03/09/2020 09:00 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 159                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to repayment conditions for medical                                                                       
     education program participants."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:03:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Foster   MOVED   to  ADOPT   proposed   committee                                                                    
substitute  for HB  159, Work  Draft 31-LS0981\M  (Caouette,                                                                    
3/6/20). (copy on file).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnston OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:04:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ERIN   SHINE,  STAFF,   REPRESENTATIVE  JENNIFER   JOHNSTON,                                                                    
reviewed the  two changes to  the Committee  Substitute. She                                                                    
reported that  on page 1,  line 2, the words   and providing                                                                    
for an effective  date  were added. The  second change found                                                                    
on page  2, line 11 added  new Section 3, which  read:  This                                                                    
act takes  effect on  January 1,  2021.  She  explained that                                                                    
Section 3 was added to  exclude the students that had signed                                                                    
their contracts  under the  current WWAMI  program. Students                                                                    
entering the program  after January 1, 2021  were subject to                                                                    
the bills 100 percent repayment provision.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:04:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Johnston WITHDREW  her OBJECTION.  There being  NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Johnston asked  the department  to review  the new                                                                    
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
STEPHANIE   BUTLER,  ALASKA   COMMISSION  ON   POSTSECONDARY                                                                    
EDUCATION  (via  teleconference),   offered  to  answer  any                                                                    
questions concerning the zero fiscal note.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:06:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster  MOVED  to  report  CSHB  159(FIN)  out  of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  159(FIN) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation  and with one new  indeterminate fiscal                                                                    
note by the Department of Education and Early Development.