05/09/2007 02:00 PM Senate FINANCE

2:45:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     SENATE BILL NO. 69                                                                                                         
     "An Act relating to the creation of a civil legal services                                                                 
     fund."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was the  second hearing for this bill in  the Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:45:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  informed of  collaborations between  his office                                                               
and the sponsor to address concerns regarding this legislation.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:45:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  offered  a  motion  to adopt  CS  SB  69,  25-                                                               
LS0454\C, as a working document.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There was no  objection and the committee  substitute Version "C"                                                               
was ADOPTED as a working document.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:46:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  LESIL MCGUIRE,  Sponsor  of the  bill,  remarked on  her                                                               
efforts over seven years on this proposal.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:46:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator McGuire told  of the insertion of  "only" following "may"                                                               
to  the  language  of Section  37.05.590.  Civil  legal  services                                                               
fund., added  to Article 6  of AS 37.05 by  Section 1 on  page 1,                                                               
line 8. The amendment sentence  reads, "Annually, the legislature                                                               
may only appropriate to the  fund from the amounts deposited into                                                               
the general fund of the state under AS 09.17.020(j)."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:47:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator McGuire explained that this  provision would require that                                                               
the civil  legal services fund could  only receive appropriations                                                               
generated from  the punitive  damages fund.  This is  intended to                                                               
avoid  pressure  to appropriate  general  funds  during times  of                                                               
limited State revenues.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:48:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANDY  HARRINGTON, Alaska  Legal  Services Corporation,  testified                                                               
via teleconference  from Fairbanks that the  committee substitute                                                               
meets  the intent  of  the  project. He  was  satisfied with  the                                                               
language of the committee substitute.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:48:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  offered a  motion  to  report  CS SB  69,  25-                                                               
LS0454\C,  from  Committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There  was no  objection and  CS SB  69 (FIN)  was REPORTED  FROM                                                               
COMMITTEE  with  zero  fiscal  note #1  from  the  Department  of                                                               
Administration.