05/05/2022 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

           HB 47-COUNCIL FOR ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGES                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:39:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER  announced the  consideration of  HOUSE BILL  NO. 47                                                               
"An  Act renaming  the Alaska  Native  Language Preservation  and                                                               
Advisory Council as the Council  for Alaska Native Languages; and                                                               
relating to the Council for Alaska Native Languages."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
He noted that this was the first hearing.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:40:30 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:42:54 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER reconvened the meeting.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:43:02 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  ANDI  STORY,  Alaska State  Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, sponsor of HB 47,  stated that the Alaska Native Language                                                               
Preservation  Advisory  Council,  of   which  she  is  a  member,                                                               
supports  shortening   the  Council's  name  and   expanding  its                                                               
membership. HB 47 seeks to  make these changes. She continued the                                                               
introduction speaking to the following sponsor statement:                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill 47   Renaming  the  Alaska Native  Language                                                                    
     Preservation and  Advisory Council  as the  Council for                                                                    
     Alaska Native  Languages; and  relating to  the Council                                                                    
     for Alaska Native Languages                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill  47  reflects  a request  from  the  Alaska                                                                    
     Native  Language Preservation  and Advisory  Council to                                                                    
     change  its  name to  the  "Council  for Alaska  Native                                                                    
     Languages."  This change  would  shorten the  Council's                                                                    
     name  while emphasizing  the  Council's broader  focus,                                                                    
     which  includes more  than just  language preservation.                                                                    
     In  fact,  the  statute establishing  the  Council,  AS                                                                    
     44.33.520,  states the  purpose  of the  Council is  to                                                                    
     recommend  "the  establishment   or  reorganization  of                                                                    
     programs to support  the preservation, restoration, and                                                                    
     revitalization of Alaska Native languages."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     The  Council also  requests an  increase in  membership                                                                    
     from 5 to 7 members  in recognition of the diversity of                                                                    
     Alaska  Native languages  in the  state  (there are  at                                                                    
     least 20  Native languages in Alaska).  This allows for                                                                    
     greater  language  representation  on the  Council  and                                                                    
     increases the  involvement of a great  number of native                                                                    
     language speakers from different regions of the state.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:45:25 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY noted  that the  bill packets  included the                                                               
biennial report from the Council  to the governor and legislature                                                               
and said her office would provide the 2022 update.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
She  thanked the  committee for  its consideration  of HB  47 and                                                               
noted who  was available  to go over  the sectional  analysis and                                                               
answer questions.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER said  he didn't believe it was necessary  to go over                                                               
the sectional analysis or the fiscal note, which was minimal.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
He turned to invited testimony.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:47:41 PM                                                                                                                    
NICHOLE  THAM,  Operations  Manager, Division  of  Community  and                                                               
Regional   Affairs,  Department   of  Commerce,   Community,  and                                                               
Economic Development,  Anchorage, Alaska, stated that  she didn't                                                               
have prepared testimony, but was available to answer questions.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COSTELLO  referenced the report  in the bill  packet that                                                               
lists the 20 Alaska Native  languages and the estimated number of                                                               
highly  proficient speakers  in  the state.  She  asked what  the                                                               
Council does in  the situation where no  proficient speakers have                                                               
been identified in the state.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:48:34 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY  apologized  that  there  were  no  council                                                               
members  available  to answer  that  question,  and committed  to                                                               
ensure the committee received an  answer. She added that the goal                                                               
is to preserve  and revitalize these 20 languages,  each of which                                                               
has its own depth and teachings.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:49:38 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER opened  public testimony on HB 47;  finding none, he                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He asked the sponsor if she had final comments.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  asked the committee  to look at  the report                                                               
and  its specific  recommendations. She  noted that  it gave  her                                                               
pause to  learn about  the number of  language speakers  that had                                                               
been  lost to  COVID-19 when  there  were already  so few  fluent                                                               
speakers. It is clear that time is of the essence, she said.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:50:54 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER held HB 47 in committee.