[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6063127,"mediaKeyId","3270689-c968967fc4b907ed119e1325161cd856","parentId",3270689,"title","Committee adopts substitute and reports SB151 setting default head lice and pink eye policies for school districts","audioSeconds",874,"startMs",1293799,"endMs",2168085,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270689-c968967fc4b907ed119e1325161cd856&start=1293&end=2168","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270689-c968967fc4b907ed119e1325161cd856/thumbnail_1293799.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063127/Alaska/Committee-adopts-substitute-and-reports-SB151-setting-default-head-lice-and-pink-eye-policies-for-school-districts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063127-41bd1ea56a532754fd7ecbc5967d0327/orig.mp4?Expires=1771131595&Signature=MI9eZ1MFLVvi-sC98vV8PE1rd3SVYrmnPTAgjbNiqUqfvONGKrmNt9bNHHJIX6iUFptlP8CIRezTHmMxE-d18bsdUs7yBofLYNUZDV~Nx-txSe9QWlw~9yNO2TblO7N96k7kxmPXBGrF~gkN9c-Xk1gZpHXbsAMuBe09OqxwKxz1NGsza6LH7hnOL2hUlgoftig9~bnQ61ZpLbh-CIOfKO3jZJzjZnAzX7iD5IJ1Vpoy~fl5FmR-s9n10paHnKIe8f9ovKRAZw7vicLs-ZFlD6z781-tyj0rsgW4B2Xp94Smmt0ee~9w6FUhUUxOm3~LOmXklMok6IqlU8EsYC4x-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-05-09T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Education Committee on May 9 adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 151 and reported the bill with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note. The substitute requires school districts to adopt policies addressing head lice and bacterial conjunctivitis; if a district does not adopt a policy within six months, the bill’s default policy applies.

Senator Jesse Bjorkman, sponsor of SB151, and his legislative aide Seveah Bieber presented the substitute and described changes from the original draft, including removal of district reimbursement and reporting requirements. Bieber told the committee the substitute “deleted the whole bill and redid it. So now the bill requires districts to adopt a policy regarding head lice and bacterial conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. Those who have not adopted a policy shall follow the default policy established in this bill.”

Under the substitute, “students found with lice may finish the school day, but may not return until a school nurse or a designee has confirmed the absence of live head lice,” Bieber said. For bacterial conjunctivitis, the substitute requires students who are found with the condition to “leave the class immediately and may return at least 24 hours after starting their pink eye treatment,” she said. The substitute also requires schools to notify parents that a student in their child’s class was found to have lice or pink eye; notifications must protect student privacy, the presentation said.

Bieber said the substitute was intended as a “backstop policy” that encourages districts to adopt locally tailored approaches. She told the committee the substitute excludes correspondence programs and requires separate policies for boarding or residential schools. She also explained that initial plans to include funding for school nurses were removed because of “fiscal realities,” leaving the bill streamlined to avoid imposing new fiscal liabilities on districts.

During questions, Senator Peter Stevens asked why students with lice would be allowed to remain in class given its contagiousness. Bieber responded that federal Centers for Disease Control guidance indicates a child with lice “does not have to leave immediately. They can go home at the end of the day and then get treatment and come back when they don't have any live lice.” Senator Kiel asked about balancing send-home policies against learning loss and access to care; Bieber noted existing resources including regional health services and programs such as Denali Kid Care and mentioned telehealth and expanded pharmacist-prescription authority as routes to treatment.

Senator Bjorkman said ringworm was not included in the substitute because it is most commonly spread through middle- and high-school wrestling and affects a smaller subset of students. The committee adopted the substitute by unanimous consent and then reported SB151 with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note; members were asked to remain after adjournment to sign the report.

The bill gives districts six months to adopt a local policy with public input; if they do not, the default rules in the substitute apply. The committee record identifies the working document as work order 34-ls0709 backslash o.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","05/09/2025 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Education Committee adopted a committee substitute for SB151 requiring school districts to adopt policies on head lice and bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye), providing a statutory default where districts do not act and specifying return-to-school conditions.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063132,"Senate Education Committee reports SB181 on employment information disclosure to next committee",98,1193705,1292140,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270689-c968967fc4b907ed119e1325161cd856&start=1193&end=1292","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270689-c968967fc4b907ed119e1325161cd856/thumbnail_1193705.jpg","/articles/6063132/Alaska/Senate-Education-Committee-reports-SB181-on-employment-information-disclosure-to-next-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063132-ad959f8736416ddb1bce6ffb5996fab0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771131595&Signature=H9PBUrECGKmeBgOpNT9RfW2Uk2x8hNzipthlzUosFrECyF1SThAWOm9xD37ebQyrh5XQrecCGdIuUOIIBCm09MVhH7LBeyJAMPcg9e7z60pCiTMZ8g95ygynmRqk25JnbIT7rHvxKKwTwPy06Nn342pZGRRHvmzj-mjvuajfWZA-fncGolpYGRK3y-lhQ2rjty2wHup1FALjVMrqjK00PJ6-k0m~GIuvC59Y4XjDLobVclMNEhCqbb~k8nvFPqspJPzmO9pYx~L-L7F9ChYEwIB4FFNBbq-GmCLghEE-dEJ~-U2lPGRx6ucfw60I0f59kYBY9ohpZj5l1pjQC~r4Rg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alaska Senate Education Committee on May 9 reported Senate Bill 181, titled “employment information disclosure,” and sent the bill on to its next committee of referral with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note.

