Legislature(1993 - 1994)

05/02/1994 09:10 AM Senate STA

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
txt
                SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE                                 
                          May 2, 1994                                          
                           9:10 a.m.                                           
                                                                               
  MEMBERS PRESENT                                                              
                                                                               
 Senator Loren Leman, Chair                                                    
 Senator Mike Miller, Vice Chair                                               
 Senator Robin Taylor                                                          
 Senator Jim Duncan                                                            
                                                                               
  MEMBERS ABSENT                                                               
                                                                               
 Senator Johnny Ellis                                                          
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                           
                                                                               
 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 531(STA) am                                             
 "An Act relating to the Milk Control Advisory Board, Museum                   
 Collections Advisory Committee, Alaska Workers' Compensation Board,           
 resource development authorities, Board of Parole, railroad labor             
 relations agency, Alaska School Activities Association, Steering              
 Council for Alaska Lands, Rural Affairs Commission, Governor's                
 Commission on the Involvement of Young People in Government,                  
 Yukon-Taiya Commission, environmental advisory board, Alaska Gas              
 Pipeline Financing Authority, and Alaska Manpower Services Council;           
 and establishing regional resource development authorities; and               
 providing for an effective date."                                             
                                                                               
 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 328(FIN)                                                
 "An Act allowing motor vehicle registration and licensing fees to             
 be paid by credit card."                                                      
                                                                               
 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 304(HES)                                               
 "An Act authorizing the issuance of bonds by the Alaska Housing               
 Finance Corporation to pay for the costs of repair and                        
 rehabilitation of student housing facilities of the University of             
 Alaska and for the construction of new student housing facilities             
 at the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska            
 Southeast; authorizing the issuance of bonds by the University of             
 Alaska to pay for the costs of repair and rehabilitation of                   
 facilities of the University of Alaska; amending powers of the                
 Alaska Housing Finance Corporation; amending the definition of                
 `public building'; and relating to the Alaska debt retirement fund;           
 and providing for an effective date."                                         
                                                                               
  PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION                                             
                                                                               
 HB 531 - No previous senate committee action.                                 
                                                                               
 HB 328 - No previous senate committee action.                                 
                                                                               
 SB 304 - See Health, Education & Social Services minutes dated                
          4/18/94 and 4/25/94.                                                 
                                                                               
  WITNESS REGISTER                                                             
                                                                               
 Kristie Leaf, Director                                                        
 Boards & Commissions                                                          
 Office of the Governor                                                        
 P.O. Box 110001, Juneau, AK 99811-0001¶465-3500                               
  POSITION STATEMENT:  prime sponsor of HB 531                                 
                                                                               
 Jeanne Larson, Aide                                                           
 Representative Larson                                                         
 State Capitol, Juneau, AK 99801-1182¶465-3783                                 
  POSITION STATEMENT:  prime sponsor of HB 328                                 
                                                                               
 Juanita Hensley, Chief                                                        
 Driver Services                                                               
 Division of Motor Vehicles                                                    
 Department of Public Safety                                                   
 P.O. Box 20020, Juneau, AK 99802-0020¶465-4335                                
  POSITION STATEMENT:  in favor of HB 328                                      
                                                                               
 Allison Elgee, Budget Director                                                
 University of Alaska                                                          
 227 4th St., 2nd Floor, Juneau, AK 99801¶463-3086                             
  POSITION STATEMENT:  prime sponsor of SB 304                                 
                                                                               
  ACTION NARRATIVE                                                             
                                                                               
 TAPE 94-33, SIDE A                                                            
 Number 001                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN calls the Senate State Affairs Committee to order at           
 9:10 a.m.                                                                     
                                                                               
 Number 007                                                                    
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN brings up HB 531 (RELATING TO SOME STATE MULTIMEMBER           
 BODIES) as the first order of business before the Senate State                
 Affairs Committee and notes that the committee heard the senate               
 companion bill earlier in the session.  The chairman calls Ms. Leaf           
 from the Governor's Office to testify.                                        
                                                                               
