02/05/2020 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

        HB 197-EXTEND SEISMIC HAZARDS SAFETY COMMISSION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:14:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TARR announced  the first  order of  business would  be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 197, "An  Act extending the Alaska Seismic Hazards                                                               
Safety Commission; and providing for an effective date."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:14:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK, speaking as the  sponsor of HB 197, said the                                                               
bill would  extend the Alaska  Seismic Hazards  Safety Commission                                                               
through 6/30/28.   Alaska is  one of the most  seismically active                                                               
regions on  Earth and has  a history  of very large  and damaging                                                               
earthquakes; last month the  Alaska Earthquake Center, University                                                               
of Alaska  Fairbanks, reported in 2019  Alaska experienced 50,289                                                               
earthquakes.    So far  in  2020,  Alaska has  experienced  3,131                                                               
earthquakes.   In  order to  ensure  the safety  of Alaskans  and                                                               
Alaska's infrastructure,  since 2001  the Alaska  Seismic Hazards                                                               
Safety  Commission   (ASHSC)  has  provided   recommendations  to                                                               
mitigate   seismic  hazards   by   gathering  and   disseminating                                                               
information  on  earthquakes  to  state  and  local  governmental                                                               
agencies  and   policymakers;  in  addition,   ASHSC  facilitates                                                               
training on  how to assess  structures after an earthquake.   The                                                               
bill  includes an  immediate effective  date because  the current                                                               
authorization  expires [6/30/20].    Representative Tuck  pointed                                                               
out the  attached fiscal note  - identifier:   HB 197-DNR-DGGS-1-                                                               
31-2020  -  totals $10,000  per  year  for  support that  is  not                                                               
provided by  volunteers.   Included in  the committee  packet was                                                               
Audit Control Number  10-20117-19, which specifically recommended                                                               
the  extension of  ASHSC through  2028.   He concluded  Alaska is                                                               
threatened by  earthquakes every day  and ASHSC plays a  key role                                                               
to   prepare  the   public  and   private   sectors  for   future                                                               
earthquakes.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked when the commission was formed.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK said in 2001.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  asked whether commissions are  required by                                                               
statute to have a sunset date.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK said yes, and also  a sunset audit.  He added                                                               
performance  audits seek  to ensure  the commission  continues to                                                               
perform as intended.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TARR  opined performance audit reports  are presented in                                                               
legislative committees, so  the audit becomes part  of the public                                                               
record.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:19:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KRIS  CURTIS, Legislative  Auditor,  Legislative Audit  Division,                                                               
Legislative Agencies  and Offices, informed the  committee she is                                                               
responsible for  the Legislative Audit Division  which audits the                                                               
state's  financial statements  and prepares  the state's  federal                                                               
audit,  the results  of  which are  reported  to the  Legislative                                                               
Budget and Audit Committee.   She said testimony before [standing                                                               
and special legislative committees]  usually pertains to a sunset                                                               
audit or a performance audit  related to legislation.  Ms. Curtis                                                               
stated her office conducted a  sunset audit of the Alaska Seismic                                                               
Hazards Safety Commission in March  2019; the purpose of a sunset                                                               
audit is  to determine whether  a board or commission  is serving                                                               
its public  policy need and should  be extended.  Not  all boards                                                               
and commissions  have a sunset  provision and not all  boards and                                                               
commissions  with a  sunset date  in legislation  are subject  to                                                               
audit.   She  reviewed  the mission  of ASHSC:    To help  reduce                                                               
disaster  potential  of  major  earthquakes  and  to  reduce  the                                                               
dependence on  disaster relief.   The audit concluded there  is a                                                               
public policy need  for the commission and  recommended an eight-                                                               
year  extension, which  is the  maximum allowed  by statute.   On                                                               
page  9  of the  audit  was  a  schedule of  annual  expenditures                                                               
ranging from $3,517 in fiscal year  2018 (FY 18) to $13,043 in FY                                                               
17 and  she noted  ASHSC expenditures are  a relatively  low cost                                                               
method to  leverage the highly  skilled expertise  of volunteers.                                                               
Beginning  on page  12 was  a schedule  of commission  activities                                                               
that indicated  the commission was  very active during  the audit                                                               
period;  she pointed  out ASHSC  helped secure  Federal Emergency                                                               
Management  Agency  (FEMA) grants  used  by  school districts  to                                                               
assess their facilities.  Beginning  on page 14 was a description                                                               
of ASHSC's  role following the  11/30/18 earthquake:   provided a                                                               
list  of  certified  evaluators  to  inspect  structures;  helped                                                               
coordinate damage assessments with  state agencies; assisted FEMA                                                               
to  create  a  damage  report   and  recommendations  for  future                                                               
preparedness.    Beginning   on  page  16  the   audit  made  two                                                               
recommendations for administrative improvements:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
   • Commission chair should ensure proper procedures to provide                                                                
     public notice for meetings                                                                                                 
   • Commission chair should ensure strategic plan update                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CURTIS said  beginning  on  page 27  were  responses to  the                                                               
audit:  1) The office of  the governor did not comment on whether                                                               
the  ASHSC  should  be  extended;  2)  The  commissioner  of  the                                                               
Department  of Natural  Resources  agreed there  is a  continuing                                                               
need for  the commission;   3)  The ASHSC  chair agreed  with the                                                               
audit findings and recommendations and has taken action.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:24:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN  pointed  out  the  [11/30/18]  earthquake                                                               
motivated  discussion  and  forthcoming  legislation  related  to                                                               
statewide residential building codes  and building standards; she                                                               
asked  whether ASHSC  is positioned  to  make recommendations  on                                                               
seismic risk in this regard.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CURTIS  expressed her belief  ASHSC has  made recommendations                                                               
to  the  [Alaska  State Board  of  Registration  for  Architects,                                                               
Engineers and Land Surveyors,  Division of Corporations, Business                                                               
and  Professional Licensing,  Department  of Commerce,  Community                                                               
and  Economic Development  (licensing  board)] that  in order  to                                                               
obtain licensing an  applicant would be required  to have certain                                                               
professional education in building codes.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:25:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
STERLING  STRAIT, Chair,  ASHSC, Office  of the  Governor, Boards                                                               
and  Commissions, informed  the committee  ASHSC studied  reports                                                               
from many  entities following the  11/30/18 earthquake  that have                                                               
raised the building  code issue; at this time,  ASHSC is drafting                                                               
recommendations  on specific  improvements to  building codes  at                                                               
the   state   and  local   levels.      Previously,  ASHSC   made                                                               
recommendations  to   the  licensing  board  to   add  a  seismic                                                               
education  requirement  for  licensed  architects  and  engineers                                                               
because  an understanding  of seismic  data would  encourage more                                                               
appropriate design.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:26:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  questioned whether  professional licensing                                                               
and  education  on  seismic  data   is  required  of  residential                                                               
contractors, in addition to architects and engineers.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. STRAIT  said to  his knowledge there  are no  requirements of                                                               
seismic    education    for     building    contractors;    ASHSC                                                               
recommendations apply to licenses of architects and engineers.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS  recalled [FY 20] capital  funding for the                                                               
[USArray,  National Science  Foundation] was  vetoed, and  is now                                                               
included in  the FY 21 budget;  he asked whether ASHSC  uses data                                                               
from USArray to locate earthquakes.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. STRAIT  said yes; data  from USArray centers  locates seismic                                                               
risks in  Alaska, gives  ASHSC a better  understanding of  how to                                                               
respond  to   risks,  which  communities   are  at   risk,  which                                                               
communities  need appropriate  construction  to mitigate  seismic                                                               
risk, and where emergency capability  and response is needed.  He                                                               
added,  "Our  commission put  out  a  policy recommendation  last                                                               
year, during  the buildup  to the  capital budget  discussion, as                                                               
going on  the record to  support the university in  that funding,                                                               
... in  their goal of adopting  those USArray stations.   It will                                                               
help our state be in a  better position."  In further response to                                                               
Representative Hopkins,  he explained  prior to data  provided by                                                               
USArray beginning  in 2016, there  was one seismic center  in the                                                               
Brooks Range  and one in  Prudhoe Bay, "and  we had really  a big                                                               
blind  spot to  what seismic  activity  was going  on up  there."                                                               
After  USArray, there  are  two separate  regions  in the  Brooks                                                               
Range, one  near Kobuk, and  another near Atigun Pass,  that have                                                               
reported  an  earthquake cluster,  which  is  a large  number  of                                                               
small-  to  medium-size  earthquakes, that  would  have  remained                                                               
undetected  but are  now  being studied.    Mr. Strait  concluded                                                               
USArray  reveals where  seismic  risks are  and thereby  improves                                                               
safety.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:30:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked Mr.  Strait to explain the difference                                                               
between an earthquake swarm and an earthquake cluster.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STRAIT said  both  terms  refer to  a  series  of small-  to                                                               
medium-size earthquakes  occurring in the same  geographical area                                                               
within  a few  square miles  of one  another, but  not tied  to a                                                               
large event.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TARR inquired  as to  whether the  state estimates  the                                                               
monetary  value  of  the  contributions  made  by  the  extensive                                                               
volunteer  service   that  is  provided   to  state   boards  and                                                               
commissions.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CURTIS  said the value  referred to  by Co-Chair Tarr  is not                                                               
included in  the criteria listed  in the sunset audit  report [on                                                               
pages 25  and 26].   Further, she  cautioned about the  amount of                                                               
[staff] resources required to determine said value.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TARR, speaking  from  her  previous experience,  stated                                                               
nonprofits  estimate the  value  of skilled  labor and  volunteer                                                               
hours  to  determine  the  value of  their  contributions.    She                                                               
expressed her appreciation for volunteers.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:33:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TARR opened public testimony on HB 197.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:34:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. STRAIT  said ASHSC is  proud of its  work and the  results of                                                               
the audit  report; the audit  recognized accomplishments  made by                                                               
ASHSC volunteers  over the last few  years.  He said  ASHSC seeks                                                               
to continue serving  for the next eight years  to improve seismic                                                               
safety in Alaska.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:34:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TARR,  after  ascertaining  no one  further  wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
[HB 197 was held over.]