House Committee on Education (02/18/2013)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Date:	02/18/2013	ATTENDANCE

Time:	02:30 PM to 05:31 PM	Buckner	X
		Court	*
Place:		Everett	X
		Fields	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Holbert	X
	Representative Hamner	Landgraf	X
		Murray	X
This Report was prepared by		Pettersen	X
	Kristen Johnson	Priola	X
		Wilson	X
		Young	X
		Peniston	X
		Hamner	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB13-1165 HB13-1176 HB13-1194 HB13-1219		Amended, Referred to Appropriations Postponed Indefinitely Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Amended, Referred to the Committee of the Whole

02:34 PM -- House Bill 13-1165

Representative Wilson, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 13-1165 which concerns the creation of a manufacturing career pathway. The bill requires that the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE) collaborate with the Department of Higher Education (DHE), the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), to design a career pathway for students seeking employment in the manufacturing sector. The career pathway must be available for students beginning with the 2014-15 academic year. The DHE is appropriated $1.0 million from the General Fund for allocation to the SBCCOE to implement the bill.

Representative Wilson explained that a significant skills gap has developed in Colorado in the manufacturing industry and that this bill will create a well-trained workforce to meet industry labor demands. He said that the first thing employers consider when bringing their business to Colorado is the workforce, and that this bill will lead to a skilled labor pool and allow people to secure a job and advance in manufacturing professions. He discussed the fiscal note attached to the bill, and stated that the bill increases tax revenues for the state and that the bill is an investment in Colorado and a way to increase the base revenue in the state.

The following persons testified:

02:41 PM -- Dr. Geri Anderson, Vice President and Provost of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), testified in support of the bill. Dr. Anderson stated that the career pathway aligns curriculum and credentials in the manufacturing industry. She discussed the skills gap that exists in Colorado, stating that there are jobs available, but very few qualified technicians to fill them. She stated that the bill will allow educators to work with business and industry representatives to create common pathways. She discussed the skills that would be taught in career pathway courses. She stated that this idea is modeled after a program in Oregon, where students are graduating from high school with a certificate for advanced work in the manufacturing industry. She discussed the ability to "stack" skills on top of the certificates, eventually leading some students to bachelor's and graduate degrees. She discussed using manufacturing and healthcare career pathways as templates for twelve other career pathways. She responded to questions from the committee.

02:56 PM -- Noel Ginsberg, Founder of Intertech Plastics, Inc., and representing the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Ginsberg provided background information on his company. He stated that the U.S. is still the largest manufacturer in the world and that companies are moving their manufacturing operations back to the U.S. He stated that there are 600,000 jobs in manufacturing in the U.S. that are unfilled because there are not enough technicians to fill these jobs. He stated that today's students are not going to school to get into the trades, and that tool makers can make $45,000-100,000 a year. He stated that there has been a hallowing out of the education system in terms of manufacturing classes and that there is not currently the infrastructure in place to rebuild those classes. He discussed lost tax revenues as the result of the manufacturing industry's lost profit opportunities due to lack of workers.

03:02 PM -- Tom Neppl, CEO and Founder of Springs Fabrication, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Neppl stated that the skills gap is a real problem in Colorado and across the U.S. He stated that the loss of manufacturing jobs has pushed kids into other careers. He said that manufacturing is a rewarding career and that the salary averages $50,000 a year and up to $90,000 a year, in his company. He stated that manufacturing is rapidly becoming high tech and that robotics are very involved in the process.

03:05 PM -- Jeff Popiel, GeoTech Environmental Equipment, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Popiel gave background information on his company and described the work they do. He discussed his experience in high school taking career and tech classes. He stated that American youth are innovative problem solvers. He discussed the skills gap in his industry, and stated that the youngest qualified applicant he had apply for a position in his company recently, was 47 years old. He said that his company would like to hire younger people as well, but they aren't being taught in school the basic skills needed for manufacturing careers. He discussed on-the-job training. Mr. Popiel responded to questions from the committee.

03:14 PM -- Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst, The Bell Policy Center, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Waterous provided his comments in writing (Attachment A). He provided background information on The Bell Policy Center. He stated that career pathways offer a clear sequence for course work and when pathways are well-designed, they include regular engagement with employers, as contemplated in the bill. He stated that by the year 2018, two-thirds of Colorado's workforce will need some level of training. He stated that the bill is good workforce development policy and that education attainment is the single most important factor for economic growth. Mr. Waterous responded to questions from the committee about Colorado's ability to afford the fiscal note attached to the bill. He stated that this is the sort of investment that the state needs to start making.

13HseEd0218AttachA.pdf

03:23 PM -- Mark Welle, President and CEO of Westco Welding, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Welle stated that the bill will help support Colorado's economy and bring jobs back to the U.S. He stated that Colorado has not endorsed any certifications to deliver training that is unified and accredited in the manufacturing industry. He said that the variability of solutions being offered at Colorado's community colleges is a sad situation, and that students have to travel too far to get the quality of education that manufacturers are looking for in potential employees.

03:27 PM -- Wendell Pryor, Director of the Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation, testified in support of the bill. He stated that the bill deals with the issue that Colorado faces in having jobs available, but no qualified people to fill them. He stated that there are models out there that allow this process of creating career pathways to be efficient. He discussed the fiscal note associated with the bill and stated that the bill is about giving Colorado a competitive edge.

03:31 PM

Representative Wilson distributed Amendment L.002 (Attachment B) and discussed how the amendment impacts the bill. He provided closing comments to the bill. Committee discussion and comments ensued, with several members stating why they would, or would not, be supporting the bill.

13HseEd0218AttachB.pdf


BILL:	HB13-1165
TIME:	03:31:48 PM
MOVED:	Wilson
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Court
		VOTE
	Buckner
	Court
	Everett
	Fields
	Holbert
	Landgraf	Excused
	Murray
	Pettersen
	Priola
	Wilson
	Young
	Peniston
	Hamner

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB13-1165
TIME:	03:32:41 PM
MOVED:	Wilson
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 13-1165, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 8-4, with one member excused.
SECONDED:	Young
		VOTE
	Buckner	Yes
	Court	No
	Everett	Yes
	Fields	Yes
	Holbert	No
	Landgraf	Excused
	Murray	Yes
	Pettersen	Yes
	Priola	No
	Wilson	Yes
	Young	Yes
	Peniston	No
	Hamner	Yes

Final YES: 8 NO: 4 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

03:49 PM -- House Bill 13-1176

Representative Saine, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 13-1176 which concerns the creation of an income tax credit for nonpublic education. The bill creates income tax credit for individuals who enroll their dependent child in a home-based or private school, or offer a scholarship to a child who enrolls in a private school. In order to qualify, the child must have attended a public school full-time the year before enrolling in a private school and must have attended public school as of the enactment date of the bill and prior to enrolling in a home-based school. Taxpayers continue to qualify for the credit each year until the child graduates or returns to public school.

Representative Saine provided a handout to the committee (Attachment C).

13HseEd0218AttachC.pdf

The following persons testified:

03:51 PM -- Karen Wick, Colorado Education Association (CEA), testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Wick explained that CEA opposes the bill because it uses public tax dollars to fund nonpublic education. She stated that studies have not shown consistent cost savings to states who have adopted similar bills. She discussed Colorado's school choice laws, noting their flexibility and the strong charter school community in the state.

03:54 PM -- Treon Goossen, Liaison for the Home Educators Association, testified in support of the bill. She stated that the bill does not entice anyone out of the public school system, but can help struggling families. Ms. Goossen responded to questions from the committee.

04:00 PM -- Jenny Kraska, representing the Colorado Catholic Conference, testified in support of the bill. She distributed a handout to the committees (Attachment D).

13HseEd0218AttachD.pdf

04:01 PM

Representative Saine provided closing comments to the bill. She stated that the bill does not use tax payer money because the moneys are not public funds until collected by the state. She said that the bill allows those who qualify to take a tax credit towards their income tax. Representative Saine responded to questions from the committee.

Natalie Mullis, Colorado Legislative Council, came to the table to respond to questions regarding the bill's fiscal note.


BILL:	HB13-1176
TIME:	04:17:50 PM
MOVED:	Holbert
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 13-1176 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion failed on a vote of 5-8.
SECONDED:	Priola
		VOTE
	Buckner	No
	Court	No
	Everett	Yes
	Fields	No
	Holbert	Yes
	Landgraf	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Pettersen	No
	Priola	Yes
	Wilson	No
	Young	No
	Peniston	No
	Hamner	No

YES: 5 NO: 8 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL:	HB13-1176
TIME:	04:19:59 PM
MOVED:	Young
MOTION:	Postpone House Bill 13-1176 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 7-6.
SECONDED:	Fields
		VOTE
	Buckner	Yes
	Court	Yes
	Everett	No
	Fields	Yes
	Holbert	No
	Landgraf	No
	Murray	No
	Pettersen	Yes
	Priola	No
	Wilson	No
	Young	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Hamner	Yes

Final YES: 7 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

04:30 PM -- House Bill 13-1194

Representative Everett, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 13-1194 which concerns providing in-state student classification for dependents of members of the armed forces. Under current law, a member of the armed forces is eligible to obtain in-state tuition regardless of his or her length of residency upon moving to Colorado on a permanent change-of-station basis or temporary assignment to duty in Colorado. The bill grants the same eligibility to any dependent of a member of the armed forces. The bill also eliminates the requirement under current law that the student be a graduate of a high school in Colorado. A student who qualifies for resident tuition under the bill is not eligible to receive stipends from the College Opportunity Fund.

Representative Everett read aloud an email submitted by Nanette Mueller in support of the bill (Attachment E).

13HseEd0218AttachE.pdf

The following persons testified on the bill:

04:35 PM -- Jeremy Hueth, Legal Counsel for the University of Colorado, testified on the bill. He stated that the university supports the bill with amendments and that he appreciates the work of the bill sponsor. He explained why amendments to the bill are necessary and responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Everett distributed Amendment L.002 (Attachment F).

13HseEd0218AttachF.pdf

04:40 PM -- Nate Gorman, representing the Unified Veterans Committee of Colorado (UVC), testified in support of the bill. He stated UVC supports any bill that takes care of military families after they have served. He said that UVC is in support of measures that have a goal of keeping military families whole. He responded to a question from the committee.

04:42 PM -- Adam Hepp, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Hepp stated that he is a 12-year retired Veteran and that during his time of service, he moved nine times. He stated that during his service, he had several comrades who had family pursuing higher education and that a bill like this would have helped them. He stated that military families are patriotic and that those types of people are needed in Colorado.

04:44 PM

Representative Hamner stated that the bill would be laid over for action only until Wednesday, February 20, 2013, to allow the bill sponsor time to get the amendments to the bill in order.

04:46 PM -- House Bill 13-1219

Representative Hamner, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 13-1219 which concerns statutory changes to K-12 education. The bill addresses several areas of statute governing K-12 education.

Among its many provisions, the bill:

• specifies that if a charter school applies for any non-formulaic state or federal grant, the school is the Local Education Agency (LEA) for the purposes of applying for and determining eligibility for the grant, and may request that the state Charter School Institute (CSI) act as the grant manager;
• extends for one year continuous spending authority to the CDE for the educator licensure cash fund;

• restates the commissioner of education's responsibility to assign and monitor a unique educator identifying number and to assist the State Board of Education (SBE) in evaluating teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education and prepare an annual report;
• authorizes the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to develop a definition of course completion and to collect student-level course completion data from schools and districts; and
• aligns existing statutes concerning statewide assessments with the development and implementation schedule for new statewide assessments.

With respect to the Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment (ASCENT) program, the bill:

• authorizes the Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board to recommend a funding allocation model to the SBE in the event that the number of qualified students seeking participation in ASCENT exceeds available appropriations;
• prioritizes ASCENT funding for schools and districts with historically low college participation rates, and for students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, whenever the number of qualified students exceed available appropriations; and
• removes some obsolete reporting requirements from statute.

The following person testified:

04:48 PM -- Elliot Asp, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, CDE, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Asp walked the committee members through each section of the bill, noting the changes to statute and the impact of the changes. He responded to committee questions about the changes.

Jennifer Mello, Legislative Liaison, CDE, came to the table to answer committee questions about the ASCENT program.

05:24 PM

Representative Hamner distributed Amendment L.002 (Attachment G).

13HseEd0218AttachG.pdf


BILL:	HB13-1219
TIME:	05:26:10 PM
MOVED:	Hamner
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment G). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Court
		VOTE
	Buckner
	Court
	Everett
	Fields
	Holbert
	Landgraf
	Murray
	Pettersen
	Priola
	Wilson
	Young
	Peniston
	Hamner

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB13-1219
TIME:	05:28:01 PM
MOVED:	Hamner
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 13-1219, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 13-0.
SECONDED:	Murray
		VOTE
	Buckner	Yes
	Court	Yes
	Everett	Yes
	Fields	Yes
	Holbert	Yes
	Landgraf	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Pettersen	Yes
	Priola	Yes
	Wilson	Yes
	Young	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Hamner	Yes

Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

05:31 PM

The committee adjourned.