02/23/2010 02:30 PM Senate FINANCE

                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                     February 23, 2010                                                                                          
                         2:32 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:32:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman called the Senate Finance Committee                                                                            
meeting to order at 2:32 p.m.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair                                                                                                 
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice-Chair                                                                                             
Senator Johnny Ellis                                                                                                            
Senator Dennis Egan                                                                                                             
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
Senator Joe Thomas                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Joe Paskvan, Sponsor.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB 159    WORKERS' COMPENSATION FUNERAL EXPENSES                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
          SB 159  was REPORTED out  of Committee with  a "do                                                                    
          pass" recommendation  and with a new  zero note by                                                                    
          the    Department   of    Labor   and    Workforce                                                                    
          Development.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SB 163    MAXIMUM BENEFIT FROM FISHERMEN'S FUND                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
          SB 163  was REPORTED out  of Committee with  a "do                                                                    
          pass" recommendation  and with  a new  fiscal note                                                                    
          by   the  Department   of   Labor  and   Workforce                                                                    
          Development and a new zero  note by the Department                                                                    
          of Fish and Game.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SB 199    MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR DENTURES                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
          SB 199  was REPORTED out  of Committee with  a "do                                                                    
          pass" recommendation  and with a new  zero note by                                                                    
          the Senate Finance Committee and a previously                                                                         
          published fiscal note: FN2 (HSS).                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 159                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act increasing the maximum funeral expenses                                                                            
     payable as a workers' compensation death benefit; and                                                                      
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:33:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman provided  history  of  the legislation  in                                                                    
committee  and pointed  to additional  information requested                                                                    
from  the  department  on  February  11 in  the  form  of  a                                                                    
February 18 letter from Commissioner  Bishop. He referred to                                                                    
the zero note.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  MOVED to  report SB  159 out  of Committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SB  159 was  REPORTED  out  of Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation and  with a new  zero note by  the Department                                                                    
of Labor and Workforce Development.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 163                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An   Act  increasing   the   allowances  for   injury,                                                                    
     disability,   or   heart   attack  payable   from   the                                                                    
     fisherman's  fund;  and   providing  for  an  effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:34:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman provided an overview  of the legislation in                                                                    
committee. Additional information  requested at the February                                                                    
8 hearing  was in the packet.  He referred to the  zero note                                                                    
from  the Department  of Fish  and Game,  and a  fiscal note                                                                    
from  the  Department  of Labor  and  Workforce  Development                                                                    
estimating an  additional $63.7 thousand in  claims from the                                                                    
Fisherman's Fund. He noted that  the fund was able to absorb                                                                    
the increase.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson expressed  concerns  regarding Alaska  Native                                                                    
health system  beneficiaries, who  pay into  the Fisherman's                                                                    
Fund but are unable to take advantage of it.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR JOE  PASKVAN, SPONSOR, replied that  the fund helped                                                                    
those  without   other  coverage   available  to   them.  He                                                                    
acknowledged an  inherent unfairness  but reported  that the                                                                    
measure  was  intended  to  cover  people  with  no  medical                                                                    
coverage.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  MOVED to  report SB  163 out  of Committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SB  163 was  REPORTED  out  of Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation and with a new  fiscal note by the Department                                                                    
of Labor  and Workforce Development  and a new zero  note by                                                                    
the Department of Fish and Game.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 199                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act providing for a two-year funding cycle for                                                                         
     medical assistance coverage for dentures."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:37:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman   provided  a  history  of   the  bill  in                                                                    
committee. He  noted that at  the first hearing  on February                                                                    
11, the  bill was  held for  the department  to work  on the                                                                    
fiscal notes.  The Department of Health  and Social services                                                                    
had two  fiscal notes, one  for the audit of  the preventive                                                                    
dental  program showing  the impact  of combining  two years                                                                    
worth of services in one  fiscal note; the Finance Committee                                                                    
had  adopted the  note. The  second fiscal  note represented                                                                    
the department's  request for  one additional  staff person;                                                                    
the Finance Committee ascertained  that the position was not                                                                    
necessary and adopted a zero note to replace it.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  MOVED to  report SB  199 out  of Committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SB  199 was  REPORTED  out  of Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with a  new  zero  note by  the  Senate                                                                    
Finance Committee  and a  previously published  fiscal note:                                                                    
FN2 (HSS).                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:39:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 2:40 PM.