 Number 013                                                                    
                                                                               
 KRISTIE LEAF, Director, Boards & Commissions, Office of the                   
 Governor, states there is a title change in HB 531, which is to               
 list individually the boards affected by the bill.  That was a                
 house floor amendment.  One other change is to section 8 of HB 531,           
 which eliminates a July 1, 1986 statutory deadline for the creation           
 of local resource development authorities.  The purpose of these              
 authorities is the improvement and establishment of facilities in             
 a rural district, for transportation purposes in connection with              
 natural resource development enterprises.  Ms. Leaf states those              
 were the only changes, and the only difference between the senate             
 bill and HB 531.                                                              
                                                                               
 Number 039                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if the Museum Collections Advisory Committee              
 language is okay with museums people.                                         
                                                                               
 MS. LEAF responds that language is okay with them.                            
                                                                               
 Number 043                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR asks if the provisions in HB 531 concerning the                
 Parole Board comport with what the senate has done in another bill.           
                                                                               
 Number 049                                                                    
                                                                               
 MS. LEAF replies that the wording is somewhat different, but there            
 is no substantive difference between SB 286, which is now in the              
 governor's office, and HB 531.  SB 286 does have the preferred                
 language, so the governor will try to sign that bill second so that           
 it preempts the language in HB 531.                                           
                                                                               
 Number 063                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER asks why not simply take the Parole Board language             
 out of HB 531.                                                                
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN states the committee would have to have a title                
 change if that language was taken out.                                        
                                                                               
 Number 068                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR comments that HB 531 violates every title rule                 
 anyhow.                                                                       
                                                                               
 Number 080                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if there is any further committee discussion,             
 or if anyone in the public wishes to testify.                                 
                                                                               
 Number 085                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER makes a motion to discharge HB 531 from the Senate             
 State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations.                      
                                                                               
 Number 087                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN, hearing no objection, orders HB 531 released from             
 committee with individual recommendations.                                    
 Number 089                                                                    
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN brings up HB 328 (PAY MOTOR VEHICLE FEES BY CREDIT             
 CARD) as the next order of business before the Senate State Affairs           
 Committee.  The chairman calls Ms. Larson to testify.                         
                                                                               
 JEANNIE LARSON, Aide to Representative Martin, the prime sponsor of           
 HB 328, states HB 328 would amend existing statutes relating to               
 registration fee rates to allow fees to be paid by credit card,               
 including authorization by telephone.  This would increase                    
 efficiency.  By using a credit card, credit card companies assume             
 responsibility for payment.                                                   
                                                                               
 Number 117                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks what the fee would be from the credit card                
 companies for use of the credit cards.  The chairman asks if the              
 fees paid to the credit card companies would be less than the fees            
 paid for nsf (non-sufficient funds) checks.                                   
                                                                               
 Number 125                                                                    
                                                                               
 JUANITA HENSLEY, Chief, Driver Services, Division of Motor                    
 Vehicles, Department of Public Safety, states the fiscal note                 
 accompanying HB 328 would give DMV to allocation to handle a 1.5%             
 interest rate on credit card charges.                                         
                                                                               
 Number 153                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks Ms. Hensley if she thinks HB 328 will help DMV            
 in speeding the processing of registration.                                   
                                                                               
 Number 156                                                                    
                                                                               
 MS. HENSLEY responds DMV is certainly hoping that HB 328 will allow           
 the department to more conveniently serve the public.  DMV is                 
 currently exploring the idea of a venture with a private company to           
 provide kiosk service.  This will allow the division to renew                 
 licenses and registrations through a kiosk system, or ATM type                
 machine.  These kiosks will be placed in grocery stores, banks,               
 those types of places.                                                        
                                                                               
 Number 177                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if people will be allowed to charge renewals of           
 registration & licenses to their debit cards.                                 
                                                                               
 MS. HENSLEY states she could see no reason why a person would not             
 be allowed to use their debit card.                                           
                                                                               
