03/22/2017 06:00 PM House RESOURCES

         HB  46-PROCURE AK FISH/AG PROD.; ALASKA GROWN                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
6:08:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TARR  announced that the  first order of  business would                                                               
be SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL  NO. 46, "An Act relating to                                                               
the state and municipal  procurement preferences for agricultural                                                               
products harvested in the state  and fisheries products harvested                                                               
or  processed in  the  state; relating  to  merchandise sold  and                                                               
certain fees  charged or collected  by the Department  of Natural                                                               
Resources; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TARR, as  prime sponsor, explained that  SSHB 46 relates                                                               
to the product  preference statute and the bill  has been several                                                               
years in  the making.   First introduced  in 2014, it  was deemed                                                               
more information  was needed.   The Legislative Budget  and Audit                                                               
Committee  since conducted  an  audit of  purchases greater  than                                                               
$200,000 and  several ways were  identified as not working.   The                                                               
bill's second  part, she  explained, would  help the  Division of                                                               
Agriculture  by giving  the division  receipt  authority for  the                                                               
Alaska Grown logo  so it could sustain its  marketing efforts and                                                               
perhaps make some dollars.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
6:10:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOSEPHSON moved to report  SSHB 46 out of committee with                                                               
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
6:10:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
6:11:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TARR  announced that there  being no objection,  SSHB 46                                                               
was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.