ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE  May 18, 2003 12:31 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Bruce Weyhrauch, Chair Representative Nancy Dahlstrom Representative Bob Lynn Representative Paul Seaton Representative Harry Crawford MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Jim Holm, Vice Chair Representative Max Gruenberg COMMITTEE CALENDAR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 26(STA) "An Act relating to state employees who are called to active duty as reserve or auxiliary members of the armed forces of the United States; and providing for an effective date." - MOVED CSSB 26(STA) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: SB 26 SHORT TITLE:STATE EMPLOYEES CALLED TO MILITARY DUTY SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) ELTON, TAYLOR Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action 01/21/03 0021 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/17/03 01/21/03 0021 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/21/03 0021 (S) STA, FIN 02/18/03 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 211 02/18/03 (S) -- Meeting Canceled -- 03/03/03 0323 (S) COSPONSOR(S): LINCOLN 03/25/03 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 211 03/25/03 (S) Moved CSSB 26(STA) Out of Committee MINUTE(STA) 03/26/03 0589 (S) STA RPT CS 5DP SAME TITLE 03/26/03 0589 (S) DP: STEVENS G, COWDERY, HOFFMAN, 03/26/03 0589 (S) DYSON, GUESS 03/26/03 0589 (S) FN1: INDETERMINATE(ADM/ALL DEPTS) 05/08/03 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 05/08/03 (S) Heard & Held MINUTE(FIN) 05/14/03 1379 (S) FIN RPT CS(STA) 7DP 05/14/03 1379 (S) DP: GREEN, WILKEN, TAYLOR, HOFFMAN, 05/14/03 1379 (S) OLSON, BUNDE, STEVENS B 05/14/03 1379 (S) FN1: INDETERMINATE(ADM/ALL DEPTS) 05/14/03 (S) FIN AT 8:30 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 05/14/03 (S) Moved Out of Committee MINUTE(FIN) 05/15/03 1432 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/15/2003 05/15/03 1432 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME 05/15/03 1432 (S) STA CS ADOPTED UNAN CONSENT 05/15/03 1432 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT 05/15/03 1432 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 26(STA) 05/15/03 1433 (S) PASSED Y20 N- 05/15/03 1433 (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE 05/15/03 1433 (S) COSPONSOR(S): ELLIS, STEVENS B, GUESS, 05/15/03 1433 (S) COWDERY, DYSON, STEVENS G, WAGONER, 05/15/03 1433 (S) SEEKINS, OLSON, THERRIAULT 05/15/03 1455 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 05/15/03 1455 (S) VERSION: CSSB 26(STA) 05/16/03 1725 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 05/16/03 1725 (H) STA 05/16/03 1768 (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): KERTTULA 05/18/03 (H) STA RPT 3DP 1NR 05/18/03 (H) DP: SEATON, DAHLSTROM, CRAWFORD; 05/18/03 (H) NR: WEYHRAUCH 05/18/03 (H) FN1: INDETERMINATE(ADM/ALL DEPTS) 05/18/03 (H) REFERRED TO RULES 05/18/03 (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): CRAWFORD, DAHLSTROM 05/18/03 (H) STA AT 12:30 PM CAPITOL 102 WITNESS REGISTER SENATOR KIM ELTON Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as one of the two sponsors of SB 26. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 03-70, SIDE A  Number 0001 [The beginning of the meeting wasn't recorded due to a technical difficulty, but was reconstructed from the committee secretary's log notes. There is approximately one minute of blank tape.] CHAIR BRUCE WEYHRAUCH called the House State Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 12:31 p.m. Representatives Weyhrauch, Seaton, Dahlstrom, Lynn, and Crawford were present at the call to order. The committee took an at-ease from 12:31 p.m. to 12:32 p.m. [Tape recording begins here.] SB 26-STATE EMPLOYEES CALLED TO MILITARY DUTY [Contains discussion relating to HB 228, the companion bill.] CHAIR WEYHRAUCH announced that the committee would hear CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 26(STA), "An Act relating to state employees who are called to active duty as reserve or auxiliary members of the armed forces of the United States; and providing for an effective date." Number 0111 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON [moved to adopt CSSB 26(STA) as the working document.] There being no objection, it was so ordered. Number 0208 SENATOR KIM ELTON, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of SB 26, told the committee that he was also speaking on behalf of Senator Robin Taylor, the other sponsor of SB 26. He noted that the only difference between SB 26 and the House companion bill [HB 228] is that HB 228 mentions auxiliary and reserve units, whereas SB 26 specifies which auxiliary and reserve units are covered. He said that that is the only difference and it is not a substantive one. He noted that SB 26 "does not say this must happen," but gives the governor the ability - by administrative order - to "backfill" the pay and benefits of state employees who are called up from active duty. He noted that 43 state employees are members of the Army National Guard, 83 [state employees] are members of the Air National Guard, and 12 [state employees] are members of the Alaska State Defense Force. SENATOR ELTON stated that it is important to note that the effective date of the proposed legislation goes back to [the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001]; therefore, if the governor so chooses, he can "backfill" those who were called up subsequent to the events of that date. He said that hopefully this legislation will encourage other state employees serve their country as a member of a reserve unit. Number 0397 REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM thanked Senator Elton for his work on the bill and said she would support it. Number 0408 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked Senator Elton how many [state] employees have been called to active duty since [the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001] and would be effected by the proposed legislation. SENATOR ELTON answered that there were eight people called up from reserve status in 2002. He mentioned another person, and told Representative Seaton he could get more information to him. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON explained that he had just wanted to ascertain that the committee is dealing with "the same universe of people that we dealt in our previous bill." Number 0427 SENATOR ELTON noted that some of the [state employees] who have been called up this year are actually making more on active military status than they were as state employees. Number 0510 REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report CSSB 26(STA) out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSSB 26(STA) was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee. ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House State Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 12:40 p.m.