Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
05/09/2024 05:15 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB226 | |
| HB189 | |
| HB88 | |
| HB203 | |
| HB146 | |
| HB233 | |
| HB251 | |
| SB146 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 226 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 189 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 88 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 203 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 146 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 146 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 233 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 251 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HB 189-SALE OF ALCOHOL
5:27:04 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 189(L&C) am "An Act
relating to the sale of alcohol; relating to the posting of
warning signs for alcoholic beverages; and providing for an
effective date."
CHAIR BJORKMAN stated the motion to adopt SCS CSHB 189, work
order 33-LS0697\U, was pending before the committee; he said he
had maintained his objection as there was a need to amend the
bill further.
5:27:41 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN removed his objection; found no further objection
and SCS CSHB 189 was adopted as the working document.
5:28:00 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited a motion.
5:28:02 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to adopt Amendment 1 (U.2), work
order 33-LS0697\U.2, for HB 189.
33-LS0697\U.2
C. Radford
5/9/24
AMENDMENT 1
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR BJORKMAN
TO: SCS CSHB 189(L&C), Draft Version "U"
Page 1, line 1, following "alcohol;":
Insert "relating to the posting of warning signs
for alcoholic beverages;"
Page 5, following line 27:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 11. AS 04.21.065(b) is amended to read:
(b) The warning signs required by (a) of this
section must be at least 11 inches by 14 inches, and
the lettering must be at least one-half inch high and
in contrasting colors. The first sign must read,
"WARNING: Alcohol use [DRINKING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
SUCH AS BEER, WINE, WINE COOLERS, AND DISTILLED
SPIRITS OR SMOKING CIGARETTES] during pregnancy can
cause birth defects. Alcohol use can cause cancer,
including breast and colon cancers." The second sign
must read, "WARNING: A person who provides alcoholic
beverages to a person under 21 years of age, if
convicted under AS 04.16.051, could be imprisoned for
up to five years and fined up to $50,000." The third
sign must read, "WARNING: An unaccompanied person
under 21 years of age who enters these premises in
violation of law may, under AS 04.16.049(e), be
civilly liable for damages of $1,500." The license or
permit holder shall display the first and second signs
in a manner that would make them conspicuous to a
person who will be purchasing or consuming alcoholic
beverages or smoking cigarettes on the licensed or
designated premises and shall conspicuously display
the third sign at each door through which customers
enter the licensed premises."
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
Page 5, following line 31:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 14. Section 11 of this Act takes effect
January 1, 2025."
Renumber the following bill section accordingly.
Page 6, line 1:
Delete "This"
Insert "Except as provided in sec. 14 of this
Act, this"
5:28:10 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for purposes of discussion.
5:28:22 PM
KONRAD JACKSON, Staff, Senator Jesse Bjorkman, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said Amendment 1 (U.2), page 1,
would restore language which was removed from CSHB 189, version
U, and [Amendment 1 (U.2)], page 2, would insert a delayed
effective date at the request of Joan Wilson, Director of the
Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office (AMCO) to allow additional
time for [cancer warning signs]to be printed and distributed to
the various vendors in a reasonable time.
5:29:16 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN asked for clarification about the extended
effective date. He asked whether it applied only to the section
of HB 189 that addressed the [cancer warning] signs.
5:29:25 PM
MR. JACKSON affirmed that only the effective date for the signs
was changed; the effective date for HB 189 overall was not
changed.
5:29:34 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN removed his objection; found no further objection
and Amendment 1 (U.2), work order 33-LS0697\U.2 was adopted.
5:29:59 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited a motion.
5:30:02 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to adopt Amendment 2 (U.1), work
order 33-LS0697\U.1, to HB 189.
33-LS0697\U.1
C. Radford
5/8/24
AMENDMENT 2
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR BJORKMAN
TO: SCS CSHB 189(L&C), Draft Version "U"
Page 4, line 28, following "(1)":
Insert "beverage dispensary or beverage
dispensary tourism licensee that has a large resort
endorsement,"
Page 5, line 7:
Delete ";"
Insert "."
Page 5, lines 8 - 12:
Delete all material.
5:30:11 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for purposes of discussion.
5:30:21 PM
MR. JACKSON stated Amendment 2 (U.1) corrected a minor drafting
error in the rewrite of Title IV. He explained that Title IV
dealt with large resorts [who hold alcohol endorsements]. He
said current statute prohibits small children from wandering
around [on resort premises] without direct adult supervision. He
said language was inserted on page four, line 28 which would
permit children to be on the premises of large resorts holding
alcohol endorsements. He noted the large resort in Girdwood was
the only resort that Amendment 2 (U.1) applied to. He said there
was also language in the amendment that deleted the attempt on
page five of HB 189, which was inadvertently drafted and which
would have allowed children 16 years or so of age to be
unaccompanied in a bar at a large resort. He said that was never
the intention of that CS, so that was deleted [from HB 189],
page five, lines eight through twelve.
5:32:01 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN removed his objection; found no further objection
and Amendment 2 (U.1) was adopted.
5:32:33 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR spoke in favor of HB 189. He noted that it was
crucial to employers facing workforce shortages. He also said it
was incredibly important that young people, eighteen, nineteen,
twenty years old, had access to employment opportunities. He
noted that young people in this country are expected to be
adults at 18 and we should not further restrict their employment
opportunities.
5:33:21 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN opened public testimony on HB 189.
5:33:43 PM
LEE ELLIS, President, Brewers Guild of Alaska, Anchorage,
Alaska, testified in support of HB 189. He expressed
appreciation for the inclusion of manufacturers [of alcohol
products in HB 189]. He emphasized the importance of recruiting
new employees, including college students, and highlighted the
benefits of internships for students studying food sciences. He
said HB 189 would allow younger college students, under 21, to
work in various roles without handling alcohol, which is
beneficial for staffing and family-owned breweries. He also
mentioned collaborating with the University of Alaska to develop
a brewing education program, which would be possible with the
bill's passage. He stressed the brewing industry's commitment to
responsible alcohol consumption and the educational
opportunities for younger workers.
5:36:36 PM
NOELLE LOCONTE, representing self, Madison, Wisconsin, testified
in support of the cancer warning sign provisions of HB 189. She
emphasized the low awareness nationwide of alcohol as a
carcinogen, with only 30 percent of the U.S. population
understanding this link and she said physicians' awareness was
not much better. She advocated for increased awareness to help
people make informed choices [about their alcohol consumption].
DR. LOCONTE listed seven cancers associated with alcohol
consumption: head and neck, breast, liver, colorectal,
esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic cancer. She highlighted the
need for public education on this topic.
5:38:00 PM
TIFFANY HALL, President and CEO, Recover Alaska, Anchorage,
Alaska, testified in support of the cancer warning sign
provisions of HB 189. She said Recover Alaska was a statewide
organization focused on reducing excessive alcohol use and its
associated harms. She highlighted the significance of cancer as
the leading cause of death in Alaska and alcohol as the third
leading modifiable cause. She emphasized that alcohol was
related to nine out of the top ten causes of death in the state.
MS. HALL said there was no question that alcohol causes cancer.
and there was no credible authority that disputed that. Even so,
she said, it was largely unknown. She said knowledge was power.
Public awareness was critical. She said Recover Alaska believed
the [alcohol cancer risk] warning signs would be reaching a very
relevant group. She thanked the committee for hearing HB 189 and
expressed appreciation for the very clean language and the work
of the Alcohol Marijuana Control Office (AMCO).
5:39:37 PM
THOMAS GREMILLION, Director, Food Policy, Consumer Federation of
America (CFA), Washington, D.C, testified in support of HB 189.
He said the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) was a nonprofit
organization established in 1968 to advance the consumer
interest in research, education and advocacy. He explained that,
for decades, CFA advocated to bring alcohol labeling into
alignment with other beverages and food with respect to things
like calories, ingredients and allergens. They also advocated
for updates to health warning statements on alcoholic beverages
to include alcohol cancer warnings. He said alcohol cancer
warnings are a powerful public policy tool, precisely because
alcohol cancer risk represents a significant health burden,
killing over 20,000 Americans a year, dying from alcohol
attributable cancers. He emphasized previous testimony that
public awareness of [alcohol cancer risk] is very low and noted
that 10 percent of the population thought alcohol reduced cancer
risk, at least in the form of wine, and, he said, that's not
true.
MR. GREMILLION said CFA supported federal alcohol labeling
reform and state laws to require point of sale cancer warnings
for alcohol. He referred to a paper on their website entitled:
State and Local Public Policy Options for Raising Awareness of
Alcohol Cancer Risk. He said it listed an extensive bibliography
of academic research articles that support provisions like the
one in HB 189. He said point of sale warning signs do have a
record of success. He pointed out that warning signs on the
dangers of drinking while pregnant, which were adopted in Alaska
and nearly half of the other states in the union in the 1990s,
are associated with a significantly reduced rate of fetal
alcohol syndrome. He emphasized that while it may seem like no
one is paying attention to these warning signs, they do get the
message out, and slowly change the public mindset over time.
5:42:23 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN closed public testimony on HB 189.
5:42:40 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited the will of the committee.
5:42:45 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to report SCS CSHB 189, work order
33-LS0697\U, as amended, from committee with individual
recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).
5:43:04 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN found no objection and SCS CSHB 189(L&C) was
reported from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB88 Draft Proposed Amendment ver S.1.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
HB 88 |
| SB146 Draft Proposed CS ver U.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
SB 146 |
| SB146 Public Testimony-Jack Heesch 04.22.24.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
SB 146 |
| HB251 U.A.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
HB 251 |
| HB251 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
HB 251 |
| HB251 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
HB 251 |
| HB251 Fiscal Note DEC-EH 01.26.24.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
HB 251 |
| HB146 Draft Proposed CS ver U.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
HB 146 |
| HB146 Fiscal Note DPS-FLS 01.11.24.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
HB 146 |
| HB189 Draft Proposed Amendment U.2.pdf |
SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM |
HB 189 |