03/11/2020 09:00 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 197                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety                                                                        
     Commission; and providing for an effective date."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:10:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE MASON, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE  CHRIS TUCK, reported that                                                                    
Alaska was  one of  the most  seismically active  regions on                                                                    
Earth. The  state had a  history of very large  and damaging                                                                    
earthquakes.  The  state had  tried  to  work diligently  to                                                                    
prepare for  future earthquakes and,  as part of  that work,                                                                    
it created  the Alaska  Seismic Hazard Safety  Commission in                                                                    
2001. House Bill 197 would  simply extend the Alaska Seismic                                                                    
Hazard  Safety Commission  through June  30, 2028.  The bill                                                                    
included  an immediate  effective date  because the  current                                                                    
authorization  expired  in  June.  A  recent  audit  of  the                                                                    
commission included a specific  recommendation to extend the                                                                    
commission  until   2028.  The  chair  of   the  commission,                                                                    
Sterling  Strait,   was  online  and  available   to  answer                                                                    
questions. He thanked the committee.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:11:18 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:11:55 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnston OPENED public testimony.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
STERLING  STRAIT, ALASKA  SEISMIC HAZARD  SAFETY COMMISSION,                                                                    
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),  thanked Representative Tuck                                                                    
for  bringing  the  bill  forward   and  the  House  Finance                                                                    
Committee for  hearing it.  He was  available to  answer any                                                                    
questions. He stated that he  was excited about the work the                                                                    
commission was  doing. There had been  good discussion about                                                                    
the Anchorage earthquake that occurred  1.5 years prior. The                                                                    
commission was  compiling some good recommendations  to move                                                                    
forward  and was  excited about  what  it could  do to  help                                                                    
improve seismic safety in the  state. He thanked members for                                                                    
their time.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:13:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnston CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster MOVED  to report  HB 197  out of  Committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HB  197 was  REPORTED  OUT  of Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with  one previously  published  fiscal                                                                    
impact note: FN1 (DNR).