H_ED_2019A 04/02/2019 01:33:40 PM Committee Summary

Representatives Wilson and Michaelson Jenet, co-sponsors, presented Senate Bill 19-183, concerning an alternate procedure to reorganize school districts. The bill creates an alternative process for the dissolution of a school district and the annexation of that dissolved district by one or more neighboring school districts if certain conditions are met. The bill sponsors answered questions from the committee.

Representatives Wilson and Buentello, co-sponsors, presented House Bill 19-1241, concerning the rural track in the University of Colorado (CU) School of Medicine. Beginning in the 2019-20 academic year, the bill requires that the CU School of Medicine provide educational support services and scholarships to students participating in the rural track program and cover housing expenses of rural track students while located in rural or frontier areas. The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

The following people provided testimony:

Dr. Patrick Smith, representing himself as a doctor in La Junta, testified remotely in support of the bill and answered questions from the committee.

Dr. Lisa Zwerdlinger, representing herself as a rural physician, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Mark Deutchman, CU School of Medicine, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Deutchman and Dr. Zwerdlinger responded to questions from the committee.

Cameron Niswander, representing himself as a medical student at CU School of Medicine, testified in support of the bill.

Molly Thayer, representing herself as a student at the CU School of Medicine, testified in support of the bill.

John Hallett, representing himself as a student at CU School of Medicine, testified in support of the bill.

The above three-person panel answered questions from the committee.

Queenie Kisang, representing herself as a student at CU School of Medicine, testified in support of the bill.

Emily Bressan, representing herself as a student at CU School of Medicine, testified in support of the bill.

Cara Campbell, representing herself as a student at CU School of Medicine, testified in support of the bill.

Kelly Erb, Colorado Rural Health Center, testified in support of the bill.

Representatives Wilson and Buentello made concluding comments on the bill, and committee discussion ensued.

The committee took a brief recess.

The committee came back to order.

Representatives McLachlan and Wilson presented Senate Bill 19-003, concerning the Educator Loan Forgiveness Program. Under current law, a teacher loan forgiveness pilot program in the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) provides loan repayment for teachers in high-poverty schools in rural areas, or in positions in math, science, special education, or linguistically diverse education. The program, which was created in 2001, has not been funded for several years and repeals on July 1, 2019. The bill renames the program to the Educator Loan Forgiveness Program, expands the program to include principals and special service providers, and extends the program's repeal to September 1, 2033, among other changes.

Samantha Nuecuterlein, Education Reform Now and Democrats for Education Reform, testified in support of the bill.

Leslie Colwell, Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill.

Representatives Wilson and McLachlan made concluding comments on the bill, and committee discussion ensued.

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order.

Representatives Geitner and McLachlan, co-sponsors, presented House Bill 19-1252, concerning college credit for work experience.  Under current law, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) convenes a council of representatives from institutions of higher education to recommend policies and procedures for credit transfers between institutions, articulation agreements, common course numbering, and related topics concerning the state's guaranteed transfer (GT) framework.  The bill requires that the council adopt and implement a plan for awarding credit for postsecondary education acquired through work related experience.  Representative McLachlan distributed a handout to the committee (Attachment A), as well as Amendments L.001, L.002, and L.003 (Attachments B through D).

The following people provided testimony:

Dr. Brandon McReynolds, CDHE, testified in support of the bill.

Former Senator Keith King, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.

The two-person panel answered questions from the committee.

Joel Pennick, Colorado Succeeds, testified in support of the bill.

Mike Macklin, Colorado Community College System, testified in support of the bill.

Meaghan Sullivan, Careerwise Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

The three-person panel responded to questions from the committee.

Representative McLachlan explained Amendment L.001.

Representative Geitner explained amendment L.002.

Representative Geitner explained Amendment L.003, and answered questions from the committee regarding the amendment.

Representatives McLachlan and Geitner made concluding comments on the bill, and committee discussion ensued.