02/25/2013 02:07 PM House RES

                HB 99-ALASKA MINERALS COMMISSION                                                                            
3:28:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FEIGE announced  that  the next  order  of business  is                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 99, "An Act  extending the termination date of the                                                               
Alaska Minerals Commission."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:28:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SADDLER  introduced HB  99 as the  sponsor of  the bill.                                                               
He  paraphrased from  the  following  prepared sponsor  statement                                                               
[Included in members' packets]:                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     House Bill 99 extends the Alaska Minerals Commission                                                                       
     until February 1, 2024 and provides for terms and term                                                                     
     limits for those who serve on the Commission. The                                                                          
     Commission is currently set to expire on February 1,                                                                       
     2014, and commissioners are not currently subject to                                                                       
     terms or term limits.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     The Commission was created in 1986 and charged with                                                                        
     making recommendations to the Governor and the                                                                             
     Legislature on ways to mitigate constraints on the                                                                         
     development of minerals in Alaska.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     The Commission consists of 11 members: five appointed                                                                      
     by the Governor, three by the Speaker of the House,                                                                        
     and three by the President of the Senate. Each member                                                                      
     must have at least five years of experience in the                                                                         
     minerals industry. At least one member must reside in                                                                      
     a rural community. Current commissioners represent the                                                                     
     placer, hard rock, and coal mining industries across                                                                       
     the state.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     The Commission annually reports its recommendations to                                                                     
     the Governor and the Legislature during the first ten                                                                      
     days of the legislative session.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Key recommendations made by the Commission and                                                                             
     implemented by the Legislature since the Commission's                                                                      
     last reauthorization in 2003 include:                                                                                      
     - Funding infrastructure development under the Roads                                                                       
     to Resources program                                                                                                       
     - Reforming state permitting processes to make them                                                                        
     timelier and more efficient                                                                                                
     - Gathering and publishing geological and geophysical                                                                      
     data on Alaska's mineral potential                                                                                         
     - Assuming state primacy of the National Pollutant                                                                         
     Discharge Elimination System                                                                                               
     - Accelerating state land entitlement conveyances in                                                                       
     accordance with the Statehood Act                                                                                          
     - Reestablishing the Citizens Advisory Commission on                                                                       
     Federal Areas                                                                                                              
     - Asserting and defending public access to roads,                                                                          
     trails, and navigable waterways                                                                                            
     - Funding University of Alaska mineral engineering and                                                                     
     geology programs                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:30:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SADDLER declared that the  recommendations had helped to                                                               
increase  access,  reduce   permitting  time,  lower  development                                                               
costs, and encourage value added  development of Alaska's mineral                                                               
resources.   He noted  that the  commission had  recommended term                                                               
limits for commissioners and annual  election of a chair and vice                                                               
chair.    He  pointed  out  that  there  were  still  significant                                                               
constraints  on  Alaska's mineral  industry.    He reported  that                                                               
there  had been  $3.8  billion of  mineral  revenue generated  in                                                               
Alaska  in 2011.   He  noted that  there were  seven large  mines                                                               
operating in  the state  and that  these mines  directly employed                                                               
4,500 Alaskans,  and an  additional 9,000  indirect jobs,  with a                                                               
combined payroll of $620 million.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:31:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SADDLER noted  that the  commission's focus  emphasized                                                               
mineral development and  mining, which included oil and  gas.  He                                                               
reported that  oil and gas did  share many of the  same obstacles                                                               
to  development for  which the  minerals  commission was  seeking                                                               
solutions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:31:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR   SADDLER  moved   to  adopt   the  proposed   committee                                                               
substitute (CS) for HB 99,  labeled 28-LS0430\N, Martin, 2/15/13,                                                               
as  the working  draft.   There  being no  objection,  it was  so                                                               
ordered.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:32:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TREVOR FULTON,  Staff, Representative  Dan Saddler,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, explained the  changes in the CS,  Version N, noting                                                               
that  the committee  substitute  would add  three year  staggered                                                               
terms to  the board,  which would be  limited to  two consecutive                                                               
terms,  and it  would provide  for  the election  of a  committee                                                               
chair and vice chair.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:33:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[HB 99 was held over.]