02/26/2008 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB44 | |
| SJR11|| HB44 | |
| HB44 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 44 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SJR 11 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
February 26, 2008
1:02 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bob Roses, Chair
Representative Nancy Dahlstrom
Representative Anna Fairclough
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Robert L. "Bob" Buch
Representative Scott Kawasaki
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Jay Ramras
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 44
"An Act relating to information from veterans on the permanent
fund dividend application form."
-MOVED CSHB 44(MLV) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 11
Supporting federal funding for veterans' health care and urging
the United States Congress to ensure adequate funding for
veterans' health care.
-MOVED SJR 11 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 44
SHORT TITLE: VETERAN INFO ON PFD APPLICATIONS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) GUTTENBERG, DAHLSTROM, KERTTULA
01/16/07 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/5/07
01/16/07 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/16/07 (H) MLV, STA
02/26/08 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
BILL: SJR 11
SHORT TITLE: SUPPORTING U.S. VETERANS' HEALTH CARE
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) WIELECHOWSKI
05/09/07 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
05/09/07 (S) HES
02/04/08 (S) HES AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/04/08 (S) Moved SJR 11 Out of Committee
02/04/08 (S) MINUTE(HES)
02/06/08 (S) HES RPT 3DP
02/06/08 (S) DP: DAVIS, THOMAS, DYSON
02/11/08 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
02/11/08 (S) VERSION: SJR 11
02/13/08 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/13/08 (H) MLV, HES
02/26/08 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GUTTENBERG
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced HB 44 as the sponsor.
RIC DAVIDGE, State Council President
Vietnam Veterans of America; Chairman
Alaska Veteran's Foundation, Inc.
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
RON SIEBELS, Representative
Alaska Military Order of the Purple Heart
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
JOHN YOUMANS, Vice President
Alaska Veterans Business Alliance
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
JUAN GUERRERU, Member
Alaska Chapter of the Veterans of Modern Warfare
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
TIM WHEELER, Secretary
Alaska Veterans Business Alliance
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
KEVIN DAVID MCGEE, President
American Federation of Government Employees Local 3028
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
DIANE BENSON
Chugiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Speaking for herself, testified in support
of HB 44 and SJR 11.
MAURICE BAILEY, President
Chapter 903
Vietnam Veterans of America
Mat-Su, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
PENNY FIERROS, Community Liaison
Veteran's Aviation Outreach (VAO)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the hearing on HB 44 and
in support of SJR 11.
DAVE GLENN, Member
Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 903; Pilot
Veteran's Aviation Outreach
Mat-Su, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
TOM BAIRD, Member
Vietnam Veterans of America
Chapter 903; Veterans Aviation Outreach; Military Order of the
Purple Heart
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
GEORGE BENNETT SR., Vietnam Veteran
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 44 and SJR 11.
SENATOR BILL WIELECHOWSKI
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SJR 11 as the sponsor.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR BOB ROSES called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:02:32 PM.
Representatives Kawasaki, Buch, Dahlstrom, Fairclough, and Roses
were present at the call to order. Representative LeDoux
arrived as the meeting was in progress.
1:02:57 PM
HB 44-VETERAN INFO ON PFD APPLICATIONS
1:02:58 PM
CHAIR ROSES announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 44, "An Act relating to information from veterans
on the permanent fund dividend application form."
1:03:49 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GUTTENBERG, Alaska State Legislature,
speaking as the sponsor of HB 44, informed the committee that
the bill is a vehicle that allows the state to reach out to
veterans and ensure that they have veteran's services and know
what is available to them. He stated that there will be a place
on the Alaska permanent fund dividend (PFD) application that
will ask if the applicant is a veteran and, if so, of what
branch of service. This information will be provided to the
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA), and possibly,
to other veteran's organizations. Representative Guttenberg
assured the committee that providing this information is
optional.
1:05:09 PM
CHAIR ROSES asked whether the exact wording of the request for
information is known.
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG indicated that the sponsors are
leaving the exact wording and layout up to the Permanent Fund
Dividend Division (PFDD), Department of Revenue (DOR).
