Legislature(2013 - 2014)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/09/2013 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB94 | |
| HB84 | |
| HB99 | |
| HB153 | |
| HB56 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 30 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 96 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 94 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 84 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 99 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 153 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 56 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 84(FIN)
"An Act relating to applying military education,
training, and service credit to occupational licensing
and certain postsecondary education and employment
training requirements; providing for a temporary
occupational license for qualified military service
members; and providing for an effective date."
9:30:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DAN SADDLER, gave a sponsor statement:
According to the Department of Defense, the September
2012, jobless rate for post-9/11 veterans was 9.9%
with young male Veterans (ages 18 to 24) experiencing
an unemployment rate of 18.1 percent. Last year,
Alaska had over 1200 service members separate from the
military from our posts and bases. These are 1200
potential workers who could contribute to our state's
economy. It is our responsibility to assist their
transition into our work force swiftly and
appropriately.
Our nation's military is one of the most highly
trained in the world. These men and women who
undertake this challenge face unique challenges and
sacrifice many things that the general population does
not. We owe it to our men and women to ensure that
their distinctive set of skills do not go to waste
once they separate from the military. These highly
trained individuals deserve to remain productive
members of society and to be able to provide for their
families.
HB 84 requires the Division of Professional Licensing,
University of Alaska and vocational educational
facilities to examine the credentials of related
military experience. Relevant military experience
would be credited for licensing requirements and
educational credit would be granted for appropriate
training.
In the last 10 years our military has seen record
numbers of deployments. HB 84 is one way we can show
our thanks and allow our service members the
opportunity to create positive and productive futures.
Representative Saddler shared that service members often
experience delays and lost opportunities qualifying for
licenses and academic credit even though they had highly
qualified training and experience. The legislation would
make it more likely that veterans in Alaska could get jobs
and advance their civilian careers by accelerating the
licensing process and the process of gaining educational
credit. The state currently faced forced reductions and
significant budget cuts, coupled by the sequestration,
which could force more veterans to seek civilian jobs. He
said that 19 states had enacted legislation similar to HB
84 as of July 2012, and 30 were considering similar
legislation in 2013. He believed that the state had an
obligation to find ways to give Alaska's veterans every
opportunity to leverage their military experience into
academic credit, job certification or vocational training
credits.
9:32:40 AM
MARK SAN SOUCI, REGIONAL LIAISON FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
NORTHWEST, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, TACOMA, WASHINGTON (via
teleconference), expressed the departments support and
gratitude for the legislation. He noted that the training
that members of the military received was paid for by
federal tax dollars. Additionally, the department supported
the 2014 effective date.
9:33:59 AM
Senator Bishop spoke to Section 4 of the bill. He commented
that the Department of Labor should reach out to
organizations that already accepted military records on
their military discharge papers for application to
apprenticeship programs.
9:35:13 AM
Co-Chair Meyer CLOSED public testimony.
Co-Chair Kelly MOVED to REPORT CS HB 84(FIN) out of
committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal notes.
Co-Chair Meyer OBJECTED for the purpose of discussion.
9:35:44 AM
Vice-Chair Fairclough noted the multiple zero fiscal notes.
9:35:59 AM
Representative Saddler noted that former Representative
Bill Thomas had done much of the initial work on the
legislation.
Vice-Chair Fairclough queried fiscal notes.
Co-Chair Meyer REMOVED his OBJECTION. There being NO
further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
CS HB 84(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do
pass" recommendation and with previously published zero
fiscal notes: FN1 (EED), FN2 (LWF), FN3 (UA), and FN5
(CED).
9:37:35 AM
AT EASE
9:38:31 AM
RECONVENED