Legislature(2021 - 2022)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/11/2022 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 45 AGE FOR NICOTINE/E-CIG; TAX E-CIG. TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= SB 164 APPROP: CAP; REAPPROP; SUPP TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
SENATE BILL NO. 164                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act making appropriations, including capital                                                                           
     appropriations,     reappropriations,     and     other                                                                    
     appropriations; making supplemental appropriations;                                                                        
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:24:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop relayed that the  committee would consider a                                                                    
CS for SB  164, set an amendment deadline, and  set the bill                                                                    
aside.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Stedman  MOVED   to   ADOPT  proposed   committee                                                                    
substitute  for SB  164,  Work  Draft 32-GS2436\B  (Dunmire,                                                                    
4/9/22).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:25:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CODY  GRUSSENDORF,  STAFF,  SENATOR CLICK  BISHOP,  gave  an                                                                    
overview of  the information he  would address,  including a                                                                    
Summary  of  Changes document  and  three  reports from  the                                                                    
Legislative Finance  Division (copy  on file).  He explained                                                                    
that Report A  showed each project proposed  by the governor                                                                    
and the  structure of funding delineated  by columns listing                                                                    
the   governor's  supplementally-funded   projects,  FY   23                                                                    
projects, the Senate CS total,  and a column with comparison                                                                    
of  the totals.  He explained  that  Report B  had the  same                                                                    
column  structure   and  showed   the  agency   spending  by                                                                    
Unrestricted General Funds (UGF). Report  C was the same but                                                                    
showed total fund sources.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:26:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Grussnedorf  commented   that  the   CS  (Version   E)                                                                    
considered all projects proposed  by the governor, including                                                                    
the two supplemental bills, and  the objective of the CS was                                                                    
to  find  a  baseline  starting point  for  the  committee's                                                                    
consideration during  the budget  process. He  addressed the                                                                    
Summary of Changes document:                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     General Overview:                                                                                                          
     Version B incorporates capital requests by the                                                                             
     Governor in SB 165 and SB 176 supplemental bills.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Finance CS ver. B does not:                                                                                                
     ? add any new legislative projects                                                                                         
     ? increase funding to any projects                                                                                         
     ? include any legislative reappropriations                                                                                 
     ? include any GO Bond proposed projects                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Finance  CS ver.  B Removes  all  Mental Health  budget                                                                    
     capital items.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Finance CS ver. B Removes the following fund sources:                                                                      
     ?  Coronavirus Capital  Project  Funds (CCPF)  projects                                                                    
     ($64M)                                                                                                                     
     ?  Coronavirus State  and Local  Fiscal Recovery  Funds                                                                    
     (CSLFRF) ($72M)                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Governor's  budgets proposed  $90.7  million  of FY  22                                                                    
     Supplemental projects funded  with unrestricted general                                                                    
     fund (UGF)  dollars. Finance  CS Ver.  B moves  all but                                                                    
     $3.1  million of  those to  FY 23.  These projects  are                                                                    
     highlighted below.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Spend Summary:                                                                                                             
     Governor's budgets including  supplementals proposed to                                                                    
     spend a total of $249.1 million UGF.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Finance CS  Ver. B including supplementals  proposes to                                                                    
     spend  $197.4  million  UGF,   a  difference  of  $51.7                                                                    
     million. This is a 20.7% reduction.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Grussendorf thought it was  notable that the total spend                                                                    
for  the proposed  CS did  not  include the  $14 million  in                                                                    
mental health capital  projects, nor did it  include the $75                                                                    
million in  proposed Infrastructure Investment and  Jobs Act                                                                    
(IIJA) spending  in SB 241 [the  supplemental appropriations                                                                    
bill at  the request  of the  governor]. The  capital budget                                                                    
would  potentially include  the  projects.  He continued  to                                                                    
address the Summary of Changes document:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Projects included in the FY  22 Supplemental section of                                                                    
     Finance CS ver. B:                                                                                                         
     ?  DCCED,  AEA  Electric  Vehicle  Infrastructure  Plan                                                                    
     $1,500,000 UGF                                                                                                             
     ? DOC, Suicide Prevention Barriers $750,000 UGF                                                                            
     ? DOH,  Office of  Children's Services  Lease Expansion                                                                    
     or Relocation $640,000 UGF $360,000 Fed                                                                                    
     ?  DNR, National  Historic  Preservation Fund  $200,000                                                                    
     UGF                                                                                                                        
     ?  DCCED,   Prince  William  Sound  Science   Center  &                                                                    
     Technology   Institute   Facilities   Replacement   and                                                                    
     Associated Debt $5,950,000 EVOS                                                                                            
     ? OOG,  Elections Security under the  Help America Vote                                                                    
     Act $1,250,000 Elect. Fund                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     CSLFRF projects in  Finance CS that are  changed to UGF                                                                    
     fund source:                                                                                                               
     Page   3  Line   8   DCCED,   Alaska  Travel   Industry                                                                    
     Association                                                                                                                
     $5,000,000 UGF                                                                                                             
     Page 5  Line 17 DOH,  Division of Public  Assistance E-                                                                    
     Forms and Online Noticing                                                                                                  
     $4,000,000 UGF matches $4,000,000 Fed funds                                                                                
     Page  5  Line 19  DOH,  Division  of Public  Assistance                                                                    
     Eligibility System Replacement                                                                                             
     $4,700,000 UGF matches $18,800,000 Fed funds                                                                               
     Page 7  Line 3 DNR, Statewide  Park Sanitation Deferred                                                                    
     Maintenance and Upgrades $1,418,000 UGF                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:31:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Grussendorf continued to address the Summary of Changes                                                                     
document:                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Funding requests decreased in Finance CS:                                                                                  
          Page 2 Line 25 DCCED, AEA- Strategic Plan for                                                                         
          Railbelt Assets decreased to $1,500,000                                                                               
          UGF. Original request was for $2,500,000 UGF                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
          Page 7 Line 24 DPS, Mobile and Handheld Radio                                                                         
          Replacement decreased to $1,000,000                                                                                   
          UGF. Original request was for $3,728,000 UGF                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Governor's   projects  removed   in   Finance  CS   and                                                                    
     associated fund source:                                                                                                    
     ? DOA,  Azure Adoption  to Cloud  Migration $23,116,000                                                                    
     UGF                                                                                                                        
     ? DCCED, Voice of the Arctic $1,000,000 UGF                                                                                
     ? DFG, Arctic Fisheries $1,000,000 UGF                                                                                     
     $2,000,000 Fed                                                                                                             
     ? DNR, Cook Inlet Petroleum Potential $1,200,000 UGF                                                                       
     ?  DEED,  William  N.   Miller  K-12  Memorial  School,                                                                    
     Napakiak $22,112,000 UGF $32,784,000 REAA                                                                                  
     ?   DOH,   Information  Technology   Security   Program                                                                    
     Assessment $1,900,000 UGF                                                                                                  
     ?  DOH,   Health  Record   Infrastructure  Improvements                                                                    
     $30,000,000 CCPF                                                                                                           
     ? DNR, Eagle River Fire Crew Facility $13,856,000 CCPF                                                                     
     ?   UA,   Student    Information   Technology   Systems                                                                    
     $20,000,000 CCPF                                                                                                           
     ? DCCED, City of Palmer Wastewater Treatment Plant                                                                         
     $6,900,000 CSLFRF                                                                                                          
     ? DCCED, Alaska Mariculture Alliance- Grant Program                                                                        
     $25,000,000 CSLFRF                                                                                                         
     ? DNR, Food Security Agriculture Incentive Grant                                                                           
     Program $25,000,000 CSLFRF                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Grussendorf  detailed that that the  Coronavirus Capital                                                                    
Project  Fund (CCPF)  projects that  were  removed were  the                                                                    
result  of discussions  with the  Office  of Management  and                                                                    
Budget (OMB)  that indicated the Department  of Treasury was                                                                    
unlikely to  accept the  grants for  the projects.  He cited                                                                    
ongoing  discussions  with  OMB  regarding how  to  put  the                                                                    
state's  plan  forward and  what  projects  to include.  The                                                                    
Coronavirus State  and Local  Fiscal Recovery  Fund (CSLFRF)                                                                    
projects were removed and not changed to UGF funding.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:33:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman asked  for more  explanation regarding  the                                                                    
Napakiak school project.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Grussendorf understood that  schools within the Regional                                                                    
Educational Attendance  Area (REAA) were funded  through the                                                                    
School Construction Grant list  (via statute), which was how                                                                    
the committee intended to fund the Napakiak School.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman asked  if the item had been  fully funded in                                                                    
the governor's request.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Grussendorf answered "yes."                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson  asked about the  $136 million  being removed                                                                    
from CCPF  and CSLRF funding.  He asked about  the intention                                                                    
of the  funding and  whether it  was to be  used at  a later                                                                    
date.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Grussendorf  explained that  the  $64  million of  CCPF                                                                    
funds had  been authorized in  the American Rescue  Plan Act                                                                    
(ARPA)   and   was   originally  intended   for   broadband.                                                                    
Subsequently  federal guidance  was  issued  that opened  up                                                                    
additional eligibility  that was very stringent.  There were                                                                    
currently no projects proposed to access the funds.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wilson  asked about  the  deadline  to request  the                                                                    
funding  and  wondered  if  the  plan  was  to  utilize  the                                                                    
amendment process to access the funds.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop thought the deadline  was September of 2022.                                                                    
He answered  affirmatively that the amendment  process would                                                                    
be utilized.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson asked if it  was possible to get the criteria                                                                    
information in order to utilize the funds.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop  understood that  the criteria was  that the                                                                    
funding was for broadband projects.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Grussendorf  stated  that  he had  information  on  the                                                                    
guidance   for  the   CCPF  and   agreed   to  forward   the                                                                    
information. He  cited the criteria  for treasury  to accept                                                                    
the grants:                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     1. The project must be designed to directly enable                                                                         
     work, education, and health monitoring.                                                                                    
     2. The project must address a critical need that                                                                           
     resulted from or was made apparent or exacerbated by                                                                       
     the COVID-19 public health emergency.                                                                                      
     3. The project must address a critical need of the                                                                         
     community to be served by it.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:36:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman commented  that it was early  in the budget                                                                    
process and  the committee would  be balancing  fund sources                                                                    
throughout. He mentioned the concern  of the Napakiak School                                                                    
and asserted that  it was the committee's intent  to get the                                                                    
school funded  in the current  year. He discussed  bond debt                                                                    
reimbursement and REAA  area funding that was  linked to it.                                                                    
He  mentioned  a  balanced  approach  and  picking  up  some                                                                    
arrears.  He  expected  discussions   on  the  mechanics  of                                                                    
getting the school fully funded.  He did not want the public                                                                    
to  conclude that  the  school was  being  removed from  the                                                                    
budget  process   and  asserted   that  the   committee  was                                                                    
considering fund sources.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop  stated the school  would be  funded through                                                                    
statute.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson thought the previous  speaker had stated that                                                                    
the  intent was  to  not have  so  many appropriation  bills                                                                    
"floating around."  He asked  if the  intent was  to combine                                                                    
supplemental   capital  projects   and  new   infrastructure                                                                    
capital projects.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop stated that the  committee was following the                                                                    
path to have one capital budget. He answered "yes."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson asked  if the committee's intent  was to look                                                                    
for amendments that would cover all three sets of projects.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop stated that there  was currently one capital                                                                    
budget  with a  small supplemental  in FY  22. He  asked Co-                                                                    
Chair Stedman to comment.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman reminded that it  was just the beginning of                                                                    
establishing  a budget  baseline  and the  approach was  not                                                                    
much different  than how the  committee was  approaching the                                                                    
operating budget, which provided  clarity for the public. He                                                                    
explained that  generally speaking  the legislature  did not                                                                    
have multiple appropriation bills,  and there was normally a                                                                    
consolidation  of appropriation  bills to  minimize numbers.                                                                    
He explained that the columns  on the backup reports were to                                                                    
provide clarity on the proposed projects.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Bishop  WITHDREW  his OBJECTION.  There  being  NO                                                                    
further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.  The CS for SB 164 was                                                                    
ADOPTED.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SB  164  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop  relayed an amendment deadline  of Thursday,                                                                    
April 14 at 5 o'clock p.m.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:40:28 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:40:38 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop discussed the agenda for the afternoon.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 45 Work Draft ver. D 4.5.22.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 45
SB 45 Explanation of Changes ver. O to D 4.5.22.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 45
SB 45 Amendment #1 Wilson.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 45
SB 164 ver. B_Explaination of Changes.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 164
SB 164 Document C_SCS1 AgencySummary.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 164
SB 164 Document A_SCS1 ProjectDetailByAgency.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 164
SB 164 Document B_SCS1 AgencySummary UGF Only.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 164
SB 164 work draft B.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 164
SB 45 04-11-2022 Taxpayers Protection Alliance Testimony RE SB45.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 45
SB 164 Public Testimony Packet 4.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 164
SB 164 4.19.2022 Letter of Support to increase Capital Budget CSSB 164 - Senator Bishop.pdf SFIN 4/11/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 164