HB 158-APOC OFFICE LOCATIONS  3:14:01 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 158, "An Act relating to the location of offices for the Alaska Public Offices Commission and the locations at which certain statements and reports filed with the commission are made available." 3:14:46 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony on HB 158. After ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public testimony. 3:15:18 PM REPRESENTATIVE WOOL expressed concern that under HB 158, no Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) offices would be required except a central office; therefore, the one remaining satellite office in Juneau could be closed. He opined that there should be one representative of APOC in the state capital, because there are many people at that location needing APOC's services. He added that historically there has not been an office in every Senate district, and ultimately opening additional offices would be at the discretion of APOC. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK opined that an APOC office in Juneau was maintained because most of the lobbyists have offices in Juneau, and lobbyists have many more reporting requirements than do candidates and legislators. He asserted that the primary reason for having the only existing satellite office be in Juneau was to serve the [lobbyist] industry. REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP agreed that it is appropriate to have a satellite office in Juneau; the proposed legislation would not change APOC structure but would bring statutes in line with practice. REPRESENTATIVE WOOL offered that the proposed legislation states that APOC shall establish a central office; therefore, maintaining just one central office would fulfill the "letter of the law." He mentioned that the current statute called for more than two offices, and APOC was not fulfilling that requirement. REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP asked for confirmation that HB 158 would not preclude APOC from opening offices and that doing so would be at its discretion. 3:19:13 PM REPRESENTATIVE DAVID EASTMAN, Alaska State Legislature, responded that there is nothing to prevent APOC from opening any number of offices except lack of funding. He added that in a better fiscal environment, it may do that. He maintained that there is no requirement that the central office be in a large city; it could be in Juneau if that is the desire of APOC. CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS asked whether the proposed legislation would or would not have any impact on the existence of the Juneau satellite office. 3:20:14 PM HEATHER HEBDON, Executive Director, Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), relayed that the proposed legislation would have very little impact on APOC; it would bring current practice in line with statutory requirements; and it would not require APOC to close any offices, but would leave that to the discretion of APOC. She agreed that absent budget concerns, APOC could have various offices. REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH commended the sponsor of the proposed legislation for introducing it. He mentioned the letter of support from former APOC Commissioner Mark Fish, included in the committee packet, stating that HB 158 would bring APOC in compliance with statute. 3:21:31 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved to report HB 158 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 158 was reported from the House State Affairs Standing Committee.