03/27/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 30                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
   "An Act making certain  veterans eligible for  a lifetime                                                                    
   permit to access state park campsites and the parking and                                                                    
   restrooms of  developed  facilities  without charge;  and                                                                    
   providing for an effective date."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:02:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR JESSE BJORKMAN,  SPONSOR, conveyed that SB  30 was a                                                                    
bill that  would allow disabled veterans  that had honorably                                                                    
served the  country to have  access to Alaska's  state parks                                                                    
free of charge.  The bill would allow for  veterans to apply                                                                    
for  a  pass to  the  parks  and  would  waive the  fee.  He                                                                    
believed  that  those that  had  served  the nation  in  the                                                                    
military  deserved the  utmost  respect and  had earned  the                                                                    
right to enjoy the natural beauty of the state.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bjorkman  noted  that disabled  veterans  currently                                                                    
qualified for  a free  annual pass  limited to  camping. The                                                                    
bill  proposed  a  simpler  system  for  passes  that  would                                                                    
automatically  renew every  five  years  and would  re-issue                                                                    
once  a  veteran  had  updated   their  address.  There  was                                                                    
currently no provision for disabled  veteran's to be able to                                                                    
park in the parks for free.  He proposed that the bill would                                                                    
make it  easier for  veterans to visit  the state  parks for                                                                    
the day. He  made note of individuals that  were present for                                                                    
invited testimony and to answer questions.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:04:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PHILLIP HOKENSON, CHAIR,  ALASKA VETERAN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL,                                                                    
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), relayed  that he was an Army                                                                    
veteran and  in addition to  serving as chair of  the Alaska                                                                    
Veteran's Advisory  Council, he was  a member of  the Alaska                                                                    
Pioneer Home  Advisory Board. He  mentioned that  Alaska was                                                                    
known  for having  the highest  population  of veterans  per                                                                    
capita,  and additionally  had the  most women  veterans and                                                                    
the youngest  population of veterans per  capita. He queried                                                                    
the question  of why so  many veterans chose to  relocate or                                                                    
be  in  the state  and  discussed  the state's  support  and                                                                    
recognition of  veterans. He  mentioned dollars  being spent                                                                    
in  the  economy,  specifically in  healthcare  and  at  the                                                                    
University of Alaska.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Hokenson discussed  the value  veterans brought  to the                                                                    
state.  He  mentioned   the  Veteran's  Administration  (VA)                                                                    
Community  Care Program.  He pointed  out that  while Alaska                                                                    
was a  leader in  many ways,  he thought  the state  did not                                                                    
live up  to a national  standard in providing  veterans with                                                                    
expanded access to  state parks. He cited  that the National                                                                    
Defense  Authorization  Act  of 2002  had  established  free                                                                    
lifetime access  to national parks for  veterans. He thought                                                                    
that  free  lifetime  access  to  Alaska's  state  parks  as                                                                    
proposed in the bill would  support the health and wellbeing                                                                    
of veterans. He urged the committee to pass the bill.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:07:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:08:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl  addressed a fiscal  note from  the Department                                                                    
of Natural Resources, OMB Component  3001. The note showed a                                                                    
decrease  of $300,000  in program  receipts revenues,  and a                                                                    
corresponding increase  of $300,000 in  Unrestricted General                                                                    
Funds (UGF) going forward.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:08:46 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:09:34 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  conveyed that the committee  was expecting                                                                    
an updated  fiscal note,  which it would  review at  a later                                                                    
time.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Bjorkman believed  it was  vitally important                                                                    
that  the  state's  recognition   of  the  state's  veterans                                                                    
service  match  the  value that  other  government  entities                                                                    
extended  to  veterans.  He  thought  providing  a  disabled                                                                    
veteran a  parking pass  to access the  state's parks  was a                                                                    
great way to recognize their service.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SB  30  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:10:59 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:11:23 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED