02/26/1998 03:35 PM Senate STA

                                                                               
     CSHB 334(FIN) am - TUITION WAIVER FOR POLICE WIDOW/CHILD                  
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN GREEN brought CSHB 334(FIN) am before the committee as the            
first order of business.  She directed attention to a proposed                 
amendment to page 2, lines 25 through 27.  She explained the new               
language addresses a concern raised in a previous hearing that the             
current wording on those lines implied that the person had to have             
lived in Alaska for  one year before being hired.  Therefore,                  
someone who maybe had moved to the state and lived in the state 11             
months and then worked for 25 years would not be eligible for this             
program.                                                                       
                                                                               
SENATOR MILLER said he would support the amendment, but he pointed             
out that the rewording will raise the fiscal note.  He also                    
questioned if the bill raises an equal protection problem by                   
creating two classes of citizens differently, and he suggested it              
is  a question that needs to be looked at in the next committee of             
referral.                                                                      
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN GREEN asked if there was any objection to the adoption of             
Amendment No. 1, and hearing none, she stated the following                    
amendment was adopted to be incorporated into a State Affairs SCS.             
                                                                               
Amendment No. 1                                                                
                                                                               
Page 2, line 25-27:                                                            
     Delete "one year before serving in the armed services, in a               
fire department, or as a peace officer and who lists Alaska as the             
home state for purposes of military records or state,                          
municipal, or fire department employment records:"                             
     Insert "one year before serving in the armed services and who             
lists Alaska as the home state for purposes of military records, or            
a person who was employed as a peace officer in this state or was              
a member of a fire department located in this state:"                          
                                                                               
Number 085                                                                     
                                                                               
SENATOR MACKIE moved that SCS CSHB 334(STA) and the accompanying               
fiscal notes be passed out of committee with individual                        
recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.