Legislature(1993 - 1994)

04/14/1994 02:05 PM House FIN

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
txt
                                                                               
                                                                               
                     HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                   
                         April 14, 1994                                        
                            2:05 P.M.                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
  TAPE HFC 94 - 125, Side 1, #000 - end.                                       
  TAPE HFC 94 - 125, Side 2, #000 - #424.                                      
                                                                               
  CALL TO ORDER                                                                
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson  called the House  Finance Committee meeting                 
  to order at 2:05 P.M.                                                        
                                                                               
  PRESENT                                                                      
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson               Representative Hoffman                         
  Co-Chair MacLean              Representative Martin                          
  Vice-Chair Hanley             Representative Navarre                         
  Representative Brown          Representative Parnell                         
  Representative Grussendorf    Representative Therriault                      
  Representative Foster                                                        
                                                                               
  ALSO PRESENT                                                                 
                                                                               
  Representative  Jeannette  James;   Carol  Carroll,   Staff,                 
  Senator Jay Kerttula; Annette Kreitzer, Staff, Senator Loren                 
  Leman;  Dr.   Thomas  Trolter,  President,   Alaska  Pacific                 
  University,  Anchorage;  Wendy  Redman,  Vice President  for                 
  University Relations, University of Alaska, Anchorage;  Jeff                 
  Morrison,   Legislative   Liaison,  Director,   Division  of                 
  Administrative Services, Department of Military and Veterans                 
  Affairs;  Ervin  Martin,  (Testified   via  teleconference),                 
  Director, Alaska Division  of Emergency Services, Department                 
  of Military and Veterans Affairs.                                            
                                                                               
  SUMMARY                                                                      
  HB 222    An  Act  relating  to landlords  and  tenants,  to                 
            termination  of tenancies  and recovery  of rental                 
            premises, to tenant responsibilities, to the civil                 
            remedies  of  forcible  entry  and  detainer   and                 
            nuisance  abatement,  and to  the duties  of peace                 
            officers to notify landlords  of arrests involving                 
            certain illegal activity on rental premises.                       
                                                                               
            CS HB 222 (FIN) was reported out of Committee with                 
            a "do pass" recommendation and  with a fiscal note                 
            by the Department of Law and a zero fiscal note by                 
            the Department of Public Safety.                                   
  SB 225    An  Act   relating  to  credits   against  certain                 
            insurance  taxes  for  contributions   to  certain                 
                                                                               
                                1                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
            educational  institutions;  and  providing for  an                 
            effective date.                                                    
                                                                               
            CS SB 225 (HES) was reported out of Committee with                 
            a fiscal note  by the  Department of Commerce  and                 
            Economic  Development  dated  2/04/94 and  a  zero                 
            fiscal  note  by the  Department of  Revenue dated                 
            2/04/94.                                                           
  SB 33     An  Act relating  to  grants  for local  emergency                 
            planning   committees   and   emergency   response                 
            organizations;  and  providing  for  an  effective                 
            date.                                                              
                                                                               
            SB   33   was   placed  into   Subcommittee   with                 
  Representative           Foster  as  Chair and  with members                 
                           Representative    Therriault    and                 
                           Representative Brown.                               
  HOUSE BILL 222                                                               
                                                                               
       "An  Act   relating  to   landlords  and  tenants,   to                 
       termination  of   tenancies  and  recovery   of  rental                 
       premises,  to  tenant  responsibilities, to  the  civil                 
       remedies of  forcible entry and  detainer and  nuisance                 
       abatement,  and  to  the duties  of  peace  officers to                 
       notify landlords  of arrests involving  certain illegal                 
       activity on rental premises."                                           
                                                                               
  Representative Therriault  MOVED  to adopt  work  draft  #8-                 
  LS0832\I, Chenoweth, 3/25/94.  There being NO OBJECTIONS, it                 
  was adopted.                                                                 
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE  JEANNETTE  JAMES noted  her  support of  the                 
  committee substitute.                                                        
                                                                               
