Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120

05/15/2021 10:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

Note: the audio and video recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.

Download Mp3. <- Right click and save file as

* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Recessed to 5/17/21 at 9:00 am --
-- Please Note Time Change --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
*+ HB 198 AK COMMUNITY HEALTH AIDE APPRECIATION DAY TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 198 Out of Committee
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+= HB 177 REVISED PROGRAM: APPROPRIATIONS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
+ SB 32 COLLEGE CREDIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ HB 149 CHILD CARE PROVIDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ SB 71 COUNCIL ON ARTS: PLATES & MANAGE ART TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+= HB 187 STATE AGENCY PUBLICATIONS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 187(STA) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                HB 187-STATE AGENCY PUBLICATIONS                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:27:56 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that  the next order  of business                                                               
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 187,  "An Act relating to the elimination                                                               
or modification  of state agency publications  that are outdated,                                                               
duplicative,  or   excessive  or   that  could  be   improved  or                                                               
consolidated  with other  publications  or exclusively  delivered                                                               
electronically; and  providing for  an effective date."   [Before                                                               
the committee, adopted  as a working document on  5/6/21, was the                                                               
proposed  committee  substitute  (CS)  for HB  187,  Version  32-                                                               
LS0779\G, Wallace, 5/5/21 ("Version G").]                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:28:20 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  opened public testimony  on HB 187.   After                                                               
ascertaining there  was no one  who wished to testify,  he closed                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:29:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  moved to  adopt  Amendment  1 to  HB  187,                                                               
Version G,  labeled 32-LS0779\G.1,  Wallace, 5/14/21,  which read                                                               
as follows:                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 14:                                                                                                           
     Delete "(a)"                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 8:                                                                                                            
     Delete "; and"                                                                                                             
     Insert "."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, lines 9 - 18:                                                                                                      
     Delete all material.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN,  prime sponsor, objected for  the purpose                                                               
of discussion.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:29:27 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS   explained  that  Amendment   1  addresses                                                               
language  in Section  2, to  eliminate duplicative  reports every                                                               
even-numbered year by the governor.   He noted that statute books                                                               
had  been determined  to be  [obsolete]  and a  statute had  been                                                               
passed for their  destruction, and a report of  that action could                                                               
be redundant.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN stated that  lines 918  would initiate the                                                               
new  process   and  directs   the  submission   of  a   list  and                                                               
characterizes  that  requirement  as  being  based  on  available                                                               
information and not redundant.   He suggested that the list would                                                               
provide transparency  for which [publications] to  be deleted and                                                               
would summarize  a list for  lawmakers to consider  which reports                                                               
may already be in existence.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS allowed  that the  language in  Amendment 1                                                               
may be  overly inclusive  and directed  attention to  lines 1418                                                                
and  referenced  the  report  due   each  October  31,  which  he                                                               
characterized  as not  redundant.   He questioned  the additional                                                               
process of requiring a percentage  report equal to 100 percent of                                                               
the publications  that would  be requested to  be deleted  by the                                                               
governor's office by means of legislation.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:34:11 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  answered that the proposed  system is not                                                               
a  static  one.    He explained  that  the  committee  substitute                                                               
prescribes a  two-year cycle which  would align  with legislative                                                               
sessions.  He  offered that the intent of the  bill was to manage                                                               
publications  under  changing  legislative priorities  and  other                                                               
government functions in a sustainable manner.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  asked  what could  negatively  affect  the                                                               
process should it occur every two years.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN  answered that  the  bill  would begin  a                                                               
continuous improvement culture.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS restated  his question  regarding the  two-                                                               
year cycle and referred to subsections 2 and 3.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN stated  that the  cycle had  been set  to                                                               
encourage goal setting and welcomed the committee's feedback.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  offered  that   the  process  was  not  an                                                               
entirely  executive function  and,  should  the executive  branch                                                               
offer  a   list  of  publications   to  be  deleted   subject  to                                                               
legislative  approval, he  questioned  a two-year  caveat on  the                                                               
process.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:38:25 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE  referred to  page  1,  line 7,  and  asked                                                               
whether  the  legislature  could  require a  governor  to  submit                                                               
legislation rather than a report.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN stated  his understanding after consulting                                                               
the legal  department that it  could and expressed his  hope that                                                               
if it were  not permissible, the legal team would  have raised an                                                               
issue with the proposed language.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  postulated that  the administration  may be                                                               
"on  board"  with the  proposed  legislation  and having  such  a                                                               
requirement might not be controversial.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CLAMAN,  in  response  to  Representative  Vance,                                                               
noted  that  the  legislature compels  the  executive  branch  to                                                               
perform many functions including  reports.  He rhetorically asked                                                               
what the consequence would be  should an executive not fulfil any                                                               
legislative  mandate,  up  to  and   including  a  lawsuit.    He                                                               
postulated  that  each  administration  is  concerned  with  cost                                                               
savings.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS offered  that he  perceived a  sentiment of                                                               
support for the proposed process.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE  asked who  the legislature would  compel to                                                               
produce  the proposed  reports  and stated  that  she would  find                                                               
value in the proposed process.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  offered that it was  the legislature's role                                                               
to compel the executive branch by way of statute.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN   added  that  there  would   occur  more                                                               
discussions  regarding waste  reduction  and process  evaluation.                                                               
He  acknowledged that  there exists  some  tension regarding  the                                                               
[House] Finance Committee's  review of the bill  and offered that                                                               
