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 |
SB 278-VETERAN INFO ON PFD APPLICATIONS CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration of SB 278. 9:45:58 AM SENATOR BILL WIELECHOWSKI, Alaska State Legislature, said SB 278 helps the state and veterans groups find help for Alaska veterans. It asks applicants to the permanent fund dividend (PFD) if they are American military veterans. This will help Alaska help its veterans to access federal programs and benefits that they have earned. The bill stems from these services being underutilized. Alaska has the highest per capita number of veterans in the nation, and retirement checks and benefits contribute more than $1 billion to the economy. The benefits include health care, burial rights, disability compensation, survivor benefits, housing loans, spousal assistance, college assistance, and vocational assistance. Only one in five veterans receives the benefits that are available. By increasing this, it will help families and it will create a significant economic boost to communities across the state. SB 278 will bring in millions of dollars from the federal government. The intent of the bill is to create a list of known veterans in the state for use by veterans groups to inform people of their entitlements. 9:48:02 AM SENATOR GREEN noted that it is not mandatory. She asked if other states have a similar program. KATHERINE PUSTAY, Staff to Senator Wielechowski, said she will find out. SENATOR BUNDE asked if he is using the PFD since everyone applies for one, but wouldn't the driver's license work as well? SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said that's another option, but not everyone has a driver's license. 9:49:25 AM SENATOR BUNDE said SB 278 is well-intentioned, but it could expand into a burden for the department. Will there be other expectations for mining data from the PFD application, like people who need housing assistance or health care? JERRY BURNETT, Director, Administrative Services, Department of Revenue (DOR), explained that the PFD Division provides information to any state or federal agency on request. The difference here is that more information is requested on the application. There is a small fiscal note for redesigning it and a little extra work. "It's not a great amount of work. I don't see that this would create any issues of the type that you're concerned about." SENATOR BUNDE asked if a veteran's group would query the division to find the information. 9:51:42 AM MR. BURNET said his understanding is that the information would be provided to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) in a usable format. The bill allows the PFD division to provide the information directly to veteran groups, but it will be more efficient to give it to the DMVA. The information collected will include the years of service and the branch. "It's fairly simple once it's in there." SENATOR BUNDE asked it that information is available from the federal government. MR. BURNETT said this bill was not his idea, but his understanding is that there is no way to know when people move to Alaska or where they are. SENATOR BUNDE asked if a veteran's group could get that information from the federal government and this will just cut out a step for them. MR. BURNETT said the federal government may not know addresses, because veterans are not tracked for any particular purpose. SENATOR GREEN asked if the bill needs an effective date. MR. BURNETT said it will go into effect 90 days after passage and be on the 2009 application for the 2008 dividend. SENATOR STEVENS asked if the DMVA communicates with veterans. He is one but has never heard from the DMVA. Does it send out information on available benefits? 9:54:46 AM MR. BURNETT said he isn't from DMVA so he can't answer that. SENATOR BUNDE said some people are concerned about privacy, so would the form indicate that the check-off is optional? MR. BURNETT said absolutely. Veteran status will not be used, in any way, for eligibility. 9:55:53 AM DAVID GLENN, Vietnam Veterans of America 903, Wasilla, said he was sent to Vietnam 43 years ago; he spent a year in the jungle watching fellow soldiers sustain grievous injuries and death. Some still suffer today from physical and mental injuries. It's now reported that those veterans have a ten-year shorter lifespan and are five times more likely to be sick. He demands that this bill pass because thousands of these veterans have been ignored by the federal government for decades. The collected information will help locate veterans, "and we can guide them through the process of collecting the benefits promised during their military service." He expressed the view that the Department of Revenue fiscal note is ridiculously high. It is a blatant attempt to kill the bill, and he is insulted that "some bureaucrat thinks we're so dumb that we don't know what's happening." He has watched as Alaska's political process has sunk to an all-time low with bribes and felonies. He hopes the committee has the guts to start the healing process and provide encouragement to the citizens by doing the right thing for veterans. "Failure on your part to attain passage of this bill will be a tremendous mistake on your part, and will only contribute to the overall conception of what a poor job our Alaska government is doing." 9:58:16 AM CHAIR MCGUIRE thanked him and noted his interesting style. SENATOR BUNDE thanked him for his service and said he hopes he can disagree with him without being un-American. MR. GLENN said he didn't accuse him of being un-American, "I accused my Alaska government of making me feel poorly about my Alaska government." He used harsh words to encourage the committee to get on the stick and get things done. It's time Alaska does something for its veterans. CHAIR MCGUIRE clarified that the only fiscal note is from the Department of Revenue, and it is $16,000, which is nominal. It will change the online database and application form. The committee took a brief at-ease at 9:59:32 AM. 9:59:57 AM MAURICE BAILEY, President, Veterans Aviation Outreach, Wasilla, said he was a founder of VAO and it has four airplanes and pilots for the express purpose to find veterans in villages scattered throughout Alaska who may not be aware of the available benefits. By not doing what is right for veterans, the country will end up with substandard armed forces. "We are scraping the bottom of the barrel to get recruits for our all- volunteer forces [because] of the way we treat our vets." Passing this bill is the right thing to do. Veterans aren't tracked once they leave the military. He has been flying around Alaska for the last 45 years, and many people don't know what is available and what they have coming. 