Legislature(2023 - 2024)ADAMS 519
02/06/2024 10:00 AM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB126 | |
| HB155 | |
| SB22 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 126 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 155 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 22 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE BILL NO. 155
"An Act establishing the Alaska Military Affairs
Commission; and relating to the duties and powers of
the Alaska Military Affairs Commission."
10:23:35 AM
Co-Chair Foster noted that there was a proposed committee
substitute (CS) for the bill.
Co-Chair Johnson MOVED to ADOPT the committee substitute
for HB 155, Work Draft 33-LS0701\D (Marx/Gunther, 2/5/24)
(copy on file).
Co-Chair Foster OBJECTED for discussion.
Representative Stapp introduced himself as the sponsor of
the legislation.
HONOUR MILLER-AUSTIN, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE WILL STAPP,
introduced herself.
Representative Stapp offered an overview of HB 155 and the
changes proposed in the CS. The purpose of the previously
established Alaska Civilian-Armed Services Team (ACAST) was
to discuss longevity, the military's impact in the
community in terms of financial investment, and demonstrate
an understanding that relationships mattered. In the prior
year, he attended a military event at Fort Wainwright and a
sergeant with whom he was acquainted 16 years ago had
become the division commander for all forces in Alaska. The
purpose of HB 155 was to establish longevity through the
creation of the Alaska Military Affairs Commission (AMAC)
that could be a sustainable and reliable entity in the
state. The problem in the past was that although there had
been multiple iterations of military-oriented commissions,
none of the commissions were sustainable and the purpose of
the past commissions had never been clear. He relayed that
Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks had been preserved
through the establishment and support of ACAST and he would
like to see AMAC emulate its success. He asked his staff to
review the sectional analysis.
10:28:22 AM
Ms. Miller-Austin added that the commission was intended to
advise the governor, the communities, and the state's
congressional delegation on military matters, economic
development related to military issues, and other matters
involving the armed services in the state. She reviewed the
sectional analysis (copy on file):
Section 1
• Establishes the Alaska Military Affairs
Commission in the Office of the Governor
• Defines the Commission membership to include nine
voting members
• Sets (staggered) three-year member terms
• Details Commission meetings, quorum rules, and
authorizes per diem and travel expenses
• Enumerates the duties of the Commission
Section 2
• Ensures that the administrative support for the
Commission is held within the Office of the
Governor
• Sunsets the Alaska Military Commission on June
30, 2030
Section 3
• Adds uncodified law regarding the initial terms
of Alaska Military Affairs Commission members
10:30:31 AM
Representative Hannan relayed that she had the sectional
analysis for the original version of the bill and not the
CS. She asked if there was a sectional available for the
CS.
Representative Stapp noted that the CS would delete
language in Section 2 that he found to be redundant. He
read the language from the original bill (copy on file)
that would be deleted in the CS as follows:
nominated by an organization municipal governments in
the state and appointed by the governor, if, within 60
days after a seat under this paragraph becomes vacant,
an organization that represents municipal governments
in the state fails to nominate one or more persons to
fill the seat, the governor may appoint any qualified
person; an organization that represents municipal
governments in the state shall nominate, and the
governor shall appoint
Representative Stapp explained that the language referenced
the seats that were reserved for the three mayors of the
states that had various military installations. He did not
feel the language was necessary and thought that it
complicated the issue.
Representative Hannan understood that the only change made
by the CS was in Section 2 and it regarded the mayor's
designee.
Representative Stapp replied that the CS also added in
Section 2, "appointed by the governor; the governor shall
appoint" as a conforming change.
10:32:34 AM
Ms. Miller-Austin reviewed the fiscal impact note ULVMn
prepared by the Office of the Governor. The fiscal note
assumed that there would be associated costs in personal
services, travel, contractual services, and commodities.
The lieutenant governor would be designated as the chair of
the commission and would be responsible for scheduling and
planning commission meetings, preparing meeting materials
and minutes, making non-state member travel arrangements for
any in-person meetings, and securing meeting locations.
There would be a need for additional personnel and the
travel expenses for the four assumed meetings per year
would be covered by per diem.
Representative Josephson asked why the commission would be
housed in the Office of the Governor and not within the
Office of Veteran's Affairs.
Representative Stapp responded that the commission would be
the responsibility of the lieutenant governor. He explained
that it was necessary for the executive to lead the
conversation to ensure that the commission was sustainable.
The goal was to maximize the long-term investments from the
federal Department of Defense (DOD) in military communities
such as Fairbanks. He thought it would be more efficient in
Alaska for either the governor or the lieutenant governor
to manage the commission.
Representative Josephson noted that the Alaska Veteran's
Advisory Council was currently operational and he asked
what the difference would be between the council and the
proposed commission.
Representative Stapp deferred to his staff.
Ms. Miller-Austin replied that the purpose of the advisory
council was to serve veterans, dependents, and survivors
and those transitioning from military service. The purpose
of the proposed commission was to focus on economic
development within the state and provide a more unified
front.
10:36:24 AM
Representative Galvin appreciated the effort but wanted
more context. She understood that the commission would be
housed in Anchorage, but noted that there were many letters
of support from Fairbanks (copies on file). The bill
proposed the involvement of three mayors, but the state was
vast and there were military installations everywhere. She
asked for an explanation of why Anchorage was chosen as the
location for the commission.
Representative Stapp replied that the largest military
presence in the state was in Anchorage. He thought it made
sense for the majority of staffing to be located in the
area of the state with the most substantial military
presence. He suggested that invited testifiers were
available to offer more information on the reason why only
three mayors would be involved. Sometimes a smaller number
of people in leadership and fewer people involved in making
decisions made for a more efficient operation.
Representative Galvin asked if Representative Stapp had
considered adding language that would distinguish between
the terms "urban" and "rural" to ensure that there was
representation for both in the bill.
Representative Stapp thought the differentiation would
happen naturally throughout the process of developing and
operating the commission. There were still military
installations in the state that were in rural areas and the
bases were impactful for the communities. He thought DOD
had many plans for Alaska and Arctic strategy was changing.
The military would be refocusing on "next-generation
enemies" and Alaska's role was at the forefront of all
conversations. He thought the commission would help
facilitate the changes.
10:41:02 AM
Co-Chair Foster WITHDREW the OBJECTION [to adopting the
CS]. There being NO further OBJECTION, Work Draft 33-
LS0701\D was ADOPTED.
Representative Coulombe asked what the effective date of
the bill was and whether the bill proposed a sunset on the
commission.
Representative Stapp deferred to his staff.
Representative Coulombe stated that she was uncertain
whether there was an intention to sunset the commission.
Ms. Miller-Austin responded that she did not believe there
was an effective date for the bill, which meant that the
bill would go into effect 90 days after it passed. The
commission would sunset on June 30, 2030, and was detailed
on page 4, line 7 and 8 of the bill.
10:43:09 AM
Representative Hannan understood that there were no
explicit military designees on the commission. The bill
proposed that the commission include public members with
extensive military backgrounds in a variety of branches.
She asked why the military branches were not specifically
named.
Representative Stapp responded that there were two seats
reserved for individuals with extensive military
backgrounds. He asked for clarification on what
Representative Hannan wanted to know.
Representative Hannan thought that the commission's vision
was to engage in planning for the future of the military;
however, if members of the commission were retired, the
members' experience was not ongoing. She asked if it was a
deliberate exclusion because the public members would not
be specifically representing a military branch.
10:44:57 AM
Representative Stapp responded that the individual
occupying the attorney general (AG) seat and representing
the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs on the
commission as public members would need to have extensive
military and veteran experience. He argued that sometimes,
requiring less specific experience was more effective. He
thought that the language stating that the two public seats
were reserved for individuals with extensive military
experience was specific enough to cover concerns, but he
was open to additional conversations.
Co-Chair Johnson remarked that she was a former mayor of a
community with many military members. She asked if it might
be prudent to include on the commission a public member who
lived in a community with a strong military presence but
who was not a member of the military themselves. She
wondered if Representative Stapp expected that the three
mayors' perspective would provide a complete picture of
what military members in a particular community needed.
Representative Stapp replied that he hoped that the two
public members would have extensive military experience.
There was significant technical terminology involved in the
military and he wanted to ensure that members of the
commission fully understood the concerns of military
members. He was not opposed to making changes to the bill
that would better satisfy all parties.
Co-Chair Foster relayed that the committee would hear
invited testimony.
10:48:31 AM
BRYCE WARD, MAYOR, FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR BOROUGH, FAIRBANKS
(via teleconference), relayed that about 30 percent of the
economy of Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) was derived
from military members. He argued that Alaska was one of the
first military defense responders and the military's
presence could be seen throughout the state. He thought it
was important to recognize that the Arctic strategy had
pivoted nationally. The state was seen as responsible for
leading the charge of protecting the country as well as
projecting the nation's power in the Arctic region. He
argued that AMAC had the ability to organize the required
efforts on a statewide level. The readiness of military
personnel had a major impact on the ability to carry out
the Arctic mission. The military was examining the various
factors that impacted the effectiveness of military members
while on the job, such as the availability of adequate
housing, education, and resources. The commission could
easily determine the most pressing challenges for military
members and take steps to address the issues statewide. He
added that veterans were dealing with the same issues that
active military members dealt with, such as access to
health care and education services.
Mayor Ward continued that AMAC had a direct line of
communication with the federal delegation and met once a
month. There were staff from the Alaska's congressional
offices responsible for communicating with the commission
about the work that was being done in Washington, D.C. He
thought it was important for the congressional delegation
to have insight into the work that happened in Fairbanks
and Anchorage and how it impacted the entire state. There
was also a need for a coordinated effort to look at areas
in Alaska from a military perspective, which could be
provided by the commission. He argued that relationships
mattered and the commission would help coordinate the
relationships across the state and with other states like
Florida and Texas, which had strong military affairs
commissions.
10:55:27 AM
Mayor Ward recalled that there was a question about whether
the commission would designate a member to represent a
specific military branch. He explained that there was a
separate meeting called the Civilian Military Advisory to
confer with military installation commanders. He had
learned from the meetings that the instillation commanders
were not permitted to lobby. The commanders could share
concerns with elected officials, but were not able to
directly advocate to the federal delegation or statewide
legislators. He suggested that a member on the commission
would be able to have relationships with installation
commanders across the state and effectively carry the
concerns to political leaders. He noted that the mayors had
the same function. He did not have a problem with the
commission being located in Anchorage if it facilitated
communication across the state.
Representative Josephson understood that the bill housed
the commission in the Office of the Governor. He asked
Representative Stapp whether the governor wanted the
commission to be housed within the office for the purpose
of downsizing.
Representative Stapp replied that the lieutenant governor
was located within the Office of the Governor. He had
misunderstood Representative Josephson's earlier question.
He thought that every Alaska governor had understood that
the military had an important role in the state. He
believed the commission was a better alternative to ACAST,
which would sunset in June of 2024.
10:59:13 AM
KEITH KLAEHN, CHAIRMAN, DEFENSE MISSION TASKFORCE, COLORADO
SPRINGS (via teleconference), thought that Colorado and
Alaska shared many similarities. He shared that he also
served on the national Association of Defense Communities,
which was a traveling delegation of 40 people who attended
conferences in D.C. twice a year and worked with other
states on matters of defense. He reported that in recent
years, Alaska had become increasingly engaged and FNSB was
named by the association as one of the great American
defense communities. He applauded Alaska's efforts to come
together on defense issues. He thought due to the size of
the state and the fact that there were large distances
between military bases, it would be unrealistic to expect a
small community to support the bases without the full
commitment and assistance from the state.
