04/11/2023 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

         HB 140-LEG SALARIES; STATE OFFICERS COMP COMM                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:04:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  announced that the  first order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  140,  "An  Act relating  to  the State  Officers                                                               
Compensation Commission;  and relating to policies  of the Alaska                                                               
Legislative  Council regarding  allowances and  reimbursement for                                                               
moving expenses."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  resumed public  testimony on HB  140 [left  open from                                                               
3/30/23].                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:05:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:05:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHAW  public  closed  public testimony  on  HB  140  after                                                               
ascertaining that no one online or in person wished to testify.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:06:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WRIGHT moved  to  adopt Amendment  1  to HB  140,                                                               
labeled 33-LS0692\A.1, Klein/Nauman, 3/28/23, which read:                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 2:                                                                                                  
     Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                         
        "* Sec. 3. AS 39.23.500(c) is amended to read:                                                                      
          (c)  The commission shall meet at the call of the                                                                     
     chair.  Notice of  a meeting  shall be  mailed to  each                                                                    
     member at least  20 days before the  date scheduled for                                                                    
     the  meeting and  posted on  the  Alaska Online  Public                                                                
        Notice System at least five days before the date                                                                    
     scheduled for the meeting."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARPNETER objected.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:06:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT  explained that  Amendment 1  would require                                                               
the commission  to provide  public notice  [on the  Alaska Online                                                               
Public  Notice System]  at  least  five days  prior  to the  date                                                               
scheduled for the meeting.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER removed his objection.  There being no                                                                 
further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:07:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD moved to adopt Amendment 2 to HB 140, as                                                                  
amended, labeled 33-LS0692\A.2, Klein, 3/28/23, which read:                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 2:                                                                                                  
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
        "* Sec. 3. AS 39.23.500(d) is amended to read:                                                                      
          (d)  The commission shall meet to discuss its                                                                         
     findings  and  recommendations  at least  twice  before                                                                    
     submitting its final reports  [REPORT] to the presiding                                                                
     officers  of  each house  of  the  legislature and  the                                                                    
     governor."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 12:                                                                                                           
          Delete "a report"                                                                                                     
          Insert "reports [A REPORT]"                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 14:                                                                                                           
          Delete "report is"                                                                                                    
          Insert "reports are [REPORT IS]"                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 20:                                                                                                           
          Delete "a final report"                                                                                               
          Insert "the final reports [A FINAL REPORT]"                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 24:                                                                                                           
          Delete "a final report"                                                                                               
          Insert "two final reports [A FINAL REPORT]"                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 25, following "recommendations":                                                                              
          Insert ", one report"                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 26, following "legislators,":                                                                                 
          Insert "and one report as to the rate and form of                                                                 
     compensation, benefits, and allowances for"                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 27, following "head":                                                                                         
          Insert ","                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 29:                                                                                                           
          Delete "this section"                                                                                                 
          Insert "a report [THIS SECTION]"                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 8:                                                                                                            
          Following "amend":                                                                                                
          Insert "a"                                                                                                        
          Delete "TO] the"                                                                                                      
          Insert "TO THE]"                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, following line 13:                                                                                                 
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
        "* Sec. 9. AS 39.23.540(g) is amended to read:                                                                      
          (g)  A recommendation in a final report under                                                                     
     this  section  increasing the  compensation,  benefits,                                                                    
     and  allowances of  a public  officer is  not effective                                                                    
     unless all recommended increases  included in that [THE                                                                
     FINAL]  report [UNDER  (d) OF  THIS SECTION]  are fully                                                                    
     funded by appropriations."                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE C. JOHNSON objected.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD deferred to Mr. Hilyard.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:07:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HEATH HILYARD,  Staff, Representative Cathy Tilton,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, explained Amendment  2 on behalf of  the House Rules                                                               
Standing  Committee, sponsor  by  request.   He  stated that  the                                                               
proposed amendment would bifurcate  the executive and legislative                                                               
branch report into two   one  for the legislature and one for the                                                               
administration;  therefore, if  one stalled  due to  objection or                                                               
concern from the legislature, the other would continue on.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE C. JOHNSON removed his  objection.  There being no                                                               
further objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:08:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:08:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER  moved to adopt  Amendment 3 to  HB 140,                                                               
as amended, labeled  33-LS0692\A.6, Wallace/Nauman, 4/5/23, which                                                               
read:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 2:                                                                                                  
          Insert new bill sections to read:                                                                                     
        "* Sec. 3. AS 39.23.500(d) is amended to read:                                                                      
          (d)  The commission shall meet at least twice to                                                                  
     discuss   the   [ITS]  findings   and   recommendations                                                                
     contained  in [AT  LEAST TWICE  BEFORE SUBMITTING]  its                                                                
     final  report or  an amended  report before  submitting                                                                
     the report to  the presiding officers of  each house of                                                                
     the legislature and the governor.                                                                                          
       * Sec. 4. AS 39.23.500 is amended by adding a new                                                                      
     subsection to read:                                                                                                        
          (f)  An action taken contrary to the notice or                                                                        
     meeting requirements of (c) and (d) of this section is                                                                     
     voidable under AS 44.62.310(f)."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD objected.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:09:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER explained that  Amendment 3 would insert                                                               
a new  bill section on page  2, following line 2,  providing that                                                               
the commission shall meet at  least twice to discuss the findings                                                               
and recommendations contained  in its final report  or an amended                                                               
report.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ALLARD withdrew  her objection.   There  being no                                                               
further objection, Amendment 3 was adopted.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:10:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:10:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  moved to  adopt Amendment  4 to  HB 140,  as amended,                                                               
labeled 33-LS0692\A.4, Klein/Nauman, 3/28/23, which read:                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 27:                                                                                                           
          Delete "30"                                                                                                       
          Insert "15"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 29:                                                                                                           
          Delete "90"                                                                                                       
          Insert "75"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:11:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT objected for purpose of discussion.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:11:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOSH  WALTON, Staff,  Representative  Laddie  Shaw, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, explained  Amendment 4  on behalf  of Representative                                                               
Shaw.  He relayed that Amendment  4 made two changes to important                                                               
dates related to the work  of the commission and the legislature.                                                               
First,  the  30-day deadline  for  submittal  of reports  to  the                                                               
legislature would  be shortened to  15 days; second,  Amendment 4                                                               
would  change  the deadline  for  rejection  of the  commission's                                                               
recommendations from 90 to 75 days.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:12:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WRIGHT withdrew  his objection.   There  being no                                                               
further objection, Amendment 4 was adopted.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:12:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:13:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to report  HB 140, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero fiscal notes.   There being no objection,  CSHB 140(STA) was                                                               
reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.