04/21/2004 03:30 PM House L&C

HB 331-RETIREMENT:TEACHERS/JUDGES/PUB EMPLOYEES                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ANDERSON  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL  NO. 331, "An Act relating  to federal requirements                                                               
for governmental plan and other  qualifications for the teachers'                                                               
retirement system,  the public employees' retirement  system, and                                                               
the judicial  retirement system;  and providing for  an effective                                                               
date."    [HB 331  was  sponsored  by  the House  Rules  Standing                                                               
Committee by  request of the  governor; before the  committee was                                                               
CSHB 331(STA).]                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ANDERSON  asked whether anyone  wished to testify.   [There                                                               
was  no response.]   He  noted  that the  bill had  been heard  a                                                               
couple of days before.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 1463                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAHLSTROM  said  she'd been  reviewing  this  and                                                               
knows the request by the  governor's office pertaining to removal                                                               
of Village  Public Safety Officers  (VPSOs) from the  program was                                                               
because of something  that came from an  Internal Revenue Service                                                               
(IRS) audit.   She  asked what  the state  is doing  to encourage                                                               
participation in the  VPSO program.  She offered  her belief that                                                               
the original intent in "adding that"  was to help retain VPSOs in                                                               
their  positions, which  are hard  to  fill.   She asked  whether                                                               
anyone present or on teleconference could address this.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ANDERSON  asked whether Melanie Millhorn  of the Department                                                               
of Administration or  anyone else was on  teleconference.  [There                                                               
was no response.]   He suggested holding the bill  until the next                                                               
meeting.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 1511                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ROKEBERG   said  he   appreciated  Representative                                                               
Dahlstrom's question, but  opined that it has nothing  to do with                                                               
the bill;  it has to  do with  recruiting VPSOs, not  IRS rulings                                                               
and the status of Alaska's statutes.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  ANDERSON agreed,  but indicated  he'd hold  the bill  if a                                                               
member had a concern relating to its passage.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM  said she wouldn't object  to moving the                                                               
bill,  but thought  it was  a relevant  question because,  to her                                                               
understanding, that was the intent  of the original makers of the                                                               
bill years ago.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ANDERSON  suggested Representative Dahlstrom's  staff could                                                               
talk to Ms.  Millhorn, who could answer in the  next committee of                                                               
referral.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM agreed to that.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 1558                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG  moved to  report [CSHB 331(STA)]  out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSHB  331(STA)  was                                                               
reported from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.