1997-01-28                     Senate Journal                      Page 0147
SB 65                                                                        
SENATE BILL NO. 65 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                               
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                          
                                                                               
An Act relating to domestic animals, to food, and                             
to the Alaska Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; and                                 
providing for an effective date.                                               
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the Labor and Commerce and             
Judiciary Committees.                                                          
                                                                               
Zero fiscal note published today from Department of Environmental              
Conservation.                                                                  
                                                                               
Governor's transmittal letter dated January 27, 1997:                          
                                                                               
Dear President Miller:                                                         
                                                                               
Included in my effort to create greater efficiencies in state                  
government is getting rid of archaic laws that are no longer used, but         
just remain on the books gathering dust.  This bill is a cleanup of            
various statutes relating to food and animals under the Department             
of Environmental Conservation (DEC), either deleting unnecessary               
items or transferring them to consolidate our statutes.  This will             
facilitate the publics use and understanding of these laws.                    
                                                                               
History has left the statutes governing food scattered throughout both         
Title 3, which covers agriculture and animals, and Title 17 on food            
and drugs.  With this bill, statutes governing organic food under the          
jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources would remain in            
Title 3, while statutes governing processed food that fall under the           
DEC purview would be consolidated in Title 17.                                 
                                                                               
Additionally, this bill makes other streamlining and housekeeping              
measures including deleting unnecessary flour and bread standards,             
statutes regarding rabies control, and staff reimbursement                     
requirements that conflict with the state Procurement Code.                    

1997-01-28                     Senate Journal                      Page 0148
SB 65                                                                        
The bill also allows the DEC to use future revisions of three                  
important federal milk and seafood program standards to be sure                
state standards always conform, to avoid confusion in the industry,            
and ensure marketability of our milk and seafood products.                     
                                                                               
The people of Alaska are asking for government programs to be                  
consolidated and streamlined.  This bill is a step toward that goal.           
                                                                               
						Sincerely,                                                               
						/s/                                                                      
						Tony Knowles                                                             
						Governor