10:01:42 AM RUSSELL KELL, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 904, Anchorage, said allocation of money from the Veteran's Administration (VA) to Alaska is based on the number of veterans based on the census. He once worked for the VA and questioned the way veterans were counted. Many veterans won't be captured. The funding goes for medical care and preventative medical care. If someone isn't noted as a veteran and doesn't get the care, it will cost the state more. If veterans aren't identified shortly after getting out of the service, the education benefit will be of less use to them. Without preventative medical care and education, homelessness will increase. It has increased, and it will continue to do so unless the veterans are reached more quickly and effectively. It will be very difficult to obtain addresses of veterans without their signatures. 10:04:49 AM MR. KELL said, "With what's happening with state and federal budgets, I suspect that the VA in the future is going to attempt to share this expense with the state … and the sharing with the state is going to depend upon how many veterans are in the state." This information will be valuable to the state even if it is not released. He recommends it being on the application but said to be cautious about releasing the information. It needs to be explained to the veterans on the application. The information should be made available to all nationally chartered veterans organizations. 10:06:25 AM SENATOR MCGUIRE noted the problem of defining who is a veteran. The bill mandates a place for an applicant to voluntarily indicate veteran status. Will there be the same problem of people not knowing if they are a veteran? MR. KELL said a veteran is someone who is separated from active duty, but it is also a person who is on active duty but served honorably for a certain amount of time. The question could ask if someone has served honorably for a specified length of time. SENATOR MCGUIRE asked if that would be 180 days. MR. KELL said he believes so. SENATOR STEVENS asked if this will impact the census. MR. KELL said no, it will be tool to gauge the validity of the census and if the state is getting its fair due from the VA. He said some have said that the DMVA may want to minimize the impact of the numbers because it evaluates based on the total population. The total population is very important in determining how well it is doing its job and how much money comes to the state. 10:10:11 AM SENATOR BUNDE said he's troubled by a definition that includes someone who is currently serving. How can you be a veteran and continue to serve? MR. KELL said it is in Title 38 of the U.S. Code. Section 101 has the federal definition. SENATOR FRENCH asked if state benefits are involved or only federal benefits. Will it cost Alaska to identify more veterans? SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI replied that the vast majority of benefits are federal. There may be some state benefits. CHAIR FRENCH said if there are state benefits they will be few compared to the federal benefits. 10:12:28 AM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said he believes there is a tuition benefit, and there is legislation under consideration for lowering the cost of hunting licenses for active members. SENATOR BUNDE said identifying more veterans would be win-win: veterans get services and the state gets the money. But he asked where the money will go and if there will be fights about it. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said it depends on the benefit. Burial money would go to the mortuary. Education money would go to the university. VA money goes to the state. SENATOR GREEN noted that DMVA issued a zero fiscal note. 10:14:31 AM SENATOR STEVENS noted a state VA housing loan program that is widely used. CHAIR MCGUIRE noted the state's definitions of a veteran. The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation defines veteran differently than Mr. Kell. Each benefit defines a veteran differently. SENATOR BUNDE said the PFD division will need to define it. He explained that his vote on the bill won't be based on the low fiscal note nor based on obnoxious testimony. CHAIR MCGUIRE suggested the sponsor review the inconsistent definitions of veteran. One definition includes a spouse, widow, or widower, and another is linked to war times. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI agreed. He doesn't want to get wrapped up on that because the legislature is acting as a conduit. If a person deems him or herself to be a veteran, they may be eligible for benefits, and the bill doesn't assess eligibility. It will just forward the names on to organizations that are out there. But he is willing to look at a definition. 10:17:33 AM CHAIR MCGUIRE noted there is confusion as to who is a veteran. SENATOR STEVENS said there is no connection with the amount of funds the state gets via the census. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said a census decision by the federal government can be challenged. It may help to get more federal funds if a larger number of veterans were identified. RON SIEBELS, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Anchorage, said this bill would make it possible to reach out to veterans in remote areas. His order supports SB 278. The problem in attaining benefits is at the federal level; the legislature is doing a good job at helping veterans. In his opinion a veteran status begins once his or her military contract was honored. SENATOR MCGUIRE said his testimony is the kind that motivates. 10:20:16 AM TIM WHEELER, Secretary, Alaska Veterans Business Alliance, Anchorage, said he makes contact with veterans throughout the state, and "you would not believe how many veterans out there don't know what benefits or information that they need to know." SB 278 will create one database so they can get updates and links to websites, a necessity to keep veterans informed. 10:20:55 AM KEVIN McGEE, President, AFGE Local 3028, Anchorage, said he represents bargaining unit employees who work at the VA. SB 278 will help identify Alaska's precious resource of its veterans. AFGE Local 3028 is in complete support. RAYMOND REYNOLDS, American Legion Post 29, Anchorage, expressed support for SB 278 and anything that makes the process easier for veterans. Many people don't get identified by a census. JOHN YOUMANS, Alaska Services to Disabled Veterans Business Alliance, Anchorage, said he worked for the VA in Anchorage for 24 years, and he knows there are many veterans who aren't aware of the benefits they're entitled to. He spoke of Vietnam veterans hiding out in the woods and not knowing what they were entitled to. A new VA hospital is being built, and he suggested using veterans as employees. 10:24:24 AM SENATOR BUNDE asked if a veteran will be defined as being honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said he won't object to that. SENATOR BUNDE said foreign nationals serve, so you can't use the term American. He doesn't want to make an amendment on the fly, so it should be considered in its next committee. SENATOR GREEN said the definition should coincide with the federal definition since this is for federal purposes. SENATOR MCGUIRE ascertained that the committee was comfortable leaving the definition up to the Finance Committee. 10:26:10 AM SENATOR FRENCH moved to report SB 278 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). Hearing no objection, SB 278 moved out of committee.
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