04/12/2011 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 183                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the Village Safe Water Act."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:31:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SHIELA PETERSON,  STAFF, SENATOR ALAN DICK, relayed  that the                                                                   
parties  involved in the  bill's creation  determined  the CS                                                                   
was   drafted  correctly.   The   legislation  expanded   the                                                                   
program,  provided  a  governing  body  for  recipients,  and                                                                   
included the community of Nenana.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
LINDSAY WOLTER,  ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL,  CIVIL DIVISION,                                                                   
ENVIRONMENTAL    SECTION,    DEPARTMENT     OF    LAW    (via                                                                   
teleconference),    understood   that   all    unincorporated                                                                   
communities  were included  in the legislation.  She  did not                                                                   
have any further concerns.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough  contended   that  the  issue  of  the                                                                   
status of  tribal organizations  was a constitutional  issue.                                                                   
She did not  believe that the constitutional  issues that had                                                                   
been raised  were included  in the  CS. Ms. Wolter  responded                                                                   
in the  affirmative. All local  governments were  included in                                                                   
the bill.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Edgmon   spoke   with  DEC   officials.   He                                                                   
confirmed  that  references  to village  councils  and  IRA's                                                                   
(Indian   Reorganization   Act   communities)   in   the   CS                                                                   
strengthened  the  department's  ability to  procure  federal                                                                   
funds.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough MOVED to  report CS  HB 183  (FIN) out                                                                   
of  committee   with  individual   recommendations   and  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CS HB 183 (FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do                                                                        
pass" recommendation and with attached previously published                                                                     
fiscal note: FN 1 (DEC).