01/27/1998 01:43 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 334                                                             
                                                                               
"An Act relating to wavier of tuition and fees for                             
certain family members of a police officer killed in                           
the line of duty; and providing for an effective date."                        
                                                                               
Representative Kelly spoke in support of HB 334.  He                           
provided members with a proposed committee substitute, work                    
draft 0-LS1380\E, 1/27/98 (copy on file).  He reviewed                         
changes incorporated by the work draft.  He observed that                      
the proposed committee substitute would clarify that the                       
tuition waiver would be for undergraduate studies. The                         
proposed committee substitute also added a retroactive                         
clause.                                                                        
                                                                               
SANDY PERRY-PROVOST, SPECIAL ASSISTANT, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC                   
SAFETY estimated that two or three dependents would be                         
eligible under the retroactive clause.                                         
                                                                               
Co-Chair Therriault MOVED to ADOPT, work draft 0-LS1380\E,                     
1/27/98.  There being NO OBJECTION, the motion was adopted.                    
                                                                               
PATRICK EGGERS, ALASKA STATE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION spoke                    
in support of the legislation.  He asked that firefighters,                    
who face daily peril in their jobs, be included in the                         
legislation.  He observed that no dependents of firefighters                   
would be covered under the retroactive clause.                                 
                                                                               
RICHARD DUNCAN, ALASKA STATE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION                          
provided members with information on the deaths of the                         
following Alaskan firefighters killed in the line of duty:                     
Hugh Rudolph, Thomas Dunnigan, Harry Newell, Donald Hyde,                      
Charles Whitehorn, and Christine Pennington (copy on file).                    
                                                                               
JIM SAMPSON, JUNEAU spoke in support of HB 334.  He observed                   
that John Kevin Lamm, a Fairbanks police officer was                           
recently killed while on duty.  On behalf of Mr. Lamm's                        
dependents, he expressed his appreciation for the                              
legislation and urged its adoption.                                            
                                                                               
Representative Foster MOVED to ADOPT Amendment #1 (copy on                     
file).   Amendment #1 would add spouses and dependents of                      
firefighters, killed in the line of duty, to HB 334.  Co-                      
Chair Therriault OBJECTED for the purpose of discussion.                       
                                                                               
(Tape Change, HFC 98 - 8, Side 2)                                              
                                                                               
Co-Chair Therriault observed the difficulty of "drawing a                      
line."  He questioned where the line should be drawn.                          
                                                                               
Representative Kelly stated that he would draw the line                        
based on the scope of a person's duties.  He compared a                        
security guard that is working to protect the assets and                       
patrons of a bank, to military personnel, police officers                      
and firemen that are protecting society at large.                              
                                                                               
Co-Chair Therriault and Representative Davis expressed                         
concern that the legislation could become too inclusive.                       
                                                                               
Representative Martin stressed that the State needs to                         
encourage people that are willing to sacrifice themselves,                     
daily, for the citizens on the street and in the                               
neighborhoods to live safely.                                                  
                                                                               
Co-Chair Therriault WITHDREW his OBJECTED. There being NO                      
OBJECTION, the motion to adopt Amendment #1 was passed.                        
                                                                               
Representative Grussendorf MOVED to ADOPT Amendment #2 (copy                   
on file).   Amendment #2 would add village public safety                       
officers (VPSO) to HB 334.  He emphasized that village                         
public safety officers are the police in rural areas.  He                      
observed that a VPSO officer was killed in an ambush on his                    
way to investigate a domestic violence assault, in 1986.  No                   
village public safety officers have been killed in the line                    
of duty since that time.                                                       
                                                                               
There being NO OBJECTION, Amendment #2 was adopted.                            
                                                                               
Representative Mulder MOVED to ADOPT Amendment #3.                             
Amendment #3 would adopt a title change to reflect the                         
amendments adopted by the Committee.  He stressed that the                     
title should be tightened to prevent addition.                                 
                                                                               
Representative Kelly spoke in support of Amendment #3.                         
                                                                               
There being NO OBJECTION, Amendment #3 was adopted.                            
                                                                               
MIKE CORKHILL, ALASKA POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, ANCHORAGE                   
testified via the teleconference network in support of HB
.  He spoke in support of expanding the legislation to                      
cover other police officers such as village public safety                      
officers.  He asked if an unborn child would be covered by                     
the legislation.  He suggested that clarification be made                      
that current, not former, spouse be covered by the                             
legislation.  He expressed concern regarding residential                       
requirements.  He noted that police officers can be hired by                   
municipal agencies from outside the State.  He felt that an                    
officer working in Alaska should not be excluded from the                      
benefits of the legislation.                                                   
                                                                               
Co-Chair Therriault observed that an unborn child would be                     
covered as the officer's dependent.                                            
                                                                               
Representative Mulder MOVED to report CSHB 334 (FIN) out of                    
Committee with the accompanying fiscal note.                                   
                                                                               
CSHB 334 (FIN) was REPORTED out of Committee with a "do                        
pass" recommendation and with a fiscal impact note by the                      
University of Alaska.