Legislature(2013 - 2014)SENATE FINANCE 532
02/21/2013 09:30 AM Senate FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB7 | |
| SB12 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 7 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 12 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SENATE BILL NO. 12
"An Act relating to state and public entity
procurement, including the State Procurement Code,
procurement preferences, contract awards, the use of
small procurement provisions for certain amounts of
leased space, the Alaska business license requirement
for Alaska bidder and other procurement preferences,
the proof of registration of construction contract
bidders and offerors, the establishment and
maintenance of lists of persons who want to provide
supplies or services to the state, state agencies, and
state instrumentalities, electronic bids and
proposals, the chief procurement officer, small
procurements, and writings; relating to the meaning of
'Alaska bidder'; and providing for an effective date."
10:25:38 AM
Vice-Chair Fairclough stated that SB 12 was an attempt to
modify the procurement code and streamline the procurement
processes. She pointed out that currently, there was some
ambiguity in calculating the procurement bids. She related
that the bill provided a specific point in time when an
Alaska business license was required and increased the
threshold under which state agencies may use an informal
procurement process; the threshold was increased from
$50,000 to $100,000 for good and services and from $100,000
to $200,000 for construction. The bill also increased the
small procurement leased-space threshold from $3,000 to
$7,000. She related that the legislation advanced the state
into an electronic world through which electronic bids and
signatures would be accepted. The bill eliminated an
outdated vendor list and relocated all the preferences into
the same spot in the Alaska Statutes, as well as clarified
which preferences may be stacked and which one could not be
combined. The legislation eliminated the "employers with
disabilities" preference, reduced the chief procurement
officer's pay from a range 27 to a range 25; collectively,
the changes streamlined the procurement process and
provided Alaskans a way to enter and engage in Alaska state
service. She concluded that the bill provided more
opportunities for Alaskans, particularly in rural Alaska.
VERN JONES, CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF
ADMINISTRATION, introduced himself for the record. He
related that the bill simplified, modernized, and clarified
the procurement process. He pointed out that increasing the
small procurement threshold made it possible to conduct
more procurements in a less formal mode, which was easier
for smaller businesses, particularly in rural areas. He
stated that the bill would particularly help building
owners who were leasing space to the state and that the
legislation simplified the preferences. Currently, the
Division of Vocational Rehab was required to get
verification from an individual's doctors to verify
disability status; the bill would allow for the acceptance
of third party qualifications from entities such as the
Social Security Administration and the Veterans
Administration (VA). He believed the bill was easier to
understand than the current law on the state practitioner
side, as well as for the businesses that were engaging with
the state.
10:30:31 AM
Vice-Chair Fairclough was prepared to present a sectional
analysis of the bill, but preferred to take questions
afterwards in respect for those who were waiting online to
testify.
DAVE GLENN, SELF, PALMER (via teleconference), testified in
support of the SB 12 and related that the stated Department
of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) did not recognize
disability certification from the VA. He related a personal
story about DLWD rejecting a contract that he had submitted
because his paperwork had been submitted from the VA. He
stated that the DLWD's stance on this issue was
inconsistent with everything else the state did for
disabled veterans. He shared that his VA certification was
recognized for discounted license plates, free hunting
licenses, the state park and ferry systems, etc. He added
that DLWD was the only department in the state that did not
recognize disability certification from the VA. He recalled
serving in the Vietnam War and being an "Agent Orange"
victim. He expressed concerned for the troops returning
from duty in Afghanistan and pointed out that he did not
want to see these veterans treated like he had been when he
returned home from Vietnam. He offered that veterans should
not be discriminated against over a technicality, but
should be afforded every opportunity to get their lives
back in order. He concluded that the bill eliminated having
to satisfy DLWD's requirements of a whole system of private
doctors, expenses, etc.
MIKE KOSKOVITCH, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), spoke
in support of SB 12 and related his experiences with "Agent
Orange." He believed that a disability certification from
the VA should satisfy any requirement by the State of
Alaska. He observed that veterans should be treated with
the dignity and honor that they deserved and should not
have to deal with bureaucratic obstacles.
Co-Chair Meyer CLOSED public TESTIMONY on SB 12.
10:35:27 AM
SB 12 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
Co-Chair Meyer discussed the following meeting's agenda.
10:35:55 AM