Legislature(2007 - 2008)BELTZ 211
03/11/2008 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
Audio | Topic |
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Start | |
SB296 | |
HB15 | |
SB278 | |
HB284 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= | HB 15 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+= | SB 296 | TELECONFERENCED | |
*+ | SB 278 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | HB 284 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 284-PFD ALLOWABLE ABSENCE: FELLOWSHIPS 10:26:52 AM CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration of HB 284. [Before the committee was CSHB 284(FIN).] REPRESENTATIVE MIKE HAWKER, Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 284. He said it corrects a regulatory problem on allowable absences for qualifying for Alaska's permanent fund dividend (PFD). He has resisted adding allowable absences in statute, but in this case a constituent pointed out that he was denied his dividend. He was in Italy on a Fulbright Fellowship. The current exemption requires a student to be enrolled, but fellowships are endowed chairs so the enrollment process is avoided. So he wasn't "enrolled," he was occupying a fellowship chair, so he didn't qualify for a PFD. The legislative intent was for a student receiving secondary or postsecondary education on a full time basis. He took up the issue with the Department of Revenue, and it was sympathetic and asked for a fix. He suggests adding "in a student fellowship sponsored by the United States Department of Education or Department of State. That is how the Fulbright Fellowship works, he explained. 10:30:18 AM SENATOR GREEN asked if there are other comparable programs, like the Rhodes Scholar program. REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER said those programs do qualify now, and the Fulbright is the only program that has this problem. SENATOR BUNDE said endowed chairs often get a salary. He asked if these are both teachers and students. 10:32:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER said testimony from the students indicated they were just students and were not compensated. SENATOR GREEN asked if it is three months - "most of them were full time or 15 hours representing a nine-month stay." REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER said the duration of fellowships can be from three months and to a year. SENATOR GREEN noted the mention of education on a full-time basis and if that countermands Reference 16. CHAIR MCGUIRE said she thinks it gets around "that whole web of qualification and enrollment, and simply makes a specific allowance for the fellowship." REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER said Fulbright students are full time. SENATOR BUNDE said if it's less than three months a person isn't disqualified for the PFD anyway. SENATOR GREEN said she is having trouble comporting what is in statute with the regulation that requires a student to be enrolled. She suggested a review of the language. 10:34:54 AM SENATOR FRENCH said he wants to distribute an amendment for consideration at the next hearing. SENATOR BUNDE asked if fellowships are assumed to be full time. REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER said he isn't aware of any that involve part-time activity. SENATOR FRENCH moved Amendment 1, labeled 25-LS1142\C.2, as follows: Page 1, line 1: Delete "as an allowable absence" Insert "and AmeriCorps programs as allowable absences" Page 2, line 25: Delete "[OR](16) or (17) Insert "or (16) - (18) Page 3, line 2, following "(17)": Insert "serving as a volunteer under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (AmeriCorps): (18)" SENATOR GREEN objected. SENATOR FRENCH said Amendment 1 corrects an inequity in exception 14 that allows a Peace Corp volunteer to collect a PFD but not an AmeriCorps volunteer. For example, a Peace Corps volunteer could be across the river in Mexico from an AmeriCorps volunteer in Texas, and only the one in Mexico would get a PFD. 10:37:10 AM SENATOR MCGUIRE asked for the number of people involved. REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER said that amendment was introduced on the House floor, and there was no information on the program so it wasn't adopted. It is now a separate bill in the House. SENATOR BUNDE asked to hear from the PFD division. SENATOR STEVENS said he has no idea what AmeriCorps is. SENATOR FRENCH asked the sponsor if he supports it. REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER said he doesn't have enough information, but it should be addressed on its own merit. The public and students would be best served without the amendment at this time. 10:39:34 AM SENATOR MCGUIRE said she will allow HB 284 to carry over to the next hearing on Thursday. SENATOR FRENCH said he means no disrespect to the sponsor but it's a natural outgrowth of a 90-day session that requires such efficiency.
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