03/17/2003 01:35 PM Senate JUD

                   SB  49-2003 REVISOR'S BILL                                                                               
                                                                                                                              
MS. PAM FINDLEY,  Revisor of Statutes with  the Legislative Legal                                                               
and  Research Services,  informed committee  members SB  49 is  a                                                               
clean  up bill  where  the policies  were  determined by  earlier                                                               
Legislatures, but  the wording  was not right  for one  reason or                                                               
another or  where names of boards  changed.  She noted  this bill                                                               
should not affect policy and a sectional analysis was provided.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS said he appreciated  her good work, professionalism                                                               
and  attention  to  detail  in keeping  the  Legislature  out  of                                                               
trouble.  He  said if Senator Halford and others  were here, they                                                               
would  ask if  there  is  anything even  bordering  on policy  or                                                               
substantive impact.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. FINDLEY  answered no.   She directed everyone's  attention to                                                               
Section 27,  page 10  where the explanation  goes on  for several                                                               
pages.    Two amendments  happened  the  same  year to  the  same                                                               
section.   This  involved loans  and there  is a  limit on  these                                                               
loans.  The amendments were put  together in the same statute and                                                               
they don't work  together very well.  SB 49  attempts to keep the                                                               
two acts  separate.  She was  told what is in  the Revisor's bill                                                               
is the  way the department  has been  executing the law  so there                                                               
should  not be  any  change on  the  ground.   This  is the  most                                                               
substantive because  it does involve  two amendments.   She feels                                                               
comfortable the  policy choice was  made because in one  of those                                                               
subsections it is clear that another  one is being accepted.  The                                                               
whole explanation  must be  read to understand  it because  it is                                                               
complicated.   That  is the  only section  she wrestled  with and                                                               
came to the conclusion the  Legislature's policy was clear enough                                                               
for her to put that in this bill.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT  read the  bottom of page  5 on  the sectional                                                               
analysis.   This section  amends to  make it  clear that  the two                                                               
$300,000 caps  operate separately.  If  the Legislature disagrees                                                               
with my interpretation, this section  could be removed.  He asked                                                               
if Chair Seekins intended to move the bill at this time.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEEKINS replied  he wanted  the bill  introduced and  then                                                               
allow  time  to go  through  it  in  more  detail, work  out  any                                                               
questions  and  bring  the  bill  back at  a  second  hearing  to                                                               
finalize it.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT  noted  he  would  like  to  get  a  complete                                                               
understanding before it is moved from committee.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. FINDLEY confirmed it is complicated.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEEKINS  announced that  the  Judiciary  Committee is  not                                                               
going to move  legislation out in the first hearing  unless it is                                                               
something relatively minor.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SB 49 was held in committee.