Legislature(2007 - 2008)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/11/2008 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE


Download Mp3. <- Right click and save file as

* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ HB 366 PFD: EXECUTION /DISCLOSURE OF APPROPS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ SB 160 MANDATORY UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ HB 65 PERSONAL INFORMATION & CONSUMER CREDIT TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled But Not Heard
+= HB 50 CHILD PLACEMENT COMPACT TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= HB 332 PRE-ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAMS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 332(FIN)(title am) Out Comte.
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
+= HB 2 VOCATIONAL EDUC ACCOUNT TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS HB 2(FIN) Out of Committee
+= HB 226 REPEAL TERMINATION OF STEP PROGRAM TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
HOUSE BILL NO. 2                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the vocational education account                                                                       
     and appropriations from that account; and providing for                                                                    
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson MOVED  to  ADOPT SCS  HB  2(FIN), labeled  25-                                                                   
LS006\K,  Mischel,  4/10/08, as  the  work draft  before  the                                                                   
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman OBJECTED for discussion purposes.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
DAVID GRAY,  STAFF, SENATOR DONNY  OLSON, explained  that SCS                                                                   
HB 2(FIN)  combines two  bills, the original  HB 2,  which is                                                                   
Section 3 of  the bill, and SB 124, which  made distributions                                                                   
of funds for  various vocational technical  training programs                                                                   
throughout the state.   SB 124 unanimously passed  the Senate                                                                   
and had  15 co-sponsors.   The  SCS is an  attempt to  try to                                                                   
enact the essential parts of SB 124.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Gray  explained that Section  1 increases  the percentage                                                                   
of the  contribution to  technical training education  funds.                                                                   
Section 2  puts the allocations  in affect for a  5-year time                                                                   
period.   Page 2 of the  bill lists the various  allocations.                                                                   
The University of Alaska allocation  has been increased.  Mr.                                                                   
Gray noted  an error  in the Galena  Project allocation.   He                                                                   
said that it should  be 4 percent, not 3 percent.   He listed                                                                   
the  allocations  for the  various  categories  in  HB 2,  as                                                                   
compared to  what they used  to be in  SB 124.   Missing from                                                                   
124 is  an allocation  of 15.5  percent to  the Alaska  Works                                                                   
Partnership.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:52:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Gray addressed  a new feature in subsections  (e) and (f)                                                                   
- an  expenditure and  performance report  to the  department                                                                   
and to the legislature.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Gray  reported that Section  4 is a repeal  of uncodified                                                                   
law.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:53:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT a Conceptual Amendment:                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     On page 2, line 7, change 3 percent to 4 percent.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman mentioned  the  zero fiscal  note from  the                                                                   
Department of Administration.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:53:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GUY BELL,  ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER  AND DIRECTOR,  DIVISION OF                                                                   
ADMINISTRATIVE  SERVICES, DEPARTMENT  OF LABOR AND  WORKFORCE                                                                   
DEVELOPMENT,  said there would  be a  third fiscal  note once                                                                   
the  bill  is  adopted  by  the  Committee.    One  from  the                                                                   
University of  Alaska, one from  the Department  of Education                                                                   
and Early Development,  and one from the Department  of Labor                                                                   
and Workforce Development.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:55:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MARK NEUMAN,  Sponsor,  explained  that HB  2                                                                   
started out  as a proposal  to create a vocational  education                                                                   
account  within the  general fund.   It  was a  way to  allow                                                                   
private  industry  to help  vocational  education.   It  does                                                                   
require  the Department  of Education  and Early  Development                                                                   
and  the Department  of Labor  and  Workforce Development  to                                                                   
target  programs that  need vocational  education funds.   He                                                                   
spoke in favor of the changes in the new SCS.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:56:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Huggins asked about the  UAA allocation of 45 percent                                                                   
on  page 2  of  the  bill.   He  wondered which  programs  it                                                                   
funded.   He Representative Neuman did  not know.  It  was an                                                                   
amendment with the addition of SB 124.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
PAT PITNEY,  VICE PRESIDENT, BUDGET AND  PLANNING, UNIVERSITY                                                                   
OF ALASKA,  addressed the distribution  of the  funding which                                                                   
goes to all campuses.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator Huggins  asked about MatSu's  allotment.   Ms. Pitney                                                                   
reported that  it varies  from year to  year.  The  funds are                                                                   
primarily for  workforce startup  or equipment.   She offered                                                                   
to provide more information.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:59:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Neuman  commented that there needs  to be more                                                                   
money funded for vocational education.   He spoke in favor of                                                                   
jobs for Alaskans.  He strongly  advocated for the passage of                                                                   
HB 2.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  MOVED to REPORT SCS HB 2(FIN),  as amended,                                                                   
out  of Committee  with  individual recommendations  and  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal notes.  There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SCS HB 2(FIN) was REPORTED out  of Committee with a "do pass"                                                                   
recommendation  and with a  previously published  zero fiscal                                                                   
note  by  the Department  of  Administration,  and  with  new                                                                   
forthcoming  fiscal  notes by  the  Department  of Labor  and                                                                   
Workforce Development, the Department  of Education and Early                                                                   
Development, and the University.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
10:02:31 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects