[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6063149,"mediaKeyId","3270669-e0a2c8a533ac6350c23ac10e708c3ff1","parentId",3270669,"title","Committee reviews HB 190 to reinstate education tax credit changes, expand childcare options","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3835000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270669-e0a2c8a533ac6350c23ac10e708c3ff1&start=3835&end=3835","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270669-e0a2c8a533ac6350c23ac10e708c3ff1/thumbnail_3835000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063149/Alaska/Committee-reviews-HB-190-to-reinstate-education-tax-credit-changes-expand-childcare-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063149-9756ef8dcb70f2fda49f0a0cbcac82f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773579520&Signature=MVZQHolFpDFdpz0KMwTgRy7Hgj9qDzG1V00-vZFnZ--H1YUA47El-~ggn-~H0PU2Y7~yF1NoguDiFmkh0sWO5Q4oav3L4Fi4xLjrROZaUPBfADrsnq0Kof187LYpFzsxupUzdSuG52Fkvkl1Uw7fqvqQ2fy0eI8L4HCVMDG3M1qTdJhCuTgAMVMORA6yv7Xe0f21TtwuBksJZcAH0WQN0uAGdQLgl-kuPG86ISJgX~RBocdPiyE8Wp2vqZb-p-bX3oXcocFzT-HCPi~Na0lWcO8hXzlXBIr0l8CrcVoh01eHLAR50Ugmx60C0VtOnI1f30xS0VNkqNqffv58vjllug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-05-09T00:00:00Z","article","The House Education Committee heard presentations May 9 on House Bill 190, a measure from the governor’s office that would repeal and replace portions of last year’s omnibus bill if a court voids those changes. The bill covers two main areas: expanding the education tax credit cap and making statutory changes to childcare subsidy and grant programs.

Department of Revenue legislative liaison Amy Bushnell told the committee that Senate Bill 189 became law as chapter 15, SLA 24 on Oct. 9, 2024, but is the subject of a lawsuit challenging the bill’s single-subject compliance. \"Because of that, the governor has put forward this bill,\" Bushnell said, describing HB 190 as a way to replicate certain policy changes if SB 189 is invalidated by the court.

HB 190 would expand allowable education tax-credit uses to include employer-operated childcare facilities and payments to employees to offset dependent-care costs, and would raise the annual cap on the education tax credit from the prior statutory level to $10 million. Bushnell summarized the cap history: last year statutory changes raised the credit from $1 million to $3 million; HB 190 would raise it further to $10 million.

Leah Van Kirk, health care policy adviser for the Department of Health, outlined statutory changes to the child care assistance program and the child care grant program. Those changes would allow additional rate-setting methods, permit certain income-eligibility waivers consistent with federal rules, require grant-funded providers to prioritize children enrolled in the child care assistance program, and enable grants targeted to high-quality facilities. Van Kirk said the bill retains technical updates changing \"daycare\" language to \"childcare\" and revises definitions for child care facilities.

Committee members asked about elements of SB 189 that were left out of HB 190. Van Kirk confirmed that some items with associated fiscal notes — for example, expanding family income eligibility to 105% of state median household income and creating an employer-incentive program for on-site childcare — were included in the governor's proposed FY 2026 budget rather than embedded in this bill. She said those items remain subject to the budget process and could proceed if funded there.

The testimony also noted a federal administrative change made the prior statutory cap on family contributions (co-pay) unnecessary. Van Kirk said recent federal rules require a cap and that statutory change is not needed for compliance.

The committee took a procedural action at the end of the hearing. Chair Story said he would \"hold HB 190 over and set an amendment deadline for Sunday, May 12 at 3 p.m.,\" leaving the bill under consideration while members review fiscal notes and budget dependencies.

Recorded discussion distinguished statutory language included in HB 190 from implementation actions that would require appropriations or regulatory steps. Staff on hand for fiscal questions included Brandon Spanos of the Department of Revenue and legal counsel Sean Mills, and committee members reserved additional fiscal and budget questions for follow-up as part of the amendment process.

