05/13/2025 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

               HB 207-FIRE STATION GRANT PROGRAM                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:07:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MEARS announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 207,  "An Act  relating to  a matching  grant                                                               
program  for  fire  station   construction  and  renovation;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:07:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CALVIN  SCHRAGE,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime sponsor,  gave a recap of  HB 207, which relates  to grants                                                               
for fire stations in Alaska.   The bills would allow the state to                                                               
create a structured program from  which to fund the renovation or                                                               
construction of fire halls throughout  the state.  He highlighted                                                               
a  need for  this program  in Ketchikan,  for example,  where old                                                               
sewage lines  are backing up  into the  fire station, as  well as                                                               
fire halls that have been  damaged from prior earthquakes or have                                                               
asbestos in  their building  materials.   He reiterated  that the                                                               
bill  would create  a structured  way to  identify need  and make                                                               
long-range plans on  how to fund facilities  and depoliticize the                                                               
process.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:10:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX asked  whether  the  sponsor had  considered                                                               
adding this to the "community  grants section" to ensure that all                                                               
community capital requests are considered and prioritized.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE said that  question prompted some thought,                                                               
but he  opted to keep it  as a standalone grant  program to avoid                                                               
complication.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX contended  that if  the program  were to  be                                                               
depoliticized,  there needs  to be  an evaluation  prioritization                                                               
procedure established ahead of time.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE  agreed and  expressed his hope  that [the                                                               
Department   of  Commerce,   Community  &   Economic  Development                                                               
(DCCED)]  would   opt  to  draft  regulation   for  the  program.                                                               
Alternatively, the  Fire Chiefs  Association could  be used  as a                                                               
secondary means to help score and prioritize these structures.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether  DCCED would have the expertise                                                               
to understand  the needs of  the fire departments.   He suggested                                                               
that  the  program  should  instead go  through  the  State  Fire                                                               
Marshal's  office within  Department of  Public Safety  (DPS), or                                                               
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF).                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE  opined that  DCCED is equipped  to handle                                                               
the program given its experience with  grants.  He added that the                                                               
department  could coordinate  and  information  share with  other                                                               
agencies to accomplish the task.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MEARS  pointed out  that it would  reinforce DCCED  as a                                                               
community liaison and a touchstone for projects.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:15:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOLLAND  referenced   the  letter  from  Director                                                               
Moller,  Division  of  Community  and  Regional  Affairs  (DCRA),                                                               
[included in  the committee  packet] and  asked whether  the bill                                                               
language  should be  modified to  suggest that  funding for  fire                                                               
stations would meet the criteria  for funding, or whether there's                                                               
enough flexibility in the existing language.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE  said he was pleased  with DCRA's response                                                               
with respect to flexibility for  integrated facilities because it                                                               
acknowledges  that  fire  stations   are  often  co-located  with                                                               
emergency management  services and  dispatch services,  and would                                                               
fit within the proposed program,  per Alaska statutes.  He opined                                                               
that the bill would meet the need of the grant requests.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:18:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HALL asked for the  bill sponsor's thoughts on Ms.                                                               
Moller's suggestion that if the  legislature intends for multiple                                                               
funding sources to  be used, it would be best  to outline that in                                                               
statute.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE  said adding  more specifics  into statute                                                               
would almost certainly provide further  clarity, but the document                                                               
also acknowledges that  it could be done through  regulation.  He                                                               
stated that the intent is  to provide flexibility that allows for                                                               
multiple funding streams for the construction.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MEARS reiterated  that the  intent is  to use  multiple                                                               
sources of funding.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:20:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 8:20 a.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:21:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT moved  to report HB 207 out  of committee with                                                               
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX  objected.   He opined  that there's  no real                                                               
hurry  to establish  this fund  and  shared his  belief that  the                                                               
program  could   be  made  better  with   specific  instructions,                                                               
integration  into the  community grant  fund, and  an established                                                               
process for the grant applications.   Further, he opined that the                                                               
program  would  not  depoliticize   the  process  and  shared  an                                                               
example.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MEARS  pointed out that  the way projects are  funded is                                                               
changing, and  this would be  a way to identify  statewide needs.                                                               
For that reason, she opined that  it would accomplish the goal of                                                               
depoliticization.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:24:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A  roll call  vote  was taken.    Representatives Hall,  Holland,                                                               
Himschoot, and  Mears voted in favor  of reporting HB 207  out of                                                               
committee.  Representative Prax voted  against it.  Therefore, HB
 was reported out of  the House Community and Regional Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee by a vote of 4-1.