  Representative Brown MOVED to adopt Amendment #1 which would                 
  define  tenant's rights  for a  landlord's unlawful  ouster,                 
  exclusion or  diminution of service.   Representative  James                 
  stated that she would support Amendment  #1.  There being NO                 
  OBJECTION, Amendment #1 was adopted.                                         
                                                                               
  Representative Brown MOVED to  adopt Amendment #2  providing                 
  tenants a  tool  with  which  they could  enforce  a  rental                 
  agreement  when there  is a  problem  to which  the landlord                 
  fails to respond.                                                            
                                                                               
  Representative  Therriault MOVED to divide Amendment #2 into                 
  two  sections.   Amendment #2B would  consist of  the second                 
  part of  the amendment, subsection (2).  Amendment #2A would                 
  consist of the first part, subsection (1) and subsection (3)                 
  of the amendment.   There being  NO OBJECTION, Amendment  #2                 
                                                                               
                                2                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  was divided.                                                                 
                                                                               
  Representative  Therriault  MOVED  to  adopt  Amendment  2B.                 
  There being NO OBJECTION, it was adopted.                                    
                                                                               
  Representative   Brown   MOVED   to  adopt   Amendment   2A.                 
  Representative Parnell  OBJECTED stating  the section  would                 
  foster  more litigation for the Department  of Law and would                 
  allow a tenant to  withhold a portion of their  rent if they                 
  believed that they were entitled to do so.                                   
                                                                               
  A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION.                                    
                                                                               
       IN FAVOR:      Navarre,  Brown,   Foster,  Grussendorf,                 
                      Hoffman, MacLean.                                        
       OPPOSED:       Parnell,  Therriault,  Hanley,   Martin,                 
                      Larson.                                                  
                                                                               
  The MOTION PASSED (6-5).                                                     
                                                                               
  Representative Navarre MOVED to report  CS HB 222 (FIN)  out                 
  of Committee  with individual  recommendations and with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal notes.  There being NO OBJECTION, it was                 
  so ordered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  CS  HB 222  (FIN) was reported  out of Committee  with a "do                 
  pass"  recommendation  and   with  a  fiscal  note   by  the                 
  Department of Law and  a zero fiscal note by  the Department                 
  of Public Safety.                                                            
  SENATE BILL 225                                                              
                                                                               
       "An Act  relating to credits against  certain insurance                 
       taxes   for   contributions   to  certain   educational                 
       institutions; and providing for an effective date."                     
                                                                               
  CAROL CARROLL, STAFF,  SENATOR JAY KERTTULA, stated  that SB
  225  would  extend  the  already   existing  tax  credit  to                 
  authorized   insurance   and   title  insurance   companies.                 
  Presently, corporate  taxpayers, oil and gas  producers, and                 
  mining and  fishing companies are  able to credit  their tax                 
  liability for up  to $150,000  dollars if they  donate to  a                 
  qualified educational institution.  She added that insurance                 
  and title insurance  companies are unable to  take advantage                 
  of this tax credit because they pay a premium tax instead of                 
  a corporate income tax.                                                      
                                                                               
  Ms.  Carroll  explained  that  SB  225  would  provide  that                 
  authorized insurance companies  could take  a tax credit  of                 
  50%  of  the first  $100,000 dollars  and  100% of  the next                 
  $100,000  and donate  it to  a qualified  institution.   The                 
  maximum  credit  available is  $150,000  or 50%  of  the tax                 
                                                                               
                                3                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  liability, whichever is less.                                                
                                                                               
  Representative Brown asked  the amount  of lost revenue  the                 
  State would experience  through the  credit extension.   Ms.                 
  Carroll  responded  that  the   Division  of  Insurance  has                 
  submitted two fiscal  notes.   The first note  was for  $900                 
  thousand  dollars  which  would  assume that  six  insurance                 
  companies would  take the full  credit.  She  continued that                 
  the second fiscal note for $1 million dollars would indicate                 
  the potential  if all  fourteen hundred  insurance companies                 
  took the credit.                                                             
                                                                               