it would compel compromise on process improvement.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS invited a representative  from the Office of                                                               
Management & Budget (OMB) to offer remarks.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:45:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CAROLINE SCHULTZ, Policy Analyst,  Office of Management & Budget,                                                               
Office of  the Governor, shared  that OMB staff  had participated                                                               
in  discussions  with  the  bill sponsor  to  determine  how  the                                                               
proposed legislation could be integrated  into the state's budget                                                               
process, and she offered the  position that the bill would result                                                               
in  reduction of  waste.    She posed  the  same  question as  to                                                               
whether  the legislature  could  compel the  executive office  to                                                               
submit a  bill and stated  that the requirement  had strengthened                                                               
the bill.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:47:28 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN questioned the  validity of the fiscal note                                                               
being zero and asked whether OMB  agreed that there would be zero                                                               
fiscal impact, should HB 187 pass.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. SCHULTZ  related that OMB currently  collects immense amounts                                                               
of  information  from state  agencies  during  the annual  budget                                                               
process.  She  said that adding this requirement  would result in                                                               
only  a marginally  small cost.   She  qualified her  answer that                                                               
there could occur some initial  cost to transition to include the                                                               
new requirement, but  that a review of  publications would likely                                                               
result in cost savings overall.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN shared his  background as a career quality                                                               
manager  and  stated  that  his  most  rewarding  experience  was                                                               
improved  happiness   in  the  workplace  by   means  of  process                                                               
improvement.   He  suggested  that workers  would  be willing  to                                                               
nominate areas in which the  potential for waste reduction exist.                                                               
He suggested  that the  proposed bill  would codify  such process                                                               
improvement.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:51:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS moved  to adopt  Conceptual Amendment  1 to                                                               
Amendment 1,  such that  line 8 deletes  line 9,  and substitutes                                                               
line 14  [in its place] and  lines 14-18 would be  deleted in the                                                               
underlying bill rather than lines 918.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CLAMAN objected  for  discussion and  recommended                                                               
further modification such that lines  4-6 of the amendment should                                                               
be deleted  and explained  that the word  "and" should  remain so                                                               
that the following paragraph would remain.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  [moved to withdraw] Conceptual  Amendment 1                                                               
to Amendment 1 to HB 187,  Version G.  [There being no objection,                                                               
it was so ordered.]                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS moved  to adopt  Conceptual Amendment  2 to                                                               
Amendment 1 to HB 187, Version  G, such that lines 4-6 be deleted                                                               
and line 8;  delete "lines 918"  and replace  with "lines 1418."                                                                
There being no  objection, Conceptual Amendment 2  to Amendment 1                                                               
was adopted.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:54:46 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  removed his objection to  Amendment 1, as                                                               
amended.   There  being  no further  objection,  Amendment 1,  as                                                               
amended, was adopted.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:55:06 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN moved  to adopt  Amendment 2  to HB  187,                                                               
Version G,  as amended, labeled 32-LS0779\G.2,  Wallace, 5/14/21,                                                               
which read as follows:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 18:                                                                                                 
     Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                           
     "(c)     In  this  section,  "state   agency"  means  a                                                                    
     department,  institution, board,  commission, division,                                                                    
     authority, public corporation,  or other administrative                                                                    
     unit of the executive  branch, including the University                                                                    
     of Alaska and the Alaska Railroad Corporation."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS objected.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:55:13 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN   explained  that  the   amendment  would                                                               
designate the  correct body of  publications which  exists within                                                               
the executive branch only.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  asked whether  the University of  Alaska or                                                               
Alaska Railroad  would be  some of  the instrumentalities  of the                                                               
state as referenced.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. SCHULTZ  answered that all the  instrumentalities listed with                                                               
the exception of the Alaska  Railroad were involved in the annual                                                               
budget process and suggested removing the Alaska Railroad.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN  asked the rationale for  not also removing                                                               
the university.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SCHULTZ answered  that  the university  is  included in  the                                                               
executive budget  act process and allowed  that the determination                                                               
would be one of policy.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:57:42 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS moved  to adopt  Conceptual Amendment  1 to                                                               
Amendment 2, such  that it would delete "and  the Alaska Railroad                                                               
Corporation" among  lines 5-6  and add  "and" and  "including" on                                                               
line 5 to conform the language.   He added that Legislative Legal                                                               
Services would be authorized to  make any technical or conforming                                                               
changes.   There being  no objection,  Conceptual Amendment  1 to                                                               
Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS removed  his objection  to Amendment  2, as                                                               
amended.   There  being  no further  objection,  Amendment 2,  as                                                               
amended, was adopted.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN  complimented  the committee's  work  and                                                               
expressed  that  he  had  been   pleased  to  advance  a  process                                                               
improvement bill.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS stated his intent  to offer to co-sponsor HB
187, Version G, as amended.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:59:44 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CLAMAN  moved to  report  CSHB  187, Version  32-                                                               
LS0779\G,  Wallace, 5/5/21,  as  amended, out  of committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being no  objection, CSHB 187(STA) was reported  out of the                                                               
House State Affairs Standing Committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 198 Letter of Support - Koponen 5.13.21.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 198
HB 177 Amendment A.1.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 177
HB 177 Research Legal Opinion 05.05.2020.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 177
HB 177 Research Legal Opinon 08.26.2020.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 177
SB 71 Sponsor Statement.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 Sectional Analysis.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 Sample Plates Plate Demand.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 ArtsCouncil_Support-Letter_KodiakArts_08March2021.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 Version B.PDF HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 Public Testimony Rogers.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 DMV License Plate Options.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
HB 187 Amendment G.1 - Kreiss-Tomkins.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 187
HB 187 Amendment G.2 - Kaufman.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 187