02/06/2024 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

Senate CRA 02/06/2024 13:37

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Audio	Topic
01:37:27 PM	Start
01:38:04 PM	SJR13
01:44:20 PM	Adjourn

* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled

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+=	SJR 13	AMEND ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT	TELECONFERENCED
		Moved SJR 13 Out of Committee
		-- Public Testimony --
+		Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled	TELECONFERENCED

pdf txt

ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE SENATE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE February 6, 2024 1:37 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Forrest Dunbar, Chair Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson Senator Jesse Bjorkman MEMBERS ABSENT Senator Donald Olson, Vice Chair Senator Cathy Giessel COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13 Encouraging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to pass and sign legislation amending the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to release certain land held in trust back to affected Alaska Native village corporations. - MOVED SJR 13 OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION BILL: SJR 13 SHORT TITLE: AMEND ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) DUNBAR 01/26/24 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

01/26/24 (S) CRA 02/01/24 (S) CRA AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) 02/01/24 (S) Heard & Held 02/01/24 (S) MINUTE(CRA) 02/06/24 (S) CRA AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) WITNESS REGISTER MARJORIE MERRY, President Baan O Yeel Kon Corporation Fairbanks, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SJR 13. ACTION NARRATIVE 1:37:27 PM CHAIR FORREST DUNBAR called the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:37 p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Gray-Jackson, Bjorkman, and Chair Dunbar. SJR 13-AMEND ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT 1:38:04 PM CHAIR DUNBAR announced the consideration of SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13 Encouraging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to pass and sign legislation amending the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to release certain land held in trust back to affected Alaska Native village corporations. This is the second hearing of SJR 13 in the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee. The intention is to open public testimony and move SJR 13 from the committee. 1:38:36 PM CHAIR DUNBAR opened public testimony on SJR 13. 1:39:12 PM MARJORIE MERRY, President, Baan O Yeel Kon Corporation (BOYK), Fairbanks, Alaska, stated BOYK is the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) corporation for the federally recognized tribe of Rampart Village, where she is a tribal member. Initially, Rampart Village enrolled 174 individuals. It now has over 200 shareholders, many of whom still reside there. The Rampart Village Council governs the community, maintaining essential services like the power plant, washeteria, school, health clinic, communications equipment, road service, landfill, and all the other services a typical municipality would assume. MS. MERRY stated that BOYK supports the Rampart Village Council in enhancing its community's health, safety, and well-being, as all shareholders are tribal members. She described the location of BOYK-selected lands and noted that sec. 14(c)(3) of ANCSA has been problematic since its passage. BOYK has always supported Rampart, but most village lands are far outside the city center. She said that 50 years ago, it was difficult for the village to anticipate future municipal land needs. As a result, the selection of sec. 14(c)(3) ANCSA lands was not completed. Instead of providing land through the Municipal Land Trust (MLT) model, BOYK has opted to lease lands directly to the council or transfer deeds via quitclaim. 1:41:11 PM MS. MERRY recounted that recently, BOYK quitclaimed ten acres to the Rampart Village Council for a new landfill, a critical community need. She said that BOYK attempted to transfer land into the Municipal Land Trust, but MLT rejected the application. While BOYK wishes to comply with all the terms of ANCSA, it has a duty to support its shareholders and community. She described land processing delays due to an understaffed and underfunded MLT program, emphasizing that it takes MLT years to accept land selections into the trust. She opined that the management of MLT has been one of the major impediments to rural Alaska's economic development. MS. MERRY urged full consideration of SJR 13 and thanked the chair for bringing it before the legislature. 1:43:06 PM CHAIR DUNBAR closed public testimony on SJR 13. CHAIR DUNBAR solicited the will of the committee. 1:43:29 PM SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to report SJR 13, work order 33- LS1205\B, from committee with individual recommendations and any attached fiscal note(s). 1:43:47 PM CHAIR DUNBAR found no objection and SJR 13 was reported from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee. 1:43:51 PM At ease. 1:44:06 PM CHAIR DUNBAR reconvened the meeting. 1:44:20 PM There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Dunbar adjourned the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting at 1:44 p.m.

Document Name	Date/Time	Subjects
SJR 13 Fiscal Note.pdf	SCRA 2/6/2024 1:30:00 PM	SJR 13

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