Senate President Peter Stevens, who chaired the joint task force on evaluating Alaska’s seafood industry that requested the bill, told the committee the measure had been heard previously and that neither his office nor the sponsor’s office had been contacted about amendments since that hearing. Stevens moved to report the bill without objection.

Committee minutes note that the bill was sponsored by the Senate Rules Committee at the request of the joint task force on evaluating Alaska’s seafood industry; the task force’s chair is President Stevens. The committee’s action was recorded as: “Without objection, senate bill 181 work order 34-ls0821 backslash a is reported from the Senate Education Committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note.”

No amendments were presented on the floor of the committee during the May 9 session, and committee members were asked to remain after adjournment to sign the committee report. The bill will proceed to the next committee of referral as determined by Senate rules.","Senate Education Committee reported Senate Bill 181, an employment information disclosure measure sponsored by the joint task force on evaluating Alaska’s seafood industry, moving the bill forward with individual recommendations and a fiscal note attached.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063137,"Senate Education Committee forwards student regent nominee Fernando Escobar to joint session",743,449979,1193005,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270689-c968967fc4b907ed119e1325161cd856&start=449&end=1193","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270689-c968967fc4b907ed119e1325161cd856/thumbnail_449979.jpg","/articles/6063137/Alaska/Senate-Education-Committee-forwards-student-regent-nominee-Fernando-Escobar-to-joint-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063137-f367c0ca3fdf23e7f1e68767a108a852/orig.mp4?Expires=1771131595&Signature=ZjPpFsihzZR9RvEI9aiRlDm-8ymDvr4ZZG-4XpD0QT-xSWUypuqzuHiYDLhmmj9XzZteUwdyDeKRXw6VMZETt8HF3yYd17cuFILWs1wjyRUtX33g~Adof9U67Eyv6cqHdZiQEQLQd7hFfI63hwZGFLqTcBU6TPXFuB6lPyUtyMjDrbxMy58OxX1rrncrqEhSEiREyiboc7TNGTYBAnbe21Clwn1EVwedY7X6e0psojf3KX42w4DAfoheKAIGXi~k8Gb8zDpcgaCU~KC4X2QXirn1zJ2uai-z0GC0Y7VbifLatSU7fO69dseZFvYQP5e41lb-Lpw3tgJQ8jAdM1Xg9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Education Committee on Friday, May 9, voted to forward Fernando Escobar’s nomination for student regent on the University of Alaska Board of Regents to a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature for final consideration.

Escobar, who introduced himself as a first-generation student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, told the committee he would “voice my concerns and my opposition for any motion that could negatively affect the system” while focusing on representing the student voice. He said the role is to make the regents understand “what 18,000 or more students are saying, or majority of them are saying.”

The committee heard three minutes of public testimony in support of Escobar. Eleanor Guthrie, associate director of the University of Alaska Honors College, said she first met Escobar during an Honors College orientation and called him “a future leader,” describing his work in legislative meetings on climate and renewable-energy issues. Pat Jacobson, a retired teacher and former regent from Kodiak, told the committee Escobar has “a level of maturity I have not often seen in a teenager.” Betty Walters, a Kodiak community member and educator, urged the committee to confirm Escobar and described him as “admirable, capable, observant, inquisitive, dependable, committed.”

President of the Senate Peter Stevens moved the committee recommendation. The committee’s formal report states: “The Senate Education Committee has reviewed the qualifications of the governor's appointee to the University of Alaska Board of Regents and recommends that Fernando Escobar's name be forwarded to a joint session for consideration.” The report also notes the recommendation “does not reflect the intent of any of the members of the Senate Education Committee to vote for or against this individual during the joint session to consider confirmations.” Committee members were asked to stay after adjournment to sign the committee report.

Escobar told the committee he is from Kodiak and described his campus service at UAF, including roles in student government and as Director of Student Advocacy and Public Relations. Committee members praised his credentials and asked how he would work with the generally older regents; Escobar said he would prioritize collaboration while speaking up for students’ concerns.

The nomination will be considered next in a joint session of the Alaska Legislature; the committee record requests members sign the committee report after adjournment.","The Alaska Senate Education Committee voted to forward the governor's nominee, Fernando Escobar, for student regent on the University of Alaska Board of Regents to a joint session after a confirmation hearing and public testimony of support.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee adopts substitute and reports SB151 setting default head lice and pink eye policies for school districts

Senate Education Committee reports SB181 on employment information disclosure to next committee

Senate Education Committee forwards student regent nominee Fernando Escobar to joint session