Legislature(2021 - 2022)SENATE FINANCE 532
05/26/2021 04:00 PM House CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB69 AND HB71
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 71 | TELECONFERENCED | |
32ND ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION
SPECIAL SESSION
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB 69 and HB 70
May 26, 2021
4:03 p.m.
4:03:19 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Foster called the Conference Committee meeting on HB
69 and HB 70 to order at 4:03 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
House:
Representative Neal Foster, Chair
Representative Kelly Merrick
Representative Bart LeBon
Senate:
Senator Bert Stedman, Vice-Chair
Senator Click Bishop
Senator Donny Olson
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT:
Alexei Painter, Director, Legislative Finance Division
SUMMARY
HB 69 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS
HB 69 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 71 APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET
HB 71 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
Chair Foster reviewed the agenda for the meeting.
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 69(FIN) am(brf sup maj fld)(efd fld)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; amending
appropriations; and making capital appropriations,
supplemental appropriations, and reappropriations."
SCS CSHB 69(FIN) AM S
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; amending
appropriations; making capital appropriations,
supplemental appropriations, and reappropriations; and
providing for an effective date."
and
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 71(FIN) am
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; making
supplemental appropriations; and providing for an
effective date."
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 71(FIN)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; making capital
appropriations and supplemental appropriations; and
providing for an effective date."
4:03:55 PM
Chair Foster indicated the House and Senate had granted
Limited Powers of Free Conference. He invited Alexei
Painter, Director of the Legislative Finance Division to
join the members at the table. He detailed how objections
would be handled. If there was an objection, the committee
would make note of the item and set it aside. The committee
would continue to go through the other items in the
department, adopt them, and then come back to any item that
had an objection.
Chair Foster continued that the House passed its version of
the budget before the guidelines were received from the
Treasury Department regarding the American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA). The Senate made conforming changes to be consistent
with the ARPA guidelines, and therefore the committee would
be accepting many of the Senate changes.
Chair Foster informed that the committee would be
addressing open items in HB 69 and HB 71 based on the
motion sheets distributed to members and dated May 26, 2021
on the Departments of:
FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING:
• Department of Corrections
• Department of Education and Early Development
• Department of Environmental Conservation
• Office of the Governor
• Department of Health and Social Services
• Department of Natural Resources
• Department of Public Safety
• Judiciary
• Legislature
• Special Appropriations
• Fund Transfers
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
4:05:39 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Corrections' budget:
Item 1-7 Senate - All items
Item 8-12 Senate - All items
There being NO OBJECTION, items 1 through 12 in the
Department of Corrections FY 21 supplemental budget were
ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND
EARLY DEVELOPMENT
4:06:39 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Education and Early Development's budget:
Item 1 Senate
Item 2 Open
There being NO OBJECTION, items 1 and 2 in the Department
of Education and Early Development FY 21 supplemental
budget were ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION
4:07:08 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Environmental Conservation's budget:
Item 1 Senate - Both items
Item 2 Open
Item 3 Senate
There being NO OBJECTION, items 1 through 3 in the
Department of Environmental Conservation FY 21 supplemental
budget were ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
4:07:46 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Office of the Governor's budget:
Item 1 Senate
Item 2 Senate
There being NO OBJECTION, items 1 and 2 in the Office of
the Governor FY 21 supplemental budget were ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
SOCIAL SERVICES
4:08:08 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Health and Social Services' budget:
Item 1-7 Senate - All items
Item 8-11 Senate - All items
Item 12 Open
Item 13 Open
There being NO OBJECTION, items 1 through 13 in the
Department of Health and Social Services FY 21 supplemental
budget were ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
RESOURCES
4:08:58 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Natural Resources' budget:
Item 1 Senate
There being NO OBJECTION, item 1 in the Department of
Natural Resources FY 21 supplemental budget was ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
4:09:25 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Public Safety's budget:
Item 1 Senate - Both items
Item 2 Open
There being NO OBJECTION, items 1 and 2 in the Department
of Public Safety FY 21 supplemental budget were ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: JUDICIARY
4:09:46 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Judiciary's budget:
Item 1 Senate - Both items
There being NO OBJECTION, item 1 in the Judiciary FY 21
supplemental budget was ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: LEGISLATURE
4:10:14 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Legislature's budget:
Item 1-3 Senate - All items
Item 4 Senate - Both items
Item 5 House
Item 6-8 Senate - All items
Item 9-12 Senate - All items
There being NO OBJECTION, items 1 through 12 in the
Legislature FY 21 supplemental budget were ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS
4:11:19 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in Special
Appropriations:
Item 1 Senate - All items
Senator Olson asked if the item pertained to the Department
of Law (DOL).
Chair Foster asked Mr. Painter to comment.
ALEXEI PAINTER, DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE FINANCE DIVISION
confirmed that the item pertained to appropriations to DOL
for settlements. He detailed that for budgeted purposes,
the increment had been classified under special
appropriations to avoid increasing the DOL budget because
they were statewide items.
4:11:57 PM
Senator Olson OBJECTED. He stated that when he had looked
through the DOL budget there had been appropriations for
past lawsuits. He was dissatisfied that he had been told
the process would continue going forward. He had wondered
how much longer it would be before another appropriation
was needed. He stated that the appropriation under
discussion reflected another $410,000 for a supplemental
amount. He thought they were getting engaged with lawsuits
that the state would not win. He stressed that the track
record had gone on for a number of years in spite of the
changing of attorneys general that had the department in
upheaval.
Vice-Chair Stedman asked if there was a breakdown of the
$410,000 on hand.
Mr. Painter replied that he did not have the information on
hand. He would provide the information to the committee.
4:13:12 PM
AT EASE
4:18:28 PM
RECONVENED
Chair Foster explained that the item pertained to
judgements, claims, and settlements, which reflected the
amounts owed by the state per court judgment. He noted that
the list of cases the state owed money for had been
distributed to members (copy on file). He asked if Senator
Olson had any questions.
Senator Olson replied that he did not have any questions,
but he was concerned about the direction things were going.
Chair Foster relayed that he would be supporting the motion
to adopt item 1 in regard to money the state owed. He
believed Senator Olson's point was well made that getting
into lawsuit situations should be avoided.
4:19:27 PM
Senator Olson remarked that the Senate number had been
selected for item 1. He asked what the House number had
been.
Chair Foster responded that the House had included
settlements the state owed in its budget, but the number
currently before the committee had come in after the House
had passed its budget. The amount had been included in the
Senate budget.
Senator Olson WITHDREW the OBJECTION.
There being NO further OBJECTION, item 1 within the Special
Appropriations FY 21 supplemental budget was ADOPTED.
^FY 21 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING: FUND TRANSFERS
4:20:21 PM
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the following in Fund
Transfers:
Item 1 Open
Item 2 Open
Item 3 Senate
Senator Olson asked for an explanation of the last item in
which the aviation appropriation matched the marine highway
system. He wondered if the aviation portion was the same
amount as the marine highway system.
Chair Foster asked Mr. Painter to explain.
Mr. Painter relayed that the federal government waved the
state's match for airport maintenance in FY 20 and FY 21.
The amount was a portion of the FY 21 match that was not
necessary. The item was a governor's amendment adopted by
the Senate that would transfer the unnecessary matching
funds into the marine highway system fund to offset a
negative balance it would have had otherwise.
Senator Olson asked if the amount was $5.5 million.
Mr. Painter responded in the affirmative.
Senator Olson clarified that the money went to the marine
highway system as opposed to airports.
Mr. Painter replied, "Yes." It was an amendment from the
governor.
Chair Foster asked Mr. Painter to restate his previous
comment.
Mr. Painter restated that the money was originally from
airport funding and was reappropriated to the marine
highway fund.
There being NO OBJECTION, items 1 through 3 in the Fund
Transfers FY 21 supplemental budget were ADOPTED.
Chair Foster indicated the committee had completed its
business for the day. The next meeting date and time would
be noticed on BASIS once it was determined.
HB 69 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 71 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
Vice-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADJOURN the meeting. There
being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
ADJOURNMENT
4:22:55 PM
The meeting was adjourned at 4:22 p.m.
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