Mr. Klaehn noted that there had been federal pressure to
increase support for military bases with critical
infrastructure needs as well as needs related to the
quality of life of members. He explained that quality of
life issues included child care, affordable housing,
education, health care, and risk reduction. In the last
several years, the military's electronic spectrum had been
at risk and there was an increased potentiality for outside
interference. He expressed that the good news was that
there had never been more federal resources available to
leverage in military efforts. He encouraged the committee
to continue to work towards establishing AMAC. He thought
the bill would benefit soldiers and service members serving
in Alaska, including members of his own family.
11:04:33 AM
TAMMIE PERREAULT, REGIONAL LIAISON, UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON
(via teleconference), remarked that the committee had
already heard from two experts who had spoken about the
value of the bill, but she wished to amplify a couple of
additional elements of the bill. She shared that it was her
first time testifying in support of the policy. Her office
had monitored similar policies for several years to
determine how state-wide organizations could help improve
some of the quality of life issues experienced by military
members. She emphasized that her office was keenly focused
on the quality of life of military members. She had seen
that states that had a coordinated voice were able to
address more quality of life issues for military families
than states that were not working as a united front.
Ms. Perreault indicated that the most successful state
organizations were led by the executive branch, which was
the strategy outlined in HB 155. The highly varied
locations of military members across Alaska made it
difficult to develop a perspective that applied to the
entire state. She had attended the Alaska Defense Forum in
Fairbanks for several years and thought that the voice of
FNSB had amplified the voice of the state overall. Over the
years, she had seen that military families had benefited
from statewide organizations. She highlighted that military
issues and veterans' issues were different and there needed
to be separate commissions to address both populations. She
concluded that her office supported the legislation and
thanked Representative Stapp for bringing the legislation
forward.
11:07:15 AM
Representative Hannan asked Representative Stapp whether he
anticipated that ACAST would be extended past its upcoming
sunset in June of 2024.
Representative Stapp responded that he did not think there
was currently any legislation circulating that would extend
ACAST. He would prefer that ACAST be replaced with AMAC.
Representative Hannan assumed that Representative Stapp's
office developed comparisons between the two organizations
and she thought it seemed that the two had a similar
makeup. She argued that the Joint Armed Services Committee
(JASC) should also be compared to the two organizations.
She noted that JASC was tasked with working with the
state's congressional delegation and HB 155 did not task
AMAC with a similar directive. She asked if Representative
Stapp would be interested in seeing JASC repealed. She
thought there were several ways to look at the issue and it
seemed confusing, particularly when the purpose of the
legislation seemed to be to develop a unified voice. She
wondered if it would make sense to combine all three
entities into a single commission.
Representative Stapp replied that AMAC would help JASC make
better decisions. He understood that the purpose of JASC
was to act as the legislative representation for the
military. He was uncertain whether he would support the
dissolvement of JASC at the present moment, but he would be
open to other conversations in the future if HB 155 were to
be passed into law.
Representative Hannan asked if there was discussion on
specific directives for the purpose of coordinating with
the federal delegation in the construction of AMAC.
Representative Stapp responded that the coordination
already existed organically. The mayors were already
dealing with active duty military members and by
association, DOD. He did not think the coordination needed
to be codified in the bill because it seemed to happen
naturally.
Co-Chair Foster invited Representative Stapp to make
closing comments.
11:11:51 AM
Representative Stapp appreciated the committee's time. He
thought there was an opportunity for the state to become a
more unified front. He shared that a new U.S. Army division
had been established and it was placed in Alaska, which had
never been done before. The federal government was serious
about Arctic strategy and Alaska had a significant role to
play. He urged support for the bill.
Co-Chair Foster set an amendment deadline for Tuesday,
February 14, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
HB 155 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
11:13:09 AM
AT EASE
11:15:08 AM
RECONVENED