02/28/1995 08:06 AM House STA

 HSTA - 02/28/95                                                               
 HB 173 - AN ACT RELATING TO REPORTS BY STATE AGENCIES                       
                                                                               
 Number 024                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GARY DAVIS came before the committee to present HB
, with fiscal notes, which he passed to committee members.  He             
 stated that it is a simple bill, and he thinks it is a better way.            
 Currently, every bill and every statute that comes before the                 
 legislature says that each agency, committee, or commission, or               
 department, will provide a copy of their annual report to the                 
 governor and legislature.  So, that is what they do. Representative           
 Davis thought it would be appropriate to notify the legislature               
 that a report is available, which will provide a reduction in the             
 material that flows through a legislator's office.  Currently,                
 state agencies are required by statute to prepare over one hundred            
 annual, biannual, and other reports for automatic submission to               
 every legislator, whether or not the legislator has a concern about           
 the report.  HB 173 will require state agencies to notify the                 
 legislature when reports are available.  This would cut costs.                
                                                                               
 Number 118                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES asked why they didn't get a negative fiscal note.                 
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS said he did not know why.  He stated he had a            
 sheet on it, and also a copy of all the reports that state agencies           
 need to provide.  He felt there should be a negative fiscal note.             
 CHAIR JAMES also wondered how the copies of these reports would be            
 stored.                                                                       
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS visualized something like 15 or 20 copies of             
 the reports that they would keep available, and they can make more            
 as the supply is reduced.  There is a considerable amount of money            
 put out for printing, and he feels this legislation will reduce the           
 cost.                                                                         
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES added that some reports are very professionally done,             
 and a certain numbers would probably have to be printed each time.            
                                                                               
 Number 198                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE JOE GREEN said there are usually two or more costs             
 for printing.  There is a per-unit cost, which goes down as the               
 volume goes up.  If one thousand is the breaking point, then you              
 save money by printing more at one time.  If you guess short and              
 have to go back and reprint some copies, the cost will be                     
 considerably higher.                                                          
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS said some departments do things differently,             
 and costs vary.  For instance, Alaska Public Offices Commission,              
 Department of Administration, must prepare forms and manuals of               
 instruction for use by persons required to make reports under the             
 Campaign Disclosure, Conflict of Interest and Lobbying Laws.  The             
 completed forms are made available to the public.  The cost of                
 printing is $12,645.                                                          
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATATIVE CAREN ROBINSON expressed her support of HB 173,              
 but she suggested that, instead of the departments sending                    
 individuals a copy of their reports, they send a list of the                  
 available reports.  Legislators could recycle by distributing                 
 reports to libraries around their districts and communities.                  
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS thought her idea was good.  He said that would           
 not be a legal call, but rather a policy call.  It would not have             
 to be in statute.                                                             
                                                                               
 Number 271                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE JAMES added that reports should be put on computer             
 to reduce the amount of paper-packing.  With the technology today,            
 it is ridiculous that we have all this paper.  If the reports were            
 on computer they could be read on the screen, and, if desired,                
 printed out.                                                                  
                                                                               
 Number 313                                                                    
                                                                               
 DANITH WATTS, Budget Analyst, Office of Management and Budget,                
 Office of the Governor, testified on  HB 173, saying that the                 
 Governor's Office is "Certainly for the concept of less paper                 
 floating around."  She did not have a fiscal note because it is               
 very difficult at this point to calculate what the cost would be.             
 They know this legislation will not cost anything, which is why               
 they put the fiscal note at zero.  It could very well turn out to             
 be a negative fiscal note in the long run.                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE JAMES asked about the average number of copies that            
 our 60 legislators might print.  Ms. Watts could not give her a               
 figure; it would depend on the size and number of the reports.                
                                                                               
 Number 370                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ED WILLIS moved to pass the bill out of committee              
 with individual recommendations.  There being no objection, it was            
 so moved.