04/11/1994 09:12 AM Senate STA

 CHAIRMAN LEMAN brings up HB 491 (REPORTS BY SCIENCE & TECH                    
 FOUNDATION) as the first order of business before the Senate State            
 Affairs Committee.  The chairman calls the prime sponsor of HB 491            
 to testify.                                                                   
                                                                               
 Number 012                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE AL VEZEY, prime sponsor of HB 491, states the                  
 motivation behind the bill is that it was obvious to him that the             
 annual report and the fiscal report of the Alaska Science and                 
 Technology Foundation are not on concurrent time frames.                      
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN states there was recently a bill before the Senate             
 State Affairs Committee stating the reports should be done by                 
 December 16.                                                                  
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY responds he thinks the bill the chairman is              
 referring to addresses a different report.  Currently, the Science            
 & Technology Foundation report is based on a calendar year; SB 491            
 would change that to a fiscal year.                                           
                                                                               
 Number 052                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks Representative Vezey if the Alaska Science &              
 Technology Foundation supports HB 491.                                        
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY states they are supportive of HB 491.                    
 However, they were nervous that the bill would be used as a vehicle           
 to appropriate funds from the Alaska Science & Technology Fund to             
 the general fund.                                                             
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if there are any questions from committee                 
 members and if there is anyone in the audience who wishes to                  
 testify.                                                                      
                                                                               
                                                                               
 Number 060                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR comments the governor's omnibus bill contained                 
 language addressing timelines for several reports.  It would seem             
 logical to consider including HB 491 within the governor's omnibus            
 bill.                                                                         
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY responds to Senator Taylor's comments, saying            
 the vehicle Senator Taylor is referring to was not before the                 
 legislature at the time he filed HB 491.  He has not made an effort           
 to see if HB 491 could be incorporated into that bill.                        
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN says, to be consistent with the other bill, the                
 committee should perhaps consider requiring the report to be                  
 finished by December 16.                                                      
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY states there are some problems with HB 530.              
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks Representative Vezey if he has any problems               
 with changing the date in HB 491 to December 16.                              
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY does not think that would be a problem.                  
                                                                               
 Number 106                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR makes a motion to amend HB 491 on page 1, line 6,              
 delete "January 15", and inserting "December 16".                             
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if everyone understands that amendment.  The              
 chairman asks if there are any comments or objections to the                  
 amendment.  Hearing none, the chairman states Senator Taylor's                
 amendment has been adopted.                                                   
                                                                               
 Number 115                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR makes a motion to discharge HB 491 from the Senate             
 State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations.                      
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN, hearing no objection, orders HB 491 released from             
 committee with individual recommendations.