04/25/2017 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

        HB 125-LAO/HMONG VETERAN DRIVER'S LIC. & ID CARD                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
3:32:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that the final  order of business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 125,  "An Act  relating to  a veteran's                                                               
designation on an  identification card or a  driver's license for                                                               
Hmong veterans and Lao veterans."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony on HB 125.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:32:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KANG  YANG testified  that she  is  speaking in  behalf of  Hmong                                                               
community members  and millennials  of that community  in support                                                               
of  HB  125.     She  asserted  that   the  proposed  legislation                                                               
represents  an  incredible opportunity  to  honor  the Hmong  who                                                               
spent their childhood and teen  years sacrificing their lives for                                                               
the lives  of American soldiers.   She stated that many  Hmong in                                                               
Southeast Asia are  still being persecuted and  killed for aiding                                                               
Americans during the Vietnam War.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS.  YANG maintained  that she  has spent  much of  her 22  years                                                               
growing up  in Anchorage explaining  who the Hmong are  and their                                                               
background, even  though Anchorage has  one of the  largest Hmong                                                               
communities  in  America.   She  asserted  that her  parents  and                                                               
grandparents  are  thankful  for   the  opportunity  to  live  in                                                               
America; and  the proposed  legislation is a  small way  to bring                                                               
respect and  honor to  those that helped  bring so  many American                                                               
family members home from the Vietnam War.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:34:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT  DOEHL, Deputy  Commissioner, Department  of Military  and                                                               
Veterans Affairs  (DMVA), testified  that last April  [2016], the                                                               
Alaska  Veterans  Advisory  Council (AVAC)  looked  at  identical                                                               
legislation introduced by Representative  LeDoux [House Bill 330,                                                               
introduced  during  the  Twenty-Ninth Alaska  State  Legislature,                                                               
2015-2016, withdrawn on  5/2/16].  The AVAC  consists of Alaskans                                                               
and veterans organizations  across the state.  The  AVAC voted to                                                               
support state  recognition of  the Hmong  as veterans,  for those                                                               
who served in Vietnam assisting the U.S. Armed Forces.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:35:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAFERT  LEE, Hmong  America Veterans,  relayed the  experience of                                                               
the  Hmong  during the  Vietnam  War  from  1961 to  1975,  their                                                               
involvement with the U.S. Central  Intelligence Agency (CIA), and                                                               
statistics  of  casualties among  soldiers  of  the Vietnam  War.                                                               
(indisc.)  He  maintained that the Hmong  soldiers never received                                                               
any benefits from the CIA or  the U.S. government.  (indisc.)  He                                                               
explained  the move  of the  Hmong people  to the  U.S. in  1975.                                                               
(indisc.)                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. Lee  offered his support for  HB 125 and said  that the Hmong                                                               
have waited over 42 years  to receive notice for their sacrifice.                                                               
He maintained  that it is time  for the Hmong and  Lao [veterans]                                                               
to  be  acknowledged  and  urged  the  passage  of  the  proposed                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:40:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BIRCH requested  Mr. Lee's  testimony in  written                                                               
form.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:41:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MAI XIONG  testified that she  was speaking for the  Hmong people                                                               
who  assisted  the U.S.  during  the  Vietnam  War.   Many  Hmong                                                               
sacrificed  their lives  for America;  and many  Hmong are  still                                                               
hiding  in the  jungles  [in Southeast  Asia];  because of  their                                                               
involvement  in   the  war  they  fear   repercussions  from  the                                                               
Communists.  (indisc.)                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:44:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS   asked  Ms.   Xiong  to   provide  written                                                               
testimony to the committee.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS,  after ascertaining  that there was  no one                                                               
else who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 125.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:45:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX expressed her support for HB 125.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:45:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL concurred.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:45:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX  moved to  report HB  125 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 125 was reported out of the                                                               
House State Affairs Standing Committee.