04/03/2007 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HB  45-STATE VETERANS' CEMETERY & FUND                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:20:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that the  last order of business  was HOUSE                                                               
BILL NO. 45,  "An Act authorizing the Department  of Military and                                                               
Veterans'  Affairs to  establish  and  maintain Alaska  veterans'                                                               
cemeteries; and  establishing the Alaska veterans'  cemetery fund                                                               
in the general fund."  [Before the committee was CSHB 45(MLV).]                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:20:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAVID   GUTTENBERG,  Alaska   State  Legislature,                                                               
introduced HB 45 as joint prime  sponsor.  He related that Alaska                                                               
is no longer eligible for  national cemeteries for veterans - the                                                               
two  that exist  are  in Sitka  and  Fort Rich  -  but there  are                                                               
programs the U.S.  Department of Veterans Affairs  ("the VA") has                                                               
for establishing  state cemeteries.   He told the  committee that                                                               
his  constituents   have  been  approaching  him   to  request  a                                                               
veterans' burial site  closer to home than the  one in Anchorage.                                                               
He said  HB 45 would  allow the  state to apply  to the VA  for a                                                               
grant  for state  cemeteries  in eligible  communities.   The  VA                                                               
would be responsible for the criteria related to the cemeteries.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:21:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GUTTENBERG,  in  response   to  a  question  from                                                               
Representative  Gruenberg,  confirmed   that  he  had  introduced                                                               
legislation regarding the  same issue last year, but  it "died in                                                               
the other body."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:22:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROSES  said he  was satisfied  by the  lengthy and                                                               
complete  bill  hearing process  that  took  place in  the  House                                                               
Special Committee  on Military  and Veterans'  Affairs on  HB 45;                                                               
therefore, he stated his support of HB 45.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:22:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ROSES  moved  to   report  CSHB  45(MLV)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHB  45(MLV)  was                                                               
reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.