02/24/2009 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

HJR 16 - DISABLED VETERANS PROCUREMENT PREFERENCE                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:27:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTO announced  that the final order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 16,  Relating to  federal procurement                                                               
preferences for small businesses in  the state that are owned and                                                               
controlled by service-disabled veterans.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:27:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SANDRA WILSON,  staff to Representative Carl  Gatto, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  introduced  HJR  16  on  behalf  of  Representative                                                               
Gatto, prime  sponsor.   Ms. Wilson  informed the  committee that                                                               
currently there  is a  federal law that  stipulates 3  percent of                                                               
federal  contracts  must  be granted  to  disabled  veteran-owned                                                               
small  businesses.   However, but  full compliance  has not  been                                                               
achieved.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTO added  that the [resolution] encourages  the state to                                                               
honor the federal government's requirement.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  WILSON  concurred  that  the  resolution  asks  why  federal                                                               
entities within the  State of Alaska have not  been following the                                                               
3 percent procurement preference.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTO further  explained that veterans, who  were unable to                                                               
establish  businesses because  they were  deployed in  service to                                                               
their country, deserve "a 3 percent edge" upon their return.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:29:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AMBER SAWYER said that her boyfriend is currently in Iraq and                                                                   
she expressed her support of HJR 16.  She currently serves with                                                                 
Susitna Valley Post 35 of the American Legion Auxiliary and                                                                     
characterized it as "amazing" to see the veterans on Veteran's                                                                  
Day.  There are plenty of disabled veterans who already have                                                                    
enough difficulties to deal with, such as medical problems and                                                                  
educational problems.  Ms. Sawyer shared that her father, who is                                                                
a disabled veteran, asked her to testify and thank the sponsor                                                                  
for this resolution.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:33:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTO, after ascertaining that no one else wished to                                                                      
testify, closed public testimony on HJR 16.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:33:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS  moved to  report HJR  16 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HJR 16 was reported  from the                                                               
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.