04/16/2014 01:30 PM House FINANCE

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 129(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination  date of the Board of                                                                    
     Certified  Real  Estate  Appraisers; relating  to  real                                                                    
     estate  appraisers;  and  providing  for  an  effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:49:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ANNA  FAIRCLOUGH, SPONSOR,  spoke to the  