03/06/2008 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

     CSHB 233(L&C)-UNCLAIMED PHONE/ELEC COOP DISTRIBUTIONS                                                                  
                                                                                                                              
2:30:47 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR ELLIS announced HB 233 to  be up for consideration and that                                                               
the committee  had an SCS  prepared after suggestions by  Mr. Ray                                                               
Craig of Chugach Consumers Group regarding the public notice.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
DANA  OWEN, staff  to Senator  Ellis,  explained the  differences                                                               
between SCS CSHB  233(L&C), version T, and the  original bill. He                                                               
said the original bill mandates  that if an electric co-operative                                                               
has a website, they would have  two options for publishing a list                                                               
of names  of people  who may  have unclaimed  distributions. They                                                               
could either do  it in the normal fashion in  a newspaper or they                                                               
could publish  it on  a website  for 180  days. He  found working                                                               
with the  cooperatives and especially  with Mr. Craig  that there                                                               
were  a number  of  places  where he  thought  it  could be  more                                                               
specific. That's what version T tries to accomplish.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  OWEN said  he worked  with Robert  Wilkerson, Copper  Valley                                                               
Electric  Association, who  is representing  a group  of electric                                                               
co-ops and  came up with language  saying if a cooperative  has a                                                               
website it  must post  the names  for at least  180 days  on that                                                               
site; it must also  post a notice on the home  page that the list                                                               
is on the site.  That notice must contain a link  to the list and                                                               
the following  prominently displayed  notice line in  all capital                                                               
letters:  DO  WE  OWE  YOU   MONEY?  UNCLAIMED  (Insert  name  of                                                               
Cooperative) CAPITAL  CREDITS. They also  have to publish  once a                                                               
week for  four consecutive  weeks a similar  notice in  a general                                                               
circulation newspaper  in the cooperatives judicial  district. If                                                               
the  newspaper has  an Internet  addition,  the notice  is to  be                                                               
simultaneously  published  there.  The  size  of  the  notice  is                                                               
further   defined.  In   both  cases   a  newspaper   of  general                                                               
circulation is defined as it is in another section of statute.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:33:50 PM                                                                                                                    
ROBERT WILKINSON,  Copper Valley Electric  Association, supported                                                               
version T. He said Mr. Craig supported it as well.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:35:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DAVIS  moved to adopt  SCS CSHB (L&C)  25-LS0779\T. There                                                               
were no objections and it was so ordered.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BUNDE  moved to report  SCS CSHB 233(L&C)  from committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal  note(s).                                                               
There were no objections and it was so ordered.