05/10/2022 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 350                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to school bond debt reimbursement;                                                                        
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:53:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Merrick  relayed  that  the  committee  previously                                                                    
heard the bill on April 27, 2022.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
PENNY  VADLA, SCHOOL  BOARD MEMBER,  KENAI PENINSULA  SCHOOL                                                                    
DISTRICT,  SOLDOTNA (via  teleconference), spoke  in support                                                                    
of the  legislation. She related  that the Kenai was  a very                                                                    
large   district  that   encompassed  42   schools  and   17                                                                    
communities. She spoke to the  deferred maintenance needs in                                                                    
many  areas of  the district.  She indicated  that the  bill                                                                    
supported  all districts  in the  state, and  she hoped  the                                                                    
bill  offered a  60 percent  reimbursement rate  for repairs                                                                    
and 70  percent for  school construction. The  cost shifting                                                                    
due to  the moratorium  impacted communities and  schools by                                                                    
interrupting programs  and halting services provided  to all                                                                    
the districts   communities. She spoke of  the difficulty to                                                                    
obtain small  bonds for  schools in  one community  that did                                                                    
not  have   a  broad   base  of  constituents   like  larger                                                                    
municipalities.  The district  was spread  out over  a large                                                                    
area. She  commented that the district  attempted to address                                                                    
all  its maintenance  needs, but  it was  difficult to  stay                                                                    
ahead of  repairs lacking state  support. She  believed that                                                                    
keeping schools  well maintained  and safe helped  provide a                                                                    
quality  education for  the states   students. The  scenario                                                                    
she described  required the  support of  a school  bond debt                                                                    
reimbursement program.  She believed  that it  was important                                                                    
to spread awareness about the  level of deferred maintenance                                                                    
need. She  applauded Representative  Drummond for  the bill.                                                                    
She  requested that  the moratorium  was  removed on  school                                                                    
bond debt reimbursement.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:58:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick relayed the amendment  deadline of noon the                                                                    
following day.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
HB  350  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:59:07 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:00:49 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED