04/23/2002 01:39 PM House FIN

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 23                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Proposing amendments to Uniform Rule 20 of the Alaska                                                                      
     State Legislature; and providing for an effective date                                                                     
     for the amendments.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bunde,  Sponsor, HCR  23 testified in  support of                                                                    
the legislation.  He noted that the  legislation would amend                                                                    
the  Uniform  Rules to  create  a  standing House  Education                                                                    
Committee.   It   would   reconfigure  the   House   Health,                                                                    
Education,  and  Social  Services  Committee  to  the  House                                                                    
Health and Social  Services Committee. He noted  that "it is                                                                    
a full  plate" for  one committee. He  observed that  HCR 23                                                                    
would  not  change the  Senate  HESS  Committee. The  change                                                                    
would be effective for the next legislative session.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bunde  noted that  it was  felt that  the Special                                                                    
Committee on  Education has proven  to be beneficial  to the                                                                    
legislative process  by facilitating focused  committee work                                                                    
on education  bills and issues.  He noted that while  he was                                                                    
chair,  the House  Health,  Education,  and Social  Services                                                                    
Committee often  had to meet  five days  a week in  order to                                                                    
get through the  bills before them. He observed  that it was                                                                    
sometimes difficult to get a quorum.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bunde  emphasized   that  education  issues  are                                                                    
complex  and   very  important.  The  workload   related  to                                                                    
education has become significant  and would benefit from the                                                                    
full  attention  of  a   permanent  standing  committee.  He                                                                    
observed  that HCR  23 is  supported by  the Association  of                                                                    
Alaska  School  Boards  and the  Alaska  Council  of  School                                                                    
Administrators.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
                                                           nd                                                                   
Vice-Chair   Bunde  pointed   out   that  during   the   22                                                                     
Legislature: 119 bills were referred  to HESS; 42 bills were                                                                    
referred  to  the Special  Committee  on  Education; and  33                                                                    
bills were referred to both committees.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Harris  observed the difficulty of  getting a                                                                    
quorum  and  questioned  if an  additional  committee  would                                                                    
exacerbate  the situation.  Vice-Chair  Bunde stressed  that                                                                    
the  new  committee would  be  able  to maintain  a  regular                                                                    
three-day a week schedule.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bunde  MOVED to ADOPT  a zero fiscal  note. There                                                                    
being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Foster  MOVED  to   report  HCR  23  out  of                                                                    
Committee with the accompanying  fiscal note. There being NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
HCR  23 was  REPORTED  out  of Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with a  new  zero  fiscal note  by  the                                                                    
Legislative Affairs Agency.