03/12/2025 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 10                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the                                                                            
     University of Alaska."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:15:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
STUART  RELAY, STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE ASHLEY  CARRICK, noted                                                                    
that  Representative  Carrick  had been  called  to  another                                                                    
meeting.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CADENCE  CONNER,  INTERN,   REPRESENTATIVE  ASHLEY  CARRICK,                                                                    
provided an  overview of  the bill.  She read  from prepared                                                                    
remarks.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stuart offered to review the sectional analysis.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hannan noted  that the  seat was  a two-year                                                                    
seat. She asked if full appointments were six-year terms.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stuart answered that the  Board of Regents had an eight-                                                                    
year term.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hannan  asked  if  there was  a  reason  the                                                                    
sponsor had chosen a two-year term.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stuart answered  that previous versions of  the bill had                                                                    
included a faculty member as a four-year seat.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:20:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Johnson  asked  if   there  would  be  other                                                                    
hearings on the bill.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  stated it was  an introductory  hearing and                                                                    
the bill would be held.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Johnson  stated   there  were  currently  11                                                                    
members and  the bill  would increase the  board to  12. She                                                                    
asked about the even or odd  numbers in relation to voting .                                                                    
She asked if the member would be voting member.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ASHLEY CARRICK,  SPONSOR, answered  that the                                                                    
bill would require 7 members  for a quorum and would require                                                                    
a majority of the membership to pass a motion.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Relay replied that the  bill would require 7 members for                                                                    
a quorum and  would require a majority of  the membership to                                                                    
pass a motion.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster asked  for verification  that  none of  the                                                                    
seats were currently designated.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick answered  in the affirmative, besides                                                                    
the  student   seat,  which  was  also   designated  in  the                                                                    
provision.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:24:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Galvin  wondered whether  there were  11 full                                                                    
time  faculty  members. She  also  asked  whether there  was                                                                    
support of other faculty and students for the addition.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Conner replied  that there was a letter  of support from                                                                    
student leaders.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Galvin asked  if  the student  was a  voting                                                                    
member.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Carrick  answered   that  there   were  six                                                                    
university systems  with a faculty  regent in  other states,                                                                    
and she  stated that the  student regent was a  fully voting                                                                    
member.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Johnson stated  she had  some concern  about                                                                    
executive sessions.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick believed it  was a valid concern that                                                                    
had arisen in prior hearings on the legislation.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:27:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hannan served  as a student regent  in the UA                                                                    
system.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Tomaszewski could see  why the student regent                                                                    
would be  a two-year term.  He asked about  the requirements                                                                    
for the other 10 existing regent positions.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Relay responded  that  they would  follow  up with  the                                                                    
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Carrick replied  that  she  did not  believe                                                                    
there  were   any  other  requirements.  The   regents  were                                                                    
appointed by the governor. She would follow up.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Allard  asked  if  there  was  currently  an                                                                    
honorarium member.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick replied in the negative.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard asked about support from the faculty.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Conner answered that they  were currently waiting on the                                                                    
letter of support.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard thought there  was a problem having an                                                                    
even  number  of  board  members. She  asked  why  adding  a                                                                    
faculty member would be beneficial.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:30:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick replied  there were several impetuses                                                                    
for having a  faculty regent. She clarified that  it was not                                                                    
meant  to indicate  a student  regent was  not doing  a good                                                                    
job.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Allard thought  the student  perspective was                                                                    
the best. She  asked if having a faculty member  would be in                                                                    
conflict of  interest with union  contracts. She  thought it                                                                    
was problematic and the regents needed neutral members.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Carrick  answered   that  the   legislature                                                                    
approved the funding for union contracts.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard  stated there would still  be conflict                                                                    
of interest.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick  stated it  went back to  the ability                                                                    
to  recuse  themselves from  voting  on  motions related  to                                                                    
salaries and contracts.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:33:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick noted that  the invited testifier was                                                                    
no longer online.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard  stated that faculty  alliance already                                                                    
existed. She asked  if there was already  a board advocating                                                                    
for the faculty.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Carrick answered  that it  was the  advocacy                                                                    
group.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Allard  stated there  was a  faculty alliance                                                                    
that already existed. She did  not think it was necessary to                                                                    
add another regent.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Tomaszewski asked  who made  up the  list of                                                                    
nominees forwarded to the governor.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick answered that  the student regent had                                                                    
to  fill out  an application  and had  to have  support from                                                                    
their student government.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:36:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Stapp  asked  about   the  equal  number  of                                                                    
members.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick noted they could talk offline.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster asked for a review of the fiscal note.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAD  HUTCHISON, DIRECTOR,  STATE  RELATIONS, UNIVERSITY  OF                                                                    
ALASKA (via teleconference), reviewed  the OMB component 730                                                                    
fiscal  note that  travel costs  averaged  about $1,000  per                                                                    
member.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Tomaszewski  assumed  the Board  of  Regents                                                                    
currently had a $44,000 appropriation for travel.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Hutchison replied that the current amount was                                                                               
approximately $36,000, and that typically only nine members                                                                     
traveled.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster asked Representative Carrick for any                                                                            
closing comments.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carrick thanked the committee.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
HB 10 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                               
consideration.