Legislature(2015 - 2016)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/28/2016 09:00 AM Senate CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON SB196

Audio Topic
09:00:56 AM Start
09:07:18 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
= SB 196 POWER COST EQ FUND: RESERVE ACCT;DIVIDEND
Moved CCS SB 196 Out of Committee
               29TH ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                    
                      SECOND SESSION                                                                                            
            CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON SB 196 and                                                                                  
                      April 28, 2016                                                                                            
                         9:00 a.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:00:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Chair Hoffman called the Conference Committee meeting on                                                                        
SB196 to order at 9:00 a.m.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senate:                                                                                                                         
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Chair                                                                                                    
Senator Anna MacKinnon                                                                                                          
Senator Click Bishop                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
House:                                                                                                                          
Representative Bryce Edgmon, Vice-Chair                                                                                         
Representative Dan Saddler                                                                                                      
Representative Scott Kawasaki                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT:                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Tim Grussendorf, Staff, Senator Lyman Hoffman.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB 196    POWER COST EQ FUND: RESERVE ACCT;DIVIDEND                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
          CCS SB  196 was REPORTED  out of committee  with a                                                                    
          previously  published  fiscal   impact  note:  FN1                                                                    
          (SFIN);  and a  previously  published zero  fiscal                                                                    
          note: FN2 (CED).                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 196(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  relating to the amount  appropriated for power                                                                    
     cost  equalization;  relating  to the  use  of  certain                                                                    
     unexpended  earnings from  the power  cost equalization                                                                    
     endowment fund; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
and                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 196(FIN)                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  relating to the amount  appropriated for power                                                                    
     cost  equalization;  relating  to the  use  of  certain                                                                    
     unexpended  earnings from  the power  cost equalization                                                                    
     endowment fund; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:01:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Edgmon MOVED  to  ADOPT  the proposed  committee                                                                    
substitute    for   SB    196,   Work    Draft   29-LS1383\D                                                                    
(Shutts/Nauman, 4/22/16).  There being NO OBJECTION,  it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
TIM  GRUSSENDORF, STAFF,  SENATOR  LYMAN HOFFMAN,  explained                                                                    
the committee substitute.  He stated that the  change was on                                                                    
page   2,  Section   3,  line   10,  "the   Legislature  may                                                                    
appropriate  70 percent  of  the  difference." He  explained                                                                    
that "difference"  was the  difference between  the earnings                                                                    
and  after the  Power  Cost Equalization  (PCE) payment.  He                                                                    
announced  70  percent  of  the  excess  earnings  could  be                                                                    
appropriated. He  stated that the  Senate version  split the                                                                    
excess into three,  which addressed all the  excess funds at                                                                    
one  time  at a  50  percent,  30  percent, and  20  percent                                                                    
divide.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Chair  Hoffman  queried  the  details   of  the  split.  Mr.                                                                    
Grussendorf  replied  that  50  percent  was  for  community                                                                    
assistance, 30  percent to the  PCE fund, and 20  percent to                                                                    
the  Rural  Energy  Funds, which  contained  three  separate                                                                    
funds.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:02:52 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:03:22 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:03:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Grussendorf  clarified  that   Senate  version  had  50                                                                    
percent  to community  assistance; 30  percent to  the Rural                                                                    
Energy Funds;  and 20 percent  would be reinvested  into the                                                                    
PCE.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Chair Hoffman  noted that the percentage  divide referred to                                                                    
excess  earnings   after  full  funding  of   the  PCE.  Mr.                                                                    
Grussendorf  agreed,  and  stated  that  the  House  version                                                                    
wanted  to ensure  that community  assistance was  initially                                                                    
fully  funded. He  stated that  after all  of the  community                                                                    
assistance  was  filled  with  excess  earnings,  the  Rural                                                                    
Energy Funds, and  the remaining excess would  return to the                                                                    
PCE. He explained that the  compromise returned to the 70/30                                                                    
split. He  stated that  70 percent would  go to  the created                                                                    
funds, and 30  percent would return to the  PCE. He stressed                                                                    
that the community  assistance would be filled  at the 70/30                                                                    
split.  He stated  that once  the  community assistance  had                                                                    
reached $30 million, the Rural  Energy Funds would addressed                                                                    
at  70/30.  He  stated  that once  the  Rural  Energy  Funds                                                                    
reached $25  million, any remaining  excess would  remain in                                                                    
the PCE.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Chair Hoffman  felt that the  bill was a fair  compromise to                                                                    
ensure that the  endowment could be sustainable  in the long                                                                    
run. He  shared that the Legislative  Finance Division (LFD)                                                                    
agreed that the bill created a  more solid fund to act as an                                                                    
endowment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Edgmon  remarked that  the bill ensured  that the                                                                    
endowment  was properly  replenished,  which better  ensured                                                                    
that  the  new community  assistance  program  had a  better                                                                    
chance to be funded at the full amount every year.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:06:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Edgmon  MOVED  to  REPORT CCS  SB  196  and  the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal notes  to the full Senate  and House for                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
IN FAVOR: Hoffman,   MacKinnon,  Bishop,   Edgmon,  Saddler,                                                                    
Kawasaki                                                                                                                        
OPPOSED: None                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The MOTION PASSED (6/0).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CCS SB 196 was REPORTED out of committee with a previously                                                                      
published fiscal impact note: FN1 (SFIN); and a previously                                                                      
published zero fiscal note: FN2 (CED).                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
9:07:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 9:07 a.m.                                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects