03/24/2025 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

          SB 79-PAYMENT OF WAGES; PAYROLL CARD ACCOUNT                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:25:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be SENATE BILL NO. 79, "An Act relating to wage payments."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:26:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS opened public testimony on SB 79.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:26:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARAH OATES HARLOW, President,  Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant                                                               
and Retailer's  Association, Inc.  (Alaska CHARR),  briefly spoke                                                               
about  CHARR  and  reminded  the  committee  she  had  previously                                                               
testified  that  the  hospitality   industry  continues  to  face                                                               
significant ongoing  challenges to  business operations  and cost                                                               
of labor, one of which is  interchange fees, also known as "swipe                                                               
fees," required  of business  owners by  credit card  networks on                                                               
the taxes  collected.  She  said restaurants alone in  Alaska are                                                               
paying  over $6.2  million in  credit card  swipe fees  annually.                                                               
She  highlighted that  one  CHARR member  spent  over $50,000  on                                                               
interchange fees  solely on  alcohol tax  collected on  behalf of                                                               
the  Municipality  of  Anchorage   (MOA).    She  recommended  an                                                               
amendment to SB 79 that  would restrict interchange fees on taxes                                                               
and tips  thus helping  thousands of  Alaska-owned establishments                                                               
and keep millions of dollars in the state.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:30:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS   asked  Ms.  Oates   Harlow  if  she   had  any                                                               
information  regarding other  CHARR members  and the  amount they                                                               
have paid in interchange fees.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. OATES  HARLOW replied that  there were many members  of CHARR                                                               
that  planned to  submit written  testimony regarding  the amount                                                               
that they spend on interchange fees for taxes and tips.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:31:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS,  after ascertaining that  there was no  one else                                                               
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on SB 79.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:32:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS  thanked the  testifiers and  delivered committee                                                               
announcements.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
[SB 79 was held over.]