Legislature(2021 - 2022)ADAMS 519
04/14/2021 09:00 AM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB100 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 100 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
April 14, 2021
9:04 a.m.
9:04:17 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Merrick called the House Finance Committee meeting
to order at 9:04 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair
Representative Kelly Merrick, Co-Chair
Representative Dan Ortiz, Vice-Chair
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative DeLena Johnson
Representative Andy Josephson
Representative Bart LeBon
Representative Sara Rasmussen
Representative Steve Thompson
Representative Adam Wool
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Ashley Carrick, Staff, Representative Adam Wool.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Teri Cothren, Associate Vice President of Workforce
Development, University of Alaska.
SUMMARY
HB 100 EXTEND WORKFORCE INVEST BOARD ALLOCATIONS
HB 100 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
Co-Chair Merrick reviewed the agenda for the day.
HOUSE BILL NO. 100
"An Act relating to allocations of funding for the
Alaska Workforce Investment Board; and providing for
an effective date."
9:04:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ADAM WOOL, SPONSOR, thanked the committee
for hearing HB 100. The bill was a re-authorization of the
Technical Vocational Education Program (TVEP). House
Bill 100 would re-authorize TVEP for another 3 years to
2024. The program was established in 2000. He reported that
.16 percent of Unemployment Insurance (UI) receipts were
provided to the grant and distributed around the state to
various technical vocational educational programs. The sum
was usually around $12 million. The Technical Vocational
Education Program impacted thousands of students by
offering industry-specific training opportunities that
helped Alaskans get to work in industries such as fishing,
mining, aviation, and healthcare. Some of the recipients
included the University of Alaska, Alaska Vocational and
Technical Center (AVTEC), the Alaska Technical College in
Kotzebue, and Ilisagvik College in Utqiagvik. There were
others on the list which remained unchanged since 2014. He
indicated his staff would walk through the bill.
9:06:21 AM
ASHLEY CARRICK, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE ADAM WOOL, relayed
that some of the information might be familiar to members
since the legislature did a re-authorization in 2020. She
introduced the PowerPoint presentation: "Technical
Vocational Education Program Re-authorization." She began
with a brief history of the Technical Vocational Education
Program (TVEP) Program on slide 2. She indicated that the
program was established under Alaska Statute 23.15.830. It
was created in 2000 to provide non-competitive grant
assistance to vocational and educational training
facilities in Alaska. In 2014 the legislature increased the
amount of funds diverted to TVEP from .15 percent
contribution from UI receipts to .16 percent. The bill
sought to re-authorize TVEP for another 3 years until
FY 24.
Ms. Carrick continued to slide 3 and conveyed that the
types of training that TVEP recipients offered branched out
through many different industries in Alaska including some
of the state's most high need industries including
fisheries, construction, mining, aviation, healthcare,
transportation, and other types of vocational and technical
training.
Ms. Carrick turned to the flow chart on slide 4 that showed
how the TVEP funding was distributed. The important take-
away from the chart was the .16 percent contribution from
the UI fund. The funding came out of the employee's portion
of unemployment in their paycheck and distributed via
statutory allocations to the various TVEP recipients.
Ms. Carrick reviewed a brief timeline of what entities
received TVEP over the years on slide 5. Red indicated new
recipients in various year. She detailed that when the
program was established in 2000 the University of Alaska
received 52 percent of the TVEP funds. The Kotzebue
Training Center and AVTEC were also recipients. In 2001, a
new recipient was added, the Galena Project Education
Training Center which eventually became the Galena Interior
Learning Academy (GILA). In 2004 two new recipients were
added including Southwest Alaska Vocational Education
Center (SAVEC) and Yuut Elitnaurviat, Inc., People's
Learning Center.
Ms. Carrick continued reviewing the list of TVEP recipients
over time on slide 6. In 2008, when the program was
re-authorized, four new recipients were added bringing the
number of recipients to 10. The additional recipients
included Partners For Progress in Delta, Amundsen
Educational Center in Kenai, Northwest Alaska Career and
Technical Center, and the University of Alaska Southeast
which received a separate allocation under a community
college structure.
9:09:24 AM
Ms. Carrick moved to slide 7. She reported that finally, in
2014, 2017, and in 2020 the program was re-authorized with
the following recipients. She indicated that the left-hand
side of the slide showed the location of the recipients.
The University of Alaska received 45 percent of TVEP
allocations and was distributed statewide. There were
materials in members' bill packets describing how the
University of Alaska used the funds. She noted that a
representative from the university was online and available
for questions. Additionally, the recipients stayed the same
when the program was re-authorized in 2014. However, the
University of Alaska Southeast was removed, and Ilisagvik
College in Utqiagvik was added for a 5 percent
contribution. She also noted that the University of Alaska
distributed statewide, and the rest of the recipients were
located across Alaska's various regions.
Ms. Carrick moved to slide 8 that showed the current TVEP
distributions. She pointed to the far-right column which
showed the proposed distribution updated on March 11, 2021.
It had since been updated further. The current projected
distribution for FY 21 might be higher than $11.5 million
due to more people returning to work post Covid
additionally contributing to UI. She was happy to take
questions.
Representative Josephson asked if the State Training and
Employment Program (STEP) was re-authorized separately.
Representative Wool indicated that STEP was a separate
program that was also paid with UI receipts. He believed
the total withdraw from UI was split between TVEP and STEP.
He invited his staff to make additional comments. Ms.
Carrick reported that STEP took a .10 percent contribution.
The total UI contribution between STEP and TVEP was .26
percent.
Representative Josephson clarified that traditionally, the
list was embedded in statute rather than the department
accepting applications from grantees through regulations.
Representative Wool indicated Representative Josephson was
correct. The recipient list had changed. However,
recipients did not apply for grants each year with the
exception of the recipients of funding received by the
University of Alaska. The university distributed within its
system based on applications.
Representative Edgmon spoke in strong support of the bill.
He referred to slide 7 and pointed out that SAVEC was
located in King Salon rather than Dillingham.
9:13:47 AM
Representative LeBon asked how the allocations were
decided. Representative Wool indicated that the recipients
were determined including the addition or deletion of
recipients at the policy level. Representative LeBon
clarified that the allocation was determined by the
legislature. Representative Wool confirmed that the
legislature had the power to add or subtract recipients.
Representative LeBon noted that the University of Alaska
went from an allocation of 63 percent to 45 percent. He
wondered if there had been push back from the university.
He had not. Representative Wool thought the university was
satisfied with 45 percent but would not want to see it drop
any further. He suggested that it was possible that
legislators from other districts had influenced the
distribution at other times.
Representative LeBon asked if Representative Wool was
suggesting any change in the formula. Representative Wool
confirmed that he was not suggesting any change or
alteration in the distribution. He simply wanted to
re-authorize the bill in the current year.
9:16:02 AM
Vice-Chair Ortiz clarified that the University of Alaska
decided where its portion was distributed. He asked if he
was correct. Representative Wool responded that the
representative was correct. Ms. Cothren from the University
of Alaska had done a presentation in the House Labor and
Commerce Committee which provided details about the
university's portion. He had given an abridged presentation
in the current committee.
Vice-Chair Ortiz referred to slide 3 of the current
presentation that showed the types of training provided. He
asked if there was a breakdown of the funding spent for
each type of training. Representative Wool thought some
analysis had been done. He did not believe a specific
formula was used. He noted that the university might
distribute things differently as well. He thought his staff
had additional information.
Ms. Carrick relayed that the TVEP Annual Report, included
in members' packets, broke down the types of training
offered with each recipient. She did not think percentages
of funding per types such as fisheries or mining were
provided for the overall program. However, the information
was available for the University of Alaska's portion. The
rest of the programs listed major accomplishments and the
major trainings they offered. It was possible to
approximately extrapolate how much money was going to
various industries.
Vice-Chair Ortiz commented that certain programs might have
attracted more attention in previous years and other
programs might merit increased attention as things changed
and Alaska's economy changed. He wondered whether there was
flexibility and adaptability to meet changes of the times
in terms of where the state's investments were directed.
Representative Wool thought Representative Ortiz had a
great point. He brought up the example of information
technology which played a different role in the current job
market than it did in 2000. Renewable Energy was an example
of a program playing a different role over time. He
suggested that Ms. Cothren from the university might be
able to comment. The university changed its distribution
more frequently than the TVEP recipient list. The
university had more flexibility in emphasizing certain
programs.
9:20:26 AM
TERI COTHREN, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA (via teleconference),
thanked Representative Wool and his staff for sponsoring
and introducing HB 100. The University of Alaska managed
its portion of TVEP as a single allocation. It had an
internal competitive process with the goal that the
university had flexibility in being able to be responsive
to current and emerging workforce priorities. In the TVEP
advocacy packet there was a breakdown of how the university
was addressing those priorities. Health was one of the
largest and fastest growing sectors. Fisheries, seafood,
and maritime received 14 percent in FY 20. Resources and
energy including oil, gas, and mining received 18 percent.
Another portion went to information technology. During the
current year's internal process, the university received an
emerging industry request to develop a program that would
help train technicians to address the needs for electric
vehicles and to provide funding to support equipment for
the program. The university tried to address upcoming
career and education needs in the state.
Co-Chair Merrick thanked the bill sponsor. She indicated
the committee would hear public testimony on the bill on
Friday, April 16, 2021. Amendments were due in her office
by the end of the day on Saturday, April 17, 2021.
Co-Chair Merrick reviewed the agenda for the afternoon
meeting.
HB 100 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
9:22:53 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 9:22 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 100 Backup ATC Support Letter.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/3/2021 9:00:00 AM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup DOL AWIB Flow Chart.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup City of Kenai Fire Support Letter.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/3/2021 9:00:00 AM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup FY22 Proposed Distribution.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup Galena City School District Support Letter.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/3/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/14/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup NACTEC Support.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/3/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/14/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup TVEP Annual Report FY20.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/3/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/14/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup UA Presentation.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup UA Result Report.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/3/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/14/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup UA Results Overview.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/3/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/14/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Sponsor Version A.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/14/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 100 |
| HB 100 Backup Intro Presentation 041421.pdf |
HFIN 4/14/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 5/3/2021 9:00:00 AM |
HB 100 |