Legislature(2025 - 2026)SENATE FINANCE 532
05/12/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB20 | |
| SB11 | |
| SB184 | |
| SB6 | |
| SB146 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 20 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 11 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 184 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 6 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 146 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 37 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
May 12, 2025
9:28 a.m.
9:28:38 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Hoffman called the Senate Finance Committee
meeting to order at 9:28 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair
Senator Donny Olson, Co-Chair
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair
Senator Mike Cronk
Senator James Kaufman
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Senator Kelly Merrick
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, Sponsor; Clark Bickford, Staff,
Senator Gray-Jackson; Rose Foley, Staff, Senator Bert
Stedman; Liz Harpold, Staff, Senator Donny Olson.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Douglas Schrage, Chief, Anchorage Fire Department,
Anchorage; Jason Dolph, Safety Fire Office, Anchorage Fire
Department, Anchorage; Brian Webb, Emergency Medical
Services Instructor, Anchorage; Mike Coons, Self, Wasilla;
Jamie Morgan, Government Relations Regional Lead, American
Heart Association, California.
SUMMARY
SB 6 ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAM
CSSB 6(EDC) was REPORTED out of committee with
two "do pass" recommendations and with four "no
recommendation" recommendations, and with one new
zero fiscal note from the Department of Education
and Early Development.
SB 11 FLOOD INSURANCE
SB 11 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SB 20 CPR CURRICULUM
SB 20 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SB 146 REAA FUND: MT. EDGECUMBE, TEACHER HOUSING
SB 146 was REPORTED out of committee with five
"do pass" recommendations and with two "no
recommendation" recommendations, and with one new
fiscal impact note from the Department of
Education and Early Development.
SB 184 SCHOOL BOND DEBT REIMBURSEMENT
SB 184 was REPORTED out of committee with six "do
pass" recommendations and with one "amend"
recommendation, and with one new fiscal impact
note from the Department of Education and Early
Development for Debt Service.
Co-Chair Hoffman discussed the agenda.
SENATE BILL NO. 20
"An Act relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation
education in public schools; relating to the duties of
the Department of Education and Early Development; and
providing for an effective date."
9:29:31 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that it was the first hearing on
SB 20. He invited the sponsor to the table to introduce the
legislation.
9:29:55 AM
SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, SPONSOR, relayed that the bill
was a reintroduction of a bill that was introduced during
the 33rd legislature. The bill was largely the same but for
a zero fiscal note. The zero fiscal note was due to
existing curriculum in other school districts in the
country, which took the onus off of Alaskan school
districts to create curriculum. She cited that sudden
cardiac arrest was the third leading cause of death in the
United States, with over 365,000 casualties every year.
Senator Gray-Jackson read from a Sponsor Statement (copy on
file):
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is a leading cause of death in
the United States, but bystander CPR can triple the
survival rate. Senate Bill 20 seeks to enhance the
quality of health education within our state's public
school system by offering CPR Curriculum to our school
students. This curriculum focuses on equipping our
students with the knowledge and skills necessary to
increase the number of CPR-trained bystanders.
By enacting this legislation, we are prioritizing the
health and well-being of our youth, empowering them
with the knowledge and skills to make informed
decisions and respond effectively in emergency
situations, potentially saving lives within their
communities. This would also give students the
opportunity to begin their work-training before
graduating school which will help with work shortages
across the state.
Integrating CPR education into the school curriculum
helps promote a culture of preparedness and
responsiveness to emergencies. Requiring schools to
teach CPR ensures that all students, regardless of
socioeconomic status or geographic location, have
access to this vital life-saving skill. This
curriculum will be available to all students in our
vast state, and your support is vital to enacting this
important legislation.
9:31:44 AM
CLARK BICKFORD, STAFF, SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON, offered some
key statistics and remarks on the bill subject matter:
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, also known as CPR, is
an important skill to learn because it helps maintain
vital blood flow to the heart and brain during a
cardiac arrest. It can significantly increase a
person's chances of survival by keeping oxygen
circulating around the brain until professional
medical help arrives.
Early and effective CPR can double or even triple
survival rates, making it a critical life-saving skill
in emergencies.
While many people are familiar with traditional CPR
methods, involving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, one
of the main reasons we are now seeing hands-only CPR
being adopted and implemented around the country, was
to reduce public hesitation in helping unknown
victims. The most reported barrier to performing CPR
was the requirement for mouth-to-mouth rescue
breathing.
