Legislature(2001 - 2002)

05/05/2001 02:45 PM Senate RLS

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                     ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                   
                      SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                                  
                            May 5, 2001                                                                                         
                             2:45 p.m.                                                                                          
                               DRAFT                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Drue Pearce, Chair                                                                                                      
Senator John Cowdery, Vice Chair                                                                                                
Senator Randy Phillips                                                                                                          
Senator Johnny Ellis                                                                                                            
Senator Gene Therriault                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 65(HES)                                                                                                   
"An Act  relating to a  new optional group  of persons eligible  for                                                            
medical  assistance who  require treatment  for  breast or  cervical                                                            
cancer; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                   
     APPROVED FOR CALENDARING                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 101(FIN)                                                                                                  
"An Act relating to charter  schools; and providing for an effective                                                            
date."                                                                                                                          
     APPROVED FOR CALENDARING                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 142(HES)                                                                                                  
"An Act  relating to the  Alaska temporary  assistance program;  and                                                            
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
     APPROVED FOR CALENDARING                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 193(FIN)                                                                                                  
"An Act relating  to the primary election  and to the nomination  of                                                            
candidates for the general  election; and providing for an effective                                                            
date."                                                                                                                          
     APPROVED FOR CALENDARING                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 242(FIN)                                                                                                  
"An  Act  relating  to reemployment  of  and  medical  benefits  for                                                            
retired  members  of the  teachers'  retirement  system  and  public                                                            
employees' retirement system;  relating to the inclusion of cost-of-                                                            
living differentials  on compensation and benefits  under the public                                                            
employees' retirement system;  and providing for an effective date."                                                            
     APPROVED FOR CALENDARING                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 23(STA)                                                                                       
Advocating  the retention  of the  electoral college  system in  its                                                            
present form.                                                                                                                   
     APPROVED FOR CALENDARING                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HB 65  - See HESS  minutes dated  4/30/01 and  Finance Report  dated                                                            
5/5/01.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
HB 101  - See HESS minutes  dated 4/28/01  and Finance Report  dated                                                            
5/4/01.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
HB 142  - See HESS minutes  dated 4/30/01  and Finance Report  dated                                                            
5/4/01.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
HB  193 -  See  Judiciary  minutes  dated 4/27/01  and  4/30/01  and                                                            
Finance Report dated 5/5/01.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HB 242 - See Finance Report dated 5/5/01.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
HJR 23 - No previous Senate committee action.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Elmer Lindstrom                                                                                                             
Department of Health &                                                                                                          
  Social Services                                                                                                               
PO Box 110601                                                                                                                   
Juneau, AK  99801-0601                                                                                                          
POSITION  STATEMENT:  Explained  proposed Amendment  2  to SCS  CSHB
65(HES).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 01-10, SIDE A                                                                                                            
Number 001                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRWOMAN DRUE PEARCE  called the Senate Rules Committee meeting to                                                          
order  at  2:45  p.m.    Members  present  were  Senators   Cowdery,                                                            
Phillips, Ellis and Pearce.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRWOMAN  PEARCE announced  the first order  of business to  be HB                                                        
65-MEDICAL ASSISTANCE:BREAST/CERVICAL CANCER.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS stated he  has three proposed amendments to HB 65.  He                                                            
will  not offer  one of  them because  he understands  that  Senator                                                            
Leman  plans  to  offer  an  amendment  on  the  Senate  floor  that                                                            
addresses the same concerns about the report to the legislature.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS  moved to adopt Amendment  1, which repeals  Section 3                                                            
of  SCS  CSHB 65(HES).    Amendment  1  would  remove  the  two-year                                                            
limitation on the state's  participation in the program and renumber                                                            
the remaining sections accordingly.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS objected.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
The motion  to  adopt Amendment  1 failed  with  Senators Ellis  and                                                            
Pearce voting  "yea," and Senators Cowdery, Phillips  and Therriault                                                            
voting "nay."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS  clarified that he would  propose an amendment  on the                                                            
Senate floor  to make the  reporting requirements  in the bill  more                                                            
acceptable.   His third concern is  the tight control on  the amount                                                            
of money that  can be expended per  individual in SCS CSHB  65(HES).                                                            
He proposed  (Amendment  2) using  the language  from  HB 65 on  the                                                            
subject of cost-per-patient  coverage.  He asked Mr. Elmer Lindstrom                                                            
to address that issue.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. ELMER  LINDSTROM, Special  Assistant to  Commissioner Perdue  in                                                            
the  Department  of  Health  and Social  Services  (DHSS),  said  he                                                            
believes  Senator Ellis is  speaking to the  intent relative  to the                                                            
funding of  the program.   Amendment 2 would  delete lines  11-14 on                                                            
page 1.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELLIS  asked  Mr.  Lindstrom  to speak  to  the  merits  of                                                            
Amendment 2.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. LINDSTROM  explained the amounts  shown in SCS CSHB 65(HES)  are                                                            
consistent  with  the  DHSS  fiscal  note,  but  those  amounts  are                                                            
estimates.   If this bill  becomes law, DHSS  will pay the  bills as                                                            
they are submitted, as this is an entitlement for those clients.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS moved to adopt Amendment 2.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY objected.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
The motion  to  adopt Amendment  2 failed  with  Senators Ellis  and                                                            
Pearce voting  "yea," and Senators Phillips, Therriault  and Cowdery                                                            
voting "nay."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY moved to  calendar SCS CSHB 65(HES).  There being no                                                            
objection, the motion carried.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS  moved to calendar  all Senate versions  of HB 101-                                                        
CHARTER SCHOOLS.  There being no objection, the motion carried.                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS moved  to calendar all Senate versions of HB 142-AK                                                        
TEMP. ASSISTANCE PROGRAM  AMENDMENTS.  There being no objection, the                                                        
motion carried.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRWOMAN  PEARCE  informed   committee  members  that  it  is  her                                                            
understanding   that  the  Senate  Finance  Committee   adopted  the                                                            
contents  of the Senate State  Affairs version  of the bill,  rather                                                            
than the Senate Judiciary version.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY  moved to  calendar all Senate  versions of  HB 193-                                                        
MODIFIED BLANKET PRIMARY ELECTION.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS objected.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
The motion  to calendar all Senate  versions of HB 193 carried  with                                                            
Senators  Phillips, Cowdery  and Pearce  voting  "yea," and  Senator                                                            
Ellis voting "nay."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY moved to  calendar all Senate versions of HB 242-TRS                                                        
& PERS  REEMPLOY & MED  BENEFITS; COLA.   There being no  objection,                                                        
the motion carried.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  PHILLIPS  moved  to  calendar  HJR  23.    There  being  no                                                            
objection, the motion carried.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business to come before the committee,                                                                   
CHAIRWOMAN PEARCE recessed the meeting to a call of the Chair.                                                                  

Document Name Date/Time Subjects