05/08/2002 09:31 AM Senate RLS

CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS  announced that  the committee would  again take                                                              
up  HB 262-STATE  PROGRAM  RECEIPTS/  BLDG.SAFETY  ACCT. and  that                                                          
members  adopted   version  P   but  Version   O  was   now  under                                                              
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LISA  MURKOWSKI, sponsor  of HB 262,  told members,                                                              
"I'm okay  with it Mr.  Chair, quite  honestly, doing  the laundry                                                              
list to  make it  add up  rather than  the more generic  paragraph                                                              
..."                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS asked if she has any objections to Version O.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MURKOWSKI said she does not.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. ANNETTE  KREITZER, staff  to Senator  Leman and testifying  on                                                              
behalf of the Senate Finance Committee,  informed members that two                                                              
amendments to  HB 262 have been  proposed. The first is  a request                                                              
from  the  Department  of  Transportation  and  Public  Facilities                                                              
(DOTPF) and pertains to passenger  facility charges. It will allow                                                              
DOTPF, as  recommended by the  Division of Legislative  Budget and                                                              
Audit, to  account for the  passenger facility charges  separately                                                              
as the  FAA requires. She  said it is  her understanding  that the                                                              
Finance Committee Chairs of both  houses have no objection to this                                                              
amendment.  It does not  affect the  intent of the  bill, it  is a                                                              
vehicle to correct an accounting problem.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS  asked if the passenger facility  fees are being                                                              
charged now.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. KREITZER said they are.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  NANCY SLAGLE,  Division  of Administrative  Services,  DOTPF,                                                              
verified that  DOTPF has been  collecting passenger  facility fees                                                              
since October of 2000.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY moved  to adopt Version O as the  working document                                                              
of the committee.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS announced that  with no objection, Version O was                                                              
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS moved to adopt Amendment 1.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS  announced that  with no objection,  Amendment 1                                                              
was adopted.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KREITZER  explained  the  next   proposed  amendment  adds  a                                                              
reference  to AS  02.15.020, which  pertains to  fingerprint-based                                                              
criminal  background  checks  that  DOTPF  is required  to  do  on                                                              
airport employees.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SLAGLE  explained that  the  FAA  has  required DOTPF  to  do                                                              
fingerprint-based  criminal  background   checks  on  anyone  with                                                              
access to secure  areas of Alaska's certificated  or international                                                              
airports,  as a  result of  the 9/11  event.  DOTPF has  requested                                                              
about $110,000  in the  Homeland Security  appropriation  bill for                                                              
receipt authority  to charge airline employees  and concessionaire                                                              
employees a fee for processing the background checks.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  PHILLIPS identified  the amendment  to insert,  after AS                                                              
02.15.090 on page 3, line 13, "and AS 02.15.020" [Amendment 2].                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELLIS offered  to  sponsor that  amendment  and moved  to                                                              
adopt it. Without objection, it was so ordered.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY moved to calendar  Version O of HB 262 as amended.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  PHILLIPS announced  that with  no objection, the  motion                                                              
carried.