1:05:44 PM
CHAIR ROSES suggested that the wording that requests the branch
of service should include the Alaska Territorial Guard; this
addition would help to locate members of the Alaska Territorial
Guard who have not self-reported.
1:05:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE Buch asked whether the "push back" for this bill
comes from the PFDD for the cost of the new forms.
1:06:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG called the committee's attention to
the fiscal note from the PFDD that indicated there would be one-
time costs for database work and for re-designing the forms;
afterward, there would be annual clerical expenses.
1:06:50 PM
CHAIR ROSES opened public testimony.
1:07:07 PM
RIC DAVIDGE, State Council President, Vietnam Veterans of
America; Chairman, Alaska Veteran's Foundation, Inc., informed
the committee that many veteran's organizations are involved in
HB 44. He stated that there are 80,000 veterans in the state,
some of whom veteran's organizations are not able to find and to
advise of their rights, benefits, and services because of the
present federal and state privacy laws that now restrict the
release of personal information. However, Alaska has a unique
vehicle to reach veterans via the PFD application. From the
information supplied by the PFD application, veteran's
organizations can obtain current addresses for veterans and
contact them about the benefits, particularly medical benefits,
that are due them for their sacrifice and service. Mr. Davidge
told the committee about Veteran's Aviation Outreach [(VAO)],
which is a group of private pilots who look for veterans that
may be isolated in villages and rural areas, in need of medical
care and other services. The pilots discovered that the level
of need was beyond what the volunteer group could meet. Mr.
Davidge explained that veteran's organizations in the state
searched for a way for the Department of Military & Veterans'
Affairs (DMVA) to locate and annually notify veterans of
services and benefits. His group also worked with the
governor's advisory council on veteran's affairs, legislators,
and the DMVA coordinator to address their concerns about how to
comply with confidentiality laws. He referred to substitute
language that was provided to the committee and suggested that
the new language be considered as a committee substitute. Mr.
Davidge concluded by saying that, in addition to enabling
veterans to benefit from the services that they have earned, the
bill will have an enormous positive impact to the economics of
the state.
1:12:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM asked whether the alternative language
was in the committee packet.
1:13:13 PM
MR. DAVIDGE stated that the language was sent on a document
titled "HB 44, House Committee Substitute."
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM stated that the committee does not have
the document and asked that it be faxed.
1:14:23 PM
RON SIEBELS, Representative, Alaska Military Order of the Purple
Heart, stated that this bill will help veteran's organizations
in the more populated areas that have more resources, contact
veterans who are living in remote areas. He expressed his
strong support for the bill.
1:15:07 PM
JOHN YOUMANS, Vice President, Alaska Veterans Business Alliance,
opined that HB 44 should be passed as soon as possible. He
related his experience working with veterans in Anchorage who
are not getting the medical care they need.
1:15:53 PM
JUAN GUERRERU, Member, Alaska Chapter of the Veterans of Modern
Warfare, expressed his belief that this is an important bill;
there are new veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan and
veteran's organizations do not have a way to locate them once
they have left the military.
1:16:32 PM
MR. DAVIDGE expressed his support of the idea of adding the
Alaska Territorial Guard to the request for information.
1:17:04 PM
TIM WHEELER, Secretary, Alaska Veterans Business Alliance,
stated that, through his business correspondence, he has met
many veterans who are not aware of the different outlets for
veterans available in the state. He opined that this bill will
be beneficial to all veterans in the state.
1:17:29 PM
KEVIN DAVID MCGEE, President, American Federation of Government
Employees Local 3028, expressed his support of the bill as a
means to communicate information to Alaska's veterans. He
observed that there are roughly 80,000 veterans in the state and
this is the largest population per capita nationally.
1:19:08 PM
DIANE BENSON informed the committee that she is the mother of a
wounded warrior and a member of the Anchorage Chamber of
Commerce Military Appreciation Committee. Ms. Benson,
testifying as an individual, expressed her support of HB 44.
She attempted to create a list of Alaskan veterans and related
how difficult it is to find veterans and ensure that they
receive their benefits and are acknowledged for their service.
In fact, her Vietnam War veteran uncle is disillusioned to the
point that he does not want to seek services. She said that
there is a certain outreach that needs to take place.
1:20:39 PM
MAURICE BAILEY, President, Chapter 903, Vietnam Veterans of
America, stated that he was also a Veteran's Aviation Outreach
pilot. He expressed his for support for HB 44 and said that it
is long overdue.
1:21:33 PM
PENNY FIERROS, Community Liaison, Veteran's Aviation Outreach,
told the committee that she has worked on airbases in the Bush
for 13 years and has observed the work that the VAO does. She
agreed with previous testimony about the difficulty of reaching
veterans who are living in rural areas and supported the work of
the VAO.
1:22:17 PM
DAVE GLENN, Member, Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 903;
Pilot, Veteran's Aviation Outreach, stated that he has been a
pilot for 33 years and can recall many instances of running
across misplaced veterans in the Bush. This bill is a step in
the right direction to locate and serve veterans, and he
encouraged its passage.
1:22:57 PM
TOM BAIRD, Member, Vietnam Veterans of America, expressed his
full support of the bill.
1:23:33 PM
GEORGE BENNETT SR., Vietnam Veteran, told the committee that he
believes that the bill needs the attention of the legislative
process, due to the fact that the state is big and it is hard to
contact veterans and put them on the rolls. Mr. Bennett
stressed that the bill is very important to veterans in the
state and Southeast Alaska.
1:26:14 PM
CHAIR ROSES closed testimony on HB 44 with the reservation that
the bill will be taken up again later in the meeting.
1:26:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH asked Mr. Davidge whether there has
been legal review of the amendment that his organization
submitted.
1:27:54 PM
MR. DAVIDGE explained that his organization removed the items
that were of concern to the governor's advisory council and the
staff of the DMVA.
1:28:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH asked whether Legislative Legal and
Research Services, Legislative Affairs Agency, has reviewed the
document.
1:28:22 PM
MR. DAVIDGE said no.
[HB 44 was addressed later in the hearing, when it was
ultimately amended and reported from committee.]
SJR 11-SUPPORTING U.S. VETERANS' HEALTH CARE
[Contains discussion of HB 44.]
1:28:25 PM
CHAIR ROSES announced that the next order of business would be
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 11, "Supporting federal funding for
veterans' health care and urging the United States Congress to
ensure adequate funding for veterans' health care."
1:28:45 PM
SENATOR BILL WIELECHOWSKI, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as
the sponsor, introduced SJR 11. Senator Wielechowski informed
the committee that the resolution urges the U. S. Congress to
provide adequate funding for veterans' health care. He
paraphrased from the resolution:
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
provides medical care for veterans who have risked
their lives to protect the security of the nation; and
the department provides a wide range of specialized
services to meet the unique needs of veterans,
including treatment and care for spinal cord injury,
blindness, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic
stress disorder, amputation injuries, mental health
and substance abuse, and conditions requiring long-
term care; in addition, the department trains health
care personnel, conducts medical research and serves
as backup to the U.S. Department of Defense, and
supporting communities in times of crisis.
Senator Wielechowski continued to explain that the office of
Veterans Affairs (VA) has been consistently underfunded. In
fact, the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) reported that
there is a lack of resources and staffing in the office to
process veteran's claims. Furthermore, funding lags behind
medical inflation and the increased demand for services; in
fact, the enrollment demand for services increased 134 percent
from FY 1996 to FY 2004. Senator Wielechowski pointed out that
the resolution fulfills two purposes: expresses the gratitude
of the Alaska State Legislature to veterans for their service;
and urges the U.S. Congress to ensure adequate funding for
veterans' health care.
1:31:06 PM
MAURICE BAILEY, President, Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter
903, stated his support for SJR 11 in order to take care of the
veterans.
1:31:55 PM
PENNY FIERROS, Community Liaison, Veteran's Aviation Outreach
(VAO), expressed her belief that it is important to pass SJR 11,
along with HB 44, in order to effectively reach veterans and
help them achieve their benefits.
