05/09/2004 12:10 PM Senate FIN

                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 32(EDT) am                                                                          
     Relating to information infrastructure and establishing the                                                                
     Alaska Information Infrastructure Policy Task Force.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the second  hearing for  this bill in  the Senate  Finance                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilken  stated that this  bill would establish a  13-member                                                            
information technology  taskforce. He stated that  the sponsor would                                                            
be providing  information  to address Committee  concerns  regarding                                                            
the  bill's accompanying  $99,500  fiscal  note #3,  dated March  4,                                                            
2004, from the Legislative Affairs Agency.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SUE  STANCLIFF,  Staff  to  Representative  Pete  Kott,  the  bill's                                                            
sponsor,  stated that the  Legislative Affairs  Agency (LAA)  fiscal                                                            
note has been  reduced to $58,000 by utilizing existing  Legislative                                                            
staff  to assist the  taskforce  and by absorbing  certain  expenses                                                            
such as contractual  services and supplies within  existing budgets.                                                            
She asserted that  the taskforce's mission would be  challenging and                                                            
that  the  expenses   outlined  in  the  revised  fiscal   note  are                                                            
warranted.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bunde  asked   for  clarification  that  funding   for  the                                                            
Legislative  staff assistant position  would be absorbed  within the                                                            
LAA budget.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Stancliff clarified  that, were this bill adopted, the LAA would                                                            
fund  the position  during  the  interim  between  this Legislative                                                             
Session  and the First  Session  of the Twenty-Fourth  Alaska  State                                                            
Legislature.  She noted  that were  a taskforce  assistant  required                                                            
into that Session, Legislative staff would be utilized.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bunde moved to  report the bill, as previously amended, from                                                            
Committee with  individual recommendations  and accompanying  fiscal                                                            
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
There  being no  objection, SCS  CS HCR  32(FIN)  was REPORTED  from                                                            
Committee  with zero fiscal  note #1, dated  February 23, 2004  from                                                            
the University  of Alaska and a new  $58,000 fiscal note,  dated May                                                            
8,  2004  from  Legislature  Administrative  Services,  Legislative                                                             
Affairs Agency.