Legislature(1993 - 1994)
02/08/1994 09:30 AM Senate FIN
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
MINUTES
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
February 8, 1994
9:30 a.m.
TAPES
SFC-94, #19, Side 2 (end-000)
CALL TO ORDER
Senator Drue Pearce, Co-chair, convened the meeting at
approximately 9:30 a.m.
PRESENT
In addition to Co-chairs Pearce and Frank, Senators Sharp,
and Kerttula were present. Senators Kelly and Rieger joined
committee after the meeting was in progress. Senator Jacko
was absent.
ALSO ATTENDING: Representative Eldon Mulder, sponsor of HB
137; Representative Terry Martin; Thomas C. Williams,
Director, Permanent Fund Dividend Division, Department of
Revenue; Richard Collum, Executive Director, Parole Board,
Department of Corrections; Karl Luck, Director, Division of
Occupational Licensing, Department of Commerce & Economic
Development; and Mike Greany, Director, Legislative Finance
Division; and aides to committee members and other members
of the legislature.
SUMMARY INFORMATION
CSHB 137(JUD): An Act authorizing special medical parole for
terminally ill prisoners.
Representative Eldon Mulder, sponsor of HB
137, testified in support of CSHB 137(JUD).
Discussion was held between Co-chairs Pearce
and Frank regarding who would determine the
terminally ill inmates. The bill was
REPORTED OUT of committee with a "do pass"
and three zero fiscal notes from the
Department of Administration, #1631 and #43,
and the Department of Corrections.
HB 144: An Act relating to fees for certain costs of
administering the permanent fund dividend
program.
Thomas C. Williams, Director, Permanent Fund
Dividend Division, Department of Revenue,
testified in support of HB 144.
Representative Terry Martin later joined him
and answered questions from the committee.
Discussion was held by Senators Frank and
Kelly regarding attachments and assignments
of PFDs. The bill was REPORTED OUT of
committee with individuals recommendations
and a zero fiscal note from the Department of
Revenue.
SCSHB 294 An Act extending the termination date of the
Board
(L&C): of Pharmacy; and providing for an effective
date.
Testimony was heard in support of SCSHB
294(L&C) by Karl Luck, Director, Division of
Occupational Licensing, Department of
Commerce & Economic Development. Co-chair
Pearce questioned Mr. Luck regarding the
Pharmacy Board. The bill was REPORTED OUT of
committee with a "do pass" and a zero fiscal
note from the Department of Commerce &
Economic Development.
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 137(JUD):
An Act authorizing special medical parole for
terminally ill prisoners.
CO-CHAIR PEARCE announced that CSHB 137(JUD) was before
committee and invited Representative Mulder, sponsor of the
bill, to join the committee at the table.
REPRESENTATIVE MULDER said that HB 137 was the product of
the Alaska Sentencing Commission's recommendations to the
legislature, and a cooperative effort between the Department
of Corrections, the Parole Board, and himself. The bill is
a cost avoidance measure intended to save the Department of
Correction and hence, the state, a considerable amount of
money in the future. It relates to special medical parole
for terminally ill prisoners. The Department of Corrections
is responsible for inmates' medical costs as long as they
are in custody. Covering health costs is a serious
financial burden particularly when a terminal illness is
involved. Once paroled, the medical costs could be picked
up by Medicare or Medicaid, easing the burden on the
Department of Corrections and the state. This bill would
allow the parole board when appropriate to grant special
medical parole for terminally ill patients. It contains
certain criteria the board must follow before parole can be
granted. It must be determined that the prisoner is
suffering from the terminal illness, a reasonable
probability exists that the prisoner will not violate any
laws or conditions imposed by the board, and finally, the
prisoner will not pose a threat to society and that the
release of the prisoner will not diminish the severity of
the crime. Passage of this bill should save the state of
Alaska a substantial amount of money in the future and urged
the committee to support HB 137. He said that
representatives from the Department of Corrections and the
Sentencing Commission were present and welcomed questions
from the committee.
In answer to Co-chair Pearce, Representative Mulder said the
Parole Board would determine a "terminally ill" inmate with
strict and limited definitions. Co-chair Pearce pointed out
that this might effect more than just elderly prisoners.
In answer to Co-chair Frank, Representative Mulder urged the
committee to remember all the conditions that will be
considered, and that the person suffering from such an
illness carries with him a tremendous medical cost to the
state. In addition, the factors outlined (specifically, to
not diminish the severity of the crime or to not pose a
threat to society) limits the scope of the usage of HB 137.
In answer to Co-chair Pearce, Representative Mulder informed
the committee the inmates paroled could go home or to other
medical facilities where costs could be picked up by
Medicare or Medicaid.
SENATOR KERTTULA asked what would happen if, after a period
of time, the inmate was no longer considered terminally ill.
RICHARD COLLUM, Executive Director, Parole Board, Department
of Corrections, assured the committee that if an illness was
turned around that would not be reason enough to
reincarcerate the prisone but if any of the other parole
conditions were violated, the board would put the parolee
back into prison.
In answer to Co-chair Pearce, Mr. Collum, although not a
medical professional, believed that Alzheimer's disease was
considered a terminal illness.
SENATOR SHARP MOVED for passage of CSHB 137(JUD) from
committee with individual recommendations. No objections
being raised, CSHB 137(JUD) and three zero fiscal notes from
the Department of Administration, #1631 and #43, and the
Department of Corrections, was REPORTED OUT of committee.
Co-chairs Pearce and Frank, Senators Rieger, Kerttula, and
Sharp signed the committee report with a "do pass"
recommendation.
HOUSE BILL NO. 144:
An Act relating to fees for certain costs of
administering the permanent fund dividend program.
Co-Chair Pearce announced that HB 144 was before committee
and invited Thomas C. Williams, Director, Permanent Fund
Dividend Division, Department of Revenue, to join the
committee at the table. She explained the only reason HB
144 was brought back to Senate Finance from Senate Rules
Committee was a new Department of Revenue fiscal note.
THOMAS C. WILLIAMS said the fiscal note changed due to the
estimate of the amount of revenues that would be received
assuming a $2 fee would be adopted instead of a $5 fee on
which the original fiscal note was based.
In answer to Co-chair Frank, Mr. Williams said that the
original estimate only covered the staff cost for processing
the applications.
At this time Co-chair Pearce invited Representative Martin
to join Mr. Williams at the table.
Co-chair Frank commented that he was encouraged that the fee
was as low as $2 in estimating processing costs.
REPRESENTATIVE MARTIN added that HB 144 would allow the
recipients of the money, pay for the work involved.
In answer to Co-chair Frank, Mr. Williams explained that
last year the estimated cost of processing attachments and
assignments was approximately $60.0, not including data
processing time. Since they felt $1 fee would not cover the
costs, a $2 was chosen as a even fee that would
approximately cover costs. Mr. Williams said that the costs
are now shown as administrative fees.
Discussion was held between Co-chair Frank, Senator Kelly
and Mr. Williams regarding false assignments and
attachments.
CO-CHAIR FRANK MOVED for passage of HB 144 from committee
with individual recommendations. No objections being
raised, HB 144 and a zero fiscal note from the Department of
Revenue was REPORTED OUT of committee. Co-chairs Pearce and
Frank, Senators Kelly, Rieger, and Sharp signed the
committee report with a "do pass" recommendation. Senator
Kerttula signed no recommendation.
SENATE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 294(L&C):
An Act extending the termination date of the Board of
Pharmacy; and providing for an effective date.
Co-Chair Pearce announced that SCSHB 294(L&C) was before
committee and invited Karl Luck, Director, Division of
Occupational Licensing, Department of Commerce & Economic
Development, to join the committee at the table.
KARL LUCK testified in support of SCSHB 294(L&C) extending
the Board of Pharmacy's term to 1999. In answer to Co-chair
Pearce, he said that the total number of pharmacists was
approximately 549, and that fees have been increased to $180
for each pharmacist and $200 for each pharmacy. These new
fees will begin to be collected as of June 1994.
SENATOR KELLY informed the committee that the L&C committee
substitute was a result of an audit that recommended
extending terms to ten years of those non-controversial
boards and commissions. Mr. Luck pointed out that the
boards at ten-year terms were staggered. Senator Kelly
explained that the SCSHB 294(L&C) set the Pharmacy board
with a six-year term.
Co-chair Pearce noted that the audit recommended revising
the statutes as they have not kept pace with the practice of
pharmacy. Senator Kelly informed the committee that those
recommendations by the auditors were being taken care of
administratively and did not require legislation. Mr. Luck
said that the pharmacy board is working diligently on
updating their statutes and regulations but did not believe
that would be accomplished this session. In answer to Co-
chair Pearce, Mr. Luck said that the pharmacy board was a
five-member board.
Senator Kelly MOVED for passage of SCSHB 294(L&C) from
committee with individual recommendations. No objections
being raised, SCSHB 294(L&C) was REPORTED OUT of committee
with a zero fiscal note from the Department of Commerce &
Economic Development. Co-chairs Pearce and Frank, Senators
Kelly, Kerttula, Rieger, and Sharp signed the committee
report with a "do pass" recommendation.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:10 a.m.
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