Legislature(2017 - 2018)GRUENBERG 120
03/09/2017 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Ak Veterans Advisory Council | |
| HB150 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 150 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
March 9, 2017
1:02 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Chris Tuck, Chair
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Vice Chair
Representative Justin Parish
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Dan Saddler
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Lora Reinbold
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: AK VETERANS ADVISORY COUNCIL
- HEARD
HOUSE BILL NO. 150
"An Act relating to pay, allowances, and benefits for members of
the organized militia."
- MOVED HB 150 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 150
SHORT TITLE: PAY, ALLOWANCES, BENEFITS FOR MILITIA MEM
SPONSOR(s): MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
03/01/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/01/17 (H) MLV, FIN
03/07/17 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/07/17 (H) Heard & Held
03/07/17 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
03/09/17 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
PAMELA BEALE, Chair
Alaska Veterans Advisory Council (AVAC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave an overview of the Alaska Veterans
Advisory Council.
PHILLIP HOKENSON, Member
Alaska Veterans Advisory Council (AVAC)
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke about veteran healthcare during the
overview of the Alaska Veterans Advisory Council.
SUELLYN WRIGHT NOVAK, Vice Chair
Alaska Veterans Advisory Council (AVAC)
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave an update of the Alaska Veterans
Museum during the overview of the Alaska Veterans Advisory
Council.
VERDIE BOWEN, Director of Veterans Affairs
Office of Veteran Affairs
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During the overview of the Alaska Veterans
Advisory Council (AVAC), offered remarks about the operations of
the council.
JAMES HASTINGS, Member
Alaska Veterans Advisory Council (AVAC)
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During the overview of the Alaska Veterans
Advisory Council, remarked on training and employment of
veterans.
RONALD SIEBELS, Member
Alaska Veterans' Advisory Council (AVAC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Talked about the Alaska Pioneer Homes
during the overview during the overview of the Alaska Veterans
Advisory Council.
BRIAN DUFFY, Director
Administrative Services Division
Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA)
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
150.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:02:09 PM
CHAIR CHRIS TUCK called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:02 p.m.
Representatives LeDoux, Parish, and Tuck were present at the
call to order. Representatives Spohnholz, Rauscher, and Saddler
arrived as the meeting was in progress.
^Presentation: AK Veterans Advisory Council
Presentation: AK Veterans Advisory Council
1:02:52 PM
CHAIR TUCK announced that the first order of business would be a
presentation by the Alaska Veterans Advisory Council.
1:03:19 PM
CHAIR TUCK invited council members present to introduce
themselves. They were: Robert "Ski" Marcinkowski (Fairbanks),
William Sorrells (Eagle River), Phillip Hokenson (Fairbanks),
Ronald Siebels (Anchorage), James Hastings (Wasilla), Steven
Williams (Juneau), Ronald Huffman (Nome), Irene Washington
(Bethel), Terrance Pardee (Haines), Gerald "Butch" Diotte
(Wasilla), Suellyn Wright Novak, Vice Chair (Eagle River), and
Pamela Beale Chair (Anchorage).
1:04:16 PM
PAMELA BEALE, Chair, Alaska Veterans Advisory Council (AVAC),
gave an overview of the council. She paraphrased from a
document [included in the committee packet], which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
The council consists of 13 members appointed by the
governor. One or more persons appointed to the
council will be from a veterans organization, one or
more persons from a state agency that manages programs
affecting veterans, and one or more persons from the
general public who are familiar with veterans issues.
The council advises the Department of Military and
Veterans Affairs and, through the governor, other
departments and agencies of the state on matters
concerning state veterans, their dependents, and their
survivors.
The council makes recommendations to the governor and
the Department concerning the needs of and benefits
for the state's veterans, for developing public and
private partnerships to meet those needs, for
providing information regarding veterans' benefits and
services, for improving recognition of state veterans,
and on other matters; and hold meetings and establish
committees and internal procedures as necessary and
appropriate to carry out its duties.
MS. BEALE listed some of AVAC's highlights since 2006: there is
now a flag signifying veteran status on the Alaska driver's
license and ID card; there are Purple Heart, gold star, and
disabled veteran license plates; [there is availability of]
education benefits for spouses and dependents of those who died
on active duty; AVAC now has a designated seat on the Alaska
Workforce Investment board (AWIB); and AVAC established a
pioneer home which currently houses 117 veterans. She noted
that AVAC has participated in several successful veteran summits
across the state. She added that AVAC now has a section on a
webpage for to allow the public to ask questions to the
committee through the Office of Veteran Affairs.
MS. BEALE explained that the committee plans to continue to
monitor the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare
agreement. She remarked, "We also know that as of August 7,
[2017], we will not have the Choice Program as it's been, so ...
[there] will be some changes going on." She indicated that the
council plans to consider VA benefits and any changes or
additions to state benefits.
1:07:50 PM
PHILLIP HOKENSON, Member, Alaska Veterans Advisory Council
(AVAC), gave an overview of veteran healthcare. He indicated
that he also works for the VA and has worked in the healthcare
arena with the Choice Program and with sharing agreements with
the tribal healthcare organizations throughout the state. He
stated that he does not know the status of the Choice Program
after August 7, 2017. He offered his understanding that when
the law came into effect, it fenced in the money for the VA and
forced the VA in Alaska to use the Choice Program to purchase
healthcare. He noted that there was trouble implementing the
program initially, but now the [VA] has acclimated to it. He
explained that the program is the primary method of purchasing
care from private healthcare providers throughout the state.
MR. HOKENSON noted that he is not sure what veteran healthcare
will look like after the funding runs out on August 7. He
offered that hometown integrated healthcare services - the folks
who know the veterans in Alaska and know the providers - will
still be directly interfacing with veterans and providers and
will be pushing out authorizations to community providers. He
offered his belief that contractors will be doing the back-end
work of paying the bills and completing the claim process. He
stated that although he is unsure of all the details, he is
confident the transition will be relatively painless.
1:10:15 PM
CHAIR TUCK asked how healthcare was funded before the Choice
Program was instituted.
MR. HOKENSON explained that the Choice Program is based on the
Alaska model [of funding]. Veteran healthcare in Alaska has a
small, primary care-focused footprint, with one major clinic: a
joint-venture hospital with the air force clinic at JBER and
other outpatient clinics in Fairbanks, Kenai, and Juneau. He
indicated that prior to the Choice Program, Alaska received
station funding, and there weren't "different lines." The
Choice Program came with certain stipulations for using the
funding. One stipulation was that the VA would be a secondary
payer when care was purchased in a community. He remarked,
"There was money that was basically fenced into that pot." He
relayed that there is still station funding; nothing has changed
regarding the purchase of urgent emergency care in Alaska, but
there is a different mechanism of funding.
1:12:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there is a call center for
"Vet's Choice" in Alaska.
MR. HOKENSON responded that the phone lines were recently
transitioned. He described that a call center had been brought
back into Alaska following a debacle with a contractor: TriWest
[Healthcare Alliance] did not understand the specifics of
healthcare within Alaska. He noted that the call center still
exists for purchasing care, and there is now a call tree. The
call tree goes through a regional call center to "free the hands
of front-line employees" who take as many as 60 phone calls a
day so that they can coordinate care.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for clarification on the call tree.
MR. HOKENSON explained that when someone calls the VA in Alaska,
he/she is most likely referred to a call center, which Mr.
Hokenson said he believes is in Walla Walla, [Washington].
Then, a phone operator directs the call to the appropriate
person, such as a nurse or provider. This process is more
efficient. He acknowledged that with implementing such changes,
there will be "some hiccups." He offered his understanding that
the VA has tried to reconcile any issues and fix problems.
1:14:51 PM
MS. BEALE stated that the council is working on five
resolutions. She indicated that the council will need help
implementing the resolutions.
1:15:32 PM
SUELLYN WRIGHT NOVAK, Vice Chair, Alaska Veterans Advisory
Council (AVAC), gave an update of the Alaska Veterans Museum.
She said that she is the Executive Director for the Alaska
Veterans Museum. She stated that the effort for a museum
started 16 years ago, and the museum will have been open for 6
years on April 17. She remarked, "It took 10 years to do a lot
of branding and [for] people to realize who and what we were and
what we were trying to do." The museum opened on Palm Sunday,
April 17, 2011. Since then, the museum has won many awards,
including: a Seymour Award from Visit Anchorage, for the best
community organization, and the Dena'ina Service Award from the
Downtown Partnership, for the best community team in Anchorage.
She stated that the museum raised $47,000 on the "Iron Dog"
raffle, which was the most successful non-profit partner that
the Iron Dog had ever had. She recounted:
If we sold 700 tickets, we were supposed to get about
$50,000. Well, we sold 800 tickets, but thanks to
somebody in Fairbanks stealing the second prize, we
kind of lost a little money. So, it is what it is.
MS. WRIGHT NOVAK explained that the museum has been active with
various support groups and service organizations. The museum is
working with the History Channel and PBS documentaries on a six-
part mini-series on the Aleutian campaign and the Alaska scouts,
and now the Discovery Channel is considering starting a similar
project. She stated that the funds for the 75th anniversary of
bombing at Dutch Harbor are being handled through [the museum's]
501(c)(3) status. The event will take place in Dutch Harbor, on
June 2-4, 2017, and the Discovery Channel and a Japanese film
crew are anticipated to present. She summarized that the museum
has been extremely active. She urged the committee to become
members and said, "It's the best $30 you'll ever spend. And
when you're in Anchorage, it's the best $3 you'll ever spend,
but that's why, you see, you need to be a member - then you
don't have to pay." She informed the committee that the museum
is in the Blue Marketplace Mall, on the corner of 4th Avenue and
D Street in Anchorage.
1:18:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how a visit to the Alaska Veterans
Museum fits into the typical itinerary of a traveler from the
Outside, who is visiting Southcentral Alaska.
MS. NOVAK responded that the museum has done a good job in
advertising and marketing "virtually everywhere." She stated
that the museum is a "desired destination for American Legion
Members," which gives the members benefits and gives the museum
visibility. She noted that in the summertime, the museum sees
up to 35 guests a day, but only sees 0 to 2 visitors per day in
the winter. However, the museum had 65 visitors on Iditarod
Saturday and received 71 extra donations, as she remarked,
"because we put a ladder out front so people could crawl up on
top to take pictures of the dogs."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for an explanation of how the
support of veterans and volunteers contributes to the mission of
the museum.
MS. NOVAK explained that it is an all-volunteer organization.
She noted that veterans support the museum the most. She
conveyed that the veteran service organizations ensure the
museum has funding. She said the museum does [apply for]
grants, but grants possible for a non-profit like the museum do
not cover operating funds; funding from such grants covers only
things like bringing up a traveling exhibit or building new
exhibits. She stated that the museum has received funding from
both the Atwood and Rasmussen foundations. She remarked, "For
the most part, it is our veterans that support us, so that's why
we are actively seeking your membership." She cited that
alaskaveterans.org is where one could apply on line.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER identified that he is already a member.
He asked what the physical plan is for the museum's exhibition
material and space.
MS. NOVAK answered that the museum has a very full, 1,433 square
foot, L-shaped room. She said, "If I were queen, I would take
over the entire mall down there, or at least that back end."
She explained that there might be a better plan: the museum is
investigating co-locating with the Alaska Aviation Museum to
share resources and expertise for museum studies and
conservation. She said the museum is actively pursuing co-
location and is developing the proposal. The draft proposal
will be available by April and signed by June. She aired her
hope to move to the Alaska Aviation Museum by the middle of
October.
1:22:40 PM
VERDIE BOWEN, Director of Veterans Affairs, Office of Veteran
Affairs, Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA),
stated that he provides administrative and financial support to
the [council]. He explained that he meets annually with the
council to review current state laws that provide benefits for
veterans and to review items of interest pointed out by
veterans, such as the driver's license identification passed by
Representative Saddler, which had been reviewed and supported by
the council. He noted that the board has supported different
issues with the Hmong [veterans]. He stated that the council is
good at researching and reviewing items of interest for
veterans, because council members are from communities all over
Alaska, which brings a veteran, area-specific expertise to the
council and to Alaska. He continued:
Sometimes it's hard ... to visualize what goes on
along the [Yukon-Kuskokwim] (YK) Delta unless you've
been out there. ... But if you ask Irene Washington,
she can tell you instantaneously some of the issues
that she faces within the Bethel region. You can do
the same thing with Ron Huffman, in Nome, which has a
whole different flavor of events. And then as you go
into Haines, you have other issues that the veterans
will be experiencing there, as well.
1:24:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX thanked Mr. Bowen for mentioning the Hmong
community. She asked what efforts are being made by AVAC or
Congress to make sure the Hmong [veterans] are getting the
benefits they were promised when they were fighting in the war
in Laos and Vietnam. She noted that the Hmong veterans haven't
been formerly acknowledged as veterans.
MR. BOWEN stated that the Hmong license plate was supported by
AVAC. He noted that last year, the council supported extending
the veteran status to the Hmong onto the driver's license in
recognition of the Hmong [veterans' service]. He stated that in
2012 and 2013, in Washington, D.C., his office worked to help
the Hmong [veterans] receive the rights of access to burial in
federal cemeteries. He noted that the bill has never made it
out of committees, but Senator Murkowski has brought the bill
forward several times. He said that those type of items are
brought back before the council each year. He offered that some
members of the council attend the Hmong memorial services held
in May each year.
1:26:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER listed many wars and conflicts that have
occurred since the Vietnam War. He asked if the Office of
Veteran Affairs can address the needs of veterans from more
recent conflicts. He asked if there is anything helping or
hindering the office from doing so.
MR. BOWEN explained that currently people serving in Iraq are
between the ages of 18 and 60, because the National Guard is a
frontline force; therefore, the office can't specify an age of
veteran. He stated that the biggest issue the office faces with
assisting returning veterans is that once a service member is
out of service, it is very hard to get back into the VA. He
said it is somewhat cyclic: After the Vietnam War, veterans
either did not seek care or were treated poorly when they did
seek care. Today, veterans are not treated poorly; they're
treated very well. He indicated the DMVA tries to reach out to
veterans with community events, but they often don't enroll. He
stated that each veteran has his/her own personal reason for not
enrolling.
MR. BOWEN recounted that he worked to get an individual into the
VA system for three years. This individual paid for a surgery
on his leg, which was injured in Iraq. After the individual got
into the program and received his disability, he remarked,
"Gosh, I wish I would have done that five years ago." Mr. Bowen
described that comments made today mirror those made after the
Vietnam War: veterans from current conflicts say all the people
in the VA are from the Vietnam war; Vietnam veterans used to say
all the people in the VA were World War II veterans. He stated
that those comments are not true - the ages of people in the VA
vary from young to old, just like in the military.
1:29:41 PM
MS. BEALE asked if AVAC members could ask questions.
CHAIR TUCK said, "Sure."
1:30:09 PM
JAMES HASTINGS, Member, Alaska Veterans Advisory Council,
identified that he has been part of the council since 2011 and
has seen a lot of good things happen. He said that things
change over time. He expressed that there has been some good
legislation, and more is forthcoming. The council has been able
to interface with the community and bring constituents' issues
to the legislature. He stated that the council has kept its
focus on the big picture, instead of being bogged down with
individual concerns which can be dealt with through other
systems. He explained that the council looks at the economic
stimulus of the Alaska veteran and the transitioning military.
He remarked:
We're still at a point where we import labor when we
have a work-ready labor force prepared to step out of
the uniform and go to work the next day. We work
closely with the Department of Labor [& Workforce
Development] at the state and the federal ... level.
We've been able to ... utilize a lot of the step
grants outside of just simply the union training.
MR. HASTINGS said the council has been fortunate in getting more
generous acceptance of military training for credit with the
[University of Alaska Anchorage] (UAA). He stated, "We have a
workforce." He noted that 268 veterans per month transition out
of some military component. The transition program at the Army
Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) meets weekly. About 30 percent
of attendees say that they "want" to stay in Alaska, but only
half of those "are going to" [stay]. He reported that when the
attendees are asked whether they would stay if they had job
training and could afford a home off-base, 70-80 percent say
they would stay. He emphasized the importance of state training
and employment program grants.
MR. HASTINGS reported that the Division of Employment Training
Services is working with the council on federal grants that help
identify needs of members of the military and match them with
employers. The employers make "pre-offers" in a process which
is similar to enlisting in the military and is familiar to the
veterans. He stated that this gives veterans the ability to
forecast and make plans. He expressed that having a seamless
transition is the goal; currently there is a break after
veterans get out of the military. They must decide where they
want to go to work and they must find home financing. Having a
job lined up ahead of time, gives the military the ability to
assuage unemployment, which is important to DoD.
1:34:38 PM
MR. HASTINGS acknowledged that homeless veterans need to be
taken care of, but not without first making the effort to
prevent veterans from getting to that point. He remarked:
Let's catch them in the uniform and say, "Hey, do you
want to be an Alaskan for the rest of your life?
Cause if you do, we've got a plan for you." And
that's what the state's doing right now through our
own funding and our federal funding.
MR. HASTINGS encouraged the committee to support any funding
that deals with transitional employment, training,
certification, and entrepreneurial [education]. He described
that funding that helps make that American citizen an Alaska
resident will lead to a greater Alaskan workforce. He stated
that exporting Alaska's income has been reversed in some
instances. He explained that there are now truck drivers who
drive for three weeks at a time in the Lower 48 but live in
Alaska. He reminded the committee that veterans and the
military are an economic impulse for the state.
1:35:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if "bumping up" military resumes
has helped employees.
MR. HASTINGS said it has helped. He stated that the onus has
been on the veteran to "speak civilian," but some companies have
reversed that and have human resources staff who can "speak
military." He noted that employers can overlook qualified
personnel by not understanding military keywords in a resume.
He expressed that veterans are also getting better at writing
civilian resumes. He remarked:
We had 37 people on the Point Thomson build that were
hand selected, still in uniform, that went through
selected [a] training program, and went to work
building Point Thomson, and we're starting again with
ConocoPhillips [Alaska, Inc.] on the next ramp up.
MR. HASTINGS added that he has told ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.
that the military can find and train as many people as needed
for the jobs.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER applauded Chair Tuck for the passage of a
bill for veteran preference for private employers. He asked
what things the committee could do to further help with job and
skill training for veterans.
MR. HASTINGS responded that the council will be encouraging UAA
with educational funding and the Technical Vocational Education
Program (TVEP). He spoke of leveraging funds by encouraging a
genuine acceptance of military training for credit. He asserted
that there must be an individual breakdown on capabilities and
potential.
1:38:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH thanked the council for its work. He
expressed that yesterday he introduced a bill which would direct
the state to learn to "speak a little bit of military" by
considering military experience in hiring and possibly allowing
military experience to substitute for a four-year degree. He
requested the council to work with him, review the bill, and
offer feedback.
MR. HASTINGS responded that the council would love to help craft
the bill language. He expressed that council members offer an
advantage because of their years of military experience at every
level. He remarked, "We want to be a part of this program. We
want to be able to ... look at it line for line." He requested
that the council be engaged in projects and ideas through
working with the Office of Veteran Affairs. He said he has seen
individuals who can build an entire city from the desert up, but
can't get a job at Lowes' for various reasons. He characterized
the bill [mentioned by Representative Parish] as good
legislation. He stated that he understands the fiscal issue and
the council is not looking for money, but he asked the committee
to consider economic drivers such as property tax breaks. He
explained that some resist such a tax break saying it would
"break the borough." He noted that the sum of such a tax break
is not even $10 million. He said that the return on investment
for that $10 million tax break results in veterans purchasing
homes and raising families in Alaska, which easily replaces the
funding.
1:41:11 PM
CHAIR TUCK informed the committee and council that
Representative Parish's bill would be heard in a week.
1:41:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ mentioned the need for universities to
be more welcoming institutions. She recalled that UAA was
recognized as a veteran-friendly institution. She asked if Mr.
Hastings still finds that to be true and asked if there are any
barriers that need to be addressed.
MR. HASTINGS stated that he doesn't hear complaints of
universities not working well with individuals, and he thinks
it's a good relationship. He offered his understanding that the
more generous a university is with its accreditation, the fewer
dollars come through. He asked Mr. Bowen how many complaints he
sees.
1:42:17 PM
MR. BOWEN said that the complaints received by his office are
generally from transitioning credits between schools, such as
from UAA to UAF. He explained that one university won't accept
coursework from another, when the courses have the same book and
syllabus.
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ noted that this is a problem with
having three separate accreditations. She explained that often
the courses aren't identical; they are "just different enough."
She stated that she is familiar with the kinds of complaints
regarding transferring. She asked if there are any concerns
about the admissions processes, support for veterans once
they've been admitted, or providing appropriate services to
current military students.
1:43:45 PM
MR. BOWEN responded the biggest issues are about counselors,
returns of phone calls, or financial departments, and the
complaints are not about the classroom side. He stated that
problems generally arise when processing government issue (GI)
bill payments and getting the proper documents from the
university back to the VA. He said that the Office of Veteran
Affairs has expanded Mercedes Angerman's job title [of program
coordinator] to add the state approving agency so that she can
help with the education process in the state to reduce some of
the issues between the university and the VA.
1:44:46 PM
CHAIR TUCK added that he serves on the trustee board for the
Alaska Electrical Apprenticeship School and is proud of the
"Helmets to Hardhats" program. He noted that even though the
program has been cut back, the program's standards still accept
military students. He said the program does recognize their [DD
Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty]
(DD214). He said although some [credits] are difficult to apply
to state licenses, the program applies a lot of the credit to
continuing their education to get a license. He stated that the
pillars of the program's motto are attitude, skills, and
knowledge. He described that the military personnel - both in
the Helmets to Hardhats program and outside of the program -
have the pillars well established. He expressed that within the
apprenticeship programs, military personnel tend to be the
leaders, foremen, and project managers immediately after
completing the program. He summarized that it's important to
have veterans' hiring preference and programs like these for
valuing military personnel's skills, teamwork, and ability to
adapt and make decisions.
1:46:30 PM
RONALD SIEBELS, Member, Alaska Veterans' Advisory Council
(AVAC), noted that he has previously worked with many of the
committee members. He congratulated the committee for their
support of veterans. He said that other states' veterans do not
get support from their legislatures. He remarked, "In Alaska,
we do have ears that listen."
MR. SIEBELS explained that he also serves on the Alaska Pioneer
Home Advisory Board. He requested the committee spend time in
the Alaska Pioneer Homes, which house veterans. He said that
the veterans in the Alaska Pioneer Homes don't say a lot, they
don't complain a lot or make phone calls, but they care. He
asked the committee to talk to the residents and veterans in
Alaska Pioneer Homes. He expressed that the Alaska Pioneer
Homes are important for the state of Alaska; they are a much-
needed asset. He expressed his wish for more homes and more
money to fund staff. He said Alaska Pioneer Homes give Alaska a
good name. He urged the committee to do anything it can to help
the Alaska Pioneer Homes.
1:48:37 PM
MS. BEALE stated all the council members have a passion for
military. She thanked the committee for its time.
1:49:12 PM
CHAIR TUCK thanked AVAC for its service, dedication, and
volunteerism.
1:49:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what the committee could do for
AVAC that would be the most beneficial.
