Bill Summary for Bill Number HB08-1021

Date: 01/28/2008

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB08-1021

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved amendment L.002 (Attachment B). The motion Moved amendment L.003 (Attachment C). The motion Moved amendment L.004 (Attachment D). The motion Moved to refer House Bill 08-1021, as amended, to	Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection PASS

02:52 PM -- House Bill 08-1021

Representative Peniston, prime sponsor, reviewed the provisions of House Bill 08-1021, concerning early access to educational services for gifted children who are less than six years of age. Representative Peniston reviewed Amendments L.002, L.003, and L.004 with the committee members (Attachments B,C, and D).

02:56 PM -- Jacqueline Medina, representing the Colorado Department of Education, shared with the committee members a packet of information pertaining to the identification of gifted students under the age of six (Attachment E). She also provided an example of an assessment process that would be used to determine which children would qualify for early access to school.

03:06 PM

Committee members discussed the burden of school districts for assessing potentially gifted children, and what to do with gifted children who are not enrolled in a preschool program and whose parents would want their child to have early access to school. Committee members further discussed aspects of the assessment process that would need to be considered during the rule-making process.

03:11 PM -- Steve Tkech, representing himself, testified in support of the bill, and shared his personal experience with attempting to get his son early access to kindergarten.

03:14 PM -- Linda Crain, representing the Colorado Gifted and Talented Coalition, testified in favor of the bill because of the benefits it would provide to young, gifted children who gain early access to school. She shared her personal experience with her daughter receiving early access to school.

03:19 PM -- Jennifer Landrum, representing the Colorado Children's Campaign, testified on the bill. She raised concerns about the bill as written, and stated that the Campaign supports the adoption of an amendment that enforces more stringent age requirements.

03:21 PM -- Cathy Wanstrath, representing the Children's Legislative Cooperative, testified on the bill, and stated similar support for an amendment endorsing more stringent age requirements.

03:22 PM -- Bruce Caughey, representing the Colorado Association of School Executives, testified on the bill, and presented questions about the bill, including the time and cost burden of assessing students, and how to address appeals cases brought by parents whose children are denied early access to school.

03:25 PM

Representative Peniston addressed the issues raised by Mr. Caughey.


BILL:	HB08-1021
TIME:	03:28:14 PM
MOVED:	Peniston
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.002 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Witwer
		VOTE
	Benefield
	Casso
	Fischer
	Gardner C.
	Kerr A.
	Massey
	Peniston
	Rose
	Summers
	Todd
	Witwer
	Solano
	Merrifield
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB08-1021
TIME:	03:28:36 PM
MOVED:	Peniston
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.003 (Attachment C). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Todd
		VOTE
	Benefield
	Casso
	Fischer
	Gardner C.
	Kerr A.
	Massey
	Peniston
	Rose
	Summers
	Todd
	Witwer
	Solano
	Merrifield
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB08-1021
TIME:	03:28:53 PM
MOVED:	Peniston
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.004 (Attachment D). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Benefield
		VOTE
	Benefield
	Casso
	Fischer
	Gardner C.
	Kerr A.
	Massey
	Peniston
	Rose
	Summers
	Todd
	Witwer
	Solano
	Merrifield
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

03:29 PM

Representative Peniston concluded her remarks on the bill, and asked for the committee's support of the bill. Representative Massey asked that Representative Peniston work with the fiscal analyst to quantify the local fiscal impact.


BILL:	HB08-1021
TIME:	03:30:24 PM
MOVED:	Fischer
MOTION:	Moved to refer House Bill 08-1021, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a 13-0 vote.
SECONDED:	Solano
		VOTE
	Benefield	Yes
	Casso	Yes
	Fischer	Yes
	Gardner C.	Yes
	Kerr A.	Yes
	Massey	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Rose	Yes
	Summers	Yes
	Todd	Yes
	Witwer	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Merrifield	Yes
Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS