04/03/1997 03:35 PM Senate STA

Number 483                                                                     
                                                                               
         SB 9 CAP PROJ MATCHING GRANT FOR INDIAN RESERV                        
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN GREEN brought SB 9 before the committee as the next order             
of business.                                                                   
                                                                               
JEANNIE SMITH, staff to Senator Jerry Mackie, read the following               
sponsor statement into the record:                                             
                                                                               
"Senator Mackie introduced this legislation at the request of the              
Metlakatla Indian Community when their Municipal Assistance                    
Matching Grant Program appropriation was eliminated from the FY 96             
budget.  Metlakatla qualified for this program under the Department            
of Administration regulations definition for "municipality".                   
However, legal analysis found that the statute definition was not              
written specific enough to include the Metlakatla Indian Community             
in this program. Since the statute definition supersedes the                   
regulatory definition the appropriation was eliminated.                        
                                                                               
SB 9 amends AS 37.06 by adding a new section that includes a                   
municipality organized under federal law as an Indian reserve.                 
This bill has been drafted to specifically include the Metlakatla              
Indian community within the Municipal Assistance Matching Grant                
Program.  Metlakatla is the only entity in the state that now, or              
in the future, could qualify under the language included in SB 9,              
page 1, lines 6 - 8.                                                           
                                                                               
The community of Metlakatla is definitely more reflective of a                 
municipal government and fits more appropriately into the Municipal            
Capital Matching Grant Program.  The community has a mayor, city               
council, school board, constitution, law and order codes, police               
department, court system, etc..                                                
                                                                               
SB 9 specifically removes Metlakatla from the Unincorporated                   
Capital Matching Grant Program and specifically includes Metlakatla            
in the statute provisions for the Municipal Capital Matching Grant             
Program."                                                                      
                                                                               
Ms. Smith stated she would respond to questions from the committee.            
                                                                               
Number 515                                                                     
                                                                               
SENATOR DUNCAN asked if the Department of Community & Regional                 
Affairs supports the legislation, and MS. SMITH acknowledged that              
it does.                                                                       
                                                                               
There being no further questions on SB 9, CHAIRMAN GREEN asked the             
pleasure of the committee.                                                     
                                                                               
SENATOR MILLER moved SB 9 and the accompanying fiscal notes be                 
passed out of committee with individual recommendations.  Hearing              
no objection, it was so ordered.