1:49:33 PM
MS. BEALE answered that committee members consideration of
AVAC's resolutions would be the most beneficial. She stated
that having support to take a bill or resolution forward would
help veterans. She remarked, "It may not be ... something of
dollar value, but it's a value to each of us as a veteran, and
each of the military members."
1:50:43 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 1:51 p.m. to 1:59 p.m.
HB 150-PAY, ALLOWANCES, BENEFITS FOR MILITIA MEM
1:58:49 PM
CHAIR TUCK announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 150, "An Act relating to pay, allowances, and
benefits for members of the organized militia."
CHAIR TUCK stated that HB 150 would authorize the same pay
allowance and benefits for the organized militia, whether they
are called into state active duty by the governor or adjutant
general, or called to serve under federal active duty by the
president.
1:59:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER stated that he protests the bill being
introduced as a committee bill. He said he thinks it is a good
bill, he appreciates the indeterminate fiscal note, but he has
some questions about the costs.
CHAIR TUCK reviewed the costs of HB 150. He explained that
without knowing what natural disasters may happen in the future,
determining set costs is difficult. He stated that the
department detailed the costs of the 2015 "Sockeye Fire" under
the current system, which required classification of all
activities performed by any member of the organized militia
under a call by the governor. The classification and payment
are based on what other employees across the state get paid. He
explained that an individual may be on as many as eight
different pay scales in one day under the current system. He
expressed that HB 150 would simplify the payments for the
department. He detailed that under the current system, the cost
of [the Sockeye Fire] was $30,681.93, while under the new
system, [the cost of the Sockeye Fire would have been]
$31,046.33.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for clarification on whether the
pay listed on the "Sockeye Fire Spreadsheet" [included in the
committee packet] is per hour or per day.
CHAIR TUCK answered that it is per day.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted that according to the spreadsheet,
a corporal with 11 or more years of service would make $17 more
per day under the current system.
2:02:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ explained that the difference in total
salary paid under the current system and the proposed system in
HB 150 for the 2015 Sockeye Fire is a net increase of $364.40.
She noted that the calculation does not account for the
administrative cost-savings of the service members and
department staff calculating multiple changes in work duty. She
offered her intuition that the costs would result in a "net
zero" after accounting for "the administrative simplicity that
would be implemented."
2:03:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER mentioned to "always label your numbers."
He asked what the column header in the spreadsheet, labeled
"What if 4+ years" means.
CHAIR TUCK offered his understanding that "years" refers to the
years of experience per individual. He asked Mr. Brian Duffy if
that is correct.
2:03:56 PM
BRIAN DUFFY, Director, Administrative Services Division,
Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA), confirmed
Chair Tuck was correct.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER again asked if the aforementioned column
header assumes four years of service "in that rank."
MR. DUFFY answered that is correct. He stated that a captain at
grade O-3 in military vernacular, who had over 11 years of
service, would receive the rate listed in the top column based
on rank and experience.
2:04:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH expressed that HB 150 is a good bill that
lifts an administrative burden from the state and individual
service members, who have "better things to be doing than
checking their watches before and after fighting a fire to
estimate the amount of time that they're spending on a given
task." He stated that he supports the bill. He thanked the
chair for being gracious and "sharing the credit" by making the
bill a committee bill.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER commented that HB 150 is indexed to the
federal pay levels: If there is an increase in salary for a
certain range across all the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD),
then the pay would also be increased in the state salaries.
2:05:48 PM
CHAIR TUCK responded that is correct. He offered his experience
that as a foreman, keeping time for all the different duties on
a construction jobsite required a lot of time to document
paperwork and took away from his time supervising the work. He
speculated that the department would be more efficient without
the detailed time cards and variable pay scales.
2:06:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved to report HB 150 out of House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, HB 150 was moved from committee.
2:07:27 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 2:07 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| AK Veterans Advisory Council 3.7.17.pdf |
HMLV 3/9/2017 1:00:00 PM |
Alaska Veterans Advisory Council |