Legislature(2025 - 2026)ADAMS 519

03/20/2025 01:30 PM House FINANCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Delayed to 2:45 pm --
+= HB 53 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET; CAP; SUPP TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= HB 54 APPROP: CAPITAL/SUPPLEMENTAL/FUNDS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
Committee Substitute Rollout
+ Overview: Governor’s Budget Amendments by Lacey TELECONFERENCED
Sanders, Director, Office of Management and
Budget
+= HB 10 ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
+= HB 36 FOSTER CHILDREN PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 36 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                  HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                      March 20, 2025                                                                                            
                         2:50 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:50:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Josephson called the House Finance Committee                                                                           
meeting to order at 2:50 p.m.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair                                                                                            
Representative Andy Josephson, Co-Chair                                                                                         
Representative Calvin Schrage, Co-Chair                                                                                         
Representative Jamie Allard                                                                                                     
Representative Jeremy Bynum                                                                                                     
Representative Alyse Galvin                                                                                                     
Representative Sara Hannan                                                                                                      
Representative Nellie Jimmie                                                                                                    
Representative DeLena Johnson                                                                                                   
Representative Will Stapp                                                                                                       
Representative Frank Tomaszewski                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Lacey Sanders,  Director, Office  of Management  and Budget;                                                                    
Representative  Ashley  Carrick,  Sponsor;  Cadence  Conner,                                                                    
Staff, Representative Ashley  Carrick; Representative Andrew                                                                    
Gray, Sponsor.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Abel Bult-Ito, Faculty, University of Alaska Fairbanks,                                                                         
Fairbanks.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
HB 10     ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
          HB 10 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                     
          consideration.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
HB 36     FOSTER CHILDREN PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
          HB  36 was  REPORTED out  of committee  with eight                                                                    
          "do     pass"     recommendations,     two     "no                                                                    
          recommendation"  recommendations,   and  with  one                                                                    
          previously  published  fiscal   impact  note:  FN1                                                                    
          (DFCS)  and one  previously published  zero fiscal                                                                    
          impact note: FN2 (JUD).                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
HB 53     APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET; CAP; SUPP                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
          HB 53 was HEARD and  HELD in committee for further                                                                    
          consideration.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
HB 54     APPROP: CAPITAL/SUPPLEMENTAL/FUNDS                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
          HB 54 was HEARD and  HELD in committee for further                                                                    
          consideration.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Josephson reviewed the meeting agenda.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 53                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act making  appropriations for  the operating  and                                                                    
     loan  program  expenses  of state  government  and  for                                                                    
     certain   programs;    capitalizing   funds;   amending                                                                    
     appropriations;  making   supplemental  appropriations;                                                                    
     making  reappropriations;  making appropriations  under                                                                    
     art.  IX,  sec. 17(c),  Constitution  of  the State  of                                                                    
     Alaska,  from the  constitutional budget  reserve fund;                                                                    
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 54                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act   making  appropriations,   including  capital                                                                    
     appropriations   and   other   appropriations;   making                                                                    
     reappropriations;  making appropriations  to capitalize                                                                    
     funds; and providing for an effective date."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:51:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Johnson asked if a Committee Substitute (CS)                                                                     
would be heard.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Josephson responded  that  it would  not be  heard                                                                    
today.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:51:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LACEY SANDERS,  DIRECTOR, OFFICE  OF MANAGEMENT  AND BUDGET,                                                                    
introduced   the   PowerPoint    presentation   "Office   of                                                                    
Management  and  Budget  FY2026  Governor  Amended  Budget,"                                                                    
dated March  20, 2025 (copy on  file). She began on  slide 2                                                                    
and  the  updated  fiscal  summary  which  incorporated  the                                                                    
amendments  for   FY  25  and   FY  26.  The   summary  also                                                                    
incorporated the  updated spring  revenue forecast  from the                                                                    
Department of Revenue (DOR). She  began by speaking about FY                                                                    
25. The grand total for  supplementals was $460 million, and                                                                    
$91.4  was Unrestricted  General  Funds  (UGF). The  capital                                                                    
supplementals  totaled $500,000  of UGF  and $69.9  thousand                                                                    
for total  funds. There was  a grand total of  $91.4 million                                                                    
of  UGF  and  $529.8  million for  all  funds.  The  surplus                                                                    
deficit  was at  the bottom,  and with  the addition  of the                                                                    
supplementals  the  overall  deficit  was  just  under  $165                                                                    
million.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders continued that for  FY 26, the overall total for                                                                    
operating amendments  was brought  to $314.7  million, $46.2                                                                    
million of which was UGF.  For capital amendments, the total                                                                    
was  $12  million,  with  $11.6 million  in  UGF.  With  the                                                                    
addition of the amendments  that had been submitted earlier,                                                                    
the overall deficit was brought to $1.65 billion.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  continued to  slide  3  to address  the  newly                                                                    
submitted  amendments. On  March 5,  there was  a packet  of                                                                    
amendments that was submitted to  the legislature to address                                                                    
Executive  Order  (EO)  136, that  would  have  created  the                                                                    
Department   of  Agriculture.   The  amendment   packet  had                                                                    
reversed out the  total of $2.7 million for  the addition of                                                                    
13  positions and  provided a  transfer  of existing  vacant                                                                    
positions to support the EO.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders continued that in  the March 13 amendments there                                                                    
were  3  packets of  bargaining  unit  agreements or  salary                                                                    
adjustments. There  were three  agreements put  forward. The                                                                    
first  was under  the Department  of  Corrections (DOC)  and                                                                    
involved  the   Alaska  Correctional   Officers  Association                                                                    
(ACOA)  had  an  agreement  as   a  result  of  an  interest                                                                    
arbitration award  that provided an 11  percent increase for                                                                    
FY 26  that totaled $14.4  million. Under the  Department of                                                                    
Education  and  Early  Development  (DEED),  the  collective                                                                    
bargaining  unit  agreement   for  the  Teachers'  Education                                                                    
Association  -  Mount  Edgecumbe   (TEAME)  resulted  in  an                                                                    
increase of  a median of  5.46 percent  for FY 26.  The cost                                                                    
was  $24.2 thousand  in General  Funds (GF)  and a  total of                                                                    
$167.5 thousand.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders shared that under  the University of Alaska (UA)                                                                    
and  United  Academics  there was  a  collective  bargaining                                                                    
agreement that  was reached and  voted upon by the  UA Board                                                                    
of Regents,  which included a  2.75 percent increase  for FY                                                                    
26. She noted that the state  was working on the remaining 6                                                                    
collective bargaining unit  agreements that were outstanding                                                                    
as  well   as  one  for   UA.  The  amendments   for  salary                                                                    
adjustments  would  be brought  to  the  legislature as  the                                                                    
agreements were signed.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:56:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Galvin thought  it was  important to  follow                                                                    
the information with some analysis.  She commented that that                                                                    
the  correctional  officers  had  a salary  increase  of  11                                                                    
percent  and  the one  teacher  salary  adjustments for  Mt.                                                                    
Edgecumbe  was  5.4 percent,  while  the  university was  at                                                                    
about 2.7 percent.  She noted that throughout  the two years                                                                    
she  had  been  at  the  legislature,  increments  had  been                                                                    
approved again and  again, but the teachers  that served the                                                                    
children  of the  state had  not received  the same  sort of                                                                    
increases.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative Johnson responded that  she could not comment                                                                    
because  she was  seeing a  snapshot  in time.  She did  not                                                                    
think the correctional officers  should receive less to keep                                                                    
them on  par. She  asked about the  11 percent  increase and                                                                    
asked if there was a change in the number of personnel.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders responded  that the number only  affected the 11                                                                    
percent  that was  part of  the interest  arbitration. There                                                                    
had been an arbitration outcome  that resulted in a one-year                                                                    
increase  of 11  percent for  FY 26,  and the  parties would                                                                    
have to go back to the negotiating table for future years.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Bynum  asked   for  clarification  that  the                                                                    
outcome  was  not  tied  to any  appropriation  but  was  an                                                                    
agreement put in place regardless  of the appropriation that                                                                    
the legislative body made.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders responded  that an  agreement had  been reached                                                                    
for the three increases, which  were brought forward to take                                                                    
action  on in  the  back  of the  bill.  There  was also  an                                                                    
appropriation request to fund  the costs associated with the                                                                    
agreements.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Bynum  understood  that  the  agreement  was                                                                    
agreed to but still needed approval.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders answered in the affirmative.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:00:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hannan commented  that  the legislature  did                                                                    
not have  the authority  to approve  an arbitration  but had                                                                    
the authority to appropriate the  funding of the settlement.                                                                    
She clarified  that the settlement  was reached  between the                                                                    
employees and the administration,  who had the authorization                                                                    
to  approve and  negotiate. The  legislature's authorization                                                                    
was to fund it.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Josephson  relayed that  if the legislature  had to                                                                    
approve the  agreements, then over the  previous 60 meetings                                                                    
it had missed a lot of meetings.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders responded  that there  was a  reference at  the                                                                    
back of the  operating budget that gave  the legislature had                                                                    
the  ability  to  approve  the   agreements  that  had  been                                                                    
reached. She  did not  have the  bill in  front of  her. She                                                                    
noted that the reference  allowed that the legislature could                                                                    
make  a  decision to  not  include  the agreement,  and  the                                                                    
agreement would  be considered no longer  valid. She relayed                                                                    
that the legislature did have a  role, but it was at the end                                                                    
of the process.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Josephson  asked if the legislature  had ever asked                                                                    
for an adjustment  in the history of the  state. He stressed                                                                    
that the  legislature did not  attend the  contract meetings                                                                    
and did  not know what  was negotiated. He proposed  that if                                                                    
the  meeting  was voided  by  the  legislature, the  parties                                                                    
would go back  to the bargaining table  and presumably there                                                                    
would  still  be   inflationary  adjustments  and  workplace                                                                    
considerations. He asked if his understanding was correct.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  said "yes." She responded  that the legislature                                                                    
was not  part of  the negotiating process,  but there  was a                                                                    
role  for  the  legislature  to play  in  the  appropriation                                                                    
process. The  language was in the  back of the bill  to vote                                                                    
it up or down.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:02:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders continued to slide  4 and the governor's amended                                                                    
capital  requests.  She  relayed   that  each  year  in  the                                                                    
governor's original budget, there  was a placeholder for the                                                                    
Statewide  Transportation  Improvement  Program  (STIP)  for                                                                    
both the federal funds as  well as the state match required.                                                                    
In  the   amendment  process,  the   administration  brought                                                                    
forward the  allocations listing out the  projects under the                                                                    
plan.  She referenced  a large  spreadsheet  (copy on  file)                                                                    
that  listed  each  of  the  projects.  She  noted  that  it                                                                    
included  advanced construction  projects and  the remaining                                                                    
other   funds,    which   were   receipts    for   community                                                                    
contributions  for the  projects  as well  as an  additional                                                                    
$215  million to  allocate all  of the  projects through  an                                                                    
amendment for the committee's consideration.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders   continued  to  slide  5   and  the  operating                                                                    
supplemental  requests  that  were brought  forward  in  the                                                                    
March 13  package. The first was  for DOC for two  items for                                                                    
$4.6  million.  The  first  was  for  community  residential                                                                    
centers.  There were  two contracts  recently finalized  for                                                                    
the Tundra Center in Bethel  and the Seaside Center in Nome,                                                                    
which resulted  in a  $2 million increase  for FY  25. There                                                                    
was  a  corresponding  amendment  in the  governor's  FY  26                                                                    
budget that accounted  for the increases in  the next fiscal                                                                    
year, which would  bring both years into  alignment with the                                                                    
agreed contracts.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  explained that the  second item had to  do with                                                                    
physical  health  care  within  DOC. She  relayed  that  the                                                                    
number of individuals  entering correctional facilities with                                                                    
complex  and  fragile  medical  conditions  was  increasing,                                                                    
requiring  a  higher  level of  care  and  more  specialized                                                                    
medical attention. There was a  need to have round-the-clock                                                                    
booking  available  as  well as  ensuring  that  there  were                                                                    
adequate healthcare  staff on site to  address the increased                                                                    
needs.  Under the  Department of  Health (DOH)  there was  a                                                                    
lapse extension, which showed as  a $0 appropriation for the                                                                    
department's Homeless  Information Management  System, which                                                                    
allowed for the multi-year  appropriation to be carried into                                                                    
the next fiscal year to continue the work on the project.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms.   Sanders    listed   that   lastly,    under   "special                                                                    
appropriations,"  there   was  an  appropriation   for  $2.7                                                                    
million to  the Division  of Retirement and  Benefits (DRB).                                                                    
The item was  identified as a fast  track supplemental given                                                                    
the  urgency and  was related  to the  security breach  that                                                                    
occurred  late the  previous year.  The  breach had  delayed                                                                    
retirement contributions  into individuals'  accounts, which                                                                    
had  impacted   investment  returns  for   participants.  To                                                                    
correct  the matter,  DRB was  depositing the  contributions                                                                    
into  the employees'  accounts and  crediting  them for  the                                                                    
lost interest associated with the  earnings. The project was                                                                    
currently  underway  and  was hoped  to  be  processed  very                                                                    
quickly before the close of the fiscal year.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:06:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Galvin  asked about  the security  breach and                                                                    
delayed  payment.   She  wondered  if  the   state  had  any                                                                    
insurance to  cover the  issue. She  thought the  state paid                                                                    
for security  measures to keep  data secure and  wondered if                                                                    
there was  any sort  of contract  or way  of paying  for the                                                                    
item through arbitration.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders was  not  aware of  any  insurance policy  that                                                                    
would cover the issue.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Galvin thought it  seemed that when the state                                                                    
purchased  technology for  help,  that there  would be  some                                                                    
sort of agreement that nothing  would happen. She referenced                                                                    
individual purchase of identity theft protection.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  agreed  to  follow   up  with  the  Office  of                                                                    
Information  Technology (OIT)  to  hear  about options,  and                                                                    
with DRB  to see  if such  a policy  had been  considered or                                                                    
explored.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Allard asked  to  go back  to  slide 3.  She                                                                    
asked about  the $14  million for DOC  and noted  that there                                                                    
was 146  vacant positions.  She wondered about  the movement                                                                    
of vacant positions.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders   responded  that  when  there   was  a  vacant                                                                    
position, DOC had to have a  person at the post to cover its                                                                    
facilities. She explained that it  could result in having to                                                                    
cover  the  cost  of  paying  overtime,  which  came  at  an                                                                    
increased  cost. She  thought it  was important  to remember                                                                    
that DOC had  to have a person filing the  role, which could                                                                    
cost more than having a person that was in the position.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard  relayed that she would  look for more                                                                    
information and revisit the matter at a later time.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:10:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hannan  asked  to  go back  to  the  special                                                                    
appropriation  for  the  loss   of  earnings  on  retirement                                                                    
contributions.   She  referenced   a   press  release   that                                                                    
discussed  the effect  on the  Public Employees'  Retirement                                                                    
System  (PERS) and  the  Teachers'  Retirement System  (TRS)                                                                    
Alaska  Retirement Management  (ARM)  Board allocation.  She                                                                    
had heard  from constituents that  the effect was  mostly on                                                                    
those in the defined contribution  (DC) system, in a time of                                                                    
a booming  economy when the  contributions should  have been                                                                    
invested with  substantial earnings. She asked  if there was                                                                    
a sense of  how much of the special  appropriation was going                                                                    
to  individual's  defined   contributions  versus  into  the                                                                    
PERS/TRS allocations.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  responded  that she  could  share  a  detailed                                                                    
spreadsheet  and an  analysis on  how the  calculations were                                                                    
made. She relayed that the  information had been broken down                                                                    
between  PERS  and TRS  and  the  supplemental annuity  plan                                                                    
(SBS), but  not between defined  benefit (DB) and  DC plans.                                                                    
She relayed  that the lost interest  earnings were generated                                                                    
using  the  United  States   (U.S.)  Department  of  Labor's                                                                    
voluntary  fiduciary  correction   program  calculator.  The                                                                    
calculation  had been  received for  each date  to determine                                                                    
what should have  been deposited in each  account. She would                                                                    
follow up to provide the calculation information.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hannan  applauded the administration  for its                                                                    
action on the  matter. She had heard  from constituents that                                                                    
they had concerns about missed  returns. She understood that                                                                    
there  had been  no litigation,  and the  administration was                                                                    
taking care of the error.  She considered that the situation                                                                    
was  a  costly error,  but  she  thought  it was  the  right                                                                    
decision.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:13:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Allard referenced  DOC  and understood  that                                                                    
the 146 positions  that were vacant had to be  there by law.                                                                    
