HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE January 25, 1994 1:30 p.m. TAPE HFC 94-15, Side 2, #000 - end. TAPE HFC 94-16, Side 1, #000 - 382. CALL TO ORDER Co-Chair Larson called the House Finance Committee to order at 1:30 p.m. PRESENT Co-Chair Larson Representative Martin Vice-Chair Hanley Representative Navarre Representative Brown Representative Parnell Representative Foster Representative Therriault Representative Grussendorf Co-Chair MacLean and Representative Hoffman were not present for the meeting. ALSO PRESENT Representative Davies; Mike Greany, Director, Legislative Finance Division; Keith Kelton, Director, Division of Facility Construction and Operation; Remond Henderson, Director, Division of Administrative Service, Department of Community and Regional Affairs; John A. Sandor, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Conservation; Bob Poe, Director, Division of Information and Administrative Services, Department of Environmental Conservation; Bruce Geraghty, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Community and Regional Affairs; Dean Guaneli, Chief, Assistant Attorney General, Department of Law. SUMMARY INFORMATION AGENCY BUDGET OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION SB 19" An Act relating to the crime of conspiracy." HCS CSSB 19 (FIN) was reported out of Committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with four fiscal impact notes, two by the Department of Administration, one by the Department of Corrections and one by the Alaska Court System; and with two zero fiscal notes, one by the Department of Law and one by the Department of 1 Public Safety. AGENCY BUDGET OVERVIEWS: (*Copies of log notes, meeting tapes and handouts are on file with the Legislative Finance Division. Contact #465- 3795). Log # DISCUSSION HFC 15-1 Service, Department of Community and Regional Affairs; provided members with a handout, Summary of Major Budget Changes from FY 94 to FY 95 (copy on file). Grant would be eliminated. Program, Homeowners' Property Tax Exemption Program and Renters Rebate Program are being eliminated. He noted that Municipal Assistance and Revenue Sharing are being reduced by 50 percent. created within the Department of Community and Regional Affairs. The Division will contain two components, Energy Operations and Power Cost Equalization. positions transferred to the Department of Community and Regional Affairs' Division of Energy (copy on file). Equalization has been increased from $17,920.0 to $18635.0 thousand dollars. are still responsible for the Homeowners' Property Tax Exemption Program and Renters Rebate Programs. the floor of $25.0 thousand dollars will be held harmless. Mr. Henderson agreed that communities would not receive less than the $25.0 thousand dollars floor. Bruce Geraghty, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Community and Regional Affairs explained that the Department is considering combining the Municipal 2 Assistance and Revenue Sharing Programs. League has made combining the programs a priority. roads maintenance within the Revenue Sharing Program. He expressed concern that communities are only required to spend 20 percent of the funds appropriated for ice road maintenance on actually maintenance. determined that the services provided by the Alaska Legal Services were unnecessary. Mr. Geraghty replied that the program was treated as a designated grant. All designated grants were eliminated. reduced as a result of the program eliminations. Mr. Geraghty replied that no positions would be deleted. He noted that personnel administering the eliminated programs have other responsibilities. Mr. Henderson referred to the previous handout detailing positions within the department. Environmental Conservation provided members with backup material for the Department's overview (copy on file). He reviewed his written remarks (copy on file). reduced by 37 positions. Fifteen of the positions are due to layoffs. disruptions due to budget cuts. receipts in FY 94 were high. increments and decrements as listed in the handouts. Administrative Services, Department of Environmental Conservation discussed the $500.0 thousand dollar increment in the Air Quality Component. He noted that there were insufficient program receipts available for start-up and development of the Air Permit Program. dollar increment for research associated with auto 3 emissions under sub-arctic climatic conditions. The research will assess the effectiveness of oxygenated fuels. He noted the importance of oxygenated fuels for Anchorage and Fairbanks to maintain federal Clean Air Act standards. solid and hazardous waste permits are too high. Representative Therriault echoed his concerns. and Audit Committee audit called for a statewide solution for collection of solid and hazard wastes. the Department of Environmental Conservation. He noted that the Department is proposing legislation to establish a wide variety of cooperative agreements with local communities. The Department intends to allow federal participation in cooperative agreements and communities to access and collect fees. Construction and Operation discussed legislation to expand the provisions of the revolving loan fund. (Tape Change, HFC 94-16, Side 1) Fund. concluded at 2:20 p.m. Co-Chair Larson reconvened the full House Finance Committee meeting at 2:25 p.m., in order to discussed proposed legislation. SENATE BILL 19 An Act relating to the crime of conspiracy." During the 1/21/94 House Finance Committee meeting, HCS CSSB 19 (FIN) was reported out with a "do pass" recommendation and with four fiscal impact notes, two by the Department of Administration, one by the Department of Corrections and one by the Alaska Court System; and with two zero fiscal notes, one by the Department of Law and one by the Department of Public Safety. Members discussed rescinding their action to move HCS CSSB 4 (FIN) out of Committee. Representative Brown provided members with a proposed amendment, Amendment 5A (copy on file). She explained that the amendment would further define how the statute of limitations would be calculated. DEAN GUANELI, CHIEF ASSISTANT ATTORNEY, DEPARTMENT OF LAW spoke in support of the amendment. He agreed that the amendment would clarify the legislation. Members discussed the statute of limitations. Mr. Guaneli explained the statute of limitations as applied to different criminal offenses. Representative Brown MOVED to RESCIND the Committee's action in reporting HCS CSSB (FIN) out of Committee. Representative Martin OBJECTED. A roll call vote was taken on the motion. IN FAVOR: Brown, Grussendorf, Hanley, Navarre, Parnell, Therriault, Larson OPPOSED: Martin Representatives Foster, Hoffman and MacLean were not present for the vote. The MOTION PASSED (7-1). Representative Brown MOVED to ADOPT AMENDMENT 5A. Representative Martin OBJECTED. A roll call vote was taken on the motion. IN FAVOR: Brown, Grussendorf, Hanley, Navarre, Parnell, Therriault, Larson OPPOSED: Martin Representatives Foster, Hoffman and MacLean were not present for the vote. The MOTION PASSED (7-1). Representative Hanley MOVED to report HCS CSSB 19 (FIN) out of Committee with individual recommendations and with the accompanying fiscal notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. HCS CSSB 19 (FIN) was reported out of Committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with four fiscal impact notes, two by the Department of Administration, one by the Department of Corrections and one by the Alaska Court System; and with 5 two zero fiscal notes, one by the Department of Law and one by the Department of Public Safety. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 2:38 p.m. 6