25th ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE 1st SESSION CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB 95 and HB 96 May 10, 2007 4:13 p.m. CALL TO ORDER Representative Chenault called the Conference Committee meeting to order at 4:13:36 PM. MEMBERS PRESENT Senate: Senator Lyman Hoffman, Vice-Chair Senator Bert Stedman, Member Senator Dyson, Member House: Representative Mike Chenault, Chair Representative Kevin Meyer, Member Representative Reggie Joule, Member ALSO PRESENT David Teal, Director, Legislative Finance Division; fiscal analysts with the Office of Management and Budget and Legislative Finance Division; and aides to committee members and other members of the Legislature. SUMMARY CSHB 95(FIN) "An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan program expenses of state government, for certain programs, and to capitalize funds; making appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State of Alaska; and providing for an effective date." CSHB 96(FIN) "An Act making appropriations for the operating and capital expenses of the state's integrated comprehensive mental health program; and providing for an effective date." And Senate CS for CSHB 95(FIN) am S "An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan program expenses of state government, for certain programs, and to capitalize funds; making appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State of Alaska; and providing for an effective date." Senate CS for CSHB 96(FIN) "An Act making appropriations for the operating and capital expenses of the state's integrated comprehensive mental health program; and providing for an effective date." Departments with open items, except DOT Executive Branch Efficiencies Spending Reductions Statewide Mental Health Bill Chair Chenault noted that the Conference Committee had received limited powers of free conference from both the Senate and House. He observed that the motion sheets on these departments were available. DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Administration Department's budget: 1 - House minus $250 thousand; 2 - House: $500 thousand in general funds and $200 in statutory designated funds; and 3 - House. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Rep Chenault noted that the Department of Administration's budget was closed. 4:14:59 PM COMMERCE, COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items for the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development: 1- Senate; 2 - Senate; 3 - open; 4 - House; 4 - House; 5 - Senate; 6 - Senate; 7 - Senate; 8 - House; 9 - open; 10 - open; 11 - Senate; 12 - House; 13 - House (1 and 2); 14 - Senate (1) and House (2); 15 - open; 16 - open; and 17 - 22 - Senate. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault noted that items 3, 9, 10, 15, and 16 would remain open. 4:17:59 PM Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Corrections Department's budget: 1 - 11 were House; 12 - 15 were open; 17 - Senate minus $15 thousand; 18 & 19 House. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault noted that items 12, 13, 14, and 15 would remain open. 4:19:44 PM DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Department of Education and Early Development's budget: 1 - 5 were left open; 3 & 4 - Senate; 6 & 11 open; 7 & 8 - Senate; 9 - Senate minus $50 thousand; 10 - House. 4:20:50 PM Senator Dyson referred to item 8, which is intent language. Senator Hoffman noted that item 8 contains intent language for the state wide mentoring program. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Rep Chenault: Items 1, 2, 5, 6 and 11 would remain open. 4:22:18 PM DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Environmental Conservation Department's budget: 1 & 2 - open; 3 - House intent; 4 & 5 - Senate; 6, 7, 8, 9 open; 10 House both; 11 - Senate intent (deleting the first sentence) and in the second intent delete "also". The new language would read: It is the intent of the legislature that the Department of Environmental Conservation pay no more than the lowest commercially available berth rate for Ocean Ranges aboard commercial passenger vessels. Senator Dyson questioned why the first sentence was deleted, which expressed the intent that Department of Environmental Conservation implement the Ocean Ranger program. Senator Hoffman observed that the intent would be for the Administration to pay the minimum amount. Senator Hoffman asserted that the language in the first sentence would be redundant. Senator Dyson continued his OBJECTION. Senator Hoffman WITHDREW item 11 from the motion. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Rep Chenault noted that Items 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 would remain open. 4:28:11 PM DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Fish and Game Department's budget: 1 -Senate. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault noted that the Department of Fish and Game's budget would be closed. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Health and Social Services Department's budget: 1 - OPEN, 2 - Senate intent; 3 - House, 4 - House, 5 - House, 6 - House, 7 - House, 8 Senate both items, 9 - 11 - OPEN, 12 - House intent, 13 & 14 - Senate, 15 - House both, 16 - House, 17, 20 & 22 OPEN, 18, 19 and 21 - Senate, 22 - Senate, 23 & 24 - House, 25 - Senate, 26 - OPEN, 27 - House both items, 28 - House, 29 - OPEN, 30 - Senate minus $75.o, 31, 32, & 33 - House, 34 & 35 - House, 36 - Senate both items, 37 - House intent, 38 - House numbers, 39 - Senate intent, 40 - House both, 41 - Senate, 42 - House $212.1 match and the Senate on the second item, 43 - Senate, 44 - Senate on both items, and 45 - House intent. 4:32:42 PM Senator Dyson expressed concern on 41 and 42 (Faith Based). Senator Hoffman clarified that Senate language was adopted on 41. The house number of $212.1 was adopted with the deletion of two positions and the senate number of $500 was adopted in 43. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Rep Chenault noted that: Items 1, 9, 10, 11, 17, 20, 22, 26, and 29 would remain open. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. 4:34:47 PM LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Senator Hoffman MOVED to leave open items: 1, 2, 3 and 6. He MOVED to ADOPT: 4 & 5 - House, and 7 - Senate intent. Vice-Chair Meyer stated that he would like item 7 to remain open. Senator Hoffman revised his motion to reflect that item 7 would remain open. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. There being NO OBJECTION, the main motion was adopted. Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT: 8 - House, 9 - both House numbers, 10 - OPEN, 11 - Senate minus $25.0, and 12 - Senate minus $55.0. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault observed that Items 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 10 would remain open. 4:36:23 PM DEPARTMENT OF LAW Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Law Department's budget: 1, 4 and 5 - OPEN, 2 - both Senate numbers, and 3 - House. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault observed that Items 1, 4 and 5 would remain open. 4:37:04 PM MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Military and Veterans Affairs Department's budget: 1 & 2 OPEN, 3 & 4 House intent. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault observed that: Items 1 and 2 would remain open. 4:37:50 PM NATURAL RESOURCES Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Natural Resources Department's budget: Items 1 & 2 - House, 3 - both House, 4 & 8 - OPEN, 5 - House, 6 - Senate both items, 7 - House intent, 9, 12, and 13 remain open, 10 - House, 11 - House intent, 14 - House, 15 - Senate both items. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault observed that: Items 4 8, 9, 12, and 13 would remain open. 4:39:10 PM PUBLIC SAFETY Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Committee adopt the following items in the Public Safety Department's budget: 1 - Senate, 2 - House intent, 3 - Senate both items, 4 - OPEN, 5, 7, 9, 12 & 13 - OPEN, 6 - House intent, 8 - House, 10 - Senate, 11 - House. Senator Dyson expressed concern with the process and the lack of input afforded him. Chair Chenault noted that he had solicited input from his subcommittee chairmen and other members of the House. There being NO OBJECTION, the motion for the Department of Public Safety was adopted as moved by Senator Hoffman. Chair Chenault observed that: Items 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12 and 13 would remain open. 4:44:05 PM DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Revenue Department's budget: 1 - Senate all three items, 2 - Senate. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault observed noted that the action closes Revenue. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities was not addressed. 4:45:03 PM ALASKA COURT Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Alaska Court System Department's budget: 1 - House, 2 and 7 - OPEN, 3 - House, 4 - Senate, 5 - Senate, 6 - Senate, 8 - House, 9 - Senate, 10 - House. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault noted that: Items 2 and 7 would remain open. 4:46:34 PM LEGISLATURE Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Legislature's budget: 1 - Senate, 2 - Senate, 3 - Senate, 4 - OPEN, 5 - House, 6 - Senate, 7 - Senate. He observed that all the lower numbers were taken. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault observed that item 4 would remain open. 4:47:51 PM EXECUTIVE BRANCH EFFICIENCIES Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items on the Executive Branch Efficiencies and Spending Reductions Sheet: 1 - Senate plus $1667.2, 2 - $41803.9, 3 - Senate. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault noted that the Executive Branch Efficiencies were closed. 4:48:49 PM STATEWIDE Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items on the Statewide Sheet: 1 - Senate all three items, 2 - OPEN. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault observed that Item 2 would remain open. 4:49:47 PM MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following items in the Mental Health Budget: 1 - 6 House, 7 - Senate, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 - House. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Chenault observed that all items were closed in HB 96. 4:50:50 PM Chair Chenault observed that future meetings would be noticed on BASIS. HB 95 and HB 92 were heard and HELD in Committee for further consideration. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 4:51 PM