02/22/2007 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

HB 45 - STATE VETERANS' CEMETERY & FUND                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROSES  announced that  the only item  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  45,  "An  Act  authorizing  the  Department  of                                                               
Military and  Veterans' Affairs to establish  and maintain Alaska                                                               
veterans'  cemeteries;  and  establishing  the  Alaska  veterans'                                                               
cemetery fund in the general fund."                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:07:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAVID   GUTTENBERG,  Alaska   State  Legislature,                                                               
sponsor of  HB 45,  informed the  committee that  HB 45  seeks to                                                               
authorize  the  Department  of  Military  and  Veterans'  Affairs                                                               
(DMVA) to apply for grants which  are available to states to fund                                                               
state  veterans'  cemeteries.    He  noted  that  Alaska  is  not                                                               
eligible  for   a  new  national  cemetery;   however,  the  U.S.                                                               
Department of  Veterans Affairs (VA)  has a program  to establish                                                               
state  veterans' cemeteries.   Representative  Guttenberg said  a                                                               
similar bill  was introduced last year  that designated Fairbanks                                                               
as the location  for the proposed cemetery; however  the bill was                                                               
amended  to  allow any  community  to  apply  for  a grant.    He                                                               
described the need  for a veterans' cemetery in  Alaska, and said                                                               
that   the  bill   has  support   from  veterans'   organizations                                                               
throughout  the  state.    He  noted  that  he  had  provided  an                                                               
amendment  to the  committee which  addresses the  questions that                                                               
were raised  at the previous meeting  on February 13, 2007.   The                                                               
amendment is 25-LS0230\A.1, Bullock, 2/19/07, which read:                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 2:                                                                                                  
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
       "* Sec. 2. AS 37.05.146(c) is amended by adding a                                                                    
     new paragraph to read:                                                                                                     
               (82)  gifts, donations, and grants received                                                                      
      by the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs                                                                       
     for the purpose of establishing and maintaining Alaska                                                                     
    veterans'    cemeteries    under    AS 26.10.030    and                                                                     
     AS 44.35.035(b)."                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 8:                                                                                                            
          Delete "2007"                                                                                                         
          Insert "2008"                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GUTTENBERG   explained  that  the   amendment  is                                                               
necessary to  name in  statute the specific  fund in  the general                                                               
fund in order to identify  appropriations to and withdrawals from                                                               
the veterans' cemetery fund.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:10:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI moved to  adopt [Amendment 1] labeled 25-                                                               
LS0230\A.1.  Bullock,   2/19/07.    Hearing  no   objection,  the                                                               
amendment was adopted.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH  asked if the questions  raised previously by                                                               
Representatives Fairclough  and Dahlstrom  were addressed  in the                                                               
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GUTTENBERG affirmed  that  he  had satisfied  the                                                               
concerns  of  Representatives  Fairclough   and  Dahlstrom.    He                                                               
further explained that all funds  in the general fund are managed                                                               
as short-term  funds; however, an  appropriation for the  gift of                                                               
land  or  for monuments  may  possibly  be managed  as  long-term                                                               
funds.   He further explained that  since the grant has  not been                                                               
approved, an  effective date is  not needed  in the title  of the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:13:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved  to report HB 45, as  amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHB  45(MLV)  was                                                               
reported  from  the  House  Special  Committee  on  Military  and                                                               
Veteran's Affairs.