04/19/2004 02:15 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 467                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An  Act   establishing  an  Alaska   Commemorative  Coin                                                                   
     Commission  to develop the  design concepts and  to make                                                                   
     recommendations  regarding   the  final  design  of  the                                                                   
     Alaska quarter under the 50 States Commemorative Coin                                                                      
     Program Act; and providing for an effective date.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
JIM SHINE, STAFF  TO REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON,  explained that                                                                   
the bill follows  the federal authorizing legislation  of the                                                                   
Fifty States Commemorative  Coin Act, and it  establishes the                                                                   
Alaska  Commemorative Coin  Commission  with eleven  members.                                                                   
From 1999  to 2008,  the U.S. Mint  is annually issuing  five                                                                   
quarter  dollar coins  with state  designs  displayed on  the                                                                   
reverse side.  The quarter honoring  Alaska is  scheduled for                                                                   
issuance in August 2008. He discussed  the membership, noting                                                                   
that  six  of the  eleven  members  would be  public  members                                                                   
appointed by the Governor.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Shine  noted that  the presiding  officers of the  Alaska                                                                   
House of Representatives and the  Alaska Senate would appoint                                                                   
a  majority   and  minority  member   from  each   body.  The                                                                   
Governor's Office would initiate  a public process to solicit                                                                   
narrative  design  concepts  for   the  Alaska  quarter.  The                                                                   
calendar year  of the  issuance of  the Alaska quarter  would                                                                   
coincide  with  events  leading  to the  celebration  of  the                                                                   
fiftieth year anniversary of Alaska statehood, in HB 476.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Foster  assumed  that the  backsides  of  the                                                                   
state quarters were the states'  emblems or seals.  Mr. Shine                                                                   
said that the design guidelines  are strict and they prohibit                                                                   
the use of  state seals, and copyrighted  photographs require                                                                   
permission for  use. Representative Foster asked  if the coin                                                                   
designs might use state flags.  Mr. Shine said that he didn't                                                                   
think so.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker  referred to the fiscal  note and asked                                                                   
why  there  would be  a  half-time  position over  two  years                                                                   
instead of using a current staff  position. Mr. Shine replied                                                                   
that  the  drafter  included  that  language,  but  the  bill                                                                   
sponsor  might   agree  to  use  an  existing   organization.                                                                   
Representative  Hawker  commented  further  on  the  existing                                                                   
support within the Administration.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker  MOVED to ADOPT a zero  fiscal note for                                                                   
CS HB 467(STA). There being NO  OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Harris  asked if  it would also  zero out  the part-                                                                   
time   authorization    employees.   Representative    Hawker                                                                   
confirmed that it would.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster  asked what would happen  to the design                                                                   
of the quarter if the bill doesn't  pass the Legislature this                                                                   
session. Mr.  Shine said  that the bill  would die.  The U.S.                                                                   
Mint would  contact the  Governor's Office  two years  before                                                                   
the calendar  year of  issuance of the  quarter.   He pointed                                                                   
out that this bill simply sets the framework in place.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Williams read the Letter of Intent from the State                                                                      
Affairs Committee that accompanies the bill.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stoltze  suggested substituting the  Letter of                                                                   
Intent as the  context of the bill. Mr. Shine  explained that                                                                   
the State Affairs  Committee wanted the design  concept to go                                                                   
through  the framework  of a  commission, and  the Letter  of                                                                   
Intent  simply  solicits  design   concepts  in  a  statewide                                                                   
contest.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Harris  referred to the Sponsor Statement  and asked                                                                   
if the majority and minority members  of the Commission would                                                                   
be public  members or  legislators.   Mr. Shine replied  that                                                                   
the intent  is to  appoint a majority  and a minority  member                                                                   
from both the  House and Senate separate from  the six public                                                                   
members.  The  Governor or  his  appointee would  occupy  the                                                                   
eleventh seat.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Stoltze commented  that he  would prefer  the                                                                   
Commission membership  to be less  politically driven  and to                                                                   
include  geographic  and  ethnic  considerations.  Mr.  Shine                                                                   
replied that the issue had not been considered.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Foster  agreed with  Representative  Stoltze,                                                                   
and recommended  one member  from each  of the four  judicial                                                                   
districts  so that  the composition  would  be regional.  Mr.                                                                   
Shine noted that  there already are four public  members, one                                                                   
from each judicial district. He  would discuss the removal of                                                                   
legislators from the commission with the bill sponsor.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stoltze offered to work on the bill.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HB 467 was heard and HELD in Committee for further                                                                              
consideration.