CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 236(FIN)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the Alaska senior benefits payment                                                                       
     program."                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:26:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT KAWASAKI, STAFF, introduced himself                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MERCEDES COLBERT, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT KAWASAKI,                                                                         
introduced herself.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Kawasaki  stated   that  the   fiscal  note                                                                    
represented  a slight  change. He  remarked that  the sunset                                                                    
extension should  occur, and thanked  the committee  for its                                                                    
attention to detail.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:28:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MONICA WINDOM, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE,                                                                         
JUNEAU, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES (via                                                                           
teleconference), introduced herself.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon wished Ms. Windom a happy birthday.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:29:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JESSICA    BOGARD,    DIVISION   OF    PUBLIC    ASSISTANCE,                                                                    
ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS MANAGER,  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND                                                                    
SOCIAL SERVICES, discussed the  fiscal note. She noted that,                                                                    
for FY 2019,  the requested amount was  $19.9 million; which                                                                    
would hold  steady the  funding from  FY 2018.  The possible                                                                    
impact to seniors in Alaska would  be a reduction of the top                                                                    
tier  benefit of  $125  to an  amount of  $66  a month.  She                                                                    
stated that  the FY  2020 showed an  increase, which  was an                                                                    
acknowledgement of the increase  in senior population in the                                                                    
state who  would possibly be  eligible for the  benefit. She                                                                    
shared that it  would fully fund, back to $125  a month. She                                                                    
stated that it  was estimated that the $125  a month benefit                                                                    
would go  to 5171  seniors in  2020. The  acknowledgement of                                                                    
the  increase  would be  a  total  appropriation request  of                                                                    
$24.5  million.  She  outlined  the  requests:  in  2022,  a                                                                    
request  of  $25  million;  in  2023,  a  request  of  $25.5                                                                    
million; and 2024,  a request of $26  million. She announced                                                                    
that the  logic was focused  on the benefit to  the seniors,                                                                    
and  the  calculation  of  the  poverty  levels  related  to                                                                    
program eligibility and acknowledgement of the growth.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon wanted information  about the fiscal note                                                                    
from Vice-Chair Bishop.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bishop  outlined the fiscal note.  He stated that                                                                    
the  department  was the  Department  of  Health and  Social                                                                    
Services, and  the appropriation was Public  Assistance. The                                                                    
allocation  was   the  Senior  Benefits  Program.   The  OMB                                                                    
component number was 2897. He  stated that the cost for 2019                                                                    
was  $19.980  million; 2020  was  $24.044  million; and  the                                                                    
projected growth for the out years was at 2 percent.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bishop  MOVED to  REPORT  CSSB  236(FIN) out  of                                                                    
committee with  individual recommendations  and accompanying                                                                    
fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  236(FIN) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation and  with one new fiscal  note from the                                                                    
Department of Health and Social Services.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:33:13 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:35:07 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED