03/29/2005 03:00 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB128 | |
| HB13 | |
| HB31 | |
| HB186 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 128 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 13 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 31 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 186 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 29, 2005
3:50 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Peggy Wilson, Chair
Representative Paul Seaton, Vice Chair
Representative Tom Anderson
Representative Vic Kohring
Representative Lesil McGuire
Representative Sharon Cissna
Representative Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 128
"An Act establishing the Alaska Schools Physical Activity Task
Force."
- MOVED CSHB 128(HES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 13
"An Act relating to reimbursement of municipal bonds for school
construction; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD AND HELD
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 31
"An Act relating to the presumption of coverage for a workers'
compensation claim for disability as a result of certain
diseases for certain occupations."
- MOVED SSHB 31 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 186
"An Act relating to quarterly payments of a permanent fund
dividend, and to a permanent fund dividend and eligibility for
public assistance; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED HB 186 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 128
SHORT TITLE: SCHOOLS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TASK FORCE
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) MCGUIRE
02/04/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/04/05 (H) EDU, HES, FIN
02/24/05 (H) EDU AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106
02/24/05 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
03/03/05 (H) EDU AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106
03/03/05 (H) Heard & Held
03/03/05 (H) MINUTE(EDU)
03/08/05 (H) EDU AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106
03/08/05 (H) Moved CSHB 128(EDU) Out of Committee
03/08/05 (H) MINUTE(EDU)
03/09/05 (H) EDU RPT CS(EDU) 7DP
03/09/05 (H) DP: GARA, GATTO, WILSON, THOMAS,
SALMON, LYNN, NEUMAN
03/29/05 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 13
SHORT TITLE: SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND REIMBURSEMENT
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) GATTO, GRUENBERG
01/10/05 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 12/30/04
01/10/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/10/05 (H) EDU, HES, FIN
01/25/05 (H) EDU AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106
01/25/05 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
02/01/05 (H) EDU AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106
02/01/05 (H) Heard & Held
02/01/05 (H) MINUTE(EDU)
02/22/05 (H) EDU AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106
02/22/05 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
03/03/05 (H) EDU AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106
03/03/05 (H) Moved Out of Committee
03/03/05 (H) MINUTE(EDU)
03/04/05 (H) EDU RPT 5DP
03/04/05 (H) DP: GARA, GATTO, WILSON, THOMAS, NEUMAN
03/15/05 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
03/15/05 (H) Scheduled But Not Heard
03/22/05 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
03/22/05 (H) <subcommittee meeting>
03/22/05 (H) MINUTE (HES)
03/29/05 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 31
SHORT TITLE: WORKERS' COMP: DISEASE PRESUMPTION
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) ANDERSON
01/10/05 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 12/30/04
01/10/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/10/05 (H) L&C, HES, FIN
02/09/05 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17
02/09/05 (H) Heard & Held
02/09/05 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
03/04/05 (H) SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE INTRODUCED
03/04/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/04/05 (H) L&C, HES, FIN
03/04/05 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17
03/04/05 (H) Moved Out of Committee
03/04/05 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
03/07/05 (H) L&C RPT 4DP 3NR
03/07/05 (H) DP: CRAWFORD, LYNN, GUTTENBERG,
ANDERSON;
03/07/05 (H) NR: KOTT, LEDOUX, ROKEBERG
03/29/05 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 186
SHORT TITLE: PERMANENT FUND: QUARTERLY PAYMENTS
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) RAMRAS
02/28/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/28/05 (H) STA, HES, FIN
03/17/05 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
03/17/05 (H) Scheduled But Not Heard
03/19/05 (H) STA AT 9:30 AM CAPITOL 106
03/19/05 (H) Moved Out of Committee
03/19/05 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/21/05 (H) STA RPT 2DP 1DNP 3NR 1AM
03/21/05 (H) DP: ELKINS, RAMRAS;
03/21/05 (H) DNP: GARDNER;
03/21/05 (H) NR: LYNN, GRUENBERG, SEATON;
03/21/05 (H) AM: GATTO
03/29/05 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
PETER MJOS, M.D.
Take Heart Alaska
Epidemiology Section
Division of Public Health
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided comments during discussion of
HB 128.
LARRY WIGET, Director
Government Relations
Anchorage School District (ASD)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 128.
PATRICIA G. OWEN, Health Program Manager II
Division of Public Health
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 128 and
suggested an amendment.
BOB URATA, M.D., President-elect
Pacific Mountain Affiliate
American Heart Association
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 128.
REPRESENTATIVE CARL GATTO
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as one of the prime sponsors of
HB 13.
REPRESENTATIVE MAX GRUENBERG
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as one of the prime sponsors of
HB 13.
KIM FLOYD, Public Information Specialist
Public Information and Media Relations
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During discussion of HB 13, provided
comments and responded to a question.
EDDY JEANS, Director
School Finance
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions during discussion of
HB 13.
JON BITTNER, Staff
to Representative Anderson
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SSHB 31 on behalf of the sponsor,
Representative Anderson.
ERIK TUOTT, Anchorage Local Representative
Alaska Professional Fire Fighters
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial
Organizations (AFL-CIO) Central Labor Council (CLC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During discussion of SSHB 31, provided
comments and responded to a question.
REBECCA BOLLING, R.N., B.S.N., President
Alaska Nurses Association (AaNA)
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the original
legislation - HB 31 - and expressed concerns regarding SSHB 31.
KEVIN SMITH, Executive Director
Joint Insurance Association, Inc. (JIA)
Alaska Municipal League (AML)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During discussion of SSHB 31, expressed
concerns and responded to a question.
JEFF BUSH, Executive Director
Alaska Public Entity Insurance (APEI)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to SSHB 31.
REPRESENTATIVE JAY RAMRAS
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 186.
PAUL DICK, Chief
PFD Operations
Permanent Fund Dividend Division
Department of Revenue (DOR)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During discussion of HB 186, provided
comments and responded to questions.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR PEGGY WILSON called the House Health, Education and Social
Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:50:42 PM.
Representatives Wilson, Seaton, and McGuire were present at the
call to order. Representatives Kohring, Anderson, Cissna and
Gardner arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 128 - SCHOOLS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TASK FORCE
CHAIR WILSON announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 128, "An Act establishing the Alaska Schools
Physical Activity Task Force." [Before the committee was CSHB
128(EDU).]
3:51:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE, speaking as the sponsor of HB 128,
offered her understanding that childhood obesity has become an
epidemic in the United States. She emphasized the importance of
physical education and routine exercise as a means to tackle
obesity. She said that there has been a tremendous cultural and
sociological shift in American culture, and thus more and more
children are participating in sedentary activities and consuming
more food than in the past.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE explained that Dr. Peter Mjos in
Anchorage brought the [idea of this legislation] to her.
Schools are dealing with several issues now, as a result of the
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, and so she decided to
not simply create another unfunded mandate, she relayed;
instead, the creation of a task force will enable many people to
come together and use their energy to create solutions that will
enable more physical activity for children within schools. She
pointed out that this will be a complex issue, since the needs
in urban school districts vary from those in rural areas.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE added that there is no fiscal impact,
since the task force is composed of volunteers. She said that
she would appreciate support from members regarding what she
characterized as a very important issue.
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA commented on the link between physical
activity and positive mental health.
3:57:26 PM
PETER MJOS, M.D., Take Heart Alaska, Epidemiology Section,
Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social
Services (DHSS), relayed that obesity is a devastating problem
but is both reversible and preventable. He said:
The key, of course, is calories in and calories out,
and it is the "calories out" of which this bill is
concerned. The purpose of HB 128, the creation of a
multi-disciplinary legislative task force, is to
formally introduce to the Alaska legislature the
background science and history of a concept developed
years ago and supported by nearly every local, state,
and federal public health expert, including several
U.S. surgeons - ... and [members of Congress],
including Senator [Ted] Stevens and [Lisa] Murkowski -
... a concept that is: daily, vigorous, quality,
physical activity in every grade, K-12, and perhaps
even younger. "Life is movement," said Aristotle, and
it was until now.
We are now in the third and fourth generations of
completely sedentary families. Those who have lost
the will and the ability to exercise, and without the
parental role model, children simply do not exercise.
Obesity daily captures front-page headlines; drugs,
surgery, and miracle diets are not and cannot be
substitutes for physical activity. ... Simply put,
physically active, physically fit students eat better,
sleep better, behave better, feel better, think
better, and perform better academically, and they
should for life, as lifetime athletes. Daily,
physical activity recognizes the whole student -
healthy students, athletes, and citizens and,
hopefully, for an entire lifetime.
The alternative, of course, is decreased longevity,
[a] worsening "syndemic" (ph) cascade of morbid
diseases, and costs both unimaginable and potentially
bankrupting [of] both state and national treasuries.
We must follow the lead of the CDC [Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention] and other states and
recognize the whole student. Obesity is both
preventable and reversible [and], to that end, daily,
vigorous, quality, physical activity must be an
imperative, integral, and indispensable part of every
student's daily school experience.
CHAIR WILSON commented that she hopes that when the task force
meets they will think about supportive ways to enable schools to
accomplish some of the mentioned goals.
DR. MJOS stated that without the support of a community, there
is little expectation for adults and children to be healthy and
fit. He relayed that 70 percent of adults are overweight or
obese and have completely fallen out of any exercise routine,
and when parents do not exercise, children do not exercise; thus
it falls to the school system to institute fitness as an
integral part of a healthy lifestyle. The cost to society in
terms of disease and dollars would fall dramatically, but
additionally there would be a healthy population. He went on to
say, "I can tell you, in the halls of my office, in the halls of
the hospital, much of what we are seeing now is obesity-related
disease, and we simply will not be able to cover the cost of
this within another generation or so, it is that serious."
4:03:00 PM
LARRY WIGET, Director, Government Relations, Anchorage School
District (ASD), stated that the ASD supports the passage of HB
128. He said that the ASD believes wellness is important and,
that the school board is in the process of putting together its
own work session on the issue [of obesity and the lack of
physical activity]. He relayed that although the issue will be
complex to address, the ASD's administration both applauds and
supports HB 128.
4:04:29 PM
PATRICIA G. OWEN, Health Program Manager II, Division of Public
Health, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS),
indicated that she was present in support of HB 128. She
explained that the Division of Public Health has several chronic
disease prevention programs, including an obesity prevention and
control program. She suggested an amendment to HB 128, wherein
the [task force] membership would be expanded to include one
member from the Department of Health and Social Services.
4:06:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE made a motion to adopt Conceptual
Amendment 1, to add one more voting member to the task force,
that member being a representative from the Department of Health
and Social Services. There being no objection, Conceptual
Amendment 1 was adopted.
4:06:49 PM
BOB URATA, M.D., President-elect, Pacific Mountain Affiliate,
American Heart Association, said:
The American Heart Association's mission is to reduce
death and disability from heart disease and stroke by
25 percent by 2010 ... I am here to speak in support
of HB 128. Obesity is increasing at an alarming rate
among our youth and adults in Alaska. Lack of
physical activity is a major contributing factor to
what is fast becoming an epidemic. According to the
2003 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey [YRBS], 72
percent of high school students did not participate in
sufficient, moderate, physical activity in the [week
prior] to this survey. Child magazine ranked Alaska
children as the nation's least fit children, based on
a five-month investigation of state-mandated school
fitness and nutritional policies ...; this is to be
published in the April 2005 issue of Child magazine.
Among those involved in the study were [the] CDC,
[the] American Diabetes Association, [the] American
Academy of Pediatrics, [the] American Heart
Association, [the] National Association of State
Boards of Education, and the National Association of
Sports and Physical Education. On March 17, 2005, the
New England Journal of Medicine published a report
titled, "A Potential Decline of Life Expectancy in the
U.S. in the 21st Century"; ... this report notes that
two-thirds of the adults in the United States are
obese or overweight and that children have the highest
rate of increases in obesity. Obesity has a
substantial negative effect on longevity, reducing it,
by their estimates, ... 5 to 20 years because it
increases the risk for heart disease, hypertension,
and diabetes.
Therefore, it is possible, according to this report,
that our young people's life expectancy will be
shorter than ours because of obesity. This is a
sobering thought. [The] cost of obesity is about [$70
billion] to $100 billion per year; it is estimated
that Alaska spends $195 million annually [on] direct
costs related to obesity. ... Because obesity is a
widespread problem, with major, potential negative
significance, ... public health intervention is
needed. The formation of this task force is a step in
the right direction. It is important that these
recommendations, however, meet standards adopted by
the CDC, and/or the National Association for Sports
and Physical Education.
DR. URATA further noted that it is important to make sure that
the food offered in vending machines at schools is nutritious.
4:10:16 PM
CHAIR WILSON indicated that the task force might address the
issue of the quality of food offered in vending machines.
DR. URATA said his understanding is that the vending machines
provide money to fund activities for schools and thus the
[unhealthy] food offered could simply be replaced with more
nutritious alternatives.
4:11:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON made a motion to adopt Conceptual
Amendment 2:
Page 4, line 7:
Insert a new subsection (f) to read:
"No member shall be allowed access to the public
employee retirement system by virtue of compensation
or service on this task force"
Renumber accordingly.
CHAIR WILSON highlighted that the task force will be totally
voluntary.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON objected, saying he didn't believe
Conceptual Amendment 2 was necessary.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON pointed out that subsection (e) on page 4,
line 5, exempts members listed in subsection (a)(1)-(5) from
compensation, but not the remaining members. He reminded the
committee of the upcoming large unfunded liability due to city
council members, school board members, et cetera, who receive
minimal compensation, but who are [eligible] for the Public
Employees' Retirement System (PERS). Therefore, if an
individual serves in the state elsewhere, it adds years to that
individual's compensation and requires that his/her PERS be
funded proportionally for that service. He charged that the
aforementioned should be reviewed for all boards and
commissions.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON maintained his objection to Conceptual
Amendment 2.
4:14:11 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked whether it would be more efficient
to introduce legislation that would address the issue for all
boards and commissions rather than on a case-by-case basis.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON explained that in establishing this
commission, the policy will be that minimally-funded, voluntary
positions do not have access to the state health care and
retirement system. Although the suggested legislation described
by Representative Gardner may be necessary, he opined, a new
commission shouldn't be created without addressing the issue in
the meantime.
4:15:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE agreed that this is probably a good place
to start such a policy. She mentioned that although she isn't
aware of anyone serving on a task force who qualified for the
state's health care and retirement benefits, she believes it
wouldn't hurt to be clear. She remarked, however, that the
amendment should be clear that an individual would not receive
state benefits simply for serving on the task force but would
receive those benefits if he/she held a position as a state
employee or teacher who happens to be serving on the task force.
CHAIR WILSON asked if Conceptual Amendment 2 should include
reference to the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) as well.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said that he would accept that as a
friendly amendment to Conceptual Amendment 2. [Conceptual
Amendment 2 was treated as amended.]
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON withdrew his objection.
CHAIR WILSON, noting that were no further objections, announced
that Conceptual Amendment 2 [as amended] was adopted.
4:17:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON moved to report [CSHB 128(EDU)], as
amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and
the accompanying fiscal notes.
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING objected. He stated that although this
legislation may yield some good information, he questioned
whether a task force is necessary and whether the local school
board could instead perform the goal of the task force.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE said the task force is important because
a specified deadline under a specified structure raises the
level of attention that would be given to the issue.
Furthermore, this is a statewide issue, which is appropriate for
a legislative task force, as opposed to a local task force,
because different branches of government would be brought
together. She said that she didn't intend to make another layer
of government, and highlighted that the task force has a
definite beginning and end.
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING withdrew his objection.
CHAIR WILSON, noting that there were no further objections to
the motion, announced that CSHB 128(HES) was reported from of
the House Health, Education and Social Services Standing
Committee.
HB 13 - SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND REIMBURSEMENT
4:22:42 PM
CHAIR WILSON announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 13 "An Act relating to reimbursement of municipal
bonds for school construction; and providing for an effective
date."
REPRESENTATIVE CARL GATTO, Alaska State Legislature, one of the
prime sponsors of HB 13, described the incredible growth of
student populations in the Matanuska-Susitna ("Mat-Su") valley.
He said that the question of what to do with these new students
needs to be addressed. House Bill 13, he relayed, allows for
the affected communities to bond for a certain amount of money
and for the state to match those bonds.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO explained that three schools would be built
in the Mat-Su valley as a result of HB 13. When the community
was polled to assess the support of this project, he said, there
was 75 percent support [for bond debt reimbursement]. He added
that 60 percent of those polled did not have children in the
school system.
REPRESENTATIVE MAX GRUENBERG, Alaska State Legislature, one of
the prime sponsors of HB 13, said that the bill will benefit
many areas that can participate in bond debt reimbursement. He
said that in Anchorage, when the voters were polled about the
school debt reimbursement, they overwhelmingly approved bonding.
He mentioned that HB 13 simply extends the "sunset" date in
existing law and would provide funds for bond debt reimbursement
through fiscal year (FY) 06.
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA indicated that HB 13 appears to impact
only larger communities, and questioned whether this legislation
could serve to [force] people to move to the more populated
areas in Alaska. She opined that [Alaska] needs smaller
communities, and asked for an explanation as to how HB 13 won't
jeopardize such.
4:31:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said that the intent of HB 13 is not to
adversely affect small communities. He stated that he would not
object to an amendment that would enable smaller communities to
take part in the benefits of this legislation.
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA offered her belief that it would be
impossible for smaller communities to take advantage of
legislation such as this. She opined that the ability of
smaller communities to protect themselves is dissipating, and
that there is small likelihood that the committee will be able
to produce an appropriate amendment in quick fashion.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG indicated, nonetheless, that he would
be amenable to such an amendment.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said that small communities can utilize
direct appropriations to pay for 100 percent of new-school
construction or existing-school renovation. He emphasized that
more and more students are coming to the Mat-Su Valley and the
community is trying to catch up. He pointed out that the
alternative [to the construction of new schools] is using
"portables", but that they are significantly inferior and have
many undesirable features.
CHAIR WILSON inquired as to why these schools did not take
action earlier as the population increased.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO suggested that Kim Floyd would be better
able to address that question.
4:38:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON pointed out that there is a disparity
[between rural and urban schools]. He posited that this
legislation, in addition to helping the Mat-Su community, will
help other communities like Anchorage and Kenai.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said that in Anchorage, there is a
multi-year plan that has been somewhat predicated on the
continuing ability of the state to assist communities to plan
their capital projects many years in advance. The state,
hopefully, within its means, will continue to do some bonding to
help out those communities that do not have a large tax base.
He relayed that when he talked with members of the Bush caucus,
there was interest in establishing a legal framework to have
such done on a sustainable basis, that those caucus members
would like to see some legislation in place that would allow
them to do that on a continuing basis, to plan for capital
[projects] in non-municipal areas.
4:41:50 PM
KIM FLOYD, Public Information Specialist, Public Information and
Media Relations, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District,
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, explained that the Mat-Su community
has realized that they are going to have to take on additional
bond debt for schools, even in the face of rapidly increasing
assessments and rising property taxes. She referred to the
aforementioned poll, and characterized the results of that poll
as phenomenal. She respectfully asked the committee to remember
that the new students coming into the district are from all over
Alaska, from both urban and rural communities. She emphasized
that these students, along with those already living in the
community, should have equal opportunities for a quality
education, and that overcrowded schools are not the best
learning environments.
MS. FLOYD, in response to a question, stated that the Mat-Su
community has come to terms with the fact that they are growing
more rapidly than was ever expected. She said:
We had just bonded for $58 million dollars in schools
the year before, and increasing assessments resulted
in higher property taxes. We had lots of testimony,
at the time, of people saying, "please don't raise my
taxes anymore, you are going to tax me out of my
home." ... That, based on increasing local
contributions for the operating costs in schools,
really made it difficult for us to go forward with
bonds, and we do not believe that at that time our
community was at the point where it would have
accepted additional bond debt. ... The only
conversation we've been having in our community,
lately, is about growth and how to deal with it, so I
think that that poll that we recently conducted
[illustrates] ... that we are maturing as a community
and that we all know that we are locally responsible
too - not just asking for help from the state, [but]
for making sure that our needs are met.
4:48:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said that several years ago, a proposition
went through that addressed the needs of rural and urban school
construction and maintenance by offering a three-year window for
municipalities to bond with 70 percent reimbursement if they
were on the priority list and with 60 percent if they weren't.
He pointed out that that proposition created balance between
rural and urban communities, and asked how HB 13 will address
the needs of rural communities.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG acknowledging that addressing rural
needs has not yet occurred in the committee process, though he
has been in touch with Bush caucus members and expects to hear
back from them [soon].
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA emphasized that her concern is that by
providing more funding for urban communities, it creates
disincentives for remaining in rural communities. She said that
she hopes that if people are moving to Anchorage or the Mat-Su
it is not because services are being eliminated in rural Alaska.
4:52:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he believes that [rural
communities] will make their interests known as HB 13
progresses, and that their needs could be addressed later in the
legislative process.
CHAIR WILSON remarked on the fiscal note attached to HB 13. She
then asked how much the construction of four new schools would
cost.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO offered his understanding that each
elementary school would cost $12 million, that the estimated
cost for a high school in the Mat-Su is $45 million or $50
million, and that the costs associated with construction and
maintenance in Anchorage would be additional. He commented that
the Kenai and Mat-Su school districts have rural schools, and
that money is [already being] spent to build schools in rural
areas.
4:55:09 PM
EDDY JEANS, Director, School Finance, Department of Education
and Early Development (DEED), with regard to the [indeterminate]
fiscal note, stated that no new bonds will be issued in time for
the 2006 "reimbursement year," and that the DEED has not yet
determined what the total cost associated with HB 13 will be.
CHAIR WILSON asked whether the DEED [will make] monetary
decisions regarding the allocation of funds [related to HB 13].
MR. JEANS clarified that the legislature will make the decision
regarding when to discontinue allowing reimbursement under this
program; what HB 13 would do is extend for another year and a
half the program that just "sunsetted" in December. He
explained that the program would provide 70 percent
reimbursement for eligible projects that qualify for that amount
if the building of a school is beyond the department's
eligibility criteria. He said that the department will get
estimates from the school districts, build a budget, and submit
that budget to the legislature for an appropriation; it will
then be up to the legislature to determine at what level to fund
that request.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON offered his understanding that a recent
calculation came to roughly $200 million for Mat-Su and
Anchorage. He asked what the debt schedule would be if those
[communities] were reimbursed at 70 percent.
MR. JEANS replied that it would vary depending on the term of
the bond issues, on the interest rate that the districts were
able to secure, and then, ultimately, on the total principal
amount that is authorized.
4:58:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING stated that his concern is that the Mat-
Su could suffer if other areas get issued bonds first, and asked
whether such would be possible.
MR. JEANS explained that the way the debt reimbursement program
has worked is that there is no priority, and that it is
dependent on whether or not the local voters approve a project.
The next step, he said, is for the department to do an
evaluation to determine the reimbursement level, either 70 or 60
percent, and then it becomes a reimbursable project. He added
that this [program] applies strictly to municipal school
districts.
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING commented that it is his understanding
that bond debt reimbursement occurred on a "first come, first
served" basis.
MR. JEANS said that this particular bill doesn't place any caps;
it simply extends the program another year and a half, and is
open to all municipalities across the state.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked what amount of funding was allocated
as a result of the aforementioned proposition.
MR. JEANS said that $728 million was allocated over a two-year
period. In response to another question, he said, "If you move
forward without dealing with the rural issue, ... this simply
extends the urban communities' ability to bond for another year
and a half; it doesn't provide a whole lot of leverage for the
unorganized areas."
5:02:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON opined that the cost involved with the
passage of HB 13 would be considerably higher than the estimated
amount. He said that he cannot support HB 13 because of the
problem of equity between rural and urban districts. He
expressed a preference for holding the bill over until the
issues raised thus far have been addressed.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON opined that the passage of HB 13 is time
sensitive, and relayed that he would question studies which say
that there isn't equity in funding. He then advocated for
legislation that would consolidate school districts.
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER said that she is concerned about equity
issues, but thinks, too, that [the passage of HB 13] is a time
sensitive matter.
5:06:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON posited that [in passing HB 13], the
limited monies that are available for education will be put into
urban districts that are able to bond.
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA expressed a preference for holding the
bill over in order to try and create more balance. She
emphasized that although she does not want to take anything away
from the Mat-Su or other communities that are growing, there are
other parts of the state that are desperately [in need as well].
CHAIR WILSON indicated a preference for holding HB 13 over.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he is committed to working with
people from the Bush communities on the issue of equity, and
asked that HB 13 be moved to the Finance Committee.
CHAIR WILSON stated that HB 13 would be held over.
HB 31 - WORKERS' COMP: DISEASE PRESUMPTION
CHAIR WILSON announced that the next order of business would be
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 31, "An Act relating to
the presumption of coverage for a workers' compensation claim
for disability as a result of certain diseases for certain
occupations."
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON, speaking as the sponsor, relayed that
his staff would be presenting SSHB 31, that the Alaska Municipal
League (AML) has come out in opposition to the bill, and that
other states have passed similar legislation and not experienced
negative economic consequences.
5:13:09 PM
JON BITTNER, Staff to Representative Anderson, Alaska State
Legislature, sponsor, relayed on behalf of Representative
Anderson that there has been a growing recognition, both
nationally and worldwide, regarding the hazards of being a
"first responder." Scientific studies have shown that certain
cancers and bloodborne diseases occur at significantly higher
rates in first responders. Brain cancer and leukemia are two to
four times more likely to occur in fire fighters; non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma is twice as likely, and skin cancer is three times as
likely. The scientific correlation between being a fire fighter
or first responder and having an increased likelihood of
contracting certain cancers is well documented.
MR. BITTNER relayed that studies from all across America,
Canada, and abroad have consistently shown that cancer occurs in
fire fighters more often than in the public at large, and some
studies compare fire fighters to police, thus eliminating the
"healthy-worker bias," because of the top physical condition
required to be either a fire fighter or a police officer. He
explained that SSHB 31 attempts to afford first responders with
protections they deserve, providing a presumption of coverage
for fire fighters and first responders if they contract the
cancers or bloodborne diseases listed in proposed AS
23.30.121(b)(1), which is located in Section 1 of the bill.
Furthermore, SSHB 31 will shift the burden of proof off of the
aforementioned individuals and onto their employers.
MR. BITTNER said that there are those who are concerned that
passage of SSHB 31 will result in a significant fiscal burden
for some communities, but added that he disagrees. He mentioned
that members' packets contain testimony from the International
Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) that outlines studies done
in various states that have adopted "presumptive illness"
legislation and which indicate that there has been no
significant fiscal impact in those states even though they have
fire fighter populations ranging from 3,700 to 63,000.
Furthermore, some form of [presumptive coverage] legislation has
been adopted in approximately 38 other states, and none of those
states have been bankrupted by such legislation.
MR. BITTNER assured the committee that SSHB 31 does not expand
workers' compensation coverage for first responders; instead, it
merely protects their right to coverage. A provider will still
be able to appeal the worker's claim for coverage and the
current burden of proof would apply. He relayed that the
sponsor feels that SSHB 31 provides a good balance between what
is necessary and what is reasonable for first responders and
their employers. In conclusion, he urged the committee to
support SSHB 31 and the brave men and women on whose behalf it
was introduced.
MR. BITTNER, in response to questions, said that the language in
SSHB 31 was taken directly from Washington statutes, and
indicated that proposed AS 23.30.121(b)(3) says:
(3) the presumption established in (1)(C) of this
subsection applies only to an active or former fire
fighter who has cancer that develops or manifests
itself after the fire fighter has served at least 10
years and who was given a qualifying medical
examination upon becoming a fire fighter or during
employment as a fire fighter that did not show
evidence of cancer.
CHAIR WILSON surmised, then, that the reason the states have yet
to feel a fiscal impact from this type of legislation is that
employees won't be eligible for any benefits for 10 years.
MR. BITTNER mentioned that the 10-year provision is specific to
Washington, that other states have earlier thresholds, that some
of the states have had "presumptive coverage" legislation since
1986, that there has been a slight increase in the number of
claims - roughly .034 percent - and that the threshold in SSHB
31 does not refer to 10 years after passage but rather to 10
years of total fire fighting experience.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON commented on the low percentage of
additional claims experienced by Washington, and characterized
this as illustrative of what Alaska could expect.
MR. BITTNER concurred, adding that Nevada experienced an average
increase of only one case per year.
5:17:59 PM
CHAIR WILSON asked who would be paying for the qualifying
medical examinations referred to in the bill.
MR. BITTNER said that those tests are part of a yearly physical,
which fire fighters currently have to endure for employment. In
response to a further question, he said he doesn't know who is
financially responsible for those exams, but added that others
might be better able to address that issue.
CHAIR WILSON offered her understanding that the municipalities
are currently responsible for paying for the exams.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON surmised that that might be one reason
for municipalities to oppose the legislation.
5:19:43 PM
ERIK TUOTT, Anchorage Local Representative, Alaska Professional
Fire Fighters, International Association of Fire Fighters
(IAFF), American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial
Organizations (AFL-CIO) Central Labor Council (CLC), after
noting that he's been serving on the Anchorage Fire Department
(AFD) for the last three years as a fire fighter and emergency
medical technician (EMT), concurred with points made by Mr.
Bittner regarding the ten-year provision; relayed that since the
adoption of Washington's legislation in 2003, there have only
been six claims from a population of over 6,800 fire fighters;
and explained that the AFD requires annual health physicals and
an initial medical examination, and provides cancer screenings.
5:21:32 PM
REBECCA BOLLING, R.N., B.S.N., President, Alaska Nurses
Association (AaNA), said that the AaNA is in support of HB 31 -
the original legislation. With regard to SSHB 31, she said:
The specific aspect of the new section that I would
like to speak to with regard to the workers'
[compensation] Act is the part that refers to the
exposure to bloodborne pathogens such as [human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV)] and hepatitis C. These
are acquired bloodborne diseases that healthcare
workers are continuously exposed to in the course of
their employment, through their daily exposure to
blood and body fluids. These diseases are devastating
and disabling, and healthcare workers such as nurses
operating room personnel, fire fighters, first
responders, emergency staff, et cetera, are all, ...
equally, at risk for exposure.
And it's important [to] provide all healthcare workers
this presumptive coverage, and not just fire fighters,
first responders, and peace officers, because it's not
uncommon for workers' [compensation] claims to be
pending for very long periods of time; ... during an
investigation, they can take a long time to determine
whether these diseases are actually a result of their
employment or if in fact they are a result of their
lifestyle. So healthcare workers' medical insurances
may also refuse to pay the medical bills while they
are off with these diseases, because they contend that
the bloodborne disease is obviously a workers'
[compensation] claim. And ... workers' compensation
may delay or deny benefits because they contend that
it was the healthcare worker's lifestyle that caused
the illness and not their exposure at work.
So if the committee is concerned about the potential
increase in cost to workers' [compensation] ..., a
preliminary investigation of states such as Nevada,
Idaho, Arizona, Washington, et cetera, who've passed
similar legislation, has also shown minimal impact on
premiums. So I do urge [you] to enact this bill, but
I urge you to enact this bill with all persons
[included] who are exposed to human blood an body
fluids on a regular basis, and not just limit it to
... fire fighters and first responders and peace
officers. This is good legislation and it is good
policy for the state of Alaska.
5:24:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON explained that in the original version
of HB 13, he'd inadvertently included nurses in the first
responder category, and so he's since introduced the sponsor
substitute so that the bill only pertains to fire fighters and
ambulance personnel who are acting as first responders. He
suggested that the AaNA should consider having someone sponsor
similar, separate legislation that would pertain to nurses.
CHAIR WILSON said that there are healthcare workers who face the
aforementioned situations every single day and currently there
is nothing in statute that protects them.
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER said she agrees that any healthcare
workers or service workers who are at risk should have some sort
of [presumptive] coverage, but is of the belief that nurses
should not be included in this bill because fire fighters have a
unique set of risk factors with regard to smoke inhalation.
CHAIR WILSON clarified that the situations she is referring to
are those wherein a person is at risk of contracting a
bloodborne disease.
5:28:32 PM
KEVIN SMITH, Executive Director, Joint Insurance Association,
Inc. (JIA), Alaska Municipal League (AML), explained that the
JIA is a self-insurance pool for cities, boroughs, and school
districts in Alaska, and that currently about 140 such entities
have joined this pool in order to obtain various forms of
insurance including workers' compensation coverage, general
liability coverage, and property coverage. He went on to say:
Certainly, I don't want anybody to take my testimony
as though we don't like fire fighters or that we don't
like police officers ... - we like our employees. But
this proposal is, I think, ... the wrong bill at the
wrong time. ... Imagine that we were to suggest that
everybody retire in 15 years under the PERS system
right now. That's absurd - we've got a problem with
the PERS system, we need to get control of the PERS
system. The workers' compensation is also in crisis
at the moment. ... I think it's fair to say that
Alaska has the second highest workers' [compensation]
rates in the country, behind California; the rates
have been increasing for Alaska's local governments
and our businesses, in double digits and sometimes
triple-digit situations, over the last several years.
Now is not a good time to expand benefits. Now is a
time to try to get a handle on the workers'
compensation problem, before we expand benefits. The
bill, I think, is unnecessary. ... It is difficult
with the cancers ... to point to a single fire and say
..., "I got this here," or "I got this there," ...
[but] for the communicable diseases, when we certainly
know what day ... [you] gave mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation ... or the day ... you got needle-stuck,
there's incident reports that you fill out, send into
the "comp" system, [and] we can test to see whether or
not you got the disease. And ... we've paid claims
for communicable diseases ... particularly with our
clinics and with our hospitals when it's clear that
the needle-stick [occurred] or the communicable
disease was contracted as part of your job.
I guess the biggest problem, in my mind, with
[SSHB 31] is the expense. I heard a figure of 1,000
fire fighters, [but] I did some ... calculations of my
own and I called the Division of Fire Prevention,
tried to subtract out the State's fire fighters and
the fed fire fighters - those that are registered in
Alaska - and I came up with a number of volunteers and
paid [personnel] somewhere more in the neighborhood of
about 9,000 when you add in the EMTs. So the first
responder pool - exclusive of police - [is] about
9,000. I called the Fairbanks Fire Department and
[asked] how much [it costs] for one of these
screenings ... [and] they said they cost ... [between]
$750 and ... $1,100 depending on age. ...
Let's say that it was $900 times 9,000 - you're
looking at close to $8 million just in screening costs
alone which is not ... really contemplated. ... It's a
big cost, and then there'll be recurring costs over
time as some retire and some more come on, [since] ...
you're going [to] pretty much want to do [screening]
annually. So I'm real concerned about the medical
screening costs. The cost of treatment is
undetermined. There are a small number of incidents,
as we've heard [in] testimony earlier, but these
incidents are very expensive. Short of premature
babies, the cancer incidents are probably the most
expensive sort of diseases that you can ... work on
[and] not necessarily cure.
This is in part, I think, why [the National Council on
Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI)] has estimated the
increase in costs for these particular class codes to
be 10 to 20 percent ... for each of these job classes.
In addition, the retroactive nature of the bill is
such that all the rates that have been collected to
date really haven't contemplated that there would be
[a] long-term tail for cancers and communicable
diseases. ...
MR. SMITH then suggested that the bill also has some potential
legal problems, and that research has indicated to him that in a
large number of the 38 states that have "these sort of
presumptions," they are merely presumptions in pension plans,
not presumptions in workers' compensation plans. Additionally,
several of those 38 states have found that the legislation could
be unconstitutional; states such as Connecticut, New Hampshire -
in part because of funding stipulations in its state
constitution - and Nevada - based on discrimination between
classes of employees. In conclusion, he opined that the bill
comes at a bad time for municipalities because of the potential
expense.
5:37:12 PM
CHAIR WILSON asked whether all fire fighters in Anchorage are
paid personnel.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON surmised that there are both paid fire
fighters and volunteer fire fighters in the Anchorage area.
CHAIR WILSON asked whether municipalities currently pay for
screenings.
MR. SMITH said that the larger fire departments with paid
personnel currently pay for screening, but whether fire
departments that use volunteers pay for such screening is
decided on a department-by-department basis. He suggested that
most municipalities that are not at least mid size use only
volunteer personnel and don't currently pay for any screenings.
Thus, if the bill passes, the volunteers in those municipalities
would expect the communities to pick up the additional expense
of the screenings.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON acknowledged that the bill would affect
"the bottom line" of the AML's JIA, and that the cost of
treating any cancer covered under the bill would be expensive,
but characterized the argument that the [costs of screening]
could be as much as $8 million as ridiculous. He posited that
passage of the bill will assist in the recruitment and retention
of fire fighting personnel.
5:41:01 PM
JEFF BUSH, Executive Director, Alaska Public Entity Insurance
(APEI), said he is not in favor of [SSHB 31] and would be
speaking in opposition to it. He said that the APEI is the
"other pool," in addition to the AML's JIA, that insures Alaska
municipalities and school districts, and is concerned about the
costs that the bill could engender, particularly because those
costs are not something that the APEI, as a pool, can control.
This is because the rate settings are recommended by the NCCI,
and it is those recommendations that the big, international
insurance companies - which the APEI turns to for reinsurance
and excess insurance - listens to. So even if the APEI is able
to demonstrate that there are very few claims or that there is
an unlikelihood of a claim, such a showing would not carry much
weight with the aforementioned excess insurance carriers.
MR. BUSH predicted that such carriers will look at the
legislation and say that there is a higher risk for workers'
compensation losses in Alaska and will therefore raise rates 10
to 20 percent for the aforementioned classes of people. The
problem with this is that although from a statewide perspective
such a job class is fairly small, for municipalities it is not -
it represents the largest single job classification for
municipalities. So not only will such municipalities have to
pay for the aforementioned screenings, but their workers'
compensation rates will be affected by the NCCI's
recommendations.
CHAIR WILSON noted that members' packets contain a letter from
the NCCI, and that the letter does warn that the costs for
claims covered by the bill could increase by 10 to 20 percent or
more, particularly given the bill's retroactive nature. She
surmised that this cost increase could be significant for
municipalities.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON remarked on the committee process and
potential deadlines, and recommended that the bill be moved on
to its next committee of referral, the House Finance Committee.
5:45:52 PM
CHAIR WILSON said she feels that the legislature would be making
a policy shift via SSHB 31, because it would no longer be up to
the worker to prove where he/she contracted a communicable
disease. She said that she has had conversations with
representatives from the NCCI who've informed her that including
healthcare workers - nurses - in the bill would not increase
workers' compensation costs. She characterized it as unfair not
to provide [nurses], who come in contact with communicable
diseases every day, with the same presumption that is being
proposed for other types of [first responder] personnel.
CHAIR WILSON made a motion to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, to
include nurses in [proposed AS 23.30.121(c)].
5:48:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON objected, and suggested that nurses
don't need to be included in the bill because they work in
controlled environments.
CHAIR WILSON pointed out that she is a registered nurse and was
a first responder on an ambulance squad for four years.
A roll call vote was taken. Representative Wilson voted in
favor of Conceptual Amendment 1. Representatives Kohring,
McGuire, and Anderson voted against it. Therefore, Conceptual
Amendment 1 failed by a vote of 1-3.
5:51:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved to report SSHB 31 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, SSHB 31 was reported from the
House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.
HB 186 - PERMANENT FUND: QUARTERLY PAYMENTS
CHAIR WILSON announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 186, "An Act relating to quarterly payments of a
permanent fund dividend, and to a permanent fund dividend and
eligibility for public assistance; and providing for an
effective date."
5:52:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JAY RAMRAS, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of
HB 186, relayed that the bill was engendered in part by comments
he'd received from constituents when the longevity bonus program
was discontinued - people complained about the loss of their
monthly checks, not about the loss of the amount they received
yearly, saying that they used their longevity bonus checks to
pay monthly bills. Additionally, he remarked, when permanent
fund dividend checks (PFD) are received, he has noticed that
many people cannot resist spending that money on large
purchases, sometimes even incurring debt, rather than using the
money for necessities.
REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS said that under HB 186, eligible
participants in the PFD program who sign up for direct deposit
would be able to request that their PFD come in quarterly
payments, with the payments occurring in October, January,
April, and July. He posited that such a payment system would
resemble the university tuition program, and could additionally
provide people with an incentive to save for educational
purposes. Such a payment system, he assured the committee, is
not designed for those that are on public assistance or for
those that already have excellent savings habits, and suggested
that those in rural Alaska could benefit from such a system.
REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS predicted that perhaps only one or two out
of every hundred PFD recipients would participate in a quarterly
payment program, added that the State will be earning interest
on the latter three quarterly payments, and suggested that via
that interest the quarterly payment program could pay for itself
and its initial implementation costs. He emphasized that the
proposed quarterly payment program would be voluntary - PFD
recipients would merely elect to participate - though he noted
that research has indicated that a monthly payment program would
be too costly to implement. In response to a question, he
acknowledged that those in urban areas could also benefit from a
quarterly payment program.
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON remarked that those with substance abuse
problems could just as easily [binge away] four payments as
opposed to one, but noted that in dry communities at least one
could not travel to a big city and go on a binge if he/she were
only getting one-quarter of a PFD at a time.
REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS acknowledged that point, adding that in
rural communities the commercial outlets for purchasing [big-
ticket] items are not available. He concluded by offering his
belief that the quarterly payment program will be simple to
implement, and will offer Alaskans a different way to view their
PFDs, particularly as the PFDs get larger.
The committee took an at-ease from 6:01 p.m. to 6:06 p.m.
6:06:39 PM
PAUL DICK, Chief, PFD Operations, Permanent Fund Dividend
Division, Department of Revenue (DOR), reiterated comments made
by Representative Ramras regarding how HB 186 will be
implemented, and explained that the division is assuming it will
have the authority to disallow those with garnishments against
their records from participating in the quarterly payment
program, as well as the authority to remove from the quarterly
payment program those who have garnishments attached to their
records after the initial quarterly payment is made; the PFDs in
such instances would go towards paying the garnishments as a
lump sum total. He added that the fiscal note reflects merely
an estimate of the cost of rewriting the current PFD payment
system. Furthermore, he noted, the cost of the program would
increase as the number of participants increases.
CHAIR WILSON asked how long it would be before the quarterly
payment program could pay for itself via the interest earned.
MR. DICK said that according to the fiscal note, the revenues
would immediately begin to exceed the operating costs, though
the one-time implementation cost has not been factored into that
estimate. In response to another question, he indicated that
the division cannot yet speak to the issue of whether or not it
supports the bill.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE said she supports HB 186, and
characterized it as an innovative way of looking at [the PFD and
money-management issues].
6:11:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON moved to report HB 186 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes.
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING indicated that he has concerns about the
government basically acting as a "nanny" and telling members of
the public that they are fiscally irresponsible and can't manage
their finances.
CHAIR WILSON noted that the proposed quarterly payment program
is voluntary.
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING said that alleviates his concerns.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE opined that the bill will give Alaskans
choices.
CHAIR WILSON added her belief that the bill will allow the
person to have some money while also allowing the State to earn
some interest, essentially creating a win-win situation.
6:14:04 PM
CHAIR WILSON, noting that there were no objections to the
motion, announced that HB 186 was reported from the House
Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee meeting
was adjourned at 6:15 p.m.
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