  Representative Martin thought the  legislation would provide                 
  a "gain" for  education rather  than a loss  for the  State.                 
  Ms. Carroll noted that in FY92 a tax credit of $533 thousand                 
  dollars was taken and  in FY93 a tax credit of $803 thousand                 
  dollars  was  taken.   Ms.  Carroll  commented  that Senator                 
  Kerttula hopes to get six insurance companies to use the tax                 
  credit provided by the legislation.                                          
  DR. THOMAS  TROLTER, PRESIDENT,  ALASKA PACIFIC  UNIVERSITY,                 
  ANCHORAGE, encouraged the Committee to  support the proposed                 
  legislation adding the he  knew several insurance  companies                 
  who would participate in the program.  The legislation would                 
  encourage  the  development  of  corporate  philanthropy  in                 
  Alaska and would ease the burden for higher education.                       
                                                                               
  WENDY  REDMAN,  VICE  PRESIDENT  FOR  UNIVERSITY  RELATIONS,                 
  UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, ANCHORAGE, commented that corporations                 
  have not rushed to donate to the universities as a result of                 
  the  tax  credits.    She  added  that philanthropy  in  the                 
  corporate sector depends on public relations and accounting.                 
  Ms.  Redman  added  that  the   University  has  found  that                 
  corporations  more often  give to  higher education  because                 
  they have a commitment  to higher education and  not because                 
  of the tax  credit available.   She emphasized that the  tax                 
  credit  would provide  additional  opportunities outside  of                 
  normal general fund revenues.                                                
                                                                               
  Co-Chair MacLean  MOVED to  report CS  SB 225  (HES) out  of                 
  Committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal notes.  There being NO OBJECTION, it was                 
  so ordered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  CS SB  225 (HES) was  reported out  of Committee with  a "do                 
  pass"  recommendation  and   with  a  fiscal  note   by  the                 
  Department  of  Commerce  and   Economic  Development  dated                 
  2/04/94 and a zero fiscal note  by the Department of Revenue                 
  dated 2/04/94.                                                               
                                                                               
  (Tape Change, HFC 94-125, Side 2).                                           
  SENATE BILL 33                                                               
                                                                               
                                4                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
       "An Act relating to grants for local emergency planning                 
       committees  and  emergency response  organizations; and                 
       providing for an effective date."                                       
                                                                               
  ANNETTE KREITZER, STAFF, SENATOR LOREN LEMAN, commented that                 
  CS  SB  33  (FIN)  would   address  emergency  planning  and                 
  response.  The Hazardous  Substance Spill Technology  Review                 
  Council  would transfer to  the Department  of Environmental                 
  Conservation and  the State  Emergency Response  Commission,                 
  including its  duty to designated  local emergency  planning                 
  districts emergency planning committees to the Department of                 
  Military  and Veterans'  Affairs.    A requirement  that the                 
  State and regional oil discharge  prevention and contingency                 
  plans be revised annually would be eliminated.                               
                                                                               
  Ms. Kreitzer explained  that the  intent of the  legislation                 
  was to facilitate a better  working relationship between the                 
  local emergency planning  committees and local  governments.                 
  It would  efficiently  accomplish  the  goals  of  emergency                 
  planning  and  planning  for  oil  and  hazardous  substance                 
  discharges by  reducing the opportunities for duplication of                 
  effort at the state  level.  Additionally, the abilities  of                 
  local communities to plan for disasters would be enhanced.                   
                                                                               
