04/17/2009 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 63(FIN)                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the Council on Domestic Violence                                                                       
     and Sexual Assault."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:34:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT work draft LS0138\M                                                                             
Co-Chair Stedman OBJECTED.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CRYSTAL   KOENEMAN,    STAFF,   REPRESENTATIVE    FAIRCLOUGH,                                                                   
explained  the changes  to the legislation  reflected  in the                                                                   
work  draft.   She  pointed  out  that  the   legislation  as                                                                   
transmitted to the  Senate, specified in Section  4, that the                                                                   
executive director of the council  will be an exempt position                                                                   
while the  director's staff  will be  part of the  classified                                                                   
service. The  Senate State Affairs Committee  changed Section                                                                   
4,  to include  the executive  director and  staff in  exempt                                                                   
service.  Version M  changes the  section back  to the  House                                                                   
version.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman WITHDREW his OBJECTION                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Koeneman reviewed  the legislation.  She explained  that                                                                   
the legislation  changed the composition of the  council. The                                                                   
bill increases the public members  from three to four. One of                                                                   
the  public   members  must  be   from  a  rural   area.  The                                                                   
commissioner of  the Department of Corrections  or a designee                                                                   
from the department will be added  to the board. The member's                                                                   
term of  office is changed from  two to three years  in order                                                                   
to  preside over  a complete  budget  cycle. The  legislation                                                                   
allows but does not require the  governor to consult with the                                                                   
Alaska Network  on Domestic Violence and Sexual  Assault when                                                                   
appointing public  members. Employees of the  state of Alaska                                                                   
may not be  members of the council. The  legislation expanded                                                                   
the  definition  of  "rural area"  to  include  a  population                                                                   
between 3500  and 7500. The requirement  for a quorum  is now                                                                   
five members.  Finally, new members will be  appointed within                                                                   
thirty days of the effective date of the legislation.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:39:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman pointed  out  the three  fiscal notes:  the                                                                   
zero fiscal notes from the Department  of Corrections and the                                                                   
Department  of Health  and Social  Services,  and the  fiscal                                                                   
note for  the Department  of Public Safety  in the  amount of                                                                   
$7.9 thousand.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  MOVED to  report CSHB  63 out of  Committee                                                                   
with individual  recommendations and the  accompanying fiscal                                                                   
notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  63 was  REPORTED  out of  Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                   
recommendation and with two previously  zero fiscal notes and                                                                   
one  previously   published  fiscal  impact  note   from  the                                                                   
Department of Public Safety.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  63 was  REPORTED  out of  Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                   
recommendation and with two previously  published zero fiscal                                                                   
notes: FN1 (COR) and FN3 (DHS);  and one previously published                                                                   
fiscal impact note: FN2 (DPS).