02/17/2009 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

HB 99 - DECEASED VETERAN DEATH CERTIFICATE/HONOR                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:02:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTO announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  99,  "An  Act relating  to  providing  a  death                                                               
certificate for a deceased veteran  without charge; relating to a                                                               
program to honor the memory  of a deceased veteran; and providing                                                               
for an effective date."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:02:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN  moved  to   adopt  the  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute (CS) for HB 99,  Version 26-LS0010\E, Bullard, 2/4/09,                                                               
as  the work  draft.   There being  no objection,  Version E  was                                                               
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN,  speaking  as  chair  of  the  House  State                                                               
Affairs  Standing Committee,  sponsor  of HB  99, explained  that                                                               
HB 99 provides  a certified death  certificate, without  cost, to                                                               
the surviving spouse, next of  kin, or other eligible relative of                                                               
a deceased  veteran.   The adoption  of HB 99  is one  more thing                                                               
that can  and should be  done to  honor Alaska's veterans  and to                                                               
help their families when the veteran  passes away.  He noted that                                                               
Version E no  longer contains reference to  a proposed governor's                                                               
memorial certificate  program, and that this  type of legislation                                                               
was   introduced  in   both   the   Twenty-fourth  Alaska   State                                                               
Legislature  and  the   Twenty-fifth  Alaska  State  Legislature.                                                               
Characterizing HB  99 as  a good and  appropriate bill,  he asked                                                               
for the committee's favorable consideration of HB 99.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:04:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
McHUGH PIERRE,  Director of Communications,  Legislative Liaison,                                                               
Office  of  the   Commissioner/Adjutant  General,  Department  of                                                               
Military &  Veterans' Affairs (DMVA),  said that the  DMVA worked                                                               
with the  sponsor and fully  supports HB 99.   Characterizing the                                                               
bill  as commendable,  he mentioned  that his  grandfather was  a                                                               
lifelong  veteran   who  recently  passed  away,   and  that  had                                                               
legislation  such as  HB 99  been in  effect at  the time  of his                                                               
grandfather's passing, it would have  helped his grandmother.  In                                                               
response to  a question regarding the  list - located on  page 3,                                                               
lines 2-8  - of military units  in which one must  have served in                                                               
order to be  eligible for the death certificate  authorized by HB
,  he  offered his  belief  that  that  list is  sufficient  to                                                               
capture everyone it ought to.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GATTO surmised  that a  person could  have served  in more                                                               
than one of the enumerated military units.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. PIERRE concurred.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GATTO  noted  that  the  bill  contains  a  definition  of                                                               
"veteran"  [for purposes  of proposed  AS  18.50.320(7)], and  an                                                               
immediate effective  date.  After  ascertaining that no  one else                                                               
wished to testify, he closed public testimony on HB 99.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:08:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN  moved to report  the proposed CS for  HB 99,                                                               
Version  26-LS0010\E,  Bullard,  2/4/09, out  of  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, CSHB  99(MLV) was  reported from  the                                                               
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.