05/09/2019 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

             SB 11-MILITARY SPOUSE COURTESY LICENSE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:31:13 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR REINBOLD announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be SENATE  BILL NO.  11, "An Act  relating to  temporary courtesy                                                               
licenses for  certain nonresident professionals; and  relating to                                                               
the   Department    of   Commerce,   Community,    and   Economic                                                               
Development."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
[Before the  committee was CSSB 11(L&C),  work order 31-LS0262\M,                                                               
Fisher, 5/3/19, Version M]                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR REINBOLD made opening remarks.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:32:39 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR SCOTT  KAWASAKI, Alaska  State Legislature,  Juneau, made                                                               
closing remarks. He stated that  the legislature just had a Joint                                                               
Armed   Services   Committee   that  showed   the   legislature's                                                               
tremendous  support  for the  military.  One  thing discussed  in                                                               
prior  years  was  how  to  engage  military  families.  Military                                                               
spouses  often have  skills and  professional  licenses in  other                                                               
states,  so offering  temporary  expedited  courtesy licenses  to                                                               
military spouses is one way  to encourage involvement. The second                                                               
part of the  bill would extend the current  hiring preferences to                                                               
military  spouses and  dependent children.  He characterized  the                                                               
efforts for SB 11 as a  big collaboration. Passage of SB 11 would                                                               
approve two  existing policies for  military spouses. He  said he                                                               
respectfully requested committee members' support.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:34:04 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRSENTATIVE SHARON  JACKSON, Alaska State  Legislature, Juneau,                                                               
as  sponsor of  HB 113,  incorporated into  Version M,  said that                                                               
military  families  represent  a  significant  part  of  Alaska's                                                               
population. SB  11 will  make a  difference, benefiting  not only                                                               
the  military  families but  our  state's  economy. Many  private                                                               
sector   employers   have  expressed   encountering   recruitment                                                               
problems  in Alaska,  especially in  the education,  health care,                                                               
and law  enforcement fields. She explained  that expanding hiring                                                               
preferences  to military  families can  help fill  this gap.  She                                                               
thanked Senator Kawasaki  for working with her  to incorporate HB
 into the committee substitute (CS) for SB 11, Version M.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:35:49 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR REINBOLD opened public testimony on SB 11.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:36:17 PM                                                                                                                    
BRIG. GEN. TORRENCE SAXE,  Commissioner, Adjutant General, Alaska                                                               
Department of  Military and  Veterans Affairs,  Anchorage, stated                                                               
his support for  SB 11, because it provides  family readiness. He                                                               
emphasized  the   importance  of  family  support   to  soldiers,                                                               
sailors, and  marines because it helps  them to focus on  the job                                                               
at hand.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:37:04 PM                                                                                                                    
ROBERT DOLE,  representing himself,  Anchorage, said that  as the                                                               
former   state  coordinator   to  the   Association  of   Defense                                                               
Communities,   he  heard   military   service  secretaries   echo                                                               
Brigadier  General Saxe's  view that  our greatest  asset is  our                                                               
people.  The  greatest asset  in  retaining  military members  is                                                               
related to  their families and  a key  aspect of that  is finding                                                               
meaningful work  for military spouses.  This bill will  move this                                                               
goal forward  in Alaska,  he said. He  thanked the  committee for                                                               
its efforts.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:38:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR REINBOLD  closed public  testimony on  SB 11.  She remarked                                                               
that this  bill was  especially important to  her because  of her                                                               
experiences as a  military spouse when her  husband was stationed                                                               
in Norway. She recalled how  supportive the military spouses were                                                               
to  her. She  said she  wants  military families  to know  Alaska                                                               
welcomes and supports them. This  bill would require a preference                                                               
to military and dependents and  departments must report to ensure                                                               
preferences  were granted.  The  bill also  has  an outreach  and                                                               
educational component.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:40:27 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COSTELLO  moved to report  the committee  substitute (CS)                                                               
for  SB   11(L&C),  work  order  31-LS0262\M,   Version  M,  from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, the  CSSB 11(L&C) was reported from the                                                               
Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:41:11 PM                                                                                                                    
At-ease.