MINUTES OF MEETING

      ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

 

      Sixty-seventh Session

      March 15, 1993

 

 

 

The Assembly Committee on Education was called to order by Chairman Wendell P. Williams at 3:37 p.m., March 15, 1993, in Room 330 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Meeting Agenda, Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

      Mr. Wendell P. Williams, Chairman

      Mr. Ken L. Haller, Vice Chairman

      Mrs. Vonne Chowning

      Mr. Tom Collins, Jr.

      Mrs. Marcia de Braga

      Mr. William D. Gregory

      Mr. James W. McGaughey

      Mr. Michael A. Schneider

      Mrs. Gene W. Segerblom

      Ms. Sandra Tiffany

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:

 

      Mr. Roy Neighbors(excused)

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

      Donald Williams, Research Analyst

           

GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT:

 

      Assemblyman Stephanie Smith, District 20

     

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

      Debbie Cahill, Nevada State Education Association

      Mary Peterson, Department of Education

 

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 16   -      Supports national education goals for State of Nevada.

 

Chairman Williams referred to the proposed amendment submitted by Janine Hansen emphasizing local control of education.  (Exhibit C).

 

Mr. McGaughey was concerned with the elimination of lines 3 through 8 which, in his opinion, would "gut" the entire purpose of the resolution.  According to Mr. McGaughey, the current language in the resolution was concise and specific and there was no need for an amendment.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN SEGERBLOM MOVED TO ADOPT ACR 16 AS WRITTEN.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN MCGAUGHEY SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

Mr. Gregory pointed out previous discussions regarding the resolution indicated there were concerns with the implementation of the goals; however, the implementation was not a part of the resolution.

 

      THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.  (ASSEMBLYMAN DE BRAGA WAS ABSENT AT THE TIME OF THE VOTE.)

 

ASSEMBLY BILL 223 -     Specifies minimum number of persons to be appointed to list of hearing officers maintained by state board of education.

 

Debbie Cahill, Nevada State Education Association, spoke in support of the bill.  Mrs. Cahill indicated the language in NRS.391 currently allowed a teacher the opportunity to request a hearing if a job action was filed against him.  Mrs. Cahill  explained NRS 391.3161 specified a list of available hearing officers be maintained at the state department of education.  According to Mrs. Cahill, there were very few hearing officers on the list and currently the number was nine.  Mrs. Cahill stated when an action was filed, each side had the option of deleting names off the list during the striking process.

 

Mrs. Cahill commented AB 223 was an attempt to increase the amount of hearing officers in order to make the list sufficient for the striking process.  Mrs. Cahill emphasized there was no penalty involved if there was not exactly 25 hearing officers on the list.

 

Mary Peterson, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, read verbatim from prepared testimony (Exhibit D).  Mrs. Peterson remarked the problem with appointing additional hearing officers was with the uncompensated time necessary to train the officers for the four hours of instruction which was a requirement in subsection 1. 

 

Mrs. Peterson pointed out filling the vacancies within 90 days was also a laudable goal since there was no money to compensate attorneys for instruction time.  Mrs. Peterson justified the revisions of language in the bill were considered goals; however, there might be some difficulty in achieving them.

 

Mrs. Peterson concluded the department of education suggested two options:  providing compensation to hearing officer candidates for instruction time, or establishing the revisions as goals, not legal mandates.

 

Chairman Williams asked Mrs. Cahill if a compromise would be possible.  Mrs. Cahill responded there was the possibility of establishing the revisions as goals but she emphasized there would not be a penalty involved as stated earlier.

 

Mr Collins questioned if there would be a penalty if no one was appointed within the 90 day period.  Mrs. Cahill replied "no."

 

Mrs. Segerblom recommended raising the funds for the four hours of instruction time; however, she indicated it might need to be addressed in the form of another bill.  Mrs. Peterson referred to line 19 which provided for compensation and she suggested adding language to compensate for the instructional time.

 

Mr. McGaughey commented since the bill involved the State Bar of Nevada and the Nevada Trial Lawyers, input from each would be beneficial. 

 

Chairman Williams closed the hearing on AB 223 until the parties involved could reach a compromise.

 

ASSEMBLY BILL 154 -     Revises requirements for equipment that must be installed on school buses.

 

Assemblyman Stephanie Smith, Clark County District 20, referred to the proposed amendment to the bill (Exhibit E).  Ms. Smith explained in her previous testimony she had omitted describing the flashers which would be installed on the end of the swinging arm.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN MCGAUGHEY MOVED TO AMEND AND DO PASS AB 154.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN COLLINS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:52 p.m.

 

                                    RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

 

 

                                                                    

                                    Marilyn Cole, Committee Secretary

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Assembly Committee on Education

Date:  March 15, 1993

Page: 1