03/08/2011 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB65 | |
| SB94 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 65 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 94 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
March 8, 2011
3:35 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Donald Olson, Chair
Senator Thomas Wagoner
Senator Albert Kookesh
Senator Linda Menard
Senator Johnny Ellis
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 65
"An Act making regional Native housing authorities eligible to
receive grants through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
from the senior citizens housing development fund."
- HEARD & HELD
SENATE BILL NO. 94
"An Act adding a second verse to the official Alaska state
song."
- MOVED SB 94 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 65
SHORT TITLE: SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING DEV. FUND GRANTS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) EDGMON, HERRON, FOSTER, JOULE
01/18/11 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/7/11
01/18/11 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/18/11 (H) CRA, FIN
02/01/11 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124
02/01/11 (H) Heard & Held
02/01/11 (H) MINUTE(CRA)
02/03/11 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124
02/03/11 (H) Moved Out of Committee
02/03/11 (H) MINUTE(CRA)
02/04/11 (H) CRA RPT 7DP
02/04/11 (H) DP: AUSTERMAN, DICK, SADDLER, FOSTER,
GARDNER, CISSNA, MUNOZ
02/16/11 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519
02/16/11 (H) Moved Out of Committee
02/16/11 (H) MINUTE(FIN)
02/18/11 (H) FIN RPT 11DP
02/18/11 (H) DP: FAIRCLOUGH, T.WILSON, GUTTENBERG,
GARA, JOULE, EDGMON, NEUMAN, DOOGAN,
02/18/11 (H) COSTELLO, STOLTZE, THOMAS
02/23/11 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
02/23/11 (H) VERSION: HB 65
02/24/11 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/24/11 (S) CRA, FIN
03/08/11 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
BILL: SB 94
SHORT TITLE: SECOND VERSE OF ALASKA'S STATE SONG
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) DAVIS
02/25/11 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/25/11 (S) CRA, STA
03/08/11 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE BRYCE EDGMON
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 65.
ELAINE MELLO, Recipient Project Manager
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 65.
SENATOR BETTYE DAVIS
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 94.
PAMELA MARSCH, Staff
Senator Bettye Davis
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Read the sponsor statement for SB 94.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:35:41 PM
CHAIR DONALD OLSON called the Senate Community and Regional
Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. Present
at the call to order were Senators Menard, Wagoner, Kookesh and
Chair Olson. Senator Ellis arrived shortly thereafter.
HB 65-SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING DEV. FUND GRANTS
3:36:18 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced the consideration of HB 65.
3:36:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BRYCE EDGMON, sponsor of HB 65, said this bill
adds the housing authorities into Title 18 [AS 18.55.996] to
directly participate in the Senior Citizens Housing Development
Fund (SCHDF) grants through the Alaska Housing Finance
Corporation (AHFC). This grant has, in the past, been available
to municipalities and not-for-profit corporations. HB 65 speeds
up the ability for AHFC to work with the housing authorities to
build senior housing units. He noted that the SCHDF grant is in
the budget for $4.5 million. HB 65 passed the House 38 to 0 and
there was no opposition to the bill in the House Community and
Regional Affairs Standing Committee or the House Finance
Standing Committee. The bill is also supported by AHFC, the
housing authorities, the Alaska Commission on Aging, and the
Association of American Retired Persons. He added that HB 65
comes with a zero fiscal note.
CHAIR OLSON asked what the housing authorities have been doing
in the mean time in order to address the senior housing issue.
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON answered that of the 14 housing
authorities, seven have gone through the process of forming not-
for-profit corporations in order to participate in this loan
program. HB 65 allows these additional seven housing authorities
to be directly eligible for the program. He said, in the mean
time, the housing authorities have been building senior housing
units using a range of funds, including the Denali Commission,
the United States Department of Agriculture, the Native American
Housing Assistance and the Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), and
others. This bill provides a more direct conduit between the
housing authorities and the housing grant through AHFC.
CHAIR OLSON asked what percentage of the funding for the grant
are state moneys and what percentage are federal moneys.
3:40:21 PM
ELAINE MELLO, Recipient Project Manager, Alaska Housing Finance
Corporation (AHFC), replied that this depends on the project.
She explained that the amount varies depending on how the
particular sponsor decides to structure the funding.
CHAIR OLSON asked what type of inhibition caused HB 65 to be
drawn up and put before the legislature.
MS. MELO replied that AHFC is trying to make it as easy as
possible for the regional housing authorities to access the
SCHDF. She explained that in the past these housing authorities
have been able to do this through developing either a 501(c)(3)
or 501(c)(4). This can be a fairly long and arduous process and
is an extra step to take in order to access this money.
3:42:58 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced he would hold HB 65 in committee.
SB 94-SECOND VERSE OF ALASKA'S STATE SONG
3:43:13 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced the consideration of SB 94.
3:43:27 PM
SENATOR BETTYE DAVIS, sponsor of SB 94, said this bill has come
before the Senate in previous years. She said that bringing SB
94 forward again is important because the second stanza of the
Alaska's Flag Song would identify the Native community.
3:44:32 PM
PAMELA MARSCH, Staff to Bettye Senator Davis, sponsor of SB 94,
said this bill would add a second verse to the Alaska's Flag
Song. It is a beautiful song that would recognize the Alaska
Natives and Benny Benson, who designed the state flag.
She read the following from the sponsor statement:
Similar bills have been introduced in the past. Last
year the Alaska's Flag Song was performed with both
versus as the Senate gaveled in on the first day of
session. Also, last year, the Senator from District G
introduced SB 43. It passed the Senate, but stalled in
the House.
This year is the year to join me in supporting a long
overdue addition of the second verse to the Alaska's
Flag Song. By passing this bill you will be
recognizing history, our progress as a state and our
first people.
CHAIR OLSON asked how this bill is different than the previous
bills brought to the legislature.
SENATOR DAVIS replied that SB 94 is no different than the
previous bills that have been brought forward. She explained
that the bill was stalled in the House last year because it had
an indeterminate fiscal note. In the past it has had a zero
fiscal note. She noted that at this point she has received only
positive feedback on the SB 94.
CHAIR OLSON asked how she plans to get it through the other
body.
SENATOR DAVIS replied by trying to get the bill over to the
House in time for plenty of opportunity for debate.
CHAIR OLSON asked if this bill passed the Senate unanimously
last year.
SENATOR DAVIS replied that everyone present voted for the bill.
3:48:05 PM
At ease from 3:48:05 p.m. to 3:48:19 p.m.
3:48:27 PM
SENATOR WAGONER moved to report SB 94 from the committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There
being no objections, SB 94 moved from committee.
3:48:54 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Olson adjourned the meeting at 3:48 p.m.
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