03/22/2024 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 219                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act repealing the assistive technology loan                                                                            
     guarantee and interest subsidy program; and providing                                                                      
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:38:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAN  SADDLER, SPONSOR,  Introduced HB  219 //                                                                    
he argued  that the best  part of  living in Alaska  was the                                                                    
people //  there was an  assisted technology  guarantee fund                                                                    
//  he was  hoping to  realize the  original mission  of the                                                                    
grants                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:40:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MELODIE    WILTERDINK,   STAFF,    REPRESENTATIVE   SADDLER,                                                                    
ANCHORAGE  (via   teleconference),  offered   the  sectional                                                                    
analysis of the bill (copy on file)                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1  Page 1, Line 4                                                                                                  
     Section  1   repeals  AS  23.15.125      the  assistive                                                                    
     technology loan guarantee  and interest subsidy program                                                                    
        which  established  the "assistive  technology  loan                                                                    
     guarantee fund." The fund can  be used to guarantee the                                                                    
     principal amount  or subsidize  the interest rate  of a                                                                    
     loan for  purchasing assistive technology  that enables                                                                    
     an individual to obtain or  maintain employment or live                                                                    
     more independently.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2  Page 1, Lines 5-9                                                                                               
     Section  2   adds  conditional  language   to  Alaska's                                                                    
     uncodified  law stipulating  that this  act only  takes                                                                    
     effect  if the  Legislature reappropriates  the balance                                                                    
     of the  assistive technology loan fund  for the purpose                                                                    
     of improving access to assistive technology.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3  Page 1, Line 10                                                                                                 
    Section 3 provides for an immediate effective date.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster asked //                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Wilterdink  //  there  was  drafted  language  and  the                                                                    
amendment  to  the  operating budget  could  happen  in  the                                                                    
finance committee//                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:43:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson  asked  // how  the  fund  avoided                                                                    
being swept                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler deferred the  question to a member of                                                                    
the department //                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:43:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DUANE    MAYES,    DIRECTOR,    DIVISION    OF    VOCATIONAL                                                                    
REHABILITATION,   DEPARTMENT   OF    LABOR   AND   WORKFORCE                                                                    
DEVELOPMENT, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), responded //                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler added  that he was not  sure if there                                                                    
was evidence that //                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hannan asked how much money was available.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler //                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Mayes  responded  that  the balance  of  the  fund  was                                                                    
447,000 and the life experience  with the fund // identified                                                                    
that there may be                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler//  subside loans // there  had been a                                                                    
period of low interest rates //                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hannan  asked  // the  initial  291,000  was                                                                    
federal money  // she asked  if there were  any restrictions                                                                    
or tied it from                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler //                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Mayes  // with  the change in  statute work//  there had                                                                    
been  discussion with  federal partners  // many  states had                                                                    
experienced the same thing //                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:49:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hannan  asked if the  leg wanted to  move the                                                                    
initial amount  that was capitalized  // she asked  if there                                                                    
was cart blanche                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Mayes //  responded that the implementing  agency was //                                                                    
the  division  had a  set  of  rehabilitation counselors  //                                                                    
there were not other implementing agencies //                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Saddler   responded   that   it   was   his                                                                    
understanding that //                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster asked //                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Galvin asked //  appreciated that the sponsor                                                                    
found  money that  needed to  be spent  // the  letters were                                                                    
similar  // ATLA  remains the  //  she asked  if there  were                                                                    
others                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler asked                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Galvin //  Association of assisted technology                                                                    
programs letter, paragraph 3                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Saddler  //   responded  that   ATLA//  the                                                                    
division of voc rehab// one of a few and not many //                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:54:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MYSTIE  RAIL,  EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR, ASSISTED  TECHNOLOGY  OF                                                                    
ALASKA, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),  noted that atla was                                                                    
the only agency in the state //                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Galvin  // asked  if  the  grant was  single                                                                    
sourced toward only  one purpose, all of  her questions were                                                                    
answered                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Mayes  commented that  he had been  in the  state system                                                                    
for  35 years  // he  had used  atla to  identify technology                                                                    
needs //                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:57:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hannan  //  there  used to  be  an  assisted                                                                    
program for people who were deaf  // could there be a person                                                                    
dedicated //                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Mayes  responded  that  Ms.  Rail  would  be  a  better                                                                    
resource                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Rail responded  // she  was not  aware of  // it  was a                                                                    
community rehab  provider for the division  // ~Mystie Rail,                                                                    
Executive   Director,   Assisted   Technology   of   Alaska,                                                                    
Anchorage{                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Hannan  //   she  had   some  active   deaf                                                                    
constituents  and  there used  to  //there  was a  group  of                                                                    
people who had continued to receive the same //                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster //                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Saddler  had some  difficulty  understanding                                                                    
Ms. Rail //                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:01:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Rail responded  that  he was  correct//  ATLA could  //                                                                    
administer additional programs to  provide specific types of                                                                    
devices // looking for  services beyond assistive technology                                                                    
and beyond what ATLA did //                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster //                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Rail added  that //  the history  of ATLA  // became  a                                                                    
501c3 (?) in  1994 and became the implementing  agency of //                                                                    
under the  direction of  // the mission  was to  enhance the                                                                    
quality of life for  Alaskans through assisted technology //                                                                    
"twinkle  to  wrinkle"  // she  supported  the  outline  and                                                                    
expanded  upon  Representative    Saddler's  comment  on  //                                                                    
assisted  technology  was  defined  as any  item,  piece  of                                                                    
equipment // that was used  to increase, maintain or improve                                                                    
the functional  capabilities of person with  disabilities //                                                                    
such as  putting rubberized grips on  a pen to as  high tech                                                                    
as  technology  like  eye  gaze,  which  allowed  people  to                                                                    
control  a  computer  with  only   their  eyes  //  assisted                                                                    
technology was  not a one  size fits all solution  // unique                                                                    
to every  person //  able to live,  work and  participate in                                                                    
their communities indecently //                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:06:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Rail continued  that ATLA // allowed  Alaskans to become                                                                    
familiar  with  the technologies  that  could  help //  also                                                                    
allowed loans to // current funds  did not begin to cover //                                                                    
strengthen and maintain the gaps // needed to support //                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster //                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:09:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler //                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Tomaszewski  asked if  any interest  had been                                                                    
collected //                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Mayes responded  that there was interest but  he did not                                                                    
have the specific numbers // he would follow up                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster // am dead fri march 29 at 5pm                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
HB 219 was HEARD and HELD for further consideration.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:11:21 PM