She  asked   for  clarification  on  Ms.   Sander's  earlier                                                                    
comments related to overtime.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  responded  that the  term  used  was  staffing                                                                    
minimums. There were national  acceptable levels of staffing                                                                    
to cover  a certain number  of individuals in  each facility                                                                    
in the institutions. The staffing  levels ensured the safety                                                                    
of the  inmates and the  employees. When the  department had                                                                    
vacancies,  it  had to  bring  on  another officer  to  fill                                                                    
staffing  minimums to  ensure the  correct number  of people                                                                    
were in place 24 hours per day.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Allard   asked  if  the   individuals  being                                                                    
discussed were  already staff  and were  temporarily holding                                                                    
an empty spot.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  responded  that the  staff  in  question  were                                                                    
existing   employees  (correctional   officers)  that   were                                                                    
already doing  the job  and generally  had a  week on  and a                                                                    
week off  schedule. The individuals  would be  paid overtime                                                                    
when  vacancies  required  the employee  to  work  on  their                                                                    
normal  week  off. She  continued  that  the department  was                                                                    
trying  to fill  vacancies  so as  to not  have  to pay  the                                                                    
escalated overtime costs.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard understood that  there were 146 vacant                                                                    
positions, but  they were not  being filled.  She understood                                                                    
that  there were  people  already in  a  position that  were                                                                    
brought back and required $18.6 million in overtime.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  noted that  the $14 million  number was  the 11                                                                    
percent increase  to pay all employee  salaries. She relayed                                                                    
that  Representative  Allard was  correct  in  that DOC  was                                                                    
bringing officers  already hired  to fill vacancies  to meet                                                                    
the  minimum standard.  She emphasized  that the  department                                                                    
was actively  working to  recruit across  the state  to fill                                                                    
the vacancies.  She noted that  there was  constant turnover                                                                    
and there were constant new hires coming on.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard understood that  they were not filling                                                                    
vacancies,  but  rather  there  were  people  already  in  a                                                                    
position that were being paid overtime with the funds.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders responded in the affirmative.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:17:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Schrage  wanted  to follow  up  on  Representative                                                                    
Hannan's remarks  to commend  the administration  for making                                                                    
the employees  whole with  respect to  delayed contributions                                                                    
and  earnings.  He  referenced reporting  in  the  Anchorage                                                                    
Daily  News and  thought the  Alaska Municipal  League (AML)                                                                    
had  expressed concern  that while  the  employees had  been                                                                    
made whole, the state's  unfunded pension liability had been                                                                    
negatively impacted  by the delayed contributions.  He asked                                                                    
Ms. Sanders to  comment. He understood that  the state would                                                                    
have paid down unfunded the  liability earlier if the breach                                                                    
and subsequent delay had not happened.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  responded  that  she  was  not  aware  of  the                                                                    
comments  in the  article referenced.  She relayed  that she                                                                    
had  not  made  a  connection  between  the  delay  and  the                                                                    
unfunded pension  liability. She offered  to follow up  at a                                                                    
later time.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Schrage wanted to note the concern.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.   Sanders  continued   to  slide   6  and   the  capital                                                                    
supplemental request. There was  one amendment submitted for                                                                    
the Department  of Military and Veterans  Affairs (DMVA) for                                                                    
a   scope   change  for   an   older   capital  project   of                                                                    
approximately  $90,000  for  the Interior  Alaska  Veterans'                                                                    
Cemetery  in  the  Fairbanks  area.  The  appropriation  was                                                                    
originally to  address ditch mitigation,  and was  no longer                                                                    
required. The  amendment requested an adjusted  scope so the                                                                    
funds could be used on work to establish the cemetery.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Tomaszewski  clarified   that  the  original                                                                    
funds were for  ditch mitigation for the former  site of the                                                                    
cemetery, and  the amendment proposed  to shift  the funding                                                                    
to the new cemetery site.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders responded in the affirmative.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Josephson thanked Ms. Sanders.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
HB  53  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
HB  54  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:20:39 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:21:05 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  took over chairing the  meeting. He relayed                                                                    
that he would try to get through the agenda quickly.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 10                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the                                                                            
