. Do you want to? Okay. So this bill, all it does now is right now we have three- to five-year term limits. This creates a four-year term limit, and they're staggered years. So that way only half the school board will be up for election at any given time instead of having annual elections.
The reason is I think we've got a handout that kind of shows you why we're doing this. The whole purpose is to create a more robust voter turnout. You know, you look at some of these numbers, Mountain Home, and in 2022, 3,200 people voted. In 2021, four people decided who was going to be on that school board. I think those numbers, I mean, you can look through. There's 6,640 in Van Buren in one year, 12 voters in the next year.
So, I mean, if we line this up with right now the election would take place, the bill sets it up to take place during the primary, which is how all other nonpartisan races are handled. and then all other nonpartisan races have their runoffs if there is one in the general election. And that's exactly how we have this set up, like judicial and other nonpartisan races. So if you have any questions or if you have anything you'd like to add.
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
1:17:18
I mean, again, I'll add we worked on this. You remember the original bill we had with all the changes that were there. The one thing that I think we all agree on that we've heard from our school board members and that it's hard to find someone to run for school board. Well, I think some of that is that folks aren't aware when those elections happen. If you can look at just the voter turnout that we have on the information you were provided, it shows you.
If you put these elections in even-numbered years, a whole lot more folks are going to know that school board positions are open when those elections take place. So that's all we're trying to do. We're trying to help solve a problem that school board members have clearly identified to us. The process we have now is not drawing the attention that we need to those school board positions and elections. This will do that.
this will do that. This will put it on the same schedule the rest of us are on. It will raise awareness for those positions, and I say that will lead to more folks having an interest in serving when they know those elections are going to take place. And it gives a better forum for those candidates to be known by their community, because there are going to be a lot of forums and other events where they can get in front of their constituents, introduce themselves, and be known.
So there shouldn't be any surprise. It should raise awareness, and this is a good bill that's going to do that.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:18:58
Ready for questions? Representative Charlene Fite, you're recognized for a
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:19:06
question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I've been contacted a lot about this with people upset about it, and the reason they're upset is that they feel it's going to cause turmoil and that we'll have more school board members who are new and don't have the background and the experience. Could you speak to that and maybe allay some of those concerns?
Senator Clint Penzo
Unverified
1:19:32
Yeah, I mean, like I said, by design, this only
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:19:35
allows half the school board. I mean, I've heard that argument before. They're staggered two-year terms. So every two years, only half the school board's up for election. So even if every single school board member that was up for election lost, you still have 50% of the board that's there for the next two years. So, I mean, you know as well as I do, you're not going to have 100% turnover.
I mean, that's statistically improbable. But, I mean, so you're still going to, I mean, let's say half. then you still have 75% of the existing board returning for at least the next two years. So, I mean, there still is going to be that institutional knowledge within the school board retained. You know, if you're still turning over every year, you're still, as it is now, you're going to lose as many people as you would this way because they're three- to five-year terms, and this kind of standardizes a four-year term.
So it actually increases term limits for some districts. representative McNair
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:20:45
you're recognized motion at the proper time duly
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:20:49
noted representative Beck you're recognized um I've had a question and and sent in to me it basically this thing as far as at-large positions on school board versus zoned positions that was a concern does this address
had any claims? This does not address any of those. I mean, it doesn't address at large or anything. It's just how the people are elected and when the dates they're elected and the term limit. Thank you. Representative Duke, you're recognized. Thank you,
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:21:22
Mr. Chair. So these numbers here, are these from the school board races in that time period? Yes. Follow up? You're
recognized. Okay, so Gravit didn't have a school board race in 2022 they were unopposed zones unopposed now that may have been
the bond millage that i mean that we have to have on there by law but like we didn't have a school board race we did in 2021 because i was up in 2021 and so i'm not exactly sure on on all those different numbers but i know i know i verified that this morning because it may be the
Senator Clint Penzo
Unverified
1:21:57
bond thing um so could be yeah i mean it just that was the voter turnout for those
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:22:04
election cycles i mean I'm sorry. Whenever the school boards are elected, I don't know if there
Speaker 6
1:22:08
were bond issues or anything at that time. Well,
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
1:22:12
I think these numbers were, it may have just been the millage,
but it was the school vote on that one. I'm not certain, but that shows you the difference. If you had had a school board election, then that's the potential voter turnout you would have had in that election. They're voting on a millage. They would have voted on the school board position as well. So it still is such a vast difference from 577 to 3,507. So you would still have a larger population that would have known about that election and would have cast a ballot in that election. Follow up? One more. I'm sorry. I didn't realize I had one already. I'm sorry.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:22:47
Would you agree, though, that it is possible that if there had been a school board, I mean, that those, I'm
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
1:22:58
sorry, I can't articulate it. I'll just say this. One thing I've learned here, anything's possible. So Representative Flowers.
