05/02/1994 08:30 AM House FIN

  SB 368    An Act  relating to  the human  services community                 
            matching  grant  program;  and  providing  for  an                 
            effective date.                                                    
                                                                               
            SB  368  was reported  out  of Committee  with "no                 
            recommendation" and with a zero fiscal note by the                 
            Department  of Health  and  Social Services  dated                 
            4/08/94.                                                           
  SENATE BILL 368                                                              
                                                                               
       "An  Act  relating  to  the  human  services  community                 
       matching grant program; and providing  for an effective                 
       date."                                                                  
                                                                               
  Representative Therriault  endorsed  SB  368  introduced  by                 
  Senator  Bert  Sharp.   The  Anchorage and  Fairbanks Social                 
  Service Block  Grants were  created in  the early 1980's  to                 
  provide those communities  with state assistance  for needed                 
  social services.   In addition  to serving local  residents,                 
  approximately 11% of the total clients and as many as 73% of                 
  clients served by some local providers would come from other                 
  areas within the State.                                                      
                                                                               
  He added, in 1992, a statutory basis was established for the                 
  Human  Services  Community  Matching  Grant  Program.    The                 
  program   required   an  increased   match   rate,  although                 
  previously  no  local  match was  required.   Representative                 
  Therriault  noted  that   local  municipalities  are  seeing                 
  reductions of municipal assistance  and revenue sharing, and                 
  that the  proposed legislation would  stabilize the matching                 
  grants at the 30/70 percent match rate which would bring the                 
  Human  Services Community  Matching Grant Program  into line                 
  with other programs that require matching funds.                             
                                                                               
  Co-Chair MacLean questioned  why the grant would  cover only                 
  Fairbanks and Anchorage.                                                     
                                                                               
  SHERRIE GOLL,  FAIRBANKS ALLIANCE FOR PEOPLE,  THE ANCHORAGE                 
  IN-SERVICE COALITION, JUNEAU, explained that the statute was                 
  not written so that it would  exclude other communities.  It                 
  was  written to  address the  greatest  population baseline.                 
  The only communities which qualify in that baseline would be                 
  Anchorage  and  Fairbanks  which are  the  only  communities                 
  required  to  provide a  match.   She  added that  the other                 
  grants  in the  human  service block,  which  are not  state                 
  provided are in the BRU's for the various rural communities.                 
  There are not required to make a match.                                      
                                                                               
  Representative  Therriault commented  that the  block grants                 
  had statutory authority.   The balance was then  assigned to                 
                                                                               
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  departmental  BRU's  and  the large  municipalities  did not                 
  participate in that funding.                                                 
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  MacLean  predicted  that there  would  be  a state                 
  fiscal impact.   Representative Therriault replied  that the                 
  request  would   match  current  fiscal   year  percentages.                 
  Representative Brown spoke in support of the Anchorage human                 
  service  grant program  which  provides  vital  services  to                 
  people in need.                                                              
                                                                               
  ELMER LINDSTROM,  SPECIAL  ASSISTANT  TO  THE  COMMISSIONER,                 
  DEPARTMENT OF  HEALTH AND  SOCIAL SERVICES,  reiterated that                 
  there would be  no fiscal impact  to the State although  the                 
  measure  could  have  an  effect   of  reducing  the  amount                 
  available for projects if the  municipalities do not provide                 
  a higher match level.                                                        
                                                                               
  Representative  Parnell  MOVED  to  report  SB  368  out  of                 
  Committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal note.  There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                 
  so ordered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  SB   368   was   reported   out   of  Committee   with   "no                 
  recommendations"  and  with  a  zero   fiscal  note  by  the                 
  Department of Health and Social Services dated 4/08/94.