04/29/2021 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

         HB 16-SEARCH AND RESCUE SURPLUS STATE PROPERTY                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:02:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SCHRAGE  announced that  the  first  order of  business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 16,  "An Act relating  to the  right of                                                               
first  refusal  of  a  volunteer search  and  rescue  group  with                                                               
respect to  surplus state property."   [Before the  committee was                                                               
the proposed  committee substitute  (CS) for  HB 16,  Version 32-                                                               
LS0128\B, Bannister,  4/19/21, ("Version  B"), adopted as  a work                                                               
draft on 4/27/21.]                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:02:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCHRAGE opened public testimony on HB 16.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:03:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GEOFF  LARSON, President,  Southeast  Alaska  Dogs Organized  for                                                               
Ground   Search  (SEADOGS),   said   SEADOGS   has  existed   for                                                               
approximately  40 years;  it is  an all-volunteer  team utilizing                                                               
dogs "to search  and recover lost and missing."   He said SEADOGS                                                               
are called out  by the Alaska State Troopers.   He stated support                                                               
for HB  16, which  he said  would aid teams  like SEADOGS  in the                                                               
efforts to  support the Alaska  State Troopers when called.   Mr.                                                               
Larson stated that  access to obsolete or  surplus state property                                                               
would serve as  a tool in SEADOGS' quest "to  always be ready for                                                               
the call."   Currently, he said,  SEADOGS uses its own  boats and                                                               
equipment  in searches,  which means  equipment is  often in  the                                                               
field being  used by another  team member and, thus,  not readily                                                               
accessible.  Further, he noted that  many of the team members are                                                               
commercial  fisherman,  who  need   their  boats  during  fishing                                                               
season.   If  possible,  SEADOGS would  keep available  equipment                                                               
ready for search and rescue  missions.  He expressed that SEADOGS                                                               
sees value in HB 16 and  urges committee members to pass the bill                                                               
out of committee.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:05:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCHRAGE, after  ascertaining that there was  no one else                                                               
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 16.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[HB 16 was set aside and  brought back before the committee later                                                               
in the meeting.]                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
        HB  16-SEARCH AND RESCUE SURPLUS STATE PROPERTY                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:28:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SCHRAGE  announced that  the  final  order of  business                                                               
would be a return  to HOUSE BILL NO. 16, "An  Act relating to the                                                               
right of  first refusal  of a volunteer  search and  rescue group                                                               
with respect to  surplus state property."   [Before the committee                                                               
was  CS  for  HB 16,  Version  32-LS0128\B,  Bannister,  4/19/21,                                                               
("Version B").]                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:29:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE  moved to  adopt  Amendment  1 to  HB  16,                                                               
Version B, which read as follows:                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, lines 4 - 6:                                                                                                       
          Delete all material.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 7:                                                                                                            
          Delete "Sec. 2"                                                                                                     
     Insert "Section 1"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:29:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCHRAGE objected for discussion purposes.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE  spoke to  Amendment 1.   He said  it would                                                               
remove  a reference  to  a short  title, which  he  said was  not                                                               
appropriate  in  HB 16  and  should  probably have  been  removed                                                               
before the bill was offered.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:30:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCHRAGE  removed his  objection to  the motion  to adopt                                                               
Amendment 1.   There being no further objection,  Amendment 1 was                                                               
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[HB 16 was held over.]