Speaker 90
1:23:07
I have, thank you, Mr. Chair. I have been told, and I've been trying
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
1:23:14
to find it in the bill and unsuccessfully that this would make,
this bill would make school board elections partisan. okay so just to
Senator Clint Penzo
Unverified
1:23:24
just clarify on that initially it was a partisan school board election bill okay my school
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:23:30
board asked me to remove that and so did several other school boards so we did like all the school boards like all of them yeah so um so we took that feedback we cut that out then then rural arkansas didn't want term limits we had a eight year so we expanded at 16 then we
decided to cut that out. So there are no term limits in this. It just establishes term length at four years. There are no term limits in this bill. Um, so, um, the county association of counties had some issues. We addressed those issues and they're cool with the situation. Now school board, uh, association had, had some concerns and we addressed the majority of, of their concerns and, but you know, they're still not happy with the bill, but we, we did try to accommodate everybody the best we could.
This is the third version of the bill. I think we've done a lot to refine it, and now it just aligns with all other nonpartisan races in the state. So, I mean, if you believe in nonpartisan school board elections, this sets it up like nonpartisan judicial races and all other nonpartisan elections
Speaker 244
1:24:46
in the state. So it makes it uniform. So it standardizes the terms across the
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
1:24:53
state, and it sets the elections for all school boards during the primary election.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:25:01
Yes. Judicial races and school board races will all be in the primary, but they're nonpartisan. Okay. So the judicial races have their runoff in the general election as well.
Chair
Unverified
1:25:18
Okay. All right. Thank you. Seeing no other members from
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
1:25:23
the committee. Representative Long, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. During presidential cycles, you know, the primary moves to March. Is this going to affect?
Senator Clint Penzo
Unverified
1:25:33
Whenever our primary is, that's when this will take place. I know that our primaries float, but it'll
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:25:39
be when everybody else is voting. in the primary. Thank you, Senator. Seeing no other Representative Garner.
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
1:25:50
Members, 1030 is our cut. Okay? I mean, if you've got a question. So there's no other questions. We have
two signed up to speak for or against. I'm assuming both of you have signed up to speak against, so you want to just stand. identify who you're speaking for and that you
Speaker 252
1:26:22
oppose the bill? Mr. Hollowell? Thank you.
Speaker 157
1:26:36
Senator Penzo, you ready to close for your bill? Being the
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:26:39
time, I just would close and ask for a good vote. What is the will of the committee?
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:26:54
Mr. McNair, you're recognized. Motion do not pass. We have a motion do not pass by Representative McNair. That is a debatable motion. Discussion from the committee on the motion.
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:27:08
Seeing none, all those in favor? Representative McKenzie. I just want to be
the first of any vote that we make a do not pass on. I said it a thousand times the squeaky wheel gets the oil. We have been advised that that is not only not in the spirit of why we're here we should be given members the opportunity to have their bills be heard in motions if there's a will of the committee for it to pass. So I vote against the
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:27:38
do not pass. That's a proper motion. I mean, it is a proper motion. Any other debate on the motion?
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
1:27:45
Representative Long. Mike. This first time this happened to me in a committee, I was just wanting some instruction on to make sure I know the proper procedure. So since it's a motion, do not pass. If I want it to pass, I just vote no. You will vote no. That is correct. Just want
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:28:08
to make sure. A yes vote is for the motion to not pass, or for the bill to not pass. Any other discussion? Seeing none.
All those in favor of the motion do not pass, say aye. Aye. Opposed nay. No. The nays have it. Representative Meeks. Motion to pass. We have a motion do pass by Representative Meeks. That's a proper motion. It is debatable. Any discussion on the motion? Representative Duke. Thank you
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:28:37
Mr. Chair and I'm sorry I'm going to make it brief um try grab it in my district that I started on school board we did the May elections I thought that was a good choice and decision for us to do it there's a lot of variables in this bill I don't
I spoke about them the other day those haven't been alleviated for me and every day that passes there's more concerns that happen I think there could be a better bill in the future but this is this isn't it yet so I'm I'm still in it any
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:29:03
additional discussion on the motion seeing none all those in favor of the motion do pass say aye aye opposed nay no nays have it i see two hands mr gilliam if you'll prepare the roll call sheet
Speaker 259
1:29:34
Members, I'll be preparing the roll call now, starting with
Speaker 260
1:29:50
Representative Stephen Meeks. Aye. Representative Stephen Meeks is aye. Representative Bruce Cozart. No. Representative Bruce Cozart is no. Representative Charlene Fite. No. Representative Charlene Fite is no. Representative Ron McNair. No. Representative Ron McNair is no. Representative Lainey Fite.
Representative Lainey Fite. Representative Vivian Flowers. Oh, I'm sorry. Representative Rick Beck. Representative Rick Beck is yay. Representative Vivian Flowers. Representative Deanne Vaught. Representative Deanne Vaught is no.
Representative John Maddox. Representative John Maddox. Representative Sonja Eubanks Barker. Representative Sonja Eubanks Barker is yes. Yes. Representative Carlton Wing. Yes. Representative Carlton Wing is yes. Representative Denise Gardner. No. Representative Denise Gardner is no. Representative Grant Hodges. Yes. Representative Grant Hodges is yes. Representative Stephen Walker. No. Representative Stephen Walker is no. Representative Wayne Long.
Yes. Representative Wayne Long is yes. Representative Hope Duke. No. Representative Hope Duke is no. Representative Stetson Painter. Yes. Representative Stetson Painter is yes. Representative Britt McKenzie. Yes. Representative Britt McKenzie is yes. Representative Keith Brooks. Yes. Representative Keith Brooks is yes. Will you be voting? Sorry, your bill has failed.
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:31:55
Thank you committee members. Let me explain where we are. We
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
1:32:00
have one bill on our agenda for Senator English. It is a very short bill technical correct correction. We can either with we can either quickly get this done or we'll come back after session and get this done. Senator Barker, our representative Barker.
Speaker 227
1:32:25
this is senate bill 554 representative barker you're recognized thank you sonia barker district 96
Chair
Unverified
1:32:34
this just puts into code what our this just puts into code what our schools are actually already doing for school safety and it says you should leave the doors exterior doors closed at all times except during transition it still stays within the fire code and i'll make well I'll make a motion due pass.
Representative Sonia Eubanks Barker
Unverified
1:32:57
Representative Painter. I'll make a motion in immediate consideration. That's a proper motion. It's non-debatable. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. The ayes have it. We have a motion due pass by Representative Barker. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. Congratulations. Your bill is passed. Thank you. Thank
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
1:33:16
you, committee members. We are adjourned. Thank you.
Agenda
CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1604 Barker TO REQUIRE THAT A PETITION OF A STUDENT TO TRANSFER FROM ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
REGULAR BILLS
Number Sponsor Subtitle
SB400 A. Clark TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT.
SB500 J. Bryant TO CREATE THE STUDENT DATA VENDOR SECURITY ACT.
SB510 Irvin TO AMEND THE CRITERIA CONSIDERED IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S REDUCTION- IN-FORCE POLICY.
SB512 Irvin CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL POLICIES; AND CONCERNING A SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL POLICIES.
SB514 Irvin TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE LAW THAT RELATE TO TOPICS COVERED BY, THE COMPOSITION OF, AND THE MEETING REQUIREMENTS FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S COMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL POLICIES FOR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES.
SB532 C. Penzo TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS; AND TO AMEND THE DATE ON WHICH AN ELECTION OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS HELD.
SB543 K. Hammer TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND AMENDING A PORTION OF LAW RESULTING FROM INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1990.
SB551 J. Dotson TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS CODE AS IT PERTAINS TO REFERENCES TO THE
DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF HIGHER EDUCATION; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
Notice: Silence your cell phones. Keep your personal conversations to a minimum. Observe restrictions designating areas as 'Members and Staff Only'.
SB554 J. English TO AMEND THE FIRE PREVENTION ACT; AND TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO FIRE DRILLS AND EXTERIOR DOORS AT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
SB556 J. Dotson TO CREATE THE RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINT ANTIDISCRIMINATION ACT.
SB570 J. English TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015.
SB571 J. English TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS CODE TO CLARIFY WHICH INDIVIDUALS ARE REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF SCIENTIFIC READING INSTRUCTION.
SB572 J. English TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING SCHOOL EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT AND BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR REGISTERED VOLUNTEERS.
SB573 J. English TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING PUBLIC EDUCATION.
DEFERRED BILLS
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1343 Scott TO ALLOW THE CONTENTS OF A TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM TO INCLUDE CERTAIN CONTENT THAT PERTAINS TO EVIDENCE-BASED TRAUMA-INFORMED CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION WITHIN ITS CURRICULUM.
HB1113 Rose TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE SUCCEED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO STUDENTS IN FOSTER CARE.
HB1154 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE TYPE OF LICENSE ISSUED TO CERTAIN APPLICANTS IN AN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM.
HB1206 Joey Carr TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE INFORMATION CONSIDERED UNDER THE SCHOOL RATING SYSTEM.
HB1350 C. Fite TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF A MINORITY POPULATION ON SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS.
HB1428 C. Cooper TO CREATE THE EQUAL ACCESS TO COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS ASSESSMENTS ACT.
HB1205 Wooten TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDING OF ANY TYPE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO CERTAIN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL.
HB1715 Womack TO PROHIBIT ADDITIONAL TICKET FEES FOR STUDENT ACTIVITIES; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENT ACTIVITIES; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CONTRACTS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
HB1724 Tosh TO ESTABLISH THE NUMBER OF LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS A PUBLIC SCHOOL SHALL EMPLOY BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL.
HB1668 J. Mayberry TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO AMEND THE TARGET AVERAGE ANNUAL TEACHER SALARY FOR PURPOSES OF TEACHER SALARY EQUALIZATION FUNDING.
HB1708 Vaught TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF A NOVICE TEACHER UNDER THE TEACHER EXCELLENCE AND SUPPORT SYSTEM.
HB1721 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ADULT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS;
Page 2 of 3
AND TO AMEND THE SOURCES OF FUNDING AVAILABLE TO ADULT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS.
HB1722 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO AMEND THE CURRENT SCHOOL RATING SYSTEM; AND TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO CREATE A PRIVATE SCHOOL RATING SYSTEM.
HB1773 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO AMEND THE LAW TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR PURPOSES OF RECEIVING TEACHER SALARY EQUALIZATION FUNDING.
HB1204 Wooten TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STATEWIDE STUDENT ASSESSMENT; AND TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMIT EACH STUDENT WHO APPLIES FOR ADMISSION AND INTENDS TO COVER PRIVATE SCHOOL COSTS WITH STATE FUNDING.
HB1587 Wooten TO REQUIRE HOME SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVE ANY FORM OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT.
HB1702 Unger TO CREATE RECALL ELECTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS.
HB1698 Breaux TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT.
HB1791 Gazaway TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF DIRECTORS TO INCLUDE IN STUDENT DISCIPLINE POLICIES THE REQUIREMENT THAT SCHOOLS CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT OF A STUDENT'S ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES BEFORE DISCIPLINING A STUDENT.
SB369 J. Dotson CONCERNING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
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Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE, Apr 6, 2023 | Agenda | 3 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Representative Zack Gramlich
Unverified
Representative Grant Hodges
Unverified
Representative Keith Brooks
Unverified
Speaker 6
Senator Jim Dotson
Unverified
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
Speaker 15
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
Speaker 22
Speaker 39
Speaker 40
Speaker 45
Speaker 50
Speaker 56
Speaker 57
Speaker 58
Speaker 67
Speaker 59
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
Speaker 77
Speaker 78
Representative Vivian Flowers
Unverified
Speaker 63
Speaker 96
Speaker 98
Speaker 85
Speaker 100
Speaker 36
Representative Carlton Wing
Unverified
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
Speaker 147
Speaker 150
Speaker 156
Speaker 161
Representative Sonia Eubanks Barker
Unverified
Speaker 166
Speaker 168
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
Speaker 132
Speaker 148
Speaker 184
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
Chair
Unverified
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
Speaker 220
Speaker 5
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
Senator Clint Penzo
Unverified
Speaker 90
Speaker 244
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
Speaker 252
Speaker 157
Speaker 259
Speaker 260
Speaker 227