03/17/2020 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

            HB 142-NATIVE ORGANIZATIONS TANF PROGRAM                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:58:54 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP  called the  committee back  to order  and announced                                                               
the  consideration of  CS FOR  HOUSE BILL  NO. 142(JUD),  "An Act                                                               
relating  to  Alaska   Native  organizations'  family  assistance                                                               
programs." He  said the  committee heard  the companion  bill, SB
, on February 4, 2020.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:59:22 PM                                                                                                                    
ERIN HARRINGTON,  Staff, Representative  Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins,                                                               
Alaska State Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska, stated that  HB 142 is                                                               
the companion bill to SB 121, which this committee has heard.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She detailed  that HB 142  provides a technical statutory  fix to                                                               
allow the Central Council of  the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes                                                               
of Alaska ("Tlingit  & Haida") to continue  administration of the                                                               
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families  (TANF) program on behalf                                                               
of communities in the Southeast Alaska region.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. HARRINGTON pointed out that  Tlingit & Haida has administered                                                               
the  TANF program  for decades.  However,  a recently  identified                                                               
technical  issue   in  one  section  of   AS  47.27.070  directly                                                               
conflicts with  the section that comes  a few lines later  in the                                                               
statute. She  said the  bill would  provide timely  assistance to                                                               
the TANF  program and the  people of Southeast Alaska  during the                                                               
current public health emergency.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:01:10 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report HB 142, work order 31-LS0535\G,                                                                
from committee with individual recommendations and attached zero                                                                
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:01:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP found no objection and CSHB 142(JUD) was reported                                                                  
from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing                                                                         
Committee.