03/23/2017 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

              HB 165-STATE PERSONNEL ACT: VETERANS                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:07:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR TUCK  announced that the  first order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO.  165, "An Act relating to hiring  for positions in                                                               
state service  based on substitution of  military work experience                                                               
or   training   for   civilian  work   experience   or   training                                                               
requirements."                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH  urged the committee  to [move HB  165 from                                                               
committee].   He opined the  bill would  fill an existing  gap in                                                               
statute and  pointed out the  Department of  Administration (DOA)                                                               
is  currently  making  some   accommodations  to  allow  military                                                               
service  to  be  recognized;  the  bill  would  provide  for  the                                                               
recognition of  military service and allow  military experience -                                                               
if  pertinent and  at a  level  that equals  or exceeds  civilian                                                               
training -  to be substituted  for other  minimum qualifications.                                                               
He remarked,  "Essentially, if  you've been doing  a job  for the                                                               
armed services for  a few years and you've done  it well, I don't                                                               
see why  you need a degree,  necessarily, to do the  same job for                                                               
the state of Alaska."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:08:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  TUCK   opened  public   testimony  on   HB  165.     After                                                               
ascertaining  no  one wished  to  testify,  public testimony  was                                                               
closed.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SPOHNHOLZ   recalled  the   committee  previously                                                               
requested more  information from  DOA on  how it  would determine                                                               
that military experience meets or  exceeds the requirements for a                                                               
certain position.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:10:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATE  SHEEHAN,   Director,  Division   of  Personnel   and  Labor                                                               
Relations,   Department  of   Administration,  said   individuals                                                               
filling out a job application  list their previous job titles and                                                               
are  given  an  opportunity to  explain  their  responsibilities.                                                               
Just like  military experience, other  private sector  jobs might                                                               
not be  titled appropriately and  could be misunderstood.   After                                                               
an applicant  explains the duties  of their previous  job(s), the                                                               
department  could   follow  up   with  the  applicant   with  any                                                               
clarifying  questions  to  understand  and  to  give  appropriate                                                               
credit.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ  recalled the  state uses  some database                                                               
tools to determine  whether an individual meets  the criteria for                                                               
a job.   She asked how the state can  ensure applicants are being                                                               
properly   "screened-in   rather   than  screened-out"   if   the                                                               
applicants don't know which words to use.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. SHEEHAN  advised there  is a veteran  preference:   the state                                                               
must  consider  a  veteran's  or   a  National  Guard  [member's]                                                               
submitted application and must interview  any disabled veteran or                                                               
former prisoner  of war.   She stated  hiring managers  and human                                                               
resource  staff  review  applications;  individuals  self-certify                                                               
their veteran status; therefore, no proof is required.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PARISH  responded  to  Representative  Rauscher's                                                               
question about  whether the bill  applies to "state  or private,"                                                               
and said the bill pertains to state employment.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:12:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ moved to report  HB 165 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 165 was reported out of the                                                               
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.