03/19/2001 01:05 PM House RES

HB 137 - RECORDS OF VETERANS                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 2295                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCALZI announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 137, "An  Act relating to records  of veterans                                                               
of the armed forces; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[Although there was a motion to  adopt HB 137, the original bill,                                                               
it was already before the committee.]                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 2319                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CHENAULT,  speaking as  the  chair  of the  House                                                               
Special Committee  on Military and Veterans'  Affairs, sponsor of                                                               
HB  137, explained  that the  intent  of HB  137 is  to make  the                                                               
government  more  efficient.    Presently,  veterans'  separation                                                               
papers are  recorded in three  different state departments:   the                                                               
Department of Natural Resources;  the Bureau of Vital Statistics;                                                               
and the Department  of Military and Veterans' Affairs.   He said,                                                               
"A recording of these records  is voluntary by veterans, and upon                                                               
leaving  they  are encouraged  to  have  their separation  papers                                                               
recorded."   Representative Chenault stated that  the requirement                                                               
to  keep these  records  in separate  agencies wastes  government                                                               
money and is  unnecessary.  This legislation  would eliminate the                                                               
requirement of the  Bureau of Vital Statistics  to maintain those                                                               
records.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CAROL   CARROLL,   Director,   Division  of   Support   Services,                                                               
Department of  Natural Resources (DNR);  Director, Administrative                                                               
Services  Division, Department  of Military  & Veterans'  Affairs                                                               
(DMVA),  testified  in  support  of  HB 137.    By  statute,  she                                                               
explained, the  DNR's State Recorder's  Office and the  Bureau of                                                               
Vital  Statistics  must  keep  records  of  veterans'  separation                                                               
papers.    The  DMVA  keeps   those  records  in  the  armory  in                                                               
Fairbanks, as  a courtesy.   Ms. Carroll explained that  the bill                                                               
would establish the  Recorder's Office as the  official place for                                                               
these records to be stored.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 2450                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SHARON  YOUNG,  State  Recorder, Division  of  Support  Services,                                                               
Department of Natural Resources,  testified via teleconference in                                                               
support  of  HB 137.    She  added  that although  keeping  these                                                               
records  at the  Recorder's Office  doesn't amount  to much  time                                                               
around the state, the bill would  certainly help ease some of the                                                               
confusion  for veterans  who  need access  to  their records,  by                                                               
allowing them to go to one place to get the information.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 2500                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FATE  made  a  motion  to  move  HB  137  out  of                                                               
committee with  individual recommendations and the  attached zero                                                               
fiscal note.  There being no objection, HB 137 was moved from                                                                   
the House Resources Standing Committee.