 MS. LARSON agrees, stating it was probably just an oversight that             
 debit cards were not included in HB 328.                                      
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER states there would be a title problem regarding                
 adding debit cards to HB 328.                                                 
                                                                               
 MS. HENSLEY states that with HB 328, the state would have the                 
 chance to see if the program would be feasible.                               
                                                                               
 Number 193                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR states the committee could put a definition section            
 in the bill, basically saying a debit card shall be known as a                
 debit card.                                                                   
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR asks why not be able to charge all transactions with           
 the state, such as the Court System.                                          
                                                                               
 Number 201                                                                    
                                                                               
 MS. HENSLEY responds there is nothing to prohibit the state from              
 using credit cards at this time, however, DMV cannot absorb the               
 credit card fee.  Ms. Hensley agrees that the Court System could              
 very well utilize payment of fees by credit card.                             
                                                                               
 Number 221                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if there are further questions of the witness,            
 or if anyone else would like to testify on HB 328.                            
                                                                               
 Number 222                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR makes a motion to discharge HB 328 from the Senate             
 State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations.                      
                                                                               
 Number 223                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN, hearing no objection, orders HB 328 released from             
 committee with individual recommendations.                                    
 Number 225                                                                    
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN brings up SB 304 (AHFC BONDS FOR UNIV. OF ALASKA               
 USES) as the next order of business before the Senate State Affairs           
 Committee and calls the first witness.                                        
                                                                               
 Number 235                                                                    
                                                                               
 ALLISON ELGEE, Budget Director, University of Alaska, states the              
 governor introduced SB 304 to provide for 75,000,000$ in bonds to             
 cover deferred maintenance.  These bonds would take care of                   
 approximately one-half of the university's identified deferred                
 maintenance.  30,000,000$ would be bonded through the Alaska                  
 Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), while 45,000,000$ would be                
 bonded under the university's debt authority.                                 
                                                                               
 MS. ELGEE states SB 304 was amended in the Senate Health, Education           
 & Social Services Committee to include 34,500,000$ of additional              
 bonds through AHFC for new student housing in Anchorage and Juneau.           
                                                                               
 Number 246                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR moves amendment #1.                                            
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN reads amendment #1: page 3, line 2, delete                     
 "6,000,000$", insert "7,500,000$".                                            
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks Ms. Elgee if she would like to respond to the             
 amendment.                                                                    
                                                                               
 MS. ELGEE responds she is aware of the amendment, and knows that              
 Regent Lew Williams is actively supporting the amendment.  It is              
 not a surprise to her.                                                        
                                                                               
 Number 260                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if the University of Alaska supports the                  
 amendment.                                                                    
                                                                               
 Number 261                                                                    
                                                                               
 MS. ELGEE responds that one of the regents very actively supports             
 the amendment, but it has not been before the full board, so she              
 cannot give a response as to the board's position on the amendment.           
                                                                               
 Number 269                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if anyone in the audience would like to respond           
 to amendment #1.  The chairman asks if there is any objection to              
 the amendment.  Hearing no objection, the chairman states amendment           
                                                                               
 Number 282                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN notes for the record that other areas of SB 304 may            
 change as a result of amendment #1.  The chairman asks Senator                
 Taylor if it was his intent to adopt those conceptual changes along           
 with amendment #1.                                                            
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR states it was his intent to do so.                             
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN asks if there is any objection to the conceptual               
 changes.                                                                      
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN, hearing no objection, states the conceptual changes           
 have been approved.  The chairman asks if there is any further                
 discussion regarding SB 304 or if anyone else would like to                   
 testify.                                                                      
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER makes a motion to discharge SB 304 from the Senate             
 State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations.                      
                                                                               
 Number 288                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN, hearing no objection, orders SB 304 released from             
 committee with individual recommendations.                                    
 Number 290                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN LEMAN adjourns the Senate State Affairs Committee meeting            
 at 9:35 a.m.                                                                  
                                                                               

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