  ERVIN  MARTIN,  (TESTIFIED  VIA  TELECONFERENCE),  DIRECTOR,                 
  ALASKA  DIVISION   OF  EMERGENCY  SERVICES,   DEPARTMENT  OF                 
  MILITARY  AND  VETERANS  AFFAIRS, spoke  in  support  of the                 
  legislation noting that it would  provide good public policy                 
  by consolidating functions.                                                  
                                                                               
  JEFF MORRISON,  LEGISLATIVE LIAISON,  DIRECTOR, DIVISION  OF                 
  ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS                 
  AFFAIRS,  pointed  out   the  joint  support  of   both  the                 
  Department  of  Environmental  Conservation  (DEC)  and  the                 
  Department of  Military and  Veterans Affairs  (DMVA).   The                 
  legislation  would expand the  responsibilities of the State                 
  Emergency Response System  (SERS) for all hazards  and would                 
  require  an  additional  two  planners to  be  hired  by the                 
  Department in order to develop that plan.                                    
                                                                               
  Mr. Morrison explained that the legislation would coordinate                 
  all  planning  activities.   Currently,  DMVA is  charged by                 
  statute  to  work  with  communities  to prepare  plans  for                 
  disasters.     DEC  is  charged  by  statute  to  work  with                 
  communities to prepare plans for hazardous substance and oil                 
  spills.   To  the extent  that those  two programs  overlap,                 
  there are conflicting statutes.  The legislation would place                 
  DMVA in charge of developing these plans.                                    
                                                                               
  Discussion followed between  Committee members, Ms. Kreitzer                 
  and  Mr.  Morrison  regarding  the  response  plan  and  the                 
                                                                               
                                5                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  associated timing of the plan.                                               
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson placed CS SB 33 (FIN) into Subcommittee with                 
  Representative   Foster   as   Chair    and   with   members                 
  Representative Therriault  and Representative Brown.   CS SB
  33 (FIN) was HELD in Committee for further consideration.                    
  ADJOURNMENT                                                                  
                                                                               
  The meeting adjourned at 3:15 P.M.                                           
                                                                               
                     HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                   
                         April 14, 1994                                        
                            2:05 P.M.                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
  TAPE HFC 94 - 125, Side 1, #000 - end.                                       
  TAPE HFC 94 - 125, Side 2, #000 - #424.                                      
                                                                               
  CALL TO ORDER                                                                
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson called the  House Finance Committee  meeting                 
  to order at 2:05 P.M.                                                        
                                                                               
  PRESENT                                                                      
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson               Representative Hoffman                         
  Co-Chair MacLean              Representative Martin                          
  Vice-Chair Hanley             Representative Navarre                         
  Representative Brown          Representative Parnell                         
  Representative Grussendorf    Representative Therriault                      
  Representative Foster                                                        
                                                                               
  ALSO PRESENT                                                                 
                                                                               
  Representative  Jeannette  James;   Carol  Carroll,   Staff,                 
  Senator Jay Kerttula; Annette Kreitzer, Staff, Senator Loren                 
  Leman;  Dr.   Thomas  Trolter,  President,   Alaska  Pacific                 
  University,  Anchorage;  Wendy  Redman, Vice  President  for                 
  University Relations, University of  Alaska, Anchorage; Jeff                 
  Morrison,   Legislative   Liaison,  Director,   Division  of                 
  Administrative Services, Department of Military and Veterans                 
  Affairs;  Ervin  Martin,  (Testified   via  teleconference),                 
  Director, Alaska Division of Emergency Services,  Department                 
  of Military and Veterans Affairs.                                            
                                                                               
  SUMMARY                                                                      
                                                                               
  HB 222    An  Act  relating  to  landlords and  tenants,  to                 
            termination of  tenancies and  recovery of  rental                 
            premises, to tenant responsibilities, to the civil                 
            remedies  of  forcible  entry   and  detainer  and                 
                                                                               
                                6                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
            nuisance  abatement, and  to the  duties  of peace                 
            officers to notify landlords of arrests  involving                 
            certain illegal activity on rental premises.                       
                                                                               
            CS HB 222 (FIN) was reported out of Committee with                 
            a "do pass" recommendation and  with a fiscal note                 
            by the Department of Law and a zero fiscal note by                 
            the Department of Public Safety.                                   
                                                                               
  SB 225    An  Act  relating   to  credits  against   certain                 
            insurance  taxes  for  contributions   to  certain                 
            educational  institutions;  and  providing for  an                 
            effective date.                                                    
                                                                               
            CS SB 225 (HES) was reported out of Committee with                 
            a fiscal note  by the  Department of Commerce  and                 
            Economic Development  dated  2/04/94  and  a  zero                 
            fiscal  note by  the  Department of  Revenue dated                 
            2/04/94.                                                           
                                                                               
  SB 33     An  Act  relating to  grants  for  local emergency                 
            planning   committees   and   emergency   response                 
            organizations;  and  providing  for  an  effective                 
            date.                                                              
                                                                               
            SB  33   was   placed   into   Subcommittee   with                 
  Representative           Foster  as  Chair and  with members                 
                           Representative    Therriault    and                 
                           Representative Brown.                               
                                                                               
  HOUSE BILL 222                                                               
                                                                               
       "An  Act   relating  to   landlords  and   tenants,  to                 
       termination  of  tenancies   and  recovery  of   rental                 
       premises, to  tenant  responsibilities,  to  the  civil                 
       remedies of  forcible entry  and detainer and  nuisance                 
       abatement,  and  to  the duties  of  peace  officers to                 
       notify landlords  of arrests involving  certain illegal                 
       activity on rental premises."                                           
                                                                               
  Representative  Therriault  MOVED to  adopt  work draft  #8-                 
  LS0832\I, Chenoweth, 3/25/94.  There being NO OBJECTIONS, it                 
  was adopted.                                                                 
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE  JEANNETTE JAMES  noted  her  support of  the                 
  committee substitute.                                                        
                                                                               
  Representative Brown MOVED to adopt Amendment #1 which would                 
  define  tenant's  rights for  a landlord's  unlawful ouster,                 
  exclusion or  diminution of  service.  Representative  James                 
  stated that she would support Amendment  #1.  There being NO                 
  OBJECTION, Amendment #1 was adopted.                                         
                                                                               
                                7                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Representative  Brown MOVED to  adopt Amendment #2 providing                 
  tenants  a  tool  with  which they  could  enforce  a rental                 
  agreement when  there is  a  problem to  which the  landlord                 
  fails to respond.                                                            
                                                                               
  Representative Therriault MOVED to divide  Amendment #2 into                 
  two sections.   Amendment #2B  would consist  of the  second                 
  part  of the amendment, subsection (2).  Amendment #2A would                 
  consist of the first part, subsection (1) and subsection (3)                 
  of the  amendment.  There  being NO OBJECTION,  Amendment #2                 
  was divided.                                                                 
                                                                               
  Representative  Therriault  MOVED  to  adopt  Amendment  2B.                 
  There being NO OBJECTION, it was adopted.                                    
                                                                               
  Representative  Brown   MOVED   to   adopt   Amendment   2A.                 
  Representative  Parnell OBJECTED  stating the  section would                 
  foster  more litigation for the  Department of Law and would                 
  allow a tenant to  withhold a portion of their  rent if they                 
  believed that they were entitled to do so.                                   
                                                                               
  A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION.                                    
                                                                               
       IN FAVOR:      Navarre,  Brown,  Foster,   Grussendorf,                 
                      Hoffman, MacLean.                                        
       OPPOSED:       Parnell,  Therriault,   Hanley,  Martin,                 
                      Larson.                                                  
                                                                               
  The MOTION PASSED (6-5).                                                     
                                                                               
  Representative Navarre MOVED to  report CS HB 222 (FIN)  out                 
  of Committee  with individual  recommendations and  with the                 
  accompanying fiscal notes.  There being NO OBJECTION, it was                 
  so ordered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  CS  HB 222  (FIN) was reported  out of Committee  with a "do                 
  pass"  recommendation  and   with  a  fiscal  note   by  the                 
  Department of Law and  a zero fiscal note by  the Department                 
  of Public Safety.                                                            
                                                                               
  SENATE BILL 225                                                              
                                                                               
       "An  Act relating to  credits against certain insurance                 
       taxes   for   contributions   to  certain   educational                 
       institutions; and providing for an effective date."                     
                                                                               
  CAROL CARROLL, STAFF,  SENATOR JAY KERTTULA, stated  that SB
  225  would  extend  the  already   existing  tax  credit  to                 
  authorized   insurance   and   title  insurance   companies.                 
  Presently,  corporate taxpayers, oil  and gas producers, and                 
  mining and fishing  companies are able  to credit their  tax                 
                                                                               
                                8                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  liability for up  to $150,000  dollars if they  donate to  a                 
  qualified educational institution.  She added that insurance                 
  and title insurance  companies are unable to  take advantage                 
  of this tax credit because they pay a premium tax instead of                 
  a corporate income tax.                                                      
                                                                               
  Ms.  Carroll  explained  that  SB  225  would  provide  that                 
  authorized insurance companies  could take  a tax credit  of                 
  50%  of  the first  $100,000 dollars  and  100% of  the next                 
  $100,000  and donate  it to  a qualified  institution.   The                 
  maximum  credit available  is  $150,000 or  50%  of the  tax                 
  liability, whichever is less.                                                
                                                                               
  Representative Brown asked  the amount  of lost revenue  the                 
  State would experience  through the  credit extension.   Ms.                 
  Carroll  responded  that  the  Division  of   Insurance  has                 
  submitted two fiscal  notes.   The first note  was for  $900                 
  thousand  dollars  which  would  assume  that  six insurance                 
  companies would take  the full credit.   She continued  that                 
  the second fiscal note for $1 million dollars would indicate                 
  the potential if  all fourteen  hundred insurance  companies                 
  took the credit.                                                             
                                                                               
  Representative Martin thought  the legislation would provide                 
  a "gain" for  education rather  than a loss  for the  State.                 
  Ms. Carroll noted that in FY92 a tax credit of $533 thousand                 
  dollars was taken and  in FY93 a tax credit of $803 thousand                 
  dollars  was  taken.   Ms.  Carroll  commented  that Senator                 
  Kerttula hopes to get six insurance companies to use the tax                 
  credit provided by the legislation.                                          
  DR. THOMAS  TROLTER, PRESIDENT,  ALASKA PACIFIC  UNIVERSITY,                 
  ANCHORAGE, encouraged the Committee to support the  proposed                 
  legislation adding  the he knew several  insurance companies                 
  who would participate in the program.  The legislation would                 
  encourage  the  development  of  corporate  philanthropy  in                 
  Alaska and would ease the burden for higher education.                       
                                                                               
  WENDY  REDMAN,  VICE  PRESIDENT  FOR  UNIVERSITY  RELATIONS,                 
  UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, ANCHORAGE, commented that corporations                 
  have not rushed to donate to the universities as a result of                 
  the  tax credits.    She  added  that  philanthropy  in  the                 
  corporate sector depends on public relations and accounting.                 
  Ms.  Redman  added  that  the   University  has  found  that                 
  corporations more  often  give to  higher education  because                 
  they have a  commitment to higher education and  not because                 
  of the tax  credit available.   She emphasized that the  tax                 
  credit  would provide  additional  opportunities outside  of                 
  normal general fund revenues.                                                
                                                                               
  Co-Chair MacLean  MOVED to  report CS  SB 225  (HES) out  of                 
  Committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal notes.  There being NO OBJECTION, it was                 
                                                                               
                                9                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  so ordered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  CS  SB 225 (HES)  was reported out  of Committee with  a "do                 
  pass"  recommendation  and   with  a  fiscal  note   by  the                 
  Department  of  Commerce  and  Economic  Development   dated                 
  2/04/94 and a zero fiscal note  by the Department of Revenue                 
  dated 2/04/94.                                                               
                                                                               
  (Tape Change, HFC 94-125, Side 2).                                           
                                                                               
  SENATE BILL 33                                                               
                                                                               
       "An Act relating to grants for local emergency planning                 
       committees  and  emergency response  organizations; and                 
       providing for an effective date."                                       
                                                                               
  ANNETTE KREITZER, STAFF, SENATOR LOREN LEMAN, commented that                 
  CS  SB  33  (FIN)  would   address  emergency  planning  and                 
  response.   The Hazardous Substance Spill  Technology Review                 
  Council  would transfer  to the Department  of Environmental                 
  Conservation  and the  State Emergency  Response Commission,                 
  including its  duty to  designated local emergency  planning                 
  districts emergency planning committees to the Department of                 
  Military and  Veterans' Affairs.     A requirement  that the                 
  State and regional oil discharge prevention and  contingency                 
  plans be revised annually would be eliminated.                               
                                                                               
  Ms. Kreitzer explained  that the  intent of the  legislation                 
  was to facilitate a better  working relationship between the                 
  local emergency  planning committees and  local governments.                 
  It  would  efficiently  accomplish the  goals  of  emergency                 
  planning  and  planning  for  oil  and  hazardous  substance                 
  discharges by reducing the  opportunities for duplication of                 
  effort at the state  level.  Additionally, the  abilities of                 
  local communities to plan for disasters would be enhanced.                   
                                                                               
  ERVIN  MARTIN,  (TESTIFIED  VIA  TELECONFERENCE),  DIRECTOR,                 
  ALASKA  DIVISION   OF  EMERGENCY  SERVICES,   DEPARTMENT  OF                 
  MILITARY  AND  VETERANS  AFFAIRS, spoke  in  support  of the                 
  legislation noting that it would  provide good public policy                 
  by consolidating functions.                                                  
                                                                               
  JEFF MORRISON,  LEGISLATIVE LIAISON,  DIRECTOR, DIVISION  OF                 
  ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS                 
  AFFAIRS,  pointed  out   the  joint  support  of   both  the                 
  Department  of  Environmental  Conservation  (DEC)  and  the                 
  Department of  Military and  Veterans Affairs  (DMVA).   The                 
  legislation would expand  the responsibilities of  the State                 
  Emergency Response System  (SERS) for all hazards  and would                 
  require  an  additional  two planners  to  be  hired  by the                 
  Department in order to develop that plan.                                    
                                                                               
                                                                               
                               10                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Mr. Morrison explained that the legislation would coordinate                 
  all  planning  activities.   Currently,  DMVA is  charged by                 
  statute  to  work  with  communities  to prepare  plans  for                 
  disasters.    DEC  is  charged  by  statute  to  work   with                 
  communities to prepare plans for hazardous substance and oil                 
  spills.   To  the extent  that those  two programs  overlap,                 
  there are conflicting statutes.  The legislation would place                 
  DMVA in charge of developing these plans.                                    
                                                                               
  Discussion followed between Committee  members, Ms. Kreitzer                 
  and  Mr.  Morrison  regarding  the  response  plan  and  the                 
  associated timing of the plan.                                               
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson placed CS SB 33 (FIN) into Subcommittee with                 
  Representative   Foster   as    Chair   and   with   members                 
  Representative  Therriault and Representative  Brown.  CS SB
  33 (FIN) was HELD in Committee for further consideration.                    
                                                                               
  ADJOURNMENT                                                                  
                                                                               
  The meeting adjourned at 3:15 P.M.                                           
                                                                               
                                                                               
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