Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/05/2023 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB83 | |
| SB85 | |
| SB45 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 83 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 85 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 45 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 85-PERM FUND; EMPLOYMENT; ELIGIBILITY
1:42:41 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 85 "An Act relating to record
checks for certain employees of the Department of Revenue;
relating to permanent fund dividends; and providing for an
effective date."
He asked Mr. Limani and Mr. Bigelow to introduce the bill.
1:43:12 PM
FADIL LIMANI, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Revenue (DOR),
Anchorage, Alaska, introduced SB 85 on behalf of the
administration speaking to the following:
SB 85 - Bill Overview
An Act relating to record checks for certain employees
of the Department of Revenue; relating to permanent
fund dividends
• The proposed legislation provides statutory
authority to collect fingerprints for the purpose of
conducting background checks on DOR employees
including contractors that may have access to
personal identifiable information (PII).
• Allows merchant mariners attending qualified
vocational programs to qualify for an allowable
absence from the state for eligibility purposes.
• Adds a new subsection to AS 43.23.008 to define the
term "education on a full-time basis" for the
purposes of calculating allowable absences for
students receiving secondary or postsecondary
education, vocational, professional, or other
specific education.
• Amends AS 43.23.140(d) to allow the division to use
electronic notice of levy for individuals who are
subjected to a court order or writ for the
collection of a debt.
1:45:24 PM
COREY BIGELOW, Operations Manager, Permanent Fund Dividend
Division, Juneau, Alaska, paraphrased the sectional analysis for
SB 85:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Sectional Analysis
Senate Bill 85 Perm Fund; Employment; Eligibility
Sections 1, 2, and 5: Amends AS 12.62 and AS 43.23 to
authorize the Department of Revenue to collect
fingerprints for completion of a national criminal
history record check for the purpose of determining
suitability for employment. The amendment to AS 12.62
authorizes the Department of Public Safety to conduct
national criminal history checks for division
employees.
Section 3: Amends AS 43.23.008(a) to allow merchant
mariners attending qualified vocational programs to
qualify for an allowable absence from the state for
eligibility purposes.
Section 4: Adds a new subsection to AS 43.23.008 to
define the term "education on a full-time basis" for
the purposes of calculating allowable absences for
students receiving secondary or postsecondary
education, vocational, professional, or other specific
education. The proposed definition would allow the
division to include intra-academic year holidays and
breaks, but not summer breaks, in the full-time
education calculation, as opposed for separately
calculating holidays and breaks under the current
iteration of the statute.
Section 6: Amends AS 43.23.140(d) to allow the
division to use electronic notice of levy for
individuals who are subjected to a court order or writ
for the collection of a debt. Currently, the division
is required to provide notice of levy via mail,
despite the consent of many applicants to receive
electronic notices.
Section 7: Adds transitional regulation language.
Section 8: Adds immediate effective date language.
Section 9: Adds otherwise effective date language as
of 1/1/2024.
1:49:33 PM
SENATOR BISHOP asked Mr. Bigelow to expound on the background
check.
MR. BIGELOW deferred the question to Mr. Stair, Investigations
Manager.
1:50:17 PM
SCOTT STAIR, Investigations Manager, Criminal Investigations
Unit, Department of Revenue (DOR), answered questions about SB
85. He replied that the background check currently looks back
ten years, but the department is trying to reduce it to five
years.
1:51:15 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN opened public testimony on SB 85.
1:51:46 PM
RICH BERKOWITZ, representing self, stated support for SB 85
which will help individuals attending certain merchant marine
vocational programs to remain eligible for the permanent fund
dividend (PFD) during absences from the state. He said he had
worked on behalf of U.S. flag vessel operators, including those
in Alaska, since 1995 to recruit, train, and place Alaskan
youth, Natives, and others to work as deep-sea mariners. He
shared a brief history of partnering with the state that
resulted in the hire of more than 800 Alaskans in mariner jobs.
He said Alaskans initially weren't interested in attending the
esteemed mariner school in Maryland because it would risk their
PFD benefits, but in 1999 the legislature passed a law to ensure
that Alaskan mariners would qualify for the PFD while attending
this training, provided they met all the other qualifications.
Their time training and time at sea were considered an allowable
absence. However, in 2017 the PFD administration changed the
definition of qualified vocational training which
unintentionally eliminated the training program in Maryland as a
qualified program. He said the PFD administration recognizes the
unintended consequence and supports this bill to return to the
pre-2017 allowable absence provisions for mariners. He urged the
committee to support SB 85.
1:56:10 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN stated he would hold public testimony open on SB
85.
1:56:28 PM
At ease.
CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting and continued public
testimony.
1:57:09 PM
RALPH MIRSKY, Chief Executive Officer, SeaLink Inc., Ketchikan,
Alaska, agreed with Mr. Berkowitz that it was unfair for
merchant mariners enrolled in a bona fide sea farers school not
to receive a permanent fund dividend. He noted that his company
was responsible for recruiting the bulk of the 800 Alaskans that
Mr. Berkowitz mentioned.
1:59:41 PM
SENATOR BISHOP asked Mr. Bigelow whether he had a running total
of the number of mariners denied a permanent fund dividend from
2017 until today.
MR. BIGELOW answered it was fewer than 20 each year.
SENATOR BISHOP calculated that the total was approximately 125
over five years.
2:00:57 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON asked whether SB 85 was retroactive.
MR. BIGELOW answered no; it is effective from 2024 forward.
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON recommended making the bill retroactive.
[CHAIR BJORKMAN held SB 85 in committee with public testimony
open.]
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 83 Draft Proposed CS ver S.pdf |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
|
| SB 85 ver A.PDF |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |
| SB 85 Transmittal Letter 02.23.23.pdf |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |
| SB 85 Sectional Analysis 02.24.23.pdf |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |
| SB 85 Fiscal Note-DOR-PFD-02.22.23.PDF |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |
| SB 85 Presentation to SL&C by DOR 04.05.23.pdf |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |
| SB 85 Public Testimony-Letter_AK State Chamber 04.3.23.pdf |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |
| SB 85 Public Testimony-Letter_Cindy Spanyers 03.21.23.pdf |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |
| SB 85 Public Testimony-Letter_Matson 03.22.23.pdf |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |
| SB 85 Handout-Maritime Career.org_Presented by Rich Berkowitz 04.05.23.pdf |
SL&C 4/5/2023 1:30:00 PM |
SB 85 |