Hands-only CPR is equally effective and is being
adopted nationwide in training programs. However, its
success heavily depends on proper education and public
awareness. Without knowing when and how to administer
it, bystanders may hesitate or fail to act
effectively. This legislation can teach students
across the state how to properly administer the life
saving techniques.
With us today are individuals who have long advocated
for the inclusion of this curriculum in previous
Alaska legislatures, and even in other states across
the country as well.
For questions specifically related to its
implementation, I refer you to Brian Webb, EMS
Coordinator and CPR expert; as well as Jason Dolph,
Safety Officer with the Anchorage Fire Department; and
Chief Schrage of the Anchorage Fire Department, who
can speak to the effectiveness of this training. For
questions regarding the zero fiscal note, I would
refer you again to Brian Webb, who has a background in
designing and teaching these trainings.
9:34:41 AM
DOUGLAS SCHRAGE, CHIEF, ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), offered his invited
testimony. He asserted that the bill provided the
opportunity to make an immediate positive impact on the
survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest. Early cardiac-
pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external
defibrillator (AED) use were the single most important
factors in improving the survival rate from sudden cardiac
arrests. He emphasized that CPR education was important
because even the best emergency response system (EMS) took
time to arrive and the first five minutes after a cardiac
arrest could lead to irreversible brain and organ damage.
He proposed that early CPR by bystanders was the key to
sustaining life until EMS arrived.
Mr. Schrage noted that most cardiac arrests happened in the
home, where he thought students with CPR training could
make the most impact. He noted that the state had made
great strides by improving cardiac arrest survival rates,
but the improvement had reached a plateau. He argued that
to make more improvements, the state needed more people
trained in CPR and willing to engage in providing hands-
only CPR when needed. He relayed that hands-only CPR not
only addressed the impediment of people not wanting to
provide CPR but was more effective in providing blood flow
to the brain and vital organs in areas where there were
reasonable response times. He urged the committee to
support the bill.
9:37:56 AM
JASON DOLPH, SAFETY FIRE OFFICE, ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke in support of the
bill. He was a second-generation firefighter and a 26-year
veteran of emergency services in the state. He was a
certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) as well as an
EMT instructor and CPR instructor. He asserted that the
survival rate of cardiac arrest was only 10 percent. He
cited a study that showed patients that had received CPR
within two minutes had an 81 percent higher chance of
survival and ultimate discharge from the hospital. Even
those that had CPR delayed up to 10 minutes still had a 19
percent higher chance of survival than those that received
no bystander CPR.
Mr. Dolph recounted having responded to more than 10,000
emergency incidents in his career. He discussed his
anecdotal experience with greater success for those that
had CPR performed by a bystander. He cited that only 40
percent of people suffering sudden cardiac rest outside a
hospital received CPR before help arrived. He discussed
teaching CPR and his observation that people took CPR
courses only when required. He cited that 73 percent of all
cardiac arrests happened in the home. He emphasized that
the bill sought to teach CPR skills early, and that
children as young as 9 could perform CPR.
Mr. Dolph recounted a story in Anchorage in which a 14-
year-old performed CPR on another person of the same age,
even when there were adults in the room. He discussed
advantages of CPR education in school, including the
normalization of CPR and confidence in skills. He thought
the end-goal was "a generation of life savers." He strongly
urged the committee to pass the legislation. He relayed
that his wife was an elementary educator, and he had a high
regard for the school system in the state. He affirmed his
regard for all subjects taught and thought CPR education
was powerful knowledge.
9:43:45 AM
BRIAN WEBB, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES INSTRUCTOR,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), relayed that he had served
50 years in EMS and was still an active paramedic and
educator. He mentioned prior testimony that had provided
outdated information. He mentioned peer-reviewed studies
that he had provided to the committee which had proven the
effectiveness of hands-only CPR. He emphasized that hands-
only CPR was endorsed by the American Heart Association
(AHA), the Resuscitation Academy, and EMS systems
nationwide. He asserted that hands-only CPR was shown to
double or triple survival rates for victims of cardiac
arrest. He listed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as the
single most reason that bystanders did not help, and noted
that hands-only CPR removed the barrier. He described that
chest compressions created a bellows effect which drew in
fresh air and expelled carbon dioxide from the lungs.
Mr. Webb emphasized the importance of timing in cardiac
arrest and referenced studies that showed that three
minutes of compressions could get a patients circulation
return to normal, making it easier to do cardiac
defibrillation. He mentioned far distances to EMS in
Alaska. He encouraged the committee to pass the bill.
9:46:29 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.
9:46:45 AM
MIKE COONS, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), spoke in
support of the bill. He mentioned sending written testimony
in support of the bill, with the caveat that it was hands-
only CPR education. He mentioned discussion in committee
hearings. He relayed that he had hoped that both versions
of CPR would be taught. He was a retired paramedic and had
performed CPR and advanced cardiac life support many times.
He described a scenario in which patients' lives were
saved. He mentioned teaching CPR. He asked the committee to
add full CPR training to the bill.
9:49:20 AM
JAMIE MORGAN, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REGIONAL LEAD, AMERICAN
HEART ASSOCIATION, CALIFORNIA (via teleconference),
testified in favor of the bill. She cited that every year
more than 350,000 people experienced sudden cardiac arrest
outside of a hospital. She stressed that trained students
would be able to save the lives of family members. She
discussed CPR education. Since 2018, more than 40 states
had passed legislation that required students to learn CPR
before graduation. She urged the members to support the
bill.
9:51:16 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.
Senator Kiehl discussed a zero fiscal note from the
Department of Education and Early Development, OMB
Component 2796. There was a zero fiscal impact with a note
that indicated the department would have regulations
sometime in late August.
Co-Chair Hoffman asked if the sponsor had any comments.
Senator Gray-Jackson thanked the committee for hearing the
bill.
SB 20 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SENATE BILL NO. 11
"An Act relating to flood insurance; relating to
property insurance; establishing the Alaska Flood
Authority and the Alaska flood insurance fund; and
providing for an effective date."
9:51:53 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that it was the first hearing for
SB 11.
9:52:21 AM
Senator Bert Stedman, Sponsor, introduced the bill. He read
from a Sponsor Statement (copy on file):
Senate Bill 11 has been introduced to protect Alaskans
from financial abuse at the hands of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
FEMA administers the National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP). The NFIP was created to share the risk of
flood losses (nationwide) through flood insurance. The
program enables property owners in participating
communities to purchase insurance protection,
administered by the government, against losses from
flooding. FEMA requires flood insurance for all
residential loans or lines of credit that are secured
by a building located in the FEMA Flood Zone in a
community that participates in the NFIP.
The National Flood Insurance Program was historically
the only source of flood insurance. In 2012, congress
reauthorized the NFIP and included a provision
allowing private companies to offer flood insurance
policies. Another change occurred in 2021 when FEMA
adopted a new ratemaking method called Risk Rating
2.0. This new methodology attempts to make the NFIP
more solvent and has resulted in an expansion of flood
zones and an increase in premiums for 77 percent of
plans backed by the NFIP.
Homes and businesses in a new FEMA flood zone could
see significant negative impacts to property values
from requirements to purchase expensive flood
insurance (flood insurance must be purchased if the
owner uses a federally insured bank). The new and
expanded flood zones can also restrict how a structure
is built on private property and impact existing homes
and businesses that want to rehabilitate, upgrade,
expand, or repair buildings.
Currently, Alaskans are paying flood insurance to
offset the billions in hurricane losses in the Lower
48. Furthermore, the NFIP must be periodically
reauthorized by congress (next by March 14, 2025) and
has lapsed four times in the past, creating
significant hurdles for people seeking mortgages in
flood areas. Combine this with very few payouts to
flood victims and it can easily be concluded that the
NFIP doesn't work for Alaskans.
It is the intent of Senate Bill 11 to supplant the
NFIP with an Alaska based insurance program that keeps
the premium payments in Alaska, benefiting Alaskans.
9:56:27 AM
Co-Chair Stedman continued his remarks. He recounted that
when he had considered the issue a few years previously and
had concerns about the minimum insurance coverage ($250,000
for residential and $500,000 for commercial), he had
compared statewide premiums paid compared to losses. He had
found it alarming that Alaskans were paying large amounts
of money for a small amount of money back. He pondered that
the insurance was subsidizing the Mississippi River Basin,
the Gulf of Mexico, and the East Coast from hurricane
exposure. He cited that between 2008 and 2021 Alaskans had
paid almost $41 million in premiums for the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP) and received only $6.5 million in
claims paid.