     University of Alaska."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:22:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ASHLEY   CARRICK,  SPONSOR,  gave   a  brief                                                                    
overview of HB 10. She  informed that the legislation simply                                                                    
added an additional  faculty member seat to the  UA Board of                                                                    
Regents. She requested that her  intern provide an answer to                                                                    
a question that was asked previously.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:22:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CADENCE  CONNER,   STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE   ASHLEY  CARRICK,                                                                    
responded  to  a  question  from  an  earlier  meeting.  The                                                                    
question related  to the qualifications that  were needed to                                                                    
be appointed  to the  UA Board of  Regents. According  to AS                                                                    
14.40.13(a), each regent  shall be a resident  of the United                                                                    
States  and  of the  state.  The  requirement was  the  only                                                                    
qualification needed.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster  relayed  that  the  committee  would  hear                                                                    
invited testimony.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:23:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ABEL  BULT-ITO,  FACULTY,  UNIVERSITY OF  ALASKA  FAIRBANKS,                                                                    
FAIRBANKS   (via  teleconference),   relayed  that   he  was                                                                    
President  of  the  University  of  Alaska  Fairbanks  (UAF)                                                                    
Faculty Senate,  a member  of the  UA Faculty  Alliance, and                                                                    
was a Professor of  Neurobiology and Neurophysiology at UAF.                                                                    
He  spoke in  strong support  of  the bill.  He thanked  the                                                                    
sponsors. He  asserted that adding  a faculty member  to the                                                                    
board  was  vital  for   providing  meaningful  context  for                                                                    
diverse  student  experiences,  potential  ramifications  of                                                                    
poor decisions,  and to help the  educational environment at                                                                    
the  university.  He  thought   most  members  were  decades                                                                    
removed  from college  experiences and  lacked understanding                                                                    
and  experience in  the modern  and  often highly  technical                                                                    
educational environment.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Bult-Ito emphasized  that faculty  taught students  and                                                                    
knew what issues  were important to students.  He noted that                                                                    
faculty  lacked  the  ability to  communicate  insights  and                                                                    
experiences to  the board in  a meaningful manner  without a                                                                    
seat  at the  table.  He noted  that  faculty also  provided                                                                    
students  with   research  experiences,  which   were  life-                                                                    
changing  for   students.  He  discussed   research  funding                                                                    
obtained by  faculty and the knowledge  necessary to achieve                                                                    
the  funding.  He  thought  faculty  needed  to  communicate                                                                    
research  intricacies  to  the  board in  order  to  provide                                                                    
context for  making informed  policy decisions.  He stressed                                                                    
that  having a  faculty presence  would build  trust between                                                                    
the board and faculty and would benefit all students.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:27:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster OPENED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:27:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bynum  hoped for more insight  related to why                                                                    
adding a  faculty member to the  board would be good  for UA                                                                    
as a whole. He noted  that the sponsor statement referred to                                                                    
stakeholder  groups, and  he understood  that  the Board  of                                                                    
Regents was  to give direction  to UA  as a whole  and guide                                                                    
its mission.  He was  trying to understand  how it  would be                                                                    
positive to  have a faculty  member on the board,  which was                                                                    
supposed to give direction to faculty.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick  responded that the  legislation came                                                                    
at the  request of many  years of UA faculty  members having                                                                    
limited opportunities  to provide testimony or  input to the                                                                    
board. Faculty desired  to have a seat at the  table as part                                                                    
of  UA's  mission.  She  relayed  that  in  researching  the                                                                    
legislation she  found there  were several  state university                                                                    
systems that had a voting  member that was a tenured faculty                                                                    
member. She  had heard board  members at  other universities                                                                    
be supportive of  the idea and agree with  the same concepts                                                                    
expressed by  Professor Bult-Ito. She relayed  that the idea                                                                    
was to  offer the real  dialogue with the board  of regents,                                                                    
in the  same form that  the student member did,  and provide                                                                    
parity in  the two  groups that formed  the backbone  of the                                                                    
system.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bynum  understood that  the bill  proposed to                                                                    
add a seat  onto the board, which would make  it a 12-member                                                                    
board. He  asked if there  was an  idea about how  the board                                                                    
would  perform  if a  seat  were  to  be added  rather  than                                                                    
substituted.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick thought the  question would be a good                                                                    
