Legislature(2003 - 2004)
03/29/2004 03:27 PM House L&C
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 467-COMMEMORATIVE QUARTERS COMMISSION CHAIR ANDERSON announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 467, "An Act establishing an Alaska Commemorative Coin Commission to develop the design concepts and to make recommendations regarding the final design of the Alaska quarter under the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act; and providing for an effective date." [Before the committee was CSHB 467(STA).] Number 0050 CHAIR ANDERSON, sponsor, explained that HB 467 follows the federal authorizing legislation called the "50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act." Annually over a ten-year period from 1999 through 2008, the U.S. will issue coins with state designs displayed on the reverse side. Each state could design, develop, and submit a design representative of the state. A quarter honoring the State of Alaska is scheduled to be issued in 2008. This bill establishes an 11-member Alaska commemorative coin commission, which will have the following members: six public members appointed by the governor, one of whom is chosen from a list submitted by the Alaska State Council on the Arts; one student in an Alaskan public or private or home secondary school; one member who is a resident of and appointed from each of the four judicial districts; a majority and minority member from each body of the legislature, appointed by the presiding officers from the House of Representatives and the Senate; and the governor or his/her designee. CHAIR ANDERSON said the Office of the Governor will initiate a public process to solicit narrative design concepts for the quarter. The commission shall review and consider all these concepts and submit to the United States Mint not fewer than three and not more than five. When the mint provides the State of Alaska with its final designs, the commission will review the designs and make final recommendations to the governor. CHAIR ANDERSON referred to the effective date of January 1, 2005, and explained that this follows the guidelines set by the U.S. Mint to begin the design process 24 months prior to the beginning of the year in which the quarter will be released. He suggested this is timely because there will be two years to prepare. He said the calendar year in which the Alaska quarter is to be issued will coincide with events leading to celebration of the 50th anniversary of Alaska statehood. He noted that he'd sponsored another bill, HB 476, to try to get a commission to coincide with the coin commission. Number 0323 CHAIR ANDERSON, in response to Representative Dahlstrom, clarified that if the committee did not take the responsibility, it would default to the governor. He felt it would be better to have a public process involved in the selection of a design. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked why the commission would have 11 members, which he thought seemed large and unwieldy. CHAIR ANDERSON indicated he wanted to have a broad perspective with commission members from the arts, schools, judicial districts, and both bodies of the legislature. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked why it would be necessary to have legislative members on the commission. CHAIR ANDERSON replied that there was interest and experience in the legislature. He also said this number is comparable to similar commissions he'd reviewed. Number 0521 REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM said she thought it a good idea and supported the uneven number of commission members. REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG read from the bill, page 2, beginning at line 4, "A Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee and the United States Commission of Fine Arts will review the designs and make recommendations." He asked if it was Chair Anderson's understanding that these entities would review the design separately or together. CHAIR ANDERSON surmised that the review would be done separately. REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG noted that the governor would make the final recommendation and the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury would make the final approval. He asked if this was a new process or similar to previous ones. CHAIR ANDERSON replied that he thought it was similar. He said he felt that without this bill, the governor would create a commission and select staff. He wanted this authority to be under the discretion of the House. REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG asked if "narrative design concepts" had been done by other states. CHAIR ANDERSON deferred to Mr. Applebee. Number 0645 JOSH APPLEBEE, Staff to Representative Tom Anderson, Alaska State Legislature, responded that when the Act was first implemented it was discovered that some designs were unworkable for coinage. The Act was amended to request that states submit thematic narratives or design narratives. The mint creates the actual design, he noted. CHAIR ANDERSON commented that there is a small fiscal note attached to HB 467, since the governor's office said it would require a range 14, half-time position for two years to administratively support the commission. In response to Representative Rokeberg, he noted [that on page 2, line 1, it says three to five] designs would be submitted. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG surmised that the cost would be $10,000 to $15,000 per design just for administrative support, since the fiscal note indicated a total of $82,300 over two years. CHAIR ANDERSON explained that part of the expenditures were for travel. He said this bill supports an important process. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG agreed. Number 0835 REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report CSHB 467(STA) out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG objected for purposes of discussion. He recommended that the House Finance Committee consider removing the legislative members and allowing the governor to appoint two members, lowering the total to nine. This might decrease the fiscal note and make the financing more manageable. He thought the bill was a good one, but questioned who should be on the commission and the total cost for getting the job done. He also suggested the legislature, through its "leadership money," could subsidize the legislative members and lower the full cost of the proceedings. He said he supported having the other members, previously mentioned, on the committee. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG withdrew his objection. Number 0911 CHAIR ANDERSON, hearing no further objection, announced that CSHB 467(STA) was reported from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.
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