1:32:31 PM
DAVE GLENN, Member, Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 903;
Pilot, Veteran's Aviation Outreach, expressed his support for
SJR 11. He informed the committee that he is a participant in
the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) medical system and,
although it does the best it can, there is room for improvement.
1:33:10 PM
TOM BAIRD, Vice President, Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter
903; Vice President, Veterans Aviation Outreach; Member,
Military Order of the Purple Heart, indicated his support for
SJR 11 in the hope that the funding for the VA can be made less
subjective and more objective and, thereby, make more assured
funding.
1:33:57 PM
GEORGE BENNETT SR., Vietnam Veteran, told of his opportunity to
travel to many communities in Southeast. While working with
veterans he has found that veterans share the same problems.
Although there are hospitals for Native veterans, the drawback
is that the veterans often need to go to Seattle or to Anchorage
for treatment. Mr. Bennett pointed out that local clinics can
not service victims of Agent Orange. He expressed his hope that
the bill will address the shortcomings of the health system that
serves Native veterans, and all veterans, statewide.
1:35:41 PM
DIANE BENSON informed the committee that she is a member of the
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Military Appreciation Committee,
but that she is testifying on her own behalf. She further
explained that her son was severely wounded in 2005, and that
she spent three and one-half months at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center with him. In addition, she has spent a great deal of
time communicating with other families of wounded warriors about
the special problems that they experience as they make the
transition from service into the VA health care system. Ms.
Benson noted that she is also in contact with VA officials. She
expressed her dismay at the necessity of SJR 11 and commended
those involved with its passage. Ms. Benson explained that
injuries from the war in Iraq are unique for two reasons: the
extent of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and "Iraq
infections." Iraq infections are ongoing problems caused by
bone fragments contaminated by sand and from Improvised
Explosive Devices (IEDs). She said that the infections warrant
continuing health care concerns for veterans and their families.
She suggested the addition to SJR 11 of "not limited to" on page
1, line [13], following "including." Her experience shows that
it is impossible to list all of the concerns and injuries that
are dealt with under the VA health care system. Ms. Benson
continued to say that PTSD is not being adequately diagnosed and
treated and additional funding will be needed to treat its wide
spread effects on veterans. She then reminded the committee
that assured funding is [the country's] obligation.
1:39:55 PM
RIC DAVIDGE, State Council President, Vietnam Veterans of
America; Chairman, Alaska Veteran's Foundation, Inc., stated
that all veteran's organizations are in agreement that the
process to fund veteran's health care needs to be changed.
Currently, veteran's health care funding is a component of the
Department of Defense construction budget. This process does
not provide the VA planners with reliable, sufficient, and
timely funding for facilities and medical care. Formula funding
for veteran's health care will be based on the number of
veterans enrolled and the number of those eligible. At this
time, there are seven million veterans enrolled; some receive
disability at their discharge from service and some disorders,
such as the effects of exposure to Agent Orange, and PTSD, show
up after discharge. Mr. Davidge opined that a structured system
will take the funding out of partisan control. He continued to
say that he is a critic of sending veterans out-of-state for
treatment that is available in Alaska, and he re-stated that
this bill is of the highest priority to all nine of the national
veteran's service organizations.
1:44:36 PM
JUAN GUERRERU, Member, Alaska Member, Chapter of the Veterans of
Modern Warfare; Family Ties Foundation, expressed his belief
that this resolution needs to pass as soon as possible to
support veterans.
1:45:06 PM
TIM WHEELER, Secretary, Alaska Veterans Business Alliance,
stated that his organization supports the immediate passage of
the resolution.
1:45:22 PM
KEVIN DAVID MCGEE, President, American Federation of Government
Employees Local 3028, expressed his support of SJR 11. He noted
that the lack of predictability and methodology in the VA Health
care process threatens to unravel the accomplishments of the
health care system. Mr. McGee stressed that VA health care must
be funded on a mandatory system based on the number of
enrollees. In 2008, appropriators proposed increased funding,
however, politics got in the way once again. Funding delays
cause many problems for veterans and for the medical facilities.
