05/06/2003 03:02 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 215                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An Act repealing statutes that relate to art works in                                                                      
     public buildings and facilities and that require a set                                                                     
     percentage of construction costs to be spent on art.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
BARBAR  BITNEY, STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE  BILL STOLTZE,  stated                                                                   
that Alaska's  "Percent for Art"  program originated  in 1975                                                                   
with  the  requirement  that   a  percent  of  State  capital                                                                   
expenditures  for  public  buildings and  facilities  be  set                                                                   
aside  to  acquire   works  of  art  for  display   in  those                                                                   
facilities (Alaska Statute 35.27).                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
She noted that it was the sponsor's  intent in introducing HB
  to  address  the  fiscal  aspect  of  the  program;  the                                                                   
original version  repealed the percent for art  program.  The                                                                   
committee substitute would provide  1% for art from the first                                                                   
$10 million  of the total  construction costs and  would then                                                                   
reduces it to  smaller percentage thereafter.   Additionally,                                                                   
the 1% would only apply to State  funding sources such as the                                                                   
general fund or the general obligation bonds.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Bitney  continued,   at  this  time,  a   mechanism  for                                                                   
maintenance does not  exist.  The bill would set  aside 5% of                                                                   
the  percent for  art,  placing  it into  the  Art in  Public                                                                   
Places Fund to insure works of  art can be maintained in good                                                                   
condition.   The  Alaska  State Council  on  the Arts  (ASCA)                                                                   
would   receive   requests   for    maintenance,   facilitate                                                                   
coordination of the  repairs, and maintain a  database of all                                                                   
artwork that is owned by the State.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Furthermore, annual  reporting to  ASCA would be  required by                                                                   
those  agencies  subject  to   the  1%  for  art.    Required                                                                   
reporting would provide:                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
   · The amount of State funding for the project, the percent                                                                   
      set aside for art;                                                                                                        
   · The total cost of art, the title, artist, etc.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
ASCA would have  the information for monitoring  works of art                                                                   
and  the annual  amount  allocated  to  the Percent  for  Art                                                                   
Program  through  new  construction.   Annually,  ASCA  would                                                                   
prepare  a  report  to  the  Legislative   Budget  and  Audit                                                                   
Committee (LBA).  The legislation  strengthens the preference                                                                   
for State artists.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Bitney noted  that  the  House State  Affairs  Committee                                                                   
removed  the  long-standing  reduced   percentage  for  rural                                                                   
schools that  allowed for a  lesser percentage  to compensate                                                                   
for  the significantly  higher construction  costs for  rural                                                                   
schools.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SANDY  GILLESPIE,  (TESTIFIED   VIA  TELECONFERENCE),  ALASKA                                                                   
STATE ARTS  COUNCIL, ANCHORAGE,  offered to answer  questions                                                                   
of  the Committee.   She  noted  that the  Alaska State  Arts                                                                   
Council was supportive of the bill.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster MOVED to  report CS HB 215 (STA) out of                                                                   
Committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  with  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CS HB  215 (STA)  was reported  out of  Committee with  a "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation  and with a  zero fiscal note #1  by the                                                                   
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities.