Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120
05/13/2021 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB47 | |
| HB187 | |
| HB118 | |
| HB177 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 198 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 177 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 71 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 47 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 187 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 118 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 187-STATE AGENCY PUBLICATIONS
3:56:27 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the next order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 187, "An Act relating to the elimination
or modification of state agency publications that are outdated,
duplicative, or excessive or that could be improved or
consolidated with other publications or exclusively delivered
electronically; and providing for an effective date." [Before
the committee, adopted as the working document on 5/6/21, was
the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 187, Version 32-
LS0779\G, Wallace, 5/5/21 ("Version G").]
3:56:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN, as the prime sponsor of HB 187,
addressed Version G. He drew attention to the sponsor statement
and spoke as follows:
HB 187 in its current form is intended to conserve
resources expended in the production, processing,
transportation, distribution, storage, and disposal of
excess state agency publications. The product
affected by HB 187 are publications as defined in AS
44.99.240. As currently written in statute, AS
44.99.220 requires state agencies to compile and
maintain a list of the publications that they produce
each fiscal year. This bill would ensure that the
state is receiving added value from the work that is
already being done by using the list as an opportunity
to assess the actual need for each document and to
determine if the people of Alaska will be best served
by printing or by digital delivery. HB 187 also
provides for the reduction in statutory requirements
to produce publications through changes made to AS
37.07.220. These changes will require that the
governor submit a bill to eliminate or modify
requirements for publications deemed to be outdated,
duplicative, or excessive, or could be consolidated
with other publications, and which of those could be
delivered in electronic form. Time, energy, space,
and materials can all be conserved by the passage of
HB 187.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS stated he is pleased to see HB 187 brought
forward.
4:00:00 PM
MATTHEW HARVEY, Staff, Representative James Kaufman, Alaska
State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Kaufman, prime
sponsor, presented a sectional analysis of HB 187, Version G.
He explained that Section 1 would amend AS 37.07.020 to add a
requirement for the governor to submit legislation to remove or
amend the statutory requirements for publications that meet
these qualifiers. He said Section 2 would repeal and re-enact
AS 44.99.220 requiring state agencies to use the list of
publications, which is currently required to be developed in
that statute, to identify and highlight publications deemed to
be outdated, duplicative, or excessive, or that could be
consolidated with other publications, or could be delivered in
electronic form. This list of publications, including
highlighted publications, is required to be electronically
submitted to the governor and both bodies of the legislature.
The governor or the governor's designee is required to determine
a goal percentage of publications to be improved upon by each
state agency immediately prior to the start of each legislature
on even numbered years. Mr. Harvey noted that this last part is
a change and the main reason why the sponsor asked to adopt a
CS. The Office of Budget and Management (OMB), he related,
pointed out that complications might occur if it was submitted
every year because a bill sometimes takes two years to get
through both bodies. He further noted that "and" was changed to
"or" in several places in the bill, along with adding that the
report to the legislature would be submitted electronically.
4:02:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN asked what the practical impact would be
once the bill is passed into law.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN deferred to Mr. Harvey to answer.
MR. HARVEY replied that the fiscal note description states an
estimate of about $585,000 per year to print publications. He
said the sponsor does not have an estimate for the time,
delivery, and other things related to going from printing to
electronic and from getting rid of reports. Also, he noted, the
setting of goal percentages could differ department by
department.
4:03:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY stated that this is a great idea. She said
she likes that a look is being taken at documents and
publications that could be improved, consolidated, or delivered
electronically. She noted that not everyone has access to the
internet, so there are times when documents do need to be
produced and she is glad to see that in the bill.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN responded that Version G is the blending
of input received on the bill as it was presented while walking
the capitol.
4:05:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN said it makes sense to have a bill put
forward which deals with publications that are required by law.
He asked whether a bill is necessary for publications that are
required by regulation; he surmised the administration could
handle those without a bill.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN answered that the bill is trying to
create the feedback loop that doesn't exist right now. The
intent is that legislation is required and if it can be done
administratively, then it can just be reported that something
was reduced. The desire is to create the feedback loop that
then can be used to trigger legislation if required but also as
a status report of publication. He qualified that he doesn't
want to say reduction, but rather rationalizing the state's
publications against what they need to be or what's beneficial
and the delivery methods. He said he would welcome changes to
the wording if necessary to make that clearer.
4:06:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN drew attention to the bill, page 2, line
15, regarding a minimum percentage of publications that each
state agency is to identify as needing work. He asked whether
it is the sponsor's intent that the percentage cut apply to each
individual agency or to all agencies collectively combined,
given that some agencies may only have one or two publications.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN replied that the intent is to create a
custom goal-setting opportunity for each agency; it enables
administrative focus. He explained the goal could be zero if an
agency is so lean that it is considered a model for others; for
example, an agency has aligned its document production and
delivery so well that it cannot find any waste.
4:08:51 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS commented that a meta-affect would be set
into motion by the bill, it would be an ongoing administrative
process that is aimed to reduce administrative processes. When
it first runs its course, he continued, the administration will
identify things that are pointless and should be ended, and
hopefully the legislature will act on that and about 90 percent
of the value will be realized. He inquired about the ongoing
frequency of what is in Section 1 and in Section 2 on page 2,
lines 14-15, given the biennial cycle.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN responded that the goal of quality
management is the reduction of wasted time, effort, and money
for meeting an agency's desired result, and to not exceed
expectations and to not underperform. When this list is
compiled, he explained, it creates the awareness and then there
is the opportunity to declare that some of it can be reworked.
If improvement projects are done successfully, it will get to a
point of diminishing returns, which would be reflected in the
reports.
4:12:28 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS asked what value the language in Section 2
adds beyond that which is established in Section 1. Presumably,
he continued, the agencies are not going to identify anything in
addition to, or different from, what is identified in Section 1.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN deferred to Mr. Harvey.
MR. HARVEY answered that initially the goal setting would serve
for how to get those broad chops; then, as it goes on and gets
into diminishing returns, there could be creativity in how to
combine or better provide value with some of those reports.
When it gets to the point where the returns diminish such that
this itself is excessive, OMB has advised that this could then
be highlighted as a report needing to be statutorily revised.
4:15:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN pointed out that it is not static because
two legislative bodies are producing expectations for
documentation, so the list is everchanging with new inputs. The
process is built the way it is, he explained, to keep the
managers aware and on their toes that they can recommend
consolidations or recommendations. He noted that the terms
"reports" and "publications" have been used interchangeably in
today's discussion, but that it is publications, the greater set
of documents.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS, regarding a report that is not adding
value, questioned why anyone in an agency would not be
recommending it for deletion in Section 1. In other words, he
continued, the list in Section 1 would not be any different than
what is in Section 2.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN offered to look more closely at this to
see if the bill could be made shorter.
4:16:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said she reads Section 1 as taking the
information from Section 2 and requiring the governor to
introduce legislation that would list those things.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS agreed that that is right, in part, but
said Section 1 would still read coherently without the process
in Section 2, on page 2, line 9.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN pointed out that the goal setting is not
included in Section 1, which is the ongoing "let's keep working
this" where there may be numerous publications and managers can
have a stretch target to continue looking and improving.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS said he understands that part but opined
that the agency which should be measured for performance is the
legislature. He stated that since the publications are
statutorily required it is in the legislature's hands to get rid
of the publications that are recommended by the agencies, so it
is the legislature should be held to account relative to that
recommendation.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN responded he would be happy to come up
with a bill to that effect.
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN remarked that there is a mechanism for
making sure this bill gets heard once it is presented because
there is something in the uniform rules about committees acting
on all the bills that come before them.
4:20:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN asked for an estimate on the length of
time it would take to compile the list, given the even year
requirement.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN replied it is variable because it depends
on the length and complexity of the list for each agency. The
list already exists, the challenge would be to do the analysis
for making recommendations, and that would depend upon the
agency's present understanding of the benefit of the documents
it is producing. It may be a challenge for some agencies and a
very quick activity for others.
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN, regarding the list that would be created
by HB 187, asked whether it is the sponsor's intention that this
report would be added to that list at some point in the distant
future.
MR. HARVEY answered that it likely would. He explained that OMB
would act as the compiling body through the budget process;
along with asking for draft budgets from each department, OMB
would also ask for this list.
4:23:09 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS offered his appreciation for the bill.
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN stated that bills like HB 187 are just
one slice of many opportunities to implement continuous quality
improvement.
4:24:14 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that HB 187 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 177 Research RPL History Summary.pdf |
HSTA 5/13/2021 3:00:00 PM |
HB 177 |
| SB 47 Letter of Support - Carrothers 5.11.21.pdf |
HSTA 5/13/2021 3:00:00 PM |
SB 47 |
| HB 118 Amendment B.7 - Kreiss-Tomkins and Vance.pdf |
HSTA 5/13/2021 3:00:00 PM |
HB 118 |