04/06/2004 02:04 PM Senate L&C

                  SB 341-AVTEC ADMINISTRATION                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CON BUNDE announced SB 341 to be up for consideration.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. GUY  BELL, Director,  Administrative Services,  Department of                                                               
Labor and  Workforce Development  (DOLWD), explained  that during                                                               
the  2002   session,  the  Legislature  enacted   SB  192,  which                                                               
transferred the  Alaska Vocational Technical School  (AVTEC) from                                                               
the Department of Education to the DOLWD.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 04-31, SIDE B                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. BELL  continued saying that  a fee review indicated  that the                                                               
transfer did  not include the tuition  and fee-setting authority.                                                               
This bill corrects  that oversight by giving  the commissioner of                                                               
DOLWD the authority to set  tuition and fees by regulation, which                                                               
includes a  public review  process, rather  than administratively                                                               
as  is done  now  and doesn't  have public  review.  It does  not                                                               
change the fees or the process in which they are established.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  FRENCH asked  if his  department had  been administering                                                               
AVTEC unlawfully over the past year.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. BELL said he wasn't a lawyer and didn't know.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GARY STEVENS asked if AVTEC supported the bill.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. BELL replied yes.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH clarified that this is purely cleanup.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. BELL replied yes.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS  moved  to  pass  SB  341  from  committee  with                                                               
attached  zero   fiscal  note  and   individual  recommendations.                                                               
Senators  Bettye  Davis,  Gary  Stevens,  Ralph  Seekins,  Hollis                                                               
French and  Chair Con  Bunde voted  yea; and  SB 341  passed from                                                               
committee.