03/25/2008 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

     CSHB 320(FIN)-SEARCH & RESCUE: CERTIFICATION/WORK.COMP                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ELLIS announced  CSHB 320(FIN) to be  up for consideration.                                                               
He said  Senator Bunde  expressed a concern  at the  last meeting                                                               
and that he had chosen not to prepare a CS.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MIKE PALOWSKI, staff to Representative  Meyer, sponsor of HB 320,                                                               
said he  talked to Senator Bunde  as well as Mr.  Owen, committee                                                               
staff, at length  about it. But the distinctions in  section 1 on                                                               
training are  very important and  subtle. The authority  given to                                                               
the Department  of Public Safety  (DPS) to oversee  and authorize                                                               
training exercises is critical to the bill.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BUNDE said  they  had satisfied  his  concerns. One  big                                                               
concern  was  if  the  state okayed  some  training  program  and                                                               
someone was injured or killed, would  the state be liable. He has                                                               
been assured that will not be the case.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
He was also  concerned the troopers would get  their email melted                                                               
down  by various  different groups  that would  suddenly want  to                                                               
make themselves  available to this  coverage. His  concerns there                                                               
had been satisfied as well.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
LT. RODNEY  DIAL, Alaska State  Troopers, said they  support CSHB
 (FIN)  and he  offered to address  concerns about  the fiscal                                                               
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BUNDE moved  to report CSHB 320(FIN)  from committee with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached  fiscal notes. There were                                                               
no objections and it was so ordered.