Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Welcome back to House Education, February 3. We are now going to run through what we have collected so far in a miscellaneous education bill. I just want to point out to the committee that none of this has really been discussed at length, just sort of our things that seem to have come up, seems like things we need to get back to. So I have asked legislative counsel, hey, would you take that and put it in the miscellaneous education bill? So that would be an opportunity this afternoon to remind ourselves what is there. One of the things that we didn't have during the presentation from the AOE is their actual recommended statutory language about chronic absenteeism and truancy. And so legislative council and we have worked together to provide us some of that language. It may still need to be refined a little bit more, but it's also an opportunity to a little over that. So, for example, we had a presentation about the moratorium on new approved independent schools and how it's holding up the sale of one independent therapeutic school to another. Haven't taken any testimony on this, but just thought I'd put it out there as a reminder. Anyway, without further ado, turn it over to legislative council again for the walkthrough.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Beth St. James, Office of Legislative Council. So do you want to actually look at the language? Okay. Okay. So we're looking at drop 2.1. You did not see drop 1.1. It just so happens that I added some things. So I made a new draft. So I think the statement of purpose is best to just orient us because it just has a nice list of everything that's in here. So the moratorium, the exemption to the moratorium on approval of new approved independent schools, the AOE language related to chronic absenteeism, Vermont adopting the interstate compact for education, or I should say readopting, and then adjusting the special education census grant. That's all I have in here at this point. Is that what you expected? Yes. Okay, good. So you've already I haven't made any changes to the language related to the moratorium on approved independent schools. Do you want to spend any time here?

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Does anybody have any questions? This one was fairly simple, but any questions for legislative counsel, before I ask questions of the No changes were made to the existing.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: There was one change in the lead in language, the section title. Had not included originally a reference to language to this part right here. It just said the bill is introduced, just said Section twenty twenty three action results number 78 and didn't include this reference to the budget that actually added this subsection B. So this language here, this reference here is new. Otherwise, the substance of the language has not changed at all.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: All right. So for the committee, we've taken no testimony on this. Nobody has approached me saying, well, the people who want to make the purchase obviously would like to see this happen. I haven't had anybody come up to you and say, you can't do this because we

[Joshua Dobrovich (Member)]: really need

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: to be going toward a system where districts are doing their own. In house. I haven't had anybody come to me and say, you really got to do this because this school provides a needed service and they aren't allowed to continue. So I got nothing. And so I'm just asking if y'all would like to hear some more testimony. I would.

[Joshua Dobrovich (Member)]: I mean, I think it's fair. We have a school that's in play that's helping kids currently. I think it'd be a shame to disappear because of a not so good wording in Bell.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: But it'd be more of a, oh, should we hear from the testimony? God, I don't know if that matters. Absolutely.

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: Was just going to say, I totally agree with trying to make sure that our students' needs are met, but there's two things that I'm thinking about, and I'm not going to give you anybody to test ify right now because I'm thankful. I hear you, but this is a process. Honestly, we haven't been on this since we did this. Two things. One is that we have a lot of work to do on our special ed system, I'll just say, to generalize it. And my goal, and I think it was the goal of Act 173, was to reduce the number of outside placements. So I want us to continue that work. So that's always in the back of my mind as I'm saying this. The other thing is I always look at these things and say, what kind of a precedent is that setting? And I can't, I'm not an attorney, I can't form in my head where a precedent might get set on this, but I feel tension around it. And maybe no one else does, but I'm always concerned.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Keeping our eye on unintended consequences is always a very good idea. All right.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: So are you thinking and gathering your list of who might come in to testify, like some superintendents or some directors of these therapeutic schools?

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: I'm throwing it out to the committee. I think both of those categories, yes. And the more specific we can get at that, better.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: Okay.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: And here's what I'll do. I will put this issue to the superintendents and the special ed folks and say to what level does this rise to? Do you wanna come in and testify about it? And then perhaps we probably should hear from the people, the incredibly affected by this as well. And I do not know who I'll give tomorrow.

[Joshua Dobrovich (Member)]: I think that was what I was mentioning. What about the school specifically being affected by the sale and some of their staff, students, or anyone who might be able to come in and give us some insight as to what happens if this doesn't go through?

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: I actually made them clear to here the email I've got recently. All right, any other thoughts on that? Let's say we'll maybe get some testimony specific to this, to the to the issue currently before us. And then maybe I'll put it out to the BSA and that'd be special ed state organization, but I don't know what it's called. CSEA? Say it again?

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: CSEA, Council of Special Education, SEP. Perfect. Are they here tomorrow morning?

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: They are. And our

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: agenda looks like okay. All

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: right, great. Great. Thank you.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: You wanna move on? Yeah. So

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: section two is the chronic absenteeism language from AOE that you have not walked through yet. Do you want a full walk through now? There's really no easy way for me to summarize this because so much of it is dependent on definitions and you want to walk through it? Okay. So this language proposes to add a new subchapter to chapter 25, which is your attendance and discipline chapter. This is where like, the cold has really affected my brain. Shutting down. This is chapter 25. So you've got legal residence. That's what I was looking for. Legal residence, assignment, compulsory, your compulsory attendance, sub chapter, etcetera. So that's where we are in title 16. And so we are adding to subchapter three, the compulsory attendance chapter, and we're starting with adding a definition section. So these would be definitions that are applicable to this entire chapter. Absence is defined as a student who is for at least half the school day when the school is open, not physically on school grounds, or who is not receiving educational services or programming elsewhere pursuant to a program or plan approved by the district. Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student who is absent for any reason for 10% or more of a district's or approved independent schools student attendance days within one school year, regardless of whether the absences are considered excused or unexcused. Excused absence means an absence that is approved by the superintendent or designee or the head of the school or designee for an approved independent school pursuant to section eleven twenty three of this chapter, either before or after the dates of the student's absence, excused absences shall include days of in or out of school suspension.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Hang on for a second. This leaves out then the category of recognized schools? Correct. Okay. As well as private pre K.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yes. Parent or guardian shall The terms parent or guardian will have their ordinary meanings provided, however, that they shall also mean a student in the following situations. The student has reached the age of majority. I'm on page four now. The student is an independent student as that term is defined under subsection 1075H of this chapter, or the student qualifies as an unaccompanied youth under the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Truancy, I'm on line five, page four, means a student who accumulates 20 or more unexcused absences either within the same school year or when the districts or approved independent schools last one hundred and seventy five consecutive student attendance days, regardless of whether the absences were within the same school year. So you've got the same school year or you've got one hundred and seventy five consecutive days, which could be two school years, straddled two school years. Unexcused absence means any

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Robert, if you don't mind. So, by the fact that these are all underlined, these are brand new definitions that heretofore didn't exist previously.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Unexcused absence means any student absence that does not fit one of the categories of excused absences. Failure of the parent or guardian to provide justification for the absence if requested by the superintendent or the head of school for an independent school shall also constitute an unexcused absence.

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: Maybe I missed it here. I am reading and maybe I'm missing it still. Chronic illness?

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: We'll get there. These are just the definitions.

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: I should chronic illness. And I don't mean I'm literally asking not just someone who has a chronic illness, but someone who may have a temporary. Yeah.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: So if we go back to page three, line 14, the third definition, excused absence is an absence approved by the superintendent designee pursuant to section eleven twenty three. That's where the all the list of what can be excused will come in. Thank you. Okay, so that was all new. We're adding definitions. Now we're gonna get into amending current law. We're in the same sub chapter. So we're gonna amend attendance by children of school age required, section eleven twenty one. Again, we haven't had a ton of walkthroughs this year. Anything that struck is current law that this bill is proposing to get rid of. Anything that's underlined is new law, is new language, and anything, any language that is not neither struck nor underlined is current law that we are proposing to keep. So, section eleven twenty one would read the parent or guardian instead of a person having the control of. So, the parent or guardian of a child between six and 16 years of age shall cause the child to attend a public school, an approved or recognized independent school, an approved education program, or a home study program for the full number of days for which that school is held. This is your compulsory attendance law. Unless, so you have to, the kid between six and 16, they have to be in one of those educational programs, unless the child, per medical recommendation, is mentally or physically unable to do so, has completed the tenth grade, is excused by the superintendent or designee or the head of school for an approved independent school or designee as provided in this chapter, or is already enrolled in a post secondary school, which is also important for the early college program if you keep it. Section eleven twenty two, the parent or guardian of a child who is under six years of age or over 16 years of age, so on either side of that compulsory attendance law, who enrolls the child in grades kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school or approved independent school shall ensure that the child attends the school continually for the full number of school days for the term in which the child is enrolled. So if you're gonna put your kid in school, you gotta make sure they actually go. That's what this is saying, essentially. In the case of such enrollment

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: I gotta interrupt again. So if we go back up to page four and the attendance law, it does talk about all of the various enrollments that would qualify somebody to be not true. Why was recognized or education program dropped as we start moving through page five?

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: That would be a policy question for the agency.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Okay, I didn't know if that came up with all your discussions with them.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: So we are on page five, line 16. In the case of such enrollment, and such enrollment in this particular statute is enrollment of a child on either side of the compulsory attendance age. The parent or guardian and the superintendent or designee or head of school or designee shall be under the laws and subject to the penalties relating to the attendance of children between six and 16 years of age. So the compulsory attendance laws. Okay, page six, line one, section eleven twenty three, school absence may be excused. Here is the list of causes that would lead to an excused absence. So the superintendent of a public school or the designee or head school of an approved independent school or designee may excuse a student's absence for all or part of the school day for the following reasons, physical or mental illness of the student, family emergency or death in the family, quarantine in the home, and you'll see this is all underlined. So this is all new. This is all brand new language. Line 10, student's medical, dental, mental health or substance use treatment appointment, family observance of religious holidays, legal activities such as a student's court appearance, driving examinations, college or other post secondary program visitations, legal or administrative proceedings related to the placement of the student by the state, absences due to transition in the student's living situation as a result of the student experiencing homelessness, pre enlistment or deployment activities of the student or their parent or legal guardian or on page seven, other reasons not specified in subdivisions one through 11 of this subsection with approval of the secretary.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: Can I ask you a question?

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Yeah, I'm sorry.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: When I was at the ag dinner a couple months ago, they were also bringing up the amount of homage kids that go to show their cattle and stuff. Would that fall under here somewhere? They were hoping to get that into approved absences.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Are you asking me? I don't know if

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: it was. I think you bring up a much bigger issue here that is making lists. Making lists is

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: I just remember that specific one they

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: brought up.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: What can we do about that? But I don't know if that would talk. I guess there's nothing that would really be related to that on this list. Others. That's why there's

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: an other. Right. Yeah. Okay.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: But the only other here has to be approved by the secretary.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: Okay. So they're looking to get that added to the So it's approved by the secretary, not the superintendent.

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: The other has to actually be a proposed section. Okay.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: So what do I and it doesn't say here family trips where you're leaving three days early.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: We're getting there to get an extension.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Are we

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: ready to go on? Sure. Okay. But yes, this is the list. Of list. So I guess my question is,

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: can that list be added to, like at this table, isn't it?

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Well, we can discuss that as we delve into this further.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: Okay.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Yeah.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Section B, the superintendent or designee or head of school of an approved independent school or designee may excuse a student from attendance for pre planned family commitments or activities of which the school has been notified in advance.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: I hope so.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Pre approved absences shall not exceed 10 in each calendar year. The superintendent or head of school may request justification for an absence.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: I'm going

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: to stop saying designee. Yeah.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Good.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: It's there. Okay, another brand new section, response to chronic absenteeism. This is all brand new language. To minimize each student's loss of educational and developmental opportunities and to ensure equity in the treatment of absenteeism and truancy for all students and families, each school district and each approved independent school shall develop, adopt, ensure the enforcement of and make available in the manner described under subdivision five sixty three-one of this title, a policy that is designed to prevent and respond to chronic absenteeism and truancy that shall be at least as stringent as the model policy developed by the agency. We'll get to the model policy piece. We may wanna switch that, the order in which these things come. This language look very familiar to you. This is language we've been using very recently anytime there is a model policy and then school boards are required to adopt the policy. Each superintendent and head of school of an approved independent school shall develop and implement procedures to to carry out such policies. Moving on to page eight, the policy shall be consistent with definitions in this chapter. And a superintendent or head of school shall also ensure that data on student absences is collected and recorded in accordance with AoE's requirements. Any school board or approved independent school that fails to adopt a policy shall be presumed to have adopted the most current model policy established by the agency.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: So I think one of the challenges that we will have and correct me if I'm wrong, but like, so who does this apply to if you're an independent school? Does it apply to all of the students at the independent school? Does it apply to just publicly tuition students? If it doesn't just apply to publicly tuition students, does it apply to students who are going there from Massachusetts?

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Out of the country.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: So these are questions that, and this is really an AOE

[Joshua Dobrovich (Member)]: initiative, so these are questions that frankly they'll have to answer. Josh? If we continue talking about this in the bed bell, can we have Vermont Independent School Association come and talk about it? Because they'll be able to tell best about their side.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Yeah, well, so I think we should get the AOE to get clarification, but maybe by it first. Because independent school, and I, why are we just stopping at independent schools? Why aren't we doing recognized schools? They may balk at the half having to maintain the data.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Page eight, line seven, subsection B, this is where AOE is required to adopt the model policy. So AOE is required to develop and review at least annually a model policy on the prevention of chronic absenteeism and truancy. It has to include a template for documentation of actions taken according to the policy to address the absence, and that document shall constitute the truancy reporting protocol. Each supervisory union, supervisory district or approved independent schools policy shall meet or exceed requirements specified in the agency's model policy. I actually don't think you need this last line because you have on lines four through six. Well, not four through six, but we require at least as stringent as the model policy developed by AoE online 19 on page seven. So I'm just editing as I go. Okay, these three. So that's the whole statute. These three asterisks mean not that there is anything more to that statute, but just that there are statutes in this sub chapter that we're not amending. So the next statute that we're going to amend is section eleven twenty six, failure to attend. When a student between six and 16 years of age who is not exempted from school attendance by one of the authorized individuals in accordance with Section eleven twenty one of this chapter fails to enter school at the beginning of the academic year or being enrolled, accumulates 20 or more unexcused absences within either the same school year or within the last one hundred and seventy five consecutive students' attendance days. I'm on page nine now. And when a student who is under six years of age or at least 16 years of age becomes enrolled in a public school and accumulates 20 or more unexcused absences, either within the same school year or within the last one hundred and seventy five consecutive student attendance days, the principal's required to notify the superintendent. Then we've got new language. For Vermont residents, students, the head of school of an approved independent school or designee shall notify the superintendent of the student's district of residence. Upon review of the truancy reporting protocol, the superintendent shall, if warranted, notify the truant officer and centralized intake and emergency services of DCF Family Services Division. Section eleven twenty seven, I'm on page nine, line 13, notice and complaint by truant officer penalty. The truant officer upon receiving the notice and truancy reporting protocol shall inquire into the cause of the non attendance of this child. If the truant officer finds that the child's absences are not excusable, then the truant officer is required to give written notice to the parent or guardian, I'm on page 10, that they must comply with the obligations of section eleven twenty two of this chapter. So making sure your kiddo is in school. Subsection B.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: I'm gonna interrupt again. We keep referring to six to 16. Does that mean that this doesn't apply to kids who are over 16?

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: So you're not in eleven twenty seven, right? You're in 11/26?

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Okay. Right? Yes. I can't remember where it was, but it should be.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yeah. So on page 18, line starts the section starts on line 15. So it contemplates both within the compulsory attendance ages and on either side of it. So when a student between six and 16 is not in school, And then if you go to page nine, line one, when a student who is under 16 or at least 16 becomes enrolled, then it's all encompassing. Yep. Okay. So we're on page 10, line three, subsection b. So the proposal here is to to strike current law and replace it with entirely new language that reads, If the parent or guardian continues to fail without legal excuse to cause a child to attend school as required by this chapter after receiving the written notice, the truant officer shall enter a complaint to the state's attorneys of the count and shall provide a statement of the evidence and truancy reporting protocol upon which the complaint is based. Subsection C, the state's attorney shall take legal action in respect to a parent or guardian who allows without legal cause for a child to continue to accumulate unexcused absences after contact by a truant officer. In a prosecution, the complaint information or indictment shall be deemed sufficient if it states that the parent or guardian, and then you specify if the applicable person is a parent or guardian and name the person, the child, then you name the child, elects to send the child to a public school or an approved or recognized independent school or a home study program as required by law.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: So interrupting, noticed recognized school was back in again, even though it's happening. Some

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: of this chapter is about compulsory attendance, which you satisfy by going to a recognized school. And some of this is just about what's an excused absence or a non excused absence. And that's where you're seeing just the public school approved in a Penn School tie in. So I can see why that could be confusing. Yep. Okay. So the proposal here is to repeal section eleven twenty eight in its entirety. That's allowing a super You can read through the structure language, allows a superintendent or a truant officer to stop a kiddo if they think they're in the compulsory attendance age window, if they're found during school hours, and take the kid to school. So we're gonna repeal that.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: It's mayor de wells hanging on the street corner.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Section eleven twenty nine, jurisdiction of non residents. The superintendent of a school in which a non resident people is enrolled. This This is is just conforming amendments. We're getting rid of person, having controls with people, and replacing parent or guardian.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: Are we using guardian now, or are we using caregiver? I feel like the schools are flipping out things about parents and caregivers.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I think that would be a great question for AOE.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: We need to conform to the current language use and statutes.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: So that'd be a legal, deliberate guardian.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Well, you have created a new definition, this language proposes a new definition of parent or guardian. So you can, whatever you decide, we'll make the conforming amendments. But I think that's a good question for AOE, for boots on the ground. Section three, we're out of that subchapter. So we're in a new section of the bill. And it's an amendment to suspension or expulsion of students. And the whole statute remains the same. We're just adding new law. Subsection E would read, A public school or an approved independent school shall provide access to alternative education, such as tutoring, instructional materials, and assignments to a student during any period of suspension of three or more days. A public school or an approved independent school may provide access to alternative education to a student who has been expelled, except that the school shall provide educational access to the extent otherwise required by law. Section four requires AOE to adopt and publish that model policy on or before 07/01/2027, and then require school boards and the governing bodies of independent schools to adopt and implement a chronic absenteeism policy on or before the following July, 07/01/2028. And then section ten seventy six of section 16 penalties for essentially not complying with the truancy law is repealed. And if you wanna look at that, we can. I don't know what it is. I don't know what the penalty is off the top of my head, but we can look at that if you like. And that is it for the chronic absenteeism language.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Okay. Further questions? Could we ask you to communicate with AOE about sort of those questions that I brought up as to who does this cover and who doesn't this cover? And is that an inadvertent error or by design? So students are recognized schools.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: When you say, who does this cover, what is

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: It'd it be part about chronic absenteeism. Any area where it only says approved independent schools and public schools. Why are we not covering all Vermont students enrolled in a school of any kind? Two, who does it cover within those recognized and independent schools? Is it just students on public dollars or any Vermont student who is enrolled in one of those programs?

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: We know there's no student attending a recognized school on public dollars. Right. So it would just be the independent, the approved independent schools.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Well, I guess if they were to say, oh no, we meant to include recognized schools.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Right, that's covered in number one. The who does it cover? The policy as far as what is chronic absenteeism? Mean, excusing absences, unexcusing absences, that's all That's where I'm seeing the question for, does it cover just the publicly funded kiddos or the private payers as well? Okay.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: And if meant to include everybody, then why aren't we saying recognized schools? And what about those students who may be attending from Doctor. Leanne?

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I will certainly reach out. Do you want the report back to come through me, or do you want me to give them a heads up that you would be eliciting testimony related to these questions? Think

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Why don't we cross that bridge related? You and I can talk about whatever information you get back and see if it's a simple fix or not. Okay.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Any other questions?

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: I think we would need Well, I think AOE back and testimony from principals association or superintendents, in looking at the language, I'm concerned it's a bigger change or more new work than we thought based on the presentation. And so I have quite a few questions and just want to be careful about anything new or different that we're piling on in this current environment. And it feels like this is that. And now there's legal parts that feel way out of my lane, but the state's attorney actions and understanding how those differ from current practice is also not sure if this is a nothing burger or not. Feel a little bit less like it is now that I've

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: read it. I would say that we wouldn't proceed further without getting some feedback from the field, which is one of the best to have

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: to worry about. Right, right. That's amazing. But there's more to it than I.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: All right. You wanna keep going? Nice and easy here.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Okay, well, I'm gonna suggest in the interest of time, we don't go line by line on this.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: That's perfect.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: And so section six proposes for you all to rejoin the interstate compact for education. Vermont was a member, I think you heard from Annie on this. Yes. Vermont was a member of the Interstate Compact for many years. They withdrew in the early nineties and we haven't been a member since then. This would just be rejoining, essentially. This language has changed almost not at all since Vermont left the compact. And since your committee doesn't look at compacts that often, what I had hoped to do before we watched through this language was just essentially do a section by section summary. So we didn't have to walk through the language, but I didn't have time to do that today.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: We can also, I'd be happy to delay discussion.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I think that would be great. Okay. So that's just a little friendlier to digest. Rob

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: and Beth, as our liaisons to the Appropriations Committee, would you make sure that this I have been told by AOE that the funding for the Education Commission of the State's compact is included in their budget. Could you either verify that through seeing it in the budget? In other words, I've been told it's in there, but it'd be great if you guys could figure out how crack open the budget, maybe with help from

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: It's in the AOE budget request. Yes. It's not that it's in the governor's report, by

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: the way. That's right. And so what this, if you would work perhaps with representative, is this, he has this section of all the work that he appropriations, find it, make sure the line is in there. And while we're talking about that, I would also like you to be in charge of sort of compiling the list. We have GIV today, I have the oncologist tomorrow, so we can go back and revisit it for our budget memo later.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: Okay.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: All right, and that is it.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Well, there's one more piece.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: What page should we go to? You can go to

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: That's where we ended up. Page 25.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: Oh, yes. That's right. Yes. Page 25. Thank you.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Share my screen. This is the language that we walked through. Section seven is the special education census grant language that we walked through, I think it was Friday, which has not been changed at all. And that's it for the miscellaneous bill to date.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Josh, go forward.

[Joshua Dobrovich (Member)]: I was wondering if we should get testimony from Visa on that therapeutic school question. Which question? The therapeutic school question, the very first thing in the bill about the Yeah, which organization? Visa, it might have been the school association because they do deal with them directly, they might be able to add some insight to that.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Okay. So that's where this stands today. Obviously, kind of the meat and potatoes of this is the chronic absenteeism language, which perhaps should be a pill in and of itself, which would make it at this point have to be a committee bill. So if the committee thinks that's a good idea, I'll ask legislative council to pull that out and make it a committee bill. Only as a way of, yeah, it'd easier for us to divide and conquer.

[Joshua Dobrovich (Member)]: Meaning so when money either Mr. Bennington Exactly. When it goes across the other side.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Yeah. I'm not sure how broadly that this the field, the absenteeism stuff is it broadcasts, so that also help with that process as well. Kate? Yeah. Just quickly going back

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: to the census.

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: One representative Brown followed up on your request, a question, and you haven't heard back. Don't think I did. Because I didn't get, you copied me on that.

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: Yeah, let me double check.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Were getting a hold of Jana Brown?

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I was getting a

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: hold of Julia to ask. I

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: just wanna make sure. Yeah.

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: Was still on the work. I had.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yeah, did send that email only on Friday.

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: I just wanted to make sure we talked about it

[Chris Taylor (Vice Chair)]: last week, but it's

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: in process and we need to wait on that. Yeah, absolutely. Perfect.

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: Alright, any other thoughts, comments, decisions? Alright, thank you very, very much for spending so much time this afternoon.

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: You're welcome. Anything else to add to the bill at this time? The miscellaneous bill?

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: No. I think we all have our ideas that we want to throw in there, but

[Beth St. James (Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Looking at you.

[Erin Brady (Ranking Member)]: Thank

[Peter Conlon (Chair)]: you. Very good. Alright. So, committee, we are back in. That's it for today, if I'm not mistaken. And so we are back tomorrow at 09:15.