McGee pointed out that VA hospitals excel in many areas but
discretionary funding limits sufficient staffing and purchases
of necessary equipment. He re-stated his support of the passage
of SJR 11.
1:49:11 PM
JOHN YOUMANS, Vice President, Alaska Veterans Business Alliance,
expressed his organization's support of SJR 11. He related his
experience that shows that this bill is greatly needed.
1:49:36 PM
RON SIEBELS, Representative, Alaska Military Order of the Purple
Heart, expressed his support of SJR 11. He opined that this
[funding] is owed to the veterans in fairness.
1:50:13 PM
CHAIR ROSES closed public testimony and thanked the veterans and
their families for their service.
1:50:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM asked for the sponsor's reaction to the
addition suggested by Diane Benson.
1:51:27 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI stated that the statement is inclusive by
the words "and conditions requiring long-term care." However,
he said that he had no objection to the addition by the
committee.
1:51:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM agreed.
1:51:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked how to get veteran's health care to
villages and to the rural areas of the state.
1:52:24 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI responded that the state needs to continue
to put pressure on the federal government to fulfill its
responsibility to honor promises made to the military.
1:52:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report SJR 11, 25-LS0829\E,
out of committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying zero fiscal note. Hearing no opposition, SJR 11
was reported from the House Special Committee on Military and
Veterans' Affairs.
The committee took an at-ease from 1:52 p.m. to 1:56 p.m.
HB 44-VETERAN INFO ON PFD APPLICATIONS
[CHAIR ROSES turned the gavel over to Representative Dahlstrom.]
1:56:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM asked for comments from Representative
Guttenberg regarding the changes to HB 44 suggested by Mr.
Davidge.
1:57:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG stated that HB 44 requires the
collection of veteran's statements by the Department of Revenue
on the permanent fund dividend (PFD) application; this
information is then provided to the Department of Military &
Veterans' Affairs, and possibly to other veteran's
organizations. The proposed change prohibits the release of
information by the DMVA. He suggested that the question of
confidentiality can be addressed by the removal of the word
"not" from page 1, line 13, of the bill. Representative
Guttenberg opined that this change would require DMVA to
determine how to pass the needed information along through
regulation.
1:58:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH asked whether the sponsor accepted the
addition of "American" to line 6, after the words "is a."
1:59:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG said there was no problem with that
addition.
1:59:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM asked whether the addition of
"American" would exclude the application of a soldier who is not
a U.S. citizen.
1:59:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH opined that this does not define a
person as an American soldier and anyone would still qualify.
She continued to point out that the proposed change also deletes
the request for the branch of service and the dates of service.
2:01:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG confirmed that the branch of service
is part of the information released to the veteran's service
organizations.
2:01:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH asked Mr. Davidge why his suggested
change deletes the request for the branch of the service.
2:01:56 PM
MR. DAVIDGE responded that the highest priority is to identify
veterans. He opined that DMVA can determine how to qualify
their service.
2:02:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH stated her belief that the information
is voluntary and, if desired, the veteran can leave the branch
of service and dates of service blank. However, if the
interpretation is that this information is required, she said
that she understood the concern [of Mr. Davidge].
2:03:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG agreed that the additional information
is helpful to the organizations, but not required.
2:03:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked whether the additional information
requested is a disincentive for the veteran to indicate his or
her service.
2:04:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG opined that, once a veteran decides to
indicate service, he or she will complete the form.
2:05:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH observed that the additional
information will save an initial contact with the veteran.
2:05:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked whether a veteran of the military,
who is not an American citizen, would be considered an American
veteran.
2:07:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM pointed out that only an Alaskan
resident would be qualified to submit a PFD application.
2:07:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX opined that a person does not to be an
American citizen to apply for an Alaska PFD.
2:07:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG said that "Philippine veterans ... ."
2:07:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM asked representatives of the DMVA and
the DOR to testify.