policy  call  for the  House  Finance  Committee or  another                                                                    
committee.  She   wanted  to   see  the   stakeholder  group                                                                    
represented.  She  thought  substituting  a  seat  would  be                                                                    
diluting the power of the  current regents that were not the                                                                    
student or  faculty regent. She was  not necessarily opposed                                                                    
to  the  idea  but  clarified  that the  way  the  bill  was                                                                    
structured was to  add a stakeholder while  not diluting any                                                                    
current members power.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Bynum asked  if there  was consideration  to                                                                    
adding the seat as a non-voting member.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Carrick  relayed  that  the  idea  had  been                                                                    
discussed in the  past. She noted that a  full voting member                                                                    
of the board had access  to executive sessions and to travel                                                                    
with  the  board,  which were  conferred  currently  on  the                                                                    
student  regent.  She reiterated  the  idea  of parity.  She                                                                    
noted  that  there   was  a  student  regent   that  had  to                                                                    
occasionally recuse themselves from difficult votes.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:32:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Allard  asked  about the  faculty  alliance,                                                                    
which she thought was for  faculty advocacy. She thought the                                                                    
board  was more  for oversight  rather than  operations. She                                                                    
would prefer a  faculty member to be  non-voting and thought                                                                    
there  was  conflict  of  interest  with  unions  and  other                                                                    
issues. She  asked the sponsor  if the faculty  board member                                                                    
would give operational input.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick responded  that the mission statement                                                                    
of  the  university was  to  inspire  learning; advance  and                                                                    
disseminate  knowledge   through  teaching,   research,  and                                                                    
public service; and  to emphasize the North  and its diverse                                                                    
peoples. When she considered who  guided the overall culture                                                                    
of  the  campuses  and  learning  community  and  university                                                                    
system, it was both the student and faculty populations.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Carrick  acknowledged  that here  were  some                                                                    
operational decisions  made by the  board, but even  more so                                                                    
an advisory capacity over  system operations and governance.                                                                    
She  thought  faculty had  a  strong  voice  to add  to  the                                                                    
conversation. She stressed that the  faculty seat was not to                                                                    
substitute or infringe  on the rights of  current regents or                                                                    
their   experience.  She   knew  many   regents  were   very                                                                    
experienced and had a lot  to offer. The additional seat was                                                                    
meant to add to the  decision-making process. She thought if                                                                    
every  member of  the board  was  asked, the  addition of  a                                                                    
student regent had offered a deeper perspective.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard understood  the mission statement. She                                                                    
emphasized that  the faculty members  already had  a faculty                                                                    
alliance and could already bring issues to the board.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick  emphasized that there  was currently                                                                    
no slated opportunity  for faculty to speak to  the board of                                                                    
regents. The faculty  alliance was allowed to  make one very                                                                    
brief  report  at certain  board  meetings.  The board  only                                                                    
offered one  hour of  public testimony  at the  beginning of                                                                    
some meetings.  The board did  not take public  testimony on                                                                    
agenda  items.  She  shared  that  often  times  the  public                                                                    
testimony would  be completely filled up  before the meeting                                                                    
had  even begun,  and faculty  were included  in the  public                                                                    
testimony.  She   thought  faculty  would  agree   with  the                                                                    
statement  that  it did  not  have  enough opportunities  to                                                                    
connect with the  board and to make  its constituency issues                                                                    
known.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard  asked if it was  possible for faculty                                                                    
to send an email for written testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Carrick responded  that  she  would ask  the                                                                    
committee  to  consider  the   weight  of  in-person  spoken                                                                    
testimony versus written testimony.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Allard  understood  where  the  sponsor  was                                                                    
coming from.  She thought there  could be things  that could                                                                    
not pass with a board membership of 12.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  set an amendment  deadline for March  28 at                                                                    
5:00pm.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
HB  10  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 36                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  relating to the  placement of  foster children                                                                    
     in  psychiatric  hospitals;  relating to  the  care  of                                                                    
     children  in   state  custody  placed   in  residential                                                                    
     facilities  outside   the  state;  and   amending  Rule                                                                    