Co-Chair Stedman referenced page 5 of a report to the
legislature from the Department of Commerce, Community and
Economic Development (copy on file). The report was
entitled "FEMA National Flood Insurance Program Premium
Analysis," and showed that while the city of Bethel paid
$2.2 million in premiums and received zero dollars in
claims. The city of Juneau paid $4.2 million in premiums
and had received $435,979; and Anchorage paid $2.2 million
and received $171,000. He described the balance as
lopsided. He discussed restrictions and considered that
FEMA intentionally wanted to push development off the coast
and did not want rebuilding with pilings or rock fill off
the coast. He discussed the topography of Southeast and the
challenge of building away from the coast. He noted that
FEMA had updated its flood maps and included new risk and
rating systems for Alaskans. He referenced changing home
designations to being within flood zones (with a
requirement for flood insurance) and mentioned Ketchikan
having hundreds of homes reclassified.
Co-Chair Stedman used the example of an older home with
flood damage that was out of compliance; which could only
utilize $150,000 for repairs, bringing it up to compliance,
or tearing it down. He mentioned lost equity and asserted
that the current policy restricted Alaskans from
maintaining older homes. He found the issue alarming. He
pointed out that the national program was periodically
reauthorized by Congress and noted that there were lapses.
He mentioned "complete chaos" in Washington D.C., and the
possibility that FEMA could be liquidated or substantially
reduced. He thought it would be good for the state to put
in its own program, with an increased limit of $250,000 for
residential homes and $2 million for commercial structures.
He thought the committee might want to ponder and amend the
amounts. He pointed out that $250,000 was not a large sum
to do much to a residential structure.
10:01:06 AM
Co-Chair Stedman shared a significant concern that Alaskans
were subsidizing other areas of the country while being
subjected to massive building restrictions. He mentioned
organized communities that had planning commissions, and
the state's desire that local communities go through the
planning and zoning processes and to make decisions. He
thought planning commissions were perfectly capable of
managing building on waterfronts, and that building
departments were perfectly capable of issuing permits to
build above the high-tide line. He noted that the original
inhabitants of the state did not build villages below high-
tide lines, nor were later buildings built below the high-
tide line. He thought the state could produce more coverage
for less premiums. He used the example of Sitka, which had
only had one loss since 1977; while Ketchikan had a few and
Juneau had a few. He mentioned issues with the Mendenhall
River in Juneau. He reiterated the concern of Alaskan
residents having to subsidize expenses in areas such as the
Mississippi Delta or Florida. He hoped to get the bill on
the table to be discussed during the interim.
10:03:47 AM
Senator Kaufman thought it seemed like the old homesteaders
were savvy and had not built below the tideline. He was
curious about the funding plan. He asked about potential
funding from the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC)
and asked how the conversations had gone and if AHFC was
amenable.
Co-Chair Stedman considered a lot of the prices of the bill
to be "place holders." He thought there may be a need for
seed capital to get the proposed program up and running
until premiums kicked in. He asserted that more dialogue
was needed with AHFC as the legislation was refined.
Senator Kaufman mentioned that he had spent a lot of time
in the South in hurricane areas. He referenced conflicting
requirements that necessitated building so high that wind
damage was exacerbated. He echoed Co-Chair Stedman's
comments pertaining to FEMA not wanting people to settle on
the coast.
10:05:51 AM
ROSE FOLEY, STAFF, SENATOR BERT STEDMAN, relayed that she
had a Sectional Analysis (copy on file) available to
present if the committee wished.
Co-Chair Hoffman asked to forego the Sectional Analysis.
Senator Kiehl appreciated the bill, which he thought
covered more things that were currently uninsurable,
including landslides. He asked about the inclusion of
coverage to protect against losses from avalanches.
Co-Chair Stedman thought there had been interest in
landslide provisions. he mentioned landslides in recent
years that had resulted in loss of life. He pondered that a
bill might benefit from being more narrowly focused until
it was up and running, and adding expansions at a later
time. He relayed that there had been interest in covering
landslides, which required different analysis and
consideration of flood zones. He thought the Division of
Insurance might have some commentary on the topic. He
pointed out that Juneau had exposure to both landslides and
flooding. He mentioned the Mendenhall River.
Ms. Foley added that the bill as currently written included
coverage for mudflow but not landslides.
Senator Kiehl considered state finances and thought it
appeared as though the funds for the program would be
subject to the "sweep" and subject to annual appropriation.
He wondered if the sponsor had given thought to structuring
the funding to have more durability to carry over year
after year in case things went "haywire" in the building.
Co-Chair Stedman appreciated Senator Kiehl's point. He did
not want the funding subject to the sweep, so that premiums
would accumulate and exceed claims and the margin. He hoped
to get premiums lowered.
