HB 217: NATIVE CORPORATION DIVIDENDS TO MINORS                               
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE EILEEN MACLEAN, PRIME SPONSOR of HB 217, said                 
  that the legal guardians or parents of some Native children                  
  in state custody did not always use the dividends                            
  distributed to Native children by Native corporations for                    
  the good of their charges.  The bill would address this                      
  situation by directing that Native corporation dividends for                 
  minors in the custody of any state would go to a bank, not                   
  the parent or guardian, until the child reached the age of                   
  majority.                                                                    
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS said that it was a good bill, and                    
  she assumed that all the regional Native corporations                        
  supported HB 217.                                                            
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE MACLEAN answered that they did.                               
                                                                               
  Number 492                                                                   
                                                                               
  RANDALL HINES, DIVISION OF FAMILY AND YOUTH SERVICES,                        
  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES (DHSS), testified                   
  in support of HB 217.  He said that the DHSS had issued a                    
  position paper strongly supporting the bill.  He also noted                  
  a zero fiscal note.  He offered to take questions.                           
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN PORTER noted that there was one technical amendment                 
  to HB 217.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Number 505                                                                   
                                                                               
  GAYLE HORETSKI, COMMITTEE COUNSEL, HOUSE JUDICIARY                           
  COMMITTEE, noted a letter from Cook Inlet Regional Inc.,                     
  which said that while the corporation supported HB 217, some                 
  minor shareholders eligible for dividends lived outside                      
  Alaska.  She said that the amendment to which Chairman                       
  Porter had referred was drafted to extend the bill's                         
  provisions to minors living outside Alaska.                                  
                                                                               
  Number 531                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS MOVED the AMENDMENT.                                 
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN PORTER noted that the amendment was the only one                    
  yet proposed.  He asked for objections and, hearing none,                    
  declared the MOTION PASSED.                                                  
                                                                               
  Number 535                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS MOVED PASSAGE of HB 217 from the                     
  committee with individual recommendations.                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN PORTER asked if there was a fiscal note.                            
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS answered that her motion included                    
  acceptance of a zero fiscal note.                                            
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN PORTER, hearing no objections, declared HB 217                      
  PASSED from the committee with individual recommendations.                   
  He then brought HJR 27 to the table.