Legislature(2021 - 2022)BARNES 124
04/22/2022 09:00 AM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB404 | |
| Board of Chiropractic Examiners | |
| HB405|| HB406 | |
| HB408 | |
| HB392 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 333 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 405 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 406 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 408 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 91 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 404 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 392 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 404-REPEAL AK HOUSING FINANCE CORP. DIVIDEND
9:04:39 AM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 404, "An Act repealing the requirement that
the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation make a dividend available
to the state, and repealing associated definitions." [Before
the committee was Version I, the proposed committee substitute
(CS) for HB 404, Version 24-LS1638\I, Klein, 4/15/22, adopted on
4/18/22.]
9:05:02 AM
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ reminded members that the changes made in
Version I of HB 404 [a bill sponsored by the committee] were
made at the recommendation of Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
(AHFC), which wanted the dividend to remain on the books due to
its importance in ensuring that AHFC's bond rating remains high
to keep the rates low in Alaska, allowing AHFC to be effective.
She said Version I requires the dividend be designated for
affordable and workforce housing, given the statewide housing
crisis in Alaska that includes a strategic problem for the
military in Fairbanks where military housing needs to be
upgraded and the issue in Anchorage where the average home now
is $420,000. In recent years of tight budgets, she continued,
the dividend has been spent on other state departments rather
than on workforce and affordable housing, so HB 404 will ensure
that AHFC continues to be effective moving forward and increases
the state's strategic investments without increasing overhead.
No new programs would be created, rather it would turn up the
dose of AHFC's investment in affordable and workforce housing.
9:07:12 AM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS opened public testimony on HB 404.
9:07:35 AM
BRITTANY SMART, Special Assistant to the Mayor, Mayor's Office,
Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB), testified that neither the
assembly nor the administration has taken a formal stance on HB
404 but are grateful that the state is looking at options to
help address the housing issue in the Fairbanks community and
statewide. She noted that she has served as the point of
contact working on the military housing issue in the community.
Housing is a challenge across Alaska and nationwide, she stated,
and tools should be looked at to help communities meet this
need. The borough looks forward to working with the committee
on this issue, she said.
9:09:09 AM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS closed public testimony on HB 404 after
ascertaining that no one else wished to testify.
9:09:18 AM
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ moved to report CSHB 404, Version 24-
LS1638\I, Klein, 4/15/22, from committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying [zero] fiscal notes. There
being no objection, CSHB 404(HL&C) was moved out of the House
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.