2:07:56 PM
JERRY BURNETT, Director, Administrative Services Division,
Department of Revenue (DOR), clarified that a person does not
have to be a citizen of the United States to collect a PFD.
2:08:17 PM
MCHUGH PIERRE, Legislative Liaison, Office of the
Commissioner/Adjutant General, Department of Military &
Veterans' Affairs, suggested a change on page 1, line 6, that
would add "of the United States military" after the word
"veteran."
2:08:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM re-stated the suggested wording.
2:09:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked whether the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG)
is considered to be a branch of the military.
2:09:18 PM
MR. PIERRE answered that the USCG is part of the U. S.
Department of Homeland Security.
2:09:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX further asked whether USCG members are
veterans.
2:09:38 PM
MR. PIERRE noted that the answer to that question depends on the
date that the federal government made the transfer of the USCG
from the Department of Transportation to the Department of
Homeland Security.
2:09:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM advised that HB 44 is not the bill to
address the issue of whether USCG members are veterans.
2:10:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX expressed her concern that, if USCG
members are veterans, they also need to be contacted. However,
the proposed amendment may exclude them.
2:10:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH opined that "American veteran" will
define USCG members, but "United States military" does not. She
suggested that leaving "American veteran" reaches the most
individuals.
2:10:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM asked whether the committee will
support leaving the language unchanged and asking Mr. Pierre to
further examine the language in the next committee of referral,
the House State Affairs Standing Committee.
2:11:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH stated that the language in HB 44 is
inclusive. He opined that the proposed change encumbers the
state with more information than desired and needs to be
clarified by Legislative Legal and Research Services,
Legislative Affairs Agency. He expressed his desire to not
change the bill and encouraged a legal examination of the
language in the [proposed amendment].
2:12:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH pointed out that there is no committee
substitute, there is proposed language for an amendment that has
been submitted by an organization. She offered a conceptual
amendment for page 1, lines 11 to 12, to delete "not mandatory,"
and add "voluntary,".
2:14:01 PM
There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted.
2:14:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM referred to the confidentiality issue
and questioned the removal of the word "not."
2:14:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH opined that, when the request for
information is added to the PFD application, the information
becomes not confidential.
2:15:04 PM
MR. BURNETT informed the committee that all applicant
information on the PFD application is confidential, except for
the applicant's name. However, information is allowed to be
shared with governmental agencies for governmental purposes.
Therefore, not requiring the DMVA to keep this information
confidential is a departure from current practices.
2:15:48 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH surmised that, when the information
goes from a state agency to the veteran's organization, it is no
longer confidential. She asked whether the recipient of the
information can be required to maintain confidentiality.
2:16:12 PM
MR. PIERRE expressed his belief that the present language
mandates that the DMVA deliver the information to the veteran's
service organizations. A statement that says the information is
confidential, except for that, will cover the questions of
whether the information can be passed to any other governmental
organization or for another purpose.
2:16:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH observed that the Legislative Legal
and Research Services have suggested that the PFD application is
not confidential.
2:17:21 PM
MR. BURNETT stated that the Permanent Fund Dividend Division
(PFDD) is comfortable with this language because the giving of
the information is voluntary by statute.
2:17:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH expressed her agreement.
2:18:02 PM
MR. PIERRE suggested that the committee discuss the addition of
"Alaska Territorial Guard" to page 1, line 6, of the bill.
2:19:04 PM
CHAIR ROSES moved Conceptual Amendment 2; on page 1, line 6,
after the word "veteran," add "or Alaska Territorial Guard,".
2:19:19 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH objected and asked whether members of
the Alaska Territorial Guard are veterans; if so, she suggested
use of the word "including" instead of "or."
2:19:39 PM
CHAIR ROSES re-stated that the amendment is, after the word
"veteran," insert "including Alaska Territorial Guard,".
2:20:12 PM
There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 2 was adopted.
2:20:48 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH moved to report HB 44, as amended, out
of committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal notes. Hearing no objection, CSHB 44(MLV)
was reported out of the House Special Committee on Military and
Veterans' Affairs.
2:21:08 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 2:21 p.m.
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