02/08/1995 09:01 AM Senate HES

 SHES - 2/8/95                                                                 
                                                                               
              SB  39 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP LOANS                              
                                                                               
 Number 002                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN GREEN called the Senate Health, Education and Social                 
 Services (HESS) Committee to order at 9:01 a.m.  She introduced               
 SB 39  as the first order of business before the committee.                   
                                                                               
 JOE AMBROSE, staff to Senator Taylor,  reviewed the Sponsor                   
 Statement.  SENATOR SALO asked if SB 39 was speaking to the Trooper           
 Academy Program.  Mr. Abrose clarified that SB 39 refers to a                 
 course that is complementary to the Trooper Academy Program, but              
 not part of that program.                                                     
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO inquired as to the funding of the Memorial                       
 Scholarship; do state employees support this fund with donations of           
 annual leave?  JOE AMBROSE stated that there are several manners in           
 which individual Troopers can donate to the Memorial Scholarship;             
 AS 14.43.300 describes various scholarship loan programs and their            
 funding sources.  Mr. Ambrose did not know the current balance for            
 the Memorial Scholarship.                                                     
                                                                               
 Number 089                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO asked if the state employees have a position on this             
 change in statute.  JOE AMBROSE said that he had not seen a formal            
 position from the Employee's Association.                                     
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN GREEN inquired as to the description of a typical                    
 recipient of this scholarship.  JOE AMBROSE could not answer that             
 question.                                                                     
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO pointed out that the prerequisites for this                      
 scholarship are a high school diploma or a GED.  JOE AMBROSE noted            
 that this program is a fitting preparatory measure for individuals            
 who may want to continue into other areas such as the Trooper                 
 Program.                                                                      
                                                                               
 Number 136                                                                    
                                                                               
 LIEUTENANT ROBIN LOWN, State Trooper and Chair of the Michael                 
 Murphy memorial scholarship, stated that he received and reviewed             
 all the applications for this scholarship.  He supported the                  
 changes because they would allow individuals interested in                    
 attending the Alaska Law Enforcement Training (ALET) program the              
 ability to do so.  He informed the committee that an individual who           
 goes to the ALET program without the Department's sponsorship would           
 face a $5,000 payment for that training.  Without that training, an           
 individual cannot become a law enforcement officer.                           
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN GREEN asked how many applicants there would be for this              
 scholarship.  LIEUTENANT ROBIN LOWN said that there are usually               
 fifteen to twenty applicants per year.                                        
                                                                               
 LIEUTENANT ROBIN LOWN explained that in years with too many                   
 applicants, the scholarship amount has been decreased per recipient           
 in order that more applicants can receive assistance.  He expressed           
 more interest in those individuals moving towards certification for           
 a police officer rather than law degrees.  He urged passage of                
 SB 39.                                                                        
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER moved that SB 39 be moved out of committee with                
 individual recommendations and its accompanying fiscal notes.                 
 Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.