Legislature(2015 - 2016)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/04/2016 01:30 PM Senate FINANCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled: TELECONFERENCED
+= SB 91 OMNIBUS CRIM LAW & PROCEDURE; CORRECTIONS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= SB 145 DAY CARE ASSISTANCE & CHILD CARE GRANTS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 145(FIN) Out of Committee
+= SB 207 TEACHERS RETIRE. EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
+= SB 208 ELIMINATE AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
+= SB 209 PERS EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
+= SB 210 COMM. REV. SHARING;PROP. TAX EXEMPTIONS TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
SENATE BILL NO. 145                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the recovery of overpayments of                                                                        
     day care assistance and child care grants; and                                                                             
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:49:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AMANDA   RYDER,  ANALYST,   LEGISLATIVE  FINANCE   DIVISION,                                                                    
introduced herself.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SHAWNDA O'BRIEN,  DIVISION OF PUBLIC  ASSISTANCE, DEPARTMENT                                                                    
OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, introduced herself.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  looked at FN  3, and was  concerned with                                                                    
the funding source line 1005,  general fund program receipts                                                                    
at  an   additional  spend  of   $500,000.  She   asked  for                                                                    
explanation. Ms. Ryder replied  that the GF program receipts                                                                    
were from  Permanent Fund Dividends (PFDs).  She shared that                                                                    
federal  government   was  requiring   state  to   pay  back                                                                    
overpayments.  The   $500,000  allowed  the   department  to                                                                    
garnish PFDs  for overpayments of  child care  benefits that                                                                    
were  received by  individuals. It  was new  revenue to  the                                                                    
state, otherwise  the PFDs would remain  with the individual                                                                    
or be  garnished by other agencies.  The legislation brought                                                                    
the  garnishment   of  PFDs  in   line  with   other  public                                                                    
assistance programs.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  wondered whether the PFD  payback to the                                                                    
state  would  be  deposited  into   the  GF,  or  designated                                                                    
receipts to the  program itself. Ms. Ryder  replied that the                                                                    
money would be used to  reimburse the federal government for                                                                    
child care benefits that the  federal government had already                                                                    
paid. The  money would  be used  to directly  offset federal                                                                    
expenditures, which is why there  was a negative $500,000 in                                                                    
federal  receipts  and a  positive  $500,000  in GF  program                                                                    
receipts. She  shared that the  department could  only spend                                                                    
what they receive in garnishments.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dunleavy surmised  that the  department could  only                                                                    
spend what they receive in garnishments. Ms. Ryder agreed.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche wondered  how  "first  in line"  worked                                                                    
with state  agency garnishments. Ms. O'Brien  explained that                                                                    
the department examined whether  the garnishment would cover                                                                    
the full amount  of the overpayment, if not  then the oldest                                                                    
outstanding  debt  would be  paid  first.  She furthered  if                                                                    
there  was  an  equal   distribution  across  programs,  the                                                                    
department would equally distribute  the recovery to all the                                                                    
programs.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche  surmised that  the payments  could only                                                                    
be  made  based  on  the amount  of  garnishments  from  the                                                                    
individuals. He  furthered that the state  would not receive                                                                    
a  portion   of  the  garnishment,  if,   for  example,  the                                                                    
garnishment was  used toward child  support. There  would be                                                                    
no impact on the general  fund. Ms. O'Brien agreed with that                                                                    
summation.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:54:40 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:54:46 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:54:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Kelly MOVED to REPORT CS SB 145(FIN) out of                                                                            
committee with individual recommendations and accompanying                                                                      
fiscal notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  145(FIN)  was  REPORTED  out  of  committee  with  "no                                                                    
recommendation"  and with  previously published  zero fiscal                                                                    
note:  FN 2(REV);  and  previously  published fiscal  impact                                                                    
note: FN 3 (DHS).                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:55:13 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:57:30 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:57:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon discussed the week's schedule.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 91 CSSB 91 Amendment 1 MacKinnon.pdf SFIN 4/4/2016 1:30:00 PM
SB 91