     12.1(b),  Alaska   Child  in  Need  of   Aid  Rules  of                                                                    
     Procedure."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:37:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ANDREW   GRAY,  SPONSOR,  offered   a  brief                                                                    
overview  of the  bill. The  bill would  make it  so that  a                                                                    
foster child (child  in custody of the  Office of Children's                                                                    
Services [OCS])  would have  a hearing in  front of  a judge                                                                    
within seven  days if they  had been admitted into  an acute                                                                    
psychiatric facility. He explained  that in these cases, OCS                                                                    
was acting as  the "parent," yet it had not  played the same                                                                    
role  as  a parent  would  have  played  for its  child.  He                                                                    
asserted  that  children had  been  held  for too  long  and                                                                    
sometimes without good  reason. The bill aimed  to close the                                                                    
loophole. There  were no guidelines in  statute that covered                                                                    
when a such a case would be reviewed.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:39:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster OPENED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:40:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Tomaszewski liked  the bill,  and he  had no                                                                    
objection to moving the bill from committee.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Josephson  also liked  the  bill  and agreed  with                                                                    
Representative  Tomaszewski's  suggestions.  He  noted  that                                                                    
there had  been three audits of  OCS and there was  a myriad                                                                    
of  ways  that the  office  had  not  followed the  law.  He                                                                    
referenced  HB 151  sponsored by  former Representative  Les                                                                    
Gara.  He  referenced  a  provision   that  stated  that  if                                                                    
children  were not  taken into  custody,  parents should  be                                                                    
given referrals  for services. He  asked how the  bill would                                                                    
get enforced.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gray referenced Kwinhagak  v. State of Alaska                                                                    
[a 2024 case where the  Alaska Supreme Court found delays in                                                                    
child welfare proceedings  violated procedural due process],                                                                    
which  found the  current  way of  doing  the hearings  were                                                                    
incorrect.  He  noted  that  the  courts  were  hearing  the                                                                    
decision in seven to ten days  after a change of practice in                                                                    
the  previous year.  He  explained that  the  bill would  be                                                                    
putting  into   statute  what  was  already   happening.  He                                                                    
understood  that   sometimes  laws   were  passed   but  not                                                                    
enforced.  He   pondered  that  the   topic  needed   to  be                                                                    
revisited.  He  thought the  issue  should  be revisited  to                                                                    
ensure the  children were getting  hearings in the  time the                                                                    
bill dictated.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Bynum appreciated  the sponsor  bringing the                                                                    
bill forward.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard thanked the sponsor.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:44:07 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:44:41 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Tomaszewski MOVED  to  REPORT HB  36 out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying previously published  fiscal notes. There being                                                                    
NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
HB 36  was REPORTED  out of committee  with eight  "do pass"                                                                    
recommendations,  two  "no recommendation"  recommendations,                                                                    
and with  one previously  published fiscal impact  note: FN1                                                                    
(DFCS)  and  one  previously published  zero  fiscal  impact                                                                    
note: FN2 (JUD).                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
[note: Co-Chair Schrage was absent from the vote]                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Josephson  relayed that there were  several days on                                                                    
the  schedule  for  next  week  committed  to  taking  up  a                                                                    
supplemental  budget to  pay the  FY 25  debt and  items the                                                                    
governor  sought  as  supplementals.  He  relayed  that  the                                                                    
committee would consider a CS.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster reviewed the agenda for the following day.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative Tomaszewski  asked about  the mention  of the                                                                    
six  additional  contract  negotiations coming  forward.  He                                                                    
asked if  the contracts would  be in the  revised governor's                                                                    
budget.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Josephson responded that the items would be in the                                                                     
FY 26 budget.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:47:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 3:47 p.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
03.20.25 HFIN FY2026 Governor and FY2025 Supplemental Amendments.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 53
HB 54
HB 56
HB 85
03.20.25 OMB House Finance FY2026 Gov Amend Budget Presentation.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 53
HB 54
HB 56
HB 85
Attachment A - FY2026 Op Governor Amend 03.13.2025 Bill Spreadsheet.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 53
Attachment B - FY2026 Capital Governor Amend Bill Summary Spreadsheet.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 54
Attachment C - FY2025 Op Supplemental Bill Spreadsheet 03.13.2025.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 56
HB 85
Attachment D - FY2025 Capital Supplemental Amend Bill Summary Spreadsheet.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 56
HB 85
AK estimate 2025 edit.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 53
AK estimate details.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 53
03.20.25 HFIN OMB Gov Amend Budget Follow-up to 03.20.25 Hearing.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 53
AK March 20 2025 VFCP result.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 53
HB010 Additional Documents-Faculty Alliance Letter of Support.pdf HFIN 3/20/2025 1:30:00 PM
HB 10