02/04/2010 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB291 | |
| HB292 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 291 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 292 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
February 4, 2010
1:01 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Carl Gatto, Chair
Representative John Harris
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Tammie Wilson
Representative Robert L. "Bob" Buch
Representative Scott Kawasaki
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Jay Ramras
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 291
"An Act relating to the issuance of state-guaranteed revenue
bonds by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to finance
mortgages for qualifying veterans; and providing for an
effective date."
- MOVED HB 291 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 292
"An Act relating to grants to victims of a disaster in this
state; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED HB 292 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 291
SHORT TITLE: GUARANTEED REVENUE BONDS FOR VETERANS
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR
01/19/10 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/10 (H) MLV, STA, FIN
02/02/10 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
02/02/10 (H) Heard & Held
02/02/10 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
02/04/10 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
BILL: HB 292
SHORT TITLE: GRANTS TO DISASTER VICTIMS
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR
01/19/10 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/10 (H) MLV, STA, FIN
02/02/10 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
02/02/10 (H) Heard & Held
02/02/10 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
02/04/10 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
DAN FAUSKE, CEO/Executive Director
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC)
Department of Revenue (DOR)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Re-visited HB 291 on behalf of the Alaska
Housing Finance Corporation and the governor.
MICHAEL O'HARE, Deputy Director
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM)
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA)
Fort Richardson, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Re-visited HB 292 on behalf of the
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs and the governor.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:01:58 PM
CHAIR CARL GATTO called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:01 p.m. Present at
the call to order were Representatives Buch, Kawasaki, Tammie
Wilson, and Gatto. Representatives Harris and Lynn arrived as
the meeting was in progress.
HB 291-GUARANTEED REVENUE BONDS FOR VETERANS
1:02:30 PM
CHAIR GATTO announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 291, "An Act relating to the issuance of state-
guaranteed revenue bonds by the Alaska Housing Finance
Corporation to finance mortgages for qualifying veterans; and
providing for an effective date."
1:02:44 PM
DAN FAUSKE, CEO/Executive Director, Alaska Housing Finance
Corporation (AHFC), Department of Revenue (DOR), informed the
committee that he met with Representatives Kawasaki and Petersen
to answer their questions.
1:04:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TAMMIE WILSON moved to report HB 291 out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 291 was reported out
of the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs
as written.
HB 292-GRANTS TO DISASTER VICTIMS
1:04:47 PM
CHAIR GATTO announced that the second order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 292, "An Act relating to grants to victims of a
disaster in this state; and providing for an effective date."
1:06:50 PM
MICHAEL O'HARE, Deputy Director, Division of Homeland Security
and Emergency Management (DHS&EM), Department of Military &
Veterans' Affairs (DMVA), summarized HB 292. The concept of the
bill proposes an increase in the maximum assistance grant that
the governor can provide to individual victims of a state
declared disaster. A $5,000 maximum amount has been in effect
for over 20 years and the intent of the bill is to modernize the
amount and make the assistance more appropriate to today's
economy. A multi-agency task force studied the grant amount and
recommended an increase to one-half of the federal individual
assistance amount that is based on the consumer price index.
Mr. O'Hare explained that one-half of the federal individual
assistance amount is currently approximately $15,000. He
reminded the committee that his office requires an extensive
victim's application process including interviews and
verifications [in order to qualify for a grant]. In addition,
applicants must verify that they cannot recover from the loss
and do not have insurance, and they must provide receipts for
grant expenditures.
1:09:29 PM
CHAIR GATTO said the fiscal note indicates that the grant
appropriations for 2012 to 2016 would total $900,000 per year.
He asked for the anticipated number of events and the number of
grant recipients.
MR. O'HARE explained that the amounts on the fiscal note are
speculative because no one knows how many disasters will happen;
however, the average is about two per year. In addition, state
disasters are the ones that do not warrant a federal disaster
declaration, thus are smaller in scope. The proposal in the
bill would also help those who are not located in a federally
declared disaster area, as was the case in the 2009 spring
floods where some victims were devastated, but their community
did not qualify for federal aid and state aid was limited to up
to $5,000 per individual.
1:10:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH advised that the concerns he expressed at
the previous hearing were resolved.
1:12:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI requested a further explanation on the
use of the grant funds. He said, "I just want to ensure that if
we're, in fact, saying that this is going to go to victims of
disasters, that it gets directly to them ... rather than being
circulated around to another agency."
1:13:18 PM
MR. O'HARE clarified that when a disaster is declared, a
disaster relief fund provides for the two elements of a
disaster: response and recovery. Teams of disaster assistance
staff go out to the affected communities to assess the damages
and determine the approximate amount of money that will be
needed for individuals and for safety-of-life response costs,
which can include reimbursing the Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) for hazardous materials mitigation or the
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) for community
work. The subject today is on the other aspect which is the
amount the state can provide to individuals "to help them
recover." He assured the committee, "every dollar that we
estimate to go to those individuals, goes to those individuals."
1:14:48 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI surmised that there is one fund from
which to draw the requested increments.
1:15:10 PM
MR. O'HARE re-stated that the fiscal note is purely speculative
regarding the amount and the number of people that could be
affected. As a disaster happens, his department would request
through the legislature disaster relief funds to help with the
specific disaster. The department is asking to increase the cap
for the recovery aspect, up to $15,000 for qualified applicants.
1:16:09 PM
CHAIR GATTO asked whether unspent money from one fiscal year
rolls over into the next fiscal year.
MR. O'HARE said yes. In further response to Chair Gatto, he
pointed out that prior to this past spring's disaster, there was
$10 million in the fund that was utilized for individual
disaster assistance and to pay 25 percent of the cost of federal
assistance as required by federal statute.
1:17:05 PM
CHAIR GATTO asked what would happen if there were more
applicants than money.
1:17:18 PM
MR. O'HARE responded that the money would be apportioned or a
request would be made to the legislature for more money. In
further response to Chair Gatto, he said the department could
borrow "if we've under-spent [on] that [disaster] to another
one." However, the department does not request funds each year,
but it is up to the legislature to forward fund the disaster
relief fund. During each disaster, if the costs exceed $1
million, the department is required to come to the legislative
leadership and estimate the expenditures for response, recovery,
and if applicable, the 25 percent portion due the federal
government. In further response, he stated that the fund could
not go "in debt" because the department is required to have
those funds available, especially in a federally declared
disaster when the state is responsible for 25 percent.
1:18:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH observed that when a disaster occurs during
a legislative session, the fund is approved by a supplemental
budget; however, during the interim, the request goes to the
president of the Senate and the speaker of the House.
Historically, the House Special Committee on Military and
Veterans' Affairs has been asked to acknowledge the request.
1:20:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS moved to report HB 292 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 292 was reported from the
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs as
written.
1:20:18 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 1:21 p.m.
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