Legislature(2015 - 2016)BARNES 124
04/06/2015 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB46 | |
| HB47 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 46 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 47 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 120 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 46-WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD VETERAN MEMBER
3:18:36 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 46, "An Act relating to membership in the Alaska
Workforce Investment Board."
3:18:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAN SADDLER, Alaska State Legislature, stated
that this bill will improve the Alaska Workforce Investment
Board's ability to improve employment prospects for an important
and growing segment of the state's workforce, by adding a seat
to represent veterans.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER read from the following sponsor statement
[original punctuation provided]:
The Alaska Workforce Investment Board (AWIB) is a 25-
member board charged with helping unemployed Alaskans
find jobs, and helping current workers upgrade skills
find better jobs. Board members represent business,
industry, education, organized labor, state government
and community-based service organizations.
However, there is no representation specifically for
veterans, who represent a significant and growing
segment of Alaska's population. Alaska is home to more
than 73,000 veterans, and boasts the highest per-
capita veteran population in the nation. Each month
about 320 service members separate from service at
Alaska's three main military facilities: Joint Base
Elmendorf Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, and Ft.
Wainwright.
Polls show 80 percent of these new veterans would love
to remain in Alaska, but only 20 percent do. The
inability to find a good job plays a significant part
in the state's loss of these highly trained, civic-
minded individuals and their families.
Having a veterans' seat on the AWIB will help the
board develop workforce development policies to meet
this group's significant needs. It will help provide a
pool of well-trained employees for Alaskan employers.
And it will help veterans transition from uniformed
service, close any skills gap, find work and remain in
Alaska as productive citizens. I would appreciate your
support for House Bill 46.
3:20:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES asked for further clarification on the
definition of veteran in AS 43.20.048.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER answered that veteran is a person who has
been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United
States, including the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine
Corps, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Alaska
Territorial Guard, the Alaska Army National Guard, the Alaska
Air National Guard, or the Alaska Naval Militia.
3:22:05 PM
CHAIR OLSON opened public testimony on HB 46.
3:22:21 PM
JOSIE WILSON, Training Manager, CH2M Hill, spoke in support of
HB 46 and a specific role on AWIB [Alaska Workforce Investment
Board] for a veteran. She stated that her company employs
veterans, noting that 9 percent of its employees are veterans,
10 percent of its construction employees are veterans, and 12
percent of Point Thomson's employees are veterans. She stated
that CH2M Hill participates in the Hero-to-Hired program (H2H)
that provides additional education and support necessary to
transition veterans into the workforce. She offered her belief
that this specific bill will help bridge the gap and CH2M Hill
supports it.
3:24:23 PM
GREG CASHEN, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor &
Workforce Development (DLWD), stated that he oversees the AWIB
[Alaska Workforce Investment Board] and formerly served as the
executive director of AWIB for five years.
3:24:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES stated that the AWIB has five public
members and approximately 73,000 veterans reside in Alaska. She
asked whether any veterans have served on the board since
approximately 10 percent of Alaskans are veterans.
MR. CASHEN offered that the AWIB chair is a veteran, but he was
not certain about the other members. He said that the
department representative oversees the Employment Security
Division which has veteran representatives at its job centers
throughout the state. In addition, the department has a
statewide veterans' coordinator. He suggested the department
has pretty good representation for veterans' services within the
department. Further, the state job centers give veterans
priority service, such that they go to the front of the line for
services for training and other reemployment benefits.
3:26:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES appreciated that information. She also
appreciated the sponsor was not increasing the size of the
board, but was using one of the slots for public members.
3:26:45 PM
CHAIR OLSON, after first determining no one wished to testify,
closed public testimony on HB 46.
3:27:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES moved to report HB 46 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 46 was reported from the
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee
3:27:35 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:27 p.m. to 3:29 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB46 ver A.pdf |
HL&C 4/6/2015 3:15:00 PM |
HB 46 |
| HB46 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HL&C 4/6/2015 3:15:00 PM |
HB 46 |
| HB46 Fiscal Note-DOLWD-WIB-04-02-15.pdf |
HL&C 4/6/2015 3:15:00 PM |
HB 46 |
| HB46 Fiscal Note-MVA-OOC-04-02-15.pdf |
HL&C 4/6/2015 3:15:00 PM |
HB 46 |
| HB46 Support Documents-Email-Russ Black-SFAC Director-3-25-15.pdf |
HL&C 4/6/2015 3:15:00 PM |
HB 46 |
| HB47(CRA) Fiscal Note-DOA-DRB-04-03-15 with Actuary Letter-3-31-15.pdf |
HL&C 4/6/2015 3:15:00 PM |
HB 47 |