Ms. Foley added that the bill set up the Alaska Flood
Authority Fund as a fund in the treasury outside the
General Fund, and not subject to the sweep.
10:09:20 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.
10:09:30 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.
10:09:36 AM
Senator Kiehl reviewed the first of four fiscal notes. He
addressed FN 1 from DCCED, OMB Component 1027. The
commissioner's office did not anticipate costs in the
current fiscal year, and had an indeterminate assessment on
setting up and capitalizing of the new fund.
Senator Kiehl addressed a new fiscal note from DCCED, OMB
component 2879. The difference from the earlier version of
the fiscal note showed in FY 26 $569.9 thousand of UGF. In
FY 27 the amount went down to $539.9 of DGF. The amount
dropped to $41.9 thousand in FY 28. The fiscal note called
for three permanent full-time positions. The note also
marked the new fund.
Senator Kiehl spoke to FN 3 from DCCED's Division of
Insurance, OMB Component 354. The fiscal note started with
an FY 26 cost of $521.6 thousand of receipt supported
services, as well as two full-time positions and a
temporary position. In FY 27 the amount went down to 472.6
DGF. In FY 29 the amount went down to just below $300,000
and the temporary position went away.
Senator Kiehl addressed FN 4 from the Department of
Revenue's Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), OMB
Component 110. The department provided an indeterminate
note and did not know how much of the $500,000 backstop
would be called upon.
Co-Chair Stedman commented that he did not think the shore-
front residents of the state were not interested in a free
ride. He thought the project would have to pay for itself
and might need some seed capital that could be paid back.
He commented that the premiums being paid to the federal
government were so excessive, it should be possible to make
the program pay for itself. He thought in the end the
program would be a net zero for the state. He affirmed that
he was not looking for the state to subsidize or pay for
the proposed program.
Co-Chair Stedman volunteered Senator Kiehl's office to work
on the bill with his office over the interim. He mentioned
Juneau's landslide [flood] and water issues.
SB 11 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SENATE BILL NO. 184
"An Act relating to school bond debt reimbursement;
and providing for an effective date."
10:13:36 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that the committee first heard the
bill on May 6 and had taken public testimony and reviewed
fiscal notes at the time. There had been one amendment
received.
10:14:03 AM
LIZ HARPOLD, STAFF, SENATOR DONNY OLSON, explained that SB
184 proposed to extend the moratorium on school bond debt
reimbursement for an additional two years. The initial
moratorium went into effect ten years previously.
10:14:38 AM
Senator Kiehl MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 1.
Co-Chair Hoffman OBJECTED for discussion.
Senator Kiehl spoke to Amendment 1. He relayed that the
amendment was related to a draft regulation that DEED had
circulated to school business officials. The way the
regulation was drawn up prevented schools that were funding
at or near the cap from funding things that were not
subject to the cap (non-instructional expenditures). He
used the example of The Unalaska City School District, and
the subject of $400,000 in school nutrition funds. He
listed $400,000 of lunch money in Valdez and $13 million in
Anchorage for pupil transportation as further concerns and
indicated there were many more examples in the state. He
cited that in rough terms, if the regulation passed, the
first $25 million to $30 million provided to school
districts with the legislature would go away via the
department over the summer. The amendment would maintain
the rules currently in place.
Senator Kiehl drew attention to Section 7, which related to
the school districts' operating fund that was currently in
regulation and put it into statute. The amendment would
prevent the department from being about to re-write how
education funding was done since 1998 when the funding
formula went into effect. He knew there had been concern
voiced by the department that there may be issues regarding
the federal disparity test. He explained that the education
funding provided by the legislature for the current year
allowed for headroom under the disparity test that the
state had not had in the past.
Senator Kiehl remarked that the federal Department of
Education had not indicated that there was a problem that
needed to be solved by a new regulation. He thought the
regulation was set to be taken up in the summer when the
legislature was not in session. He thought the amendment
constituted "self-defensefrom a new regulation that would
make giant changes in school funding and finance and took
money away from non-instructional expenses.
10:17:39 AM
Senator Kiehl continued that he had conversations with a
couple of members that had questions which he needed to
answer. He understood that the committee needed to move the
bill, and he had wanted to introduce the issue for
discussion.
Senator Kiehl moved to WITHDRAW Amendment 1. There being NO
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Co-Chair Stedman thought the issue of Amendment 1 should be
addressed and suggested querying the Senate Education
Committee for consideration of the issue. He thought the
issue should be pondered by the committee. He agreed with
the amendment sponsor that the topic was a significant
issue. He understood that the regulation would not take
effect until 2027, but thought the committee should not
lose sight of the issue.
Senator Kaufman pointed out that the underlying bill was
about maintenance and capital projects rather than about
program funding. He thought the committee should keep a
clean bill. He thought the issue raised by Senator Kiehl
deserved thorough vetting in a policy committee.
Co-Chair Stedman MOVED to report SB 184 out of Committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
SB 184 was REPORTED out of committee with six "do pass"
recommendations and with one "amend" recommendation, and
with one new fiscal impact note from the Department of
Education and Early Development for Debt Service.
10:19:53 AM
AT EASE
10:22:57 AM
RECONVENED
SENATE BILL NO. 6
"An Act requiring education in the history and
contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders."
10:23:03 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that the committee first heard SB
6 on April 4 and had taken public testimony and reviewed
fiscal notes at the time. He invited the sponsor to
reintroduce the bill.
10:23:25 AM
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, Sponsor, relayed that the bill
would require Asian American/Pacific Islander education in
K-12 schools. She noted that the bill was almost passed the
previous session. She thanked the committee for hearing the
bill.
Senator Kiehl MOVED to report CSSB 6(EDC) out of Committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
note.
CSSB 6(EDC) was REPORTED out of committee with two "do
pass" recommendations and with four "no recommendation"
recommendations, and with one new zero fiscal note from the
Department of Education and Early Development.
10:24:41 AM
AT EASE
10:26:24 AM
RECONVENED
SENATE BILL NO. 146
"An Act relating to the regional educational
attendance area and small municipal school district
fund; relating to Mt. Edgecumbe High School; and
relating to teacher housing."
10:26:29 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that the committee had first heard
SB 146 on April 4 and had taken public testimony and
reviewed the fiscal notes at the time.
10:26:56 AM
Liz Harpold, Staff, Senator Donny Olson, explained that SB
146 proposed to amend the Regional Educational Attendance
Area (REAA) Fund language to include major maintenance and
construction at Mount Edgecumbe High School (MEHS) and
major maintenance for teacher housing in REAA or small
municipal areas as allowable uses for the fund. The bill
also proposed to remove the $70 million cap on the fund
value preventing any fund balance above the amount from
lapsing into the General Fund at the end of the year. She
reminded that MEHS was a public boarding school, and its
maintenance was part of DEED's advocacy efforts unlike
other high schools around the state. By amending the REAA
Fund language, MEHS would be able to advocate to put itself
on the major maintenance and deferred maintenance lists as
other high schools in the state.
10:27:59 AM
Co-Chair Stedman added that MEHS could not be put in the
major maintenance list for K-12. He mentioned vetoes
related to the topic. He emphasized that MEHS had to
compete with all other DOT maintenance requests around the
state, and due to its small size did not get much
attention. He noted that he had not seen advocacy from DEED
on behalf of MEHS. He mentioned difficulty in getting the
deferred maintenance list from the department. There was
concern that without inclusion the school would continue to
be disadvantaged. He discussed the age of the MEHS
buildings, which were built before World War II. He thought
planning was necessary for the benefit of MEHS. He pointed
out that MEHS was one of the state's best performing
schools, and many future leaders had come from and would
come from the school.
Co-Chair Hoffman stressed that Co-Chair Stedman had been
the school's sole advocate for years. He expressed support
for the bill.
Co-Chair Stedman MOVED to report SB 146 out of Committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
SB 146 was REPORTED out of committee with five "do pass"
recommendations and with two "no recommendation"
recommendations, and with one new fiscal impact note from
the Department of Education and Early Development.
10:31:05 AM
AT EASE
10:32:57 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Hoffman discussed the agenda for the afternoon
meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
10:33:23 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 10:33 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 20 CPR Curriculum Sectional Analysis Version N._.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 CPR Curriculum Sponsor Statement Version N._.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 Hands-Only CPR Research Links.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 NEA-Alaska letter from Tom Klaameyer in support of SB 20 2.19.2025 (1).pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 Supporting Documents.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 Written Letter of Support From Brian Webb.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 11 Backup - 2022 DCCED NFIP Report published 12.22.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 Sectional Analysis ver A 4.9.25.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 Sponsor Statement ver A 4.9.25.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 DCCED DCRA 050925.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 AML Testimony.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 20 Coons Testimony.msg |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |