03/15/2016 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 147                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to eligibility requirements of the                                                                        
     Alaska senior benefits payment program; and providing                                                                      
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:19:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon specified  that the  most recent  version                                                                   
of  the bill  was  a  committee  substitute from  the  Senate                                                                   
Health and Social Services Committee.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SEAN  O'BRIEN,  DIRECTOR,  DIVISION   OF  PUBLIC  ASSISTANCE,                                                                   
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH  AND SOCIAL SERVICES, discussed  SB 147,                                                                   
noting that  it made one  change to  existing law -  it would                                                                   
bring  consistency to  the aspect  that  a person  must be  a                                                                   
United  States  Citizen  or  qualified   alien  in  order  to                                                                   
eligible for a  senior benefits program (as stated  on line 9                                                                   
and  line  10 of  the  first  page).  He furthered  that  the                                                                   
change would  allow the  division to  be more consistent  and                                                                   
catch  up with  the intent  of  the program.  He thought  the                                                                   
language  should  have  been  in  the  program  when  it  was                                                                   
originally   established.   The    bill   would   also   make                                                                   
eligibility standards  more similar across  public assistance                                                                   
programs.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  asked  how many  qualified  alien  residents                                                                   
entered the state on an annual basis.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
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Mr. O'Brien  specified that the  department did not  have the                                                                   
requested  information,  however,  there  were  currently  16                                                                   
individuals  that  did not  appear  to meet  the  citizenship                                                                   
requirements as stated  in the bill. He continued  that 12 of                                                                   
the 16  individuals did not  meet the 5-year  waiting period,                                                                   
3 people  were non-immigrants,  and 1  person was  an illegal                                                                   
immigrant.  He  was unsure  if  he  had  the data  to  answer                                                                   
Senator Bishop's  question, and stated that he  would look in                                                                   
to the matter.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon stated  that  the committee  would  check                                                                   
back with  the division for  the information. She  thought it                                                                   
might behoove the  committee to seek data from  the permanent                                                                   
fund  dividend  division.  She wondered  if  the  eligibility                                                                   
requirements  in  the bill  were  similar  to those  for  PFD                                                                   
eligibility.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MONICA  WINDOM,  POLICY  DEVELOPMENT   CHIEF,  DEPARTMENT  OF                                                                   
PUBLIC   ASSISTANCE,   DEPARTMENT   OF  HEALTH   AND   SOCIAL                                                                   
SERVICES, stated  that most programs in the  division already                                                                   
had  the eligibility  requirements,  and  a change  was  only                                                                   
required for the senior benefits program.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  asked Ms.  Windom to provide  information                                                                   
on the  eligibility requirements  in the bill  (pertaining to                                                                   
residency/citizenship)  as  compared  to  those used  by  the                                                                   
permanent fund dividend division.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Windom  clarified  that   the  permanent  fund  dividend                                                                   
eligibility   had   the  same   citizenship   and   residency                                                                   
requirements as the division.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  pointed out  the applicability on  page 2                                                                   
of   the  bill,   and   wondered   if  the   division   would                                                                   
retroactively  qualify the aforementioned  16 individuals  if                                                                   
the bill was passed.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Windom related  that the program would have  to close the                                                                   
cases of  the 16 individuals,  who would  not qualify  if the                                                                   
bill passed.  She noted that  the individuals  were currently                                                                   
receiving benefits.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  asked how the individuals  were receiving                                                                   
benefits if they were not United States citizens.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Windom explained  that when the original  bill was passed                                                                   
to  create  the   senior  benefits  program,   there  was  no                                                                   
citizenship requirement written in to the bill.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Olson   found   it  troubling   that   there   were                                                                   
individuals who  were not U.S.  citizens that  were receiving                                                                   
public  assistance,   and  wondered   how  many   other  DHSS                                                                   
programs   allowed  for   non-citizens   to  receive   public                                                                   
assistance.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Windom  confirmed  that there  were  no  other  programs                                                                   
under   DHSS   that   qualified   non-citizens   for   public                                                                   
assistance.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon OPENED public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SB  147  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in  committee   for  further                                                                   
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
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