03/21/1995 09:15 AM Senate FIN

                                                                               
       HOUSE BILL NO. 92                                                       
                                                                               
       "An Act extending the termination date of the Citizens'                 
  Review      Panel for Permanency Planning; and providing for                 
  an effective      date."                                                     
                                                                               
  Co-chair Halford  invited Representative Toohey to  join the                 
  committee.    Representative   Toohey  presented   testimony                 
  regarding HB 92.  (Testimony is attached.)                                   
                                                                               
  Senator Rieger asked if the Citizens Review Panel is active.                 
  Marveen Coggins, Legislative Aide to  Rep. Toohey noted that                 
  the Permanency  Planning Panel  and the  Foster Care  Review                 
  Panel are one in the same.  The formal name is the Citizen's                 
  Review Panel for Permanency Planning (CRPPP).                                
                                                                               
  Co-chair   Halford   invited   Sharon   Barton,   Dept.   of                 
  Administration, to join the committee.  Ms. Barton testified                 
  that since December of 1994, she has supervised the CRPPP in                 
  Anchorage.  She pointed out the zero fiscal note emphasizing                 
  the  money  for  this  function has  been  included  in  the                 
  governor's amended budget.                                                   
                                                                               
  Co-chair Halford read a statement  from the OMB instructions                 
  on   fiscal  notes.  "Please   remember  that  fiscal  notes                 
  extending an entity  under sunset review should  display the                 
  ongoing  cost  of  operations  and  any  associated   review                 
  generated by  the passage of the sunset  legislation.  These                 
  types of fiscal notes  should be footnoted to indicate  that                 
  the  expenditures  are contained  in the  proposed operating                 
  budget, and that the  revenues are reflected in  the revenue                 
  projection."  He  noted that this  is current as of  January                 
  20th of this  year, consistent with the statute.  He pointed                 
  out that there does need to be  a fiscal note.  It does need                 
  to note that the money is in the budget.                                     
                                                                               
  Ms.  Barton  said that  a  fiscal  note of  $170.6  had been                 
  submitted with the bill.   House Finance replaced it  with a                 
  zero fiscal  note. She  noted that  the department  would be                 
  happy to resubmit a fiscal note.  Co-chair Halford responded                 
  that as  long as the  fiscal note meets  the law, and  OMB's                 
  guidelines  follow  the law,  the  Senate and  House Finance                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Committees  can  zero  it  out.    The  Committees  must  be                 
  presented with the  actual cost before a  conscious decision                 
  to zero it out can be made.                                                  
                                                                               
  Discussion  was  had  regarding the  amount  of  $170.6. Ms.                 
  Barton stated that it  pays for salaries for 3  staff people                 
  who:  research  and organize  the  cases; distribute  to the                 
  panels;  recruit   the  volunteer  panels;   facilitate  the                 
  meetings with families;  search out family members  who need                 
  to  be in attendance at  those meetings; and coordinate with                 
  the Public Defender Agency, Public  Advocacy Staff, DFYS and                 
  others involved  in  the reviews.    Hundreds of  hours  are                 
  donated,  but it  requires the staff  to make  them function                 
  well.                                                                        
                                                                               
  Senator  Sharp  inquired  if  these  employees  are  of  the                 
  Department  of Administration.   Ms.  Barton indicated  they                 
  are.  Senator  Sharp asked  further about the  $170.6.   She                 
  indicated  that $1.0  is allocated  for travel,  recognizing                 
  that  supervision  comes  out of  Juneau,  making  travel to                 
  Anchorage  a couple times  a year necessary.  Leasing is now                 
  required for the CRPPP as they are needing their own space.                  
                                                                               
  Co-chair Halford asked  if the  amount of $170.6  is in  the                 
  budget.                                                                      
  Ms. Barton indicated that it is.   It was not in the  Hickel                 
  budget, it is an add-on by Governor Knowles.  She noted that                 
  it was funded at $104.6 in FY 95.   At that level it did not                 
  fund a staff  of three.  She  indicated that in order  to be                 
  minimally functional, they must have a staff of three.                       
                                                                               
  Co-chair Halford indicated  that the  House took the  fiscal                 
  note and zeroed it out saying it was in the budget. He noted                 
  that this was  not a  consistent policy.   Co-chair  Halford                 
  made it  clear to the  sponsor, that the  bill would  have a                 
  better chance of being  funded as a fiscal note  rather than                 
  through the budget.                                                          
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Frank MOVED for  passage of HB  92 with individual                 
  recommendations.  No objection having been raised, HB 92 was                 
  REPORTED OUT of committee  with the original fiscal note  of                 
  $170.6  from  the Department  of  Administration.   Co-chair                 
  Halford asked Senator  Phillips to  research the funding  to                 
  bring before  the  conference committee  for final  decision                 
  making.