02/14/2008 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

HB 344-ADMINISTRATIVE CODE/REGISTER DISTRIBUTION                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:35:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FAIRCLOUGH announced  that the  final order of  business                                                              
would be HOUSE BILL  NO. 344, "An Act relating  to distribution of                                                              
the   Alaska  Administrative   Code   and  Alaska   Administrative                                                              
Register; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:35:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JASON  HOOLEY,   Special  Assistant/Legislature,  Office   of  the                                                              
Lieutenant  Governor,   explained  that  by  law   the  lieutenant                                                              
governor  is required  to distribute  paper copies  of the  Alaska                                                              
Administrative  Code  and its  quarterly  supplements  to all  158                                                              
local  government units  in Alaska.   In the  last several  years,                                                              
the Office of  the Lieutenant Governor has received  feedback that                                                              
they don't  use the paper copies  of the materials and  they don't                                                              
have  office space  to  store  them.   In  many cases,  the  local                                                              
government  units are transitioning  to the  electronic   versions                                                              
available  for free  on  the Internet.    This legislation  simply                                                              
allows the local  governments who don't want to  receive the paper                                                              
documents to opt-out,  and if they later determine  that they wish                                                              
to receive  the paper  copies they can  opt-in.  This  legislation                                                              
attempts  to save the  state some  money while  responding  to the                                                              
desires of the local  communities.  Mr. Hooley then  turned to the                                                              
zero fiscal  note and  related that  currently  $22,000 a  year is                                                              
spent  on  this  portion  of  the  contract  with  the  publisher.                                                              
Therefore,  when communities  opt-out of  the program, money  will                                                              
be saved.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:37:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SALMON  asked if  this information is  available on                                                              
line.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOOLEY replied yes.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:37:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CISSNA asked  if  it will  remain  possible for  a                                                              
local government  to call  and request a  paper copy  because some                                                              
communities   may  not   have  the   capability   to  obtain   the                                                              
information on line.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HOOLEY  said  that  it  will be  entirely  up  to  the  local                                                              
communities.  The  Office of the Lieutenant Governor  arranges the                                                              
distribution  of the documents  through the  contractor/publisher.                                                              
In  Section  2  subsection  (b), the  language  provides  time  to                                                              
absorb in  the budget  when a  community decides  at a  later date                                                              
that it wishes to resume receipt of paper copy.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA  surmised then that this  legislation allows                                                              
communities the ability to opt-out rather than opt-in.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOOLEY explained  that currently all communities  are opted-in                                                              
and that will continue until a community opts out.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:39:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX  surmised then  that HB  344 is necessary  because                                                              
currently  even if  a  community doesn't  want  the paper  copies,                                                              
they have to be sent out to it anyway.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOOLEY noted his agreement.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:40:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FAIRCLOUGH,  upon determining  no one wished  to testify,                                                              
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:40:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM  moved to report HB 344  out of committee                                                              
with  individual  recommendations   and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                              
notes.   There being no  objection, HB  344 was reported  from the                                                              
House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.