HB 190 links statutory changes to larger budget choices and, according to testifiers, to ongoing federal and regulatory guidance; the committee will revisit the bill after receiving requested fiscal clarifications and any proposed amendments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","05/09/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 190 would repeal and replace parts of last year’s omnibus bill if a pending court challenge succeeds; it restores an expanded education tax credit cap and codifies childcare assistance and grant program changes, and the committee held the bill over with an amendment deadline of May 12 at 3 p.m.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6063155,"House committee hears push to protect international teachers amid rural shortages",3157,837000,3994000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270669-e0a2c8a533ac6350c23ac10e708c3ff1&start=837&end=3994","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270669-e0a2c8a533ac6350c23ac10e708c3ff1/thumbnail_837000.jpg","/articles/6063155/Alaska/House-committee-hears-push-to-protect-international-teachers-amid-rural-shortages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063155-135cd69739c1eb80054596bbddb4d631/orig.mp4?Expires=1773579520&Signature=ceJFxPwo8oiGG97oS45dJsoH02Ogz66S1yNPsMZ2-DO~t7YmctHOcBZ5tL~ZTGwpEEQussDTxPyEeb9r39k0~ubvkL19BqJsTNjIwMaw4umLDLS5TiL2rXZ4Bkj1REVbXRu9QT1Gm8qM2XjOZQYkF9ANvoadTzGOtV9GJnwASVATtP7j7NWxVZ1Yui~mqwgWiZIfd0YimfpNSnKrCIqDbkeb7qVC-f42yGIIk4ImEj-PlrE7qFhFEz9O~4VEyzmZGLPeEDIArzpRxGp8iSuw2lLTCza5nwiYKcKkItrezTyzH6dNchFC03eZ673gRHeuxdV1inE1OErHOWYBG4gsNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Joint Resolution 25, which urges state leaders to support greater visa security and job flexibility for teachers on J-1 and H-1B visas, was presented May 9 to the Alaska House Education Committee and held over for further consideration. Representative Genevieve Mina of House District 19 introduced the measure and asked the committee to back policies that strengthen recruitment and retention of international educators in rural Alaska.

The resolution matters because many rural and remote districts rely heavily on teachers from abroad to keep classrooms staffed. \"House joint resolution 25 calls on the legislature, school districts, higher education workforce,\" Representative Genevieve Mina said, \"and it urges the creation of policies that support greater visa security, job flexibility, and long term stability for teachers on J-1 and H-1B visas.\" Supporters told the committee that without those hires, some districts could not operate.

Superintendent Madeline Aguilar of Cussbuck School District, who testified in person, described multiple years of heavy turnover and the district’s pivot to international recruitment. She said her district has averaged roughly 60% of teaching staff on J-1 or H-1B visas over the past four years and now depends on H-1B hires after J-1 sponsors stopped placing teachers off the road system. \"Without international educators, our districts like mine, it wouldn't be possible to function at this point in time,\" Aguilar said, adding that visa-processing delays and limits on job mobility threaten school stability.

Other invited witnesses described the classroom and community contributions of international hires. Principal Mac Croweninho M. McDowell (transcript: reported name) said international teachers bring global perspectives and engage deeply with families; special-education teacher Dale Abkus told the committee his school will be staffed next year entirely by certified international teachers and that those educators lead extracurricular and community programs. \"Next school year, our school will have a teaching staff composed of 100% certified international teachers,\" Abkus said.

The Alaska Council of School Administrators, through Executive Director Dr. Lisa Paradis and Jennifer Schmidt, director of the Alaska Educator Retention and Recruitment Center (ARC), described state efforts to support districts that hire internationally. ARC is developing recruitment, legal navigation, and professional-development supports tailored for incoming international teachers; officials said ARC aims to reduce the administrative burden on individual districts.

Committee members questioned how J-1 sponsorship shifted away from rural placements. Aguilar said sponsoring agencies raised concerns after an earlier review and collectively limited new sponsorships to the road system and railbelt, effectively blocking new J-1 placements in many remote districts despite documentation of local medical access and housing in some districts.

Discussion points recorded in the hearing included: the extent of reliance on international teachers (district examples cited up to 60% visa-holder staff), operational risks from federal visa-processing delays, differences between J-1 cultural-exchange and H-1B work visas, and district supports such as cohort hiring, PBIS (positive behavior interventions and supports), and special-education training to ease classroom transitions.

The committee took a procedural action at the end of the hearing. Chair Cochair Story said he would \"hold HJR 25 over and set an amendment deadline for Sunday May 12 at 3 p.m.,\" leaving the resolution pending further committee work.

Supporters asked the committee to view HJR 25 as both an immediate measure to stabilize staffing and a complement to longer-term pipelines such as grow-your-own and residency programs. Testimony repeatedly separated discussion (descriptions of visa processes, training and retention strategies) from the committee’s formal action (holding the resolution over with an amendment deadline).

The record shows sustained interest from rural districts, school administrators and international teachers in formal policies that provide clearer paths to longer-term employment, reduced paperwork burden for districts, and predictable visa timelines for teachers. The committee will consider amendments and additional information before acting further on HJR 25.","The House Education Committee heard testimony supporting House Joint Resolution 25, which urges policies to improve visa stability and retention for international educators serving Alaska’s rural districts; the committee held the measure over with an amendment deadline of May 12 at 3 p.m.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee reviews HB 190 to reinstate education tax credit changes, expand childcare options

House committee hears push to protect international teachers amid rural shortages