05/05/1998 09:23 AM Senate FIN

HOUSE BILL 313                                                               
                                                                               
     "An Act relating to preventive maintenance programs                       
     required for certain state grants; and providing for                      
     an effective date."                                                       
                                                                               
SENATOR  GARY  WILKEN  informed  the  committee  that  he  had                 
served  on  the preventative  maintenance  task  force  during                 
the  summer  and fall  before  the  legislative  session.  The                 
task  force had  traveled  around the  state  and listened  to                 
people;  it  became  evident that  there  was  an  opportunity                 
provided  by technology  and  collected knowledge  that  could                 
allow  preventative  maintenance  to be  put  in place  for  a                 
minimal  amount  of money.  He  argued that  the  preventative                 
maintenance  programs  were  important  and  were  lacking  in                 
many  different areas.  He  noted that  HB  313 would  require                 
that  school districts,  Regional Education  Attendance  Areas                 
(REAAs),   and   municipalities    would   have   preventative                 
maintenance  programs  in  place   before  being  given  money                 
through state grants.                                                          
                                                                               
Senator  Parnell  asked  why there  was  a  delayed  effective                 
date.                                                                          
                                                                               
DANNY  DEWITT, DIRECTOR,  NATIONAL FEDERATION  OF  INDEPENDENT                 
BUSINESSES,  ALASKA  CHAPTER,  replied  that  there  had  been                 
discussions  (primarily  with the  Department  of  Education);                 
there  was a concern  that  the short  time-frame between  the                 
present time  and July 1,  1998 would  not be enough  time for                 
a  number  of  entities  to  get  a preventative   maintenance                 
program  in  place.  The House  State  Affairs  Committee  had                 
elected  to  delay  one  year  so  that  entities  could  have                 
enough time to proceed without too much disruption.                            
                                                                               
Senator  Torgerson  summarized  that the  bill  would  require                 
that  funds  be  withheld  until  a preventative   maintenance                 
plan was  in place  that included  a computerized  maintenance                 
management  program. He  agreed with the  idea. He  questioned                 
the  impact   to  municipalities   and   REAAs  in  terms   of                 
financial  output.  Senator  Wilken responded  that  many  had                 
had the  same question until  Roger Patch gave a  presentation                 
in Anchorage.  Mr.  Patch described  what he  had done in  the                 
Department   of  Military  and   Veterans  Affairs,   and  had                 
suggested  that   a  municipality   or  agency  could   put  a                 
qualifying  preventative   maintenance  system  in  place  for                 
$10,000,  given  current  technology.  He did  not  think  the                 
process would be a burden.                                                     
                                                                               
Mr. DeWitt  directed attention to  a written description  of a                 
program  to track  maintenance.  He encouraged  the  use of  a                 
computerized  system with  built-in reminders  of what  needed                 
to  be done  and  when. He  referred  to different  levels  of                 
systems  that could  give most  agencies  an easy  opportunity                 
to comply with the law.                                                        
                                                                               
Senator  Torgerson was  concerned about  smaller REAAs,  since                 
the smallest  had only  21 people.  He noted  that the  fiscal                 
note  included  a  request  for  an  assistant   architect  to                 
evaluate  and  conduct  the systems.  He  questioned  why  the                 
department  did not just  track maintenance  on a  centralized                 
and  consolidated   basis  for   smaller  REAAs.  Mr.   DeWitt                 
thought   the   option   would  be   available   for   smaller                 
districts,  but the  district  would have  to  have the  plan.                 
There  was not a  requirement to  create a  new department  in                 
any given operation.                                                           
                                                                               
Senator  Torgerson  MOVED  to  REPORT  CSHB  313(FIN)  out  of                 
committee   with  individual   recommendations  and   attached                 
fiscal notes. There being no OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                     
                                                                               
CSHB  313(FIN)  was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with  a  "do                 
pass"  recommendation  and  attached fiscal  and  zero  fiscal                 
notes by the Department of Education.