Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/14/2023 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB46 | |
| SB21 | |
| SB9 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 46 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 21 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 9 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 9-ALASKA SUNSET COMMISSION
4:44:56 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 9 "An Act establishing a
violation for hindering the Alaska Sunset Commission; relating
to the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee; relating to the
duties of the legislature; relating to the legislative audit
division and the legislative finance division; establishing the
Alaska Sunset Commission to review and make recommendations on
discontinuation of or changes to state entities; relating to the
powers and duties of the Alaska Sunset Commission; and providing
for an effective date."
He stated this was the first hearing and the intention was to
hear the introduction, take invited and public testimony, and
hold the bill for future consideration.
4:45:28 PM
SENATOR SHELLEY HUGHES, District M, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 9, introduced the legislation
speaking to the following sponsor statement:
SB 9 "The Alaska Sunset Commission Act" will help
ensure transparency, efficiency, cost effectiveness,
statutory adherence, and constitutional alignment in
the operation of our state government.
The bill establishes the Alaska Sunset Commission as
an apolitical, independent, and objective entity
charged with reviewing, via detailed and robust
audits, each department by division in the state on a
rotating schedule. The Commission will make
recommendations related to the performance and costs
to the legislature. Along with the submission of the
audit report to the legislature, the Commission will
provide any recommended statutory changes necessary to
accomplish the recommendations in the report. To
prevent a division from sunsetting and its statutory
duties falling to the department's office of the
commissioner, the legislature will need take up and
act on the audit report.
The annual audit reports will also be available to the
executive branch for purposes of both performance and
structural improvements within departments as well as
for the construction of the governor's budget each
year.
The Commission will be comprised of nine individuals
from the private sector with financial, budget
analysis, accounting, operations management, and other
areas of expertise who are appointed by the governor
and confirmed by the legislature. The Commission will
serve without compensation but will be entitled to per
diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and
commissions. The Commission may employ staff as it
determines necessary to perform its duties.
The size and scope of government can be difficult to
grasp and understand, and too often unwieldy and hard
to control. Currently, the House and Senate Finance
members are asked in a matter of a few months to
figure out what is going on in each of the fourteen
departments; essentially their window is what the
executive branch provides. With this limited
information and in short order, legislators are tasked
with making decisions each year involving spending
billions of public dollars. Access to an extensive
audit will help hold future governors accountable to
building a responsible budget and will aid legislators
in appropriating public dollars wisely.
4:51:21 PM
SENATOR HUGHES delivered a PowerPoint titled "Alaska Sunset
Commission." She began on slide 2 that consisted of a color
coded map of the US that showed that blue states have appointed
state auditors and red states have elected state auditors. The
color coded US map depicted on slide 3 shows who appoints the
state auditors. Alaska is a gold state which indicates the state
auditor is appointed by the legislature. Slide 4, "Alaska Would
Be In Good Company," is another color coded map of the US that
shows the other states that have a sunset commission.
SENATOR HUGHES displayed slide 5, "What Would Alaska's Sunset
Commission Do?" She summarized that the commission would review
each department by division, section, and office; make
determinations about modifications or consolidations; and draft
the recommended improvements into legislation for the
legislature to consider.
SENATOR HUGHES advanced to slide 6, "Composition of Commission,"
and described the proposed nine-member commission. The slide
read:
Public-member team of nine must have the following
combination of credentials
• 2 certified public accountants
• 1 budget analyst
• 1 controller/comptroller
• 1 with financial management experience
• 2 with experience as business owner, CEO, or COO
based in-stat
• 2 with experience in finance, investment, or
business management
4:52:26 PM
SENATOR HUGHES directed attention to slide 7, "Sunset
Commission: How It Would Work." She explained that the table
describes the analysis and evaluation process the commission
follows throughout the year with the end product being the bill
that is submitted to the legislature.
SENATOR HUGHES displayed slide 8, "Proposed Audit Cycle Re-
initiated Every 12 Years. The table shows the audits of
executive branch departments start in 2024 and that the
legislature would be audited in 2034, the University of Alaska
in 2035, and the Alaska Court System and agencies in the
judicial branch in 2036.
SENATOR HUGHES turned to slide 9, "Impact of Sunset Commission
Within the State of Texas Since 1977." She summarized the
following outcomes:
Streamlining Government
• 42 agencies and programs abolished
• 52 agencies and programs abolished and transferred
or consolidated
Saving Taxpayer Money
• $1 billion in state and federal savings and revenue
gains
• Return of $18 for every $1 appropriated to the
Sunset Commission since 1985
Providing Effective Oversight
• $570 reviews of state agencies and programs
conducted
• 80 percent of Sunset recommendations to the
legislature have become state law since 2001
4:53:22 PM
SENATOR HUGHES turned to slide 10, "The Impact of a Sunset
Commission Within the State of Alaska," and spoke to the
potential outcomes:
• Higher level of government accountability and
performance
• Dissolved state entities that are redundant,
ineffective, or inefficient
• Improved policies and procedures for public
services
• Millions of dollars in savings that can be
reallocated toward other budget areas where needed
• Targeted revenue resources to ensure efficient and
effective government services
• Encourage greater participation and public input
SENATOR HUGHES acknowledged that the bill needed some work but
she had worked with Legislative Legal Services to resolve
potential constitutional issues. She noted that the commission
would reside within the executive branch but the governor would
not have oversight. The members would serve on a rotating five-
year schedule to avoid the politics associated with a four-year
cycle.
4:55:05 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI turned to invited testimony.
4:55:21 PM
BRIAN FRANCIS, Executive Director for the Texas Sunset Advisory
Commission (TSAC), Austin, Texas, stated that he was neutral on
SB 9. He described TSAC as a nonpartisan legislative agency
created in 1977 whose goal is to objectively analyze and improve
state government. He spoke enthusiastically about the importance
of accountability in public service.
MR. FRANCIS described the three phases of the sunset process.
Evaluation Phase Commission staff gathers information from the
agency being reviewed, the stakeholders, and the public. This
information is used to generate a staff report that includes
findings and recommendations.
Deliberation Phase The staff report goes to the Commission for
evaluation and additional stakeholder and public input. The
commission will approve, deny, or modify each recommendation.
Based on the input, additional recommendations may also be added
in this phase. The two types of recommendations are for
statutory changes or management actions. The latter can be done
within the existing authority of the agency. Recommendations for
statutory changes advance to the Action Phase.
Action Phase Sunset bills are generated and will go through the
normal legislative process.
MR. FRANCIS stated that there is no doubt that the Commission
has streamlined and improved the government in Texas. He
recounted the streamlining and revenue-saving data that the
sponsor presented in slide 9 of the PowerPoint for SB 9. He also
spoke about the improvements that have been initiated in Texas
as a result of the Commission's process. He cited
recommendations related to juvenile justice and the public
utility commission. He continued that a key element in the
sunset process is including the sunset date in the enabling
statute for each agency. It creates a sense of urgency for
action by both the agency and the legislature.
5:04:59 PM
STEVEN OGLE, Deputy Director & General Counsel for the Texas
Sunset Advisory Commission (TSAC), Austin, Texas, stated he was
neutral on SB 9. He said he was available as a resource; he'd
been with TSAC for 16 years and had reviewed nearly every facet
of state government. He relayed that the Texas Legislature meets
for 140 days every two years, so it has to be efficient. He
continued that when a bill comes to the legislature from the
Sunset Commission, members know that agency has undergone a year
and one-half of thorough review and analysis. Each agency goes
through this process every 12 years so it is routinely improved.
The result is that the people of Texas get better service. When
the legislature doesn't meet fulltime, the process only works
because the Sunset Commission is a dedicated agency whose staff
works fulltime.
5:07:20 PM
MEAD TREADWELL, former Lieutenant Governor, Anchorage, Alaska,
stated that he had worked for a long time to have appropriate,
limited government in Alaska. He is president of Alaskans for
Tax Reform and has worked with other organizations to improve
transparency and efficiency in state government. He said none of
these organizations have taken a position on SB 9, but they
believe it's important for the legislature to consider measures
like this. He opined that the need for government is perpetual
but not every government program. He spoke about the impact of
changing technologies and recalled his first sunset exercise in
the Alaska Legislature. He opined that what stands out as
different in SB 9 is that it sets out a regular schedule for
agency reviews in a more public process.
He recommended the committee give serious consideration to both
SB 9 and Senator Kaufman's bill on strategic planning.
5:11:09 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on SB 9.
5:11:23 PM
PAMELA SAMASH, representing self, Nenana, Alaska, testified in
support of SB 9. She mentioned inflation and offered her
perspective that anything that saves money for the state and the
people has merit. She opined that SB 9 will save money for
everyone and create an honest environment.
5:12:54 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI closed public testimony on SB 9. He asked the
sponsor if she had final comments.
SENATOR HUGHES reminded the committee that the performance
audits that the legislative auditor has been conducting since
2013 will end July 1 of this year. She suggested the members
think about whether those audits were used to their full
potential. The difference that SB 9 offers is that the result of
the analysis and review would come before the legislature in the
form of legislation. She opined that it would help the
administration and the legislature. She expressed hope that the
committee would seriously consider SB 9 and Senator Kaufman's
bill on strategic planning.
5:14:35 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 9 in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 9 ver A.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 9 |
| SB 9 Supporting Document - LRS Report 19.010m 03.06.23.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 9 |
| SB 9 Sectional Analysis Ver A 03.06.23.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 9 |
| SB 21 Sponsor Statement Version A 1.25.23.pdf |
SFIN 3/12/2024 1:30:00 PM SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 21 |
| SB 46 Version A 03.08.2023.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 46 |
| SB 46 Research BIAA 2022 Legislative Issue Briefs 3.1.2023.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 46 |
| SB 46 Research Unmasking Brain Injuries 3.1.2023.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 46 |
| SB0021A.PDF |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 21 |
| SB21 EBA Presentation.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 21 |
| SB 21 EBA One-pager handout.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 21 |
| SB 9 Sponsor Statement 03.06.23.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 9 |
| SB 21 Fiscal note.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 21 |
| SB 46 Fiscal Note VAR-EXE 03.10.2023.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 46 |
| SB 9 fiscal note.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 9 |
| SB 46 Sponsor Statement 3.1.2023.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 46 |
| SB 46 Sectional Analysis 3.1.2023.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 46 |
| SB 9 Presentation v1.3.pdf |
SSTA 3/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 9 |