03/15/2022 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

             HB 298-ALASKA FOOD STRATEGY TASK FORCE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:04:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO.  298,  An Act  establishing  the Alaska  Food                                                               
Strategy Task Force; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:05:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LIZ SNYDER,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor, presented HB 298.  She  shared her interest in the issue                                                               
of  food security.   She  talked about  the unique  challenges in                                                               
Alaska, which imports approximately  95 percent of its commercial                                                               
food at  a cost of  about $2 billion  annually.  She  said Alaska                                                               
has  the resources  to  grow its  food-related  sectors and  move                                                               
toward self-reliance.  She said  HB 298 would establish an Alaska                                                               
Food  Strategy  Task  Force  that  would  present  state  policy,                                                               
legislation, and  implementation strategy recommendations  in six                                                               
integrated focus  areas:  1) sustainably  growing the agriculture                                                               
industry;  2)  sustainably  growing markets  for  locally  grown,                                                               
locally harvested, and locally processed  foods; 3) enhancing the                                                               
climate  for food  and beverage  businesses;  4) minimizing  food                                                               
waste  and  diverting it  from  the  waste stream;  5)  improving                                                               
connectivity,  efficiencies, and  outcomes in  state-run programs                                                               
affecting  food availability  and  access; and  6) ensuring  food                                                               
security in  rural and  urban communities.   She relayed  that HB
 was  created in collaboration  with stakeholders such  as the                                                               
Alaska Food Policy Council, the  Alaska Farm Bureau, and the Food                                                               
Bank of Alaska, whose feedback  has been incorporated in the bill                                                               
language.    She  spoke  about  the makeup  of  the  Food  Policy                                                               
Council.  She asked for support for the proposed legislation.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:13:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ARIELLE WIGGIN,  Staff, Representative  Liz Snyder,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  presented   the  sectional  analysis  for   HB  298                                                               
[available in  the committee packet] on  behalf of Representative                                                               
Snyder, prime sponsor.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:16:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SNYDER,  in  response to  Representative  McCabe,                                                               
reviewed the makeup  of the council.  In response  to a follow-up                                                               
question, she  noted that the  council not only makes  policy but                                                               
also  does fiscal  sponsorship for  other organizations,  hosts a                                                               
semi-annual conference, and engages in  "a variety of other food-                                                               
focused projects."                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE  expressed  concern   that  the  issue  of                                                               
transportation has not been addressed.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER  responded that she  agrees on the  need to                                                               
address  infrastructure,  and  she  said  she  would  welcome  an                                                               
amendment to that effect.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:20:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN  recommended including logistics in  an amendment                                                               
addressing transportation.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:21:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER, in response  to Representative Prax, noted                                                               
that in the  committee packet, there is a letter  of support from                                                               
the Alaska  Food Policy Council;  the current members  are listed                                                               
in the  lefthand column.   In response  to a  follow-up question,                                                               
she talked  about the length  of term of  two years for  the task                                                               
force.   She mentioned  the Food  Security and  Independence Task                                                               
Force  created by  the governor  under Administrative  Order 331,                                                               
whose final report  will be due September 2022.   She said HB 298                                                               
would  expand   the  range  of   expertise  provided   under  the                                                               
governor's   taskforce,   including  focus   on   infrastructure,                                                               
workforce development,  agriculture, food waste, urban  and rural                                                               
issues, and improving efficiencies between government agencies.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:27:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY suggested sharing  use of large facilities                                                               
already in existence.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   SNYDER,  in   response   to   a  question   from                                                               
Representative McCarty, said all  the governing board members are                                                               
volunteers;  in  the  last  year  they  have  hired  a  part-time                                                               
executive director.  In response  to further query, she indicated                                                               
that response to recommendations of the  task force can be from a                                                               
combination  of  the  legislature and  non-legislative  entities.                                                               
She  talked about  fostering a  healthy  business environment  so                                                               
that those who want to support the local food economy can do so.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:31:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   DRUMMOND   agreed   about  the   importance   of                                                               
addressing  transportation.   She said  she  is glad  to see  the                                                               
Commissioner of  the Department of Education  and Early Childhood                                                               
Development will  have a designee.   She concurred with  the idea                                                               
of utilizing storage facilities already in existence.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:34:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER,  in response to Representative  Prax, said                                                               
she  anticipated  that  the  members  of  the  task  force  would                                                               
appreciate  the   importance  of  having  infrastructure   and  a                                                               
centralized  database.   She said  she  would welcome  additional                                                               
language in  the bill to  support this topic.   In response  to a                                                               
follow-up  question, she  said her  10 years'  experience working                                                               
with stakeholders on  food security issues has shown  there is no                                                               
lack of  enthusiasm for  the issue.   She  said she  thinks those                                                               
legislators serving  on the  tax force may  be able  to designate                                                               
funds at their  discretion, and there is a zero  fiscal note from                                                               
the Legislative Affairs  Agency.  She indicated  support from the                                                               
administration.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:38:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER,  in response  to Co-Chair Hannan,  said it                                                               
may be true  for many, but not  all, on the task  force that they                                                               
work in  industries that would  support their involvement  on the                                                               
task force.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:39:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND  directed attention  to language  on page                                                               
2, lines 5-11, which read:                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
               (2) four members of the Alaska State                                                                             
          Legislature appointed as follows:                                                                                     
                    (A) two members from the senate,                                                                            
               appointed jointly by the president of the                                                                        
               senate and speaker of the house of                                                                               
               representatives;                                                                                                 
                    (B) two members from the house of                                                                           
               representatives, appointed jointly by the                                                                        
               president of the senate and speaker of the                                                                       
               house of representatives;                                                                                        
                    (C) at least one member from the                                                                            
               minority caucus of the senate or house of                                                                        
               representatives.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND  noted that  subparagraph (C)  is written                                                               
in  a way  that indicates  a  fifth legislative  member, and  she                                                               
recommended the language be amended.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER agreed the language was unclear.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:40:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCARTY pointed  out that  potentially there  are                                                               
three task forces:  the  Food Policy Council, the governor's task                                                               
force, and the  task force proposed under HB 298.   He questioned                                                               
how  this  might  be  streamlined to  avoid  the  duplication  of                                                               
efforts and  suggested a  member of the  other task  forces could                                                               
also serve on the one proposed under HB 298.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SNYDER  responded  that  she does  not  think  it                                                               
"fair" to call  the Food Policy Council a task  force, and HB 298                                                               
proposes  a   narrow  focus  on  "developing   a  statewide  food                                                               
strategy."   She also  noted that the  proposed task  force would                                                               
pick up from where the administrative  task force ends.  The work                                                               
could overlap, and that could be adjusted, she concluded.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:43:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PATKOTAK  said he  would  entertain  the idea  of                                                               
putting money "behind  this" so as not to  "hamstring the process                                                               
right out  of the gate."   He  directed attention to  language on                                                               
page 2, lines 29-30, which read:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
               (8) two members from Alaska Native or                                                                            
          intertribal organizations addressing 30 food                                                                          
          sovereignty or Alaska tribal governments;                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PATKOTAK asked  the bill sponsor to  speak to that                                                               
language.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SNYDER  replied  that  HB 298  was  written  with                                                               
feedback  from   the  Alaska   Food  Policy   Council,  including                                                               
conversation  with those  members of  the council  that represent                                                               
organizations  with  relationships  with tribal  governments  and                                                               
tribal organizations  focused on rural  areas of the state.   She                                                               
said she  tried to be responsive  to their input to  ensure broad                                                               
representation on the proposed task force.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PATKOTAK noted that  he had recently addressed the                                                               
Alaska Eskimo Whaling  Commission.  He said  food sovereignty and                                                               
food  access come  under the  umbrella of  food security,  and he                                                               
indicated   that  he   may  offer   an   amendment  relating   to                                                               
consideration  of  a member  of  the  commission sitting  on  the                                                               
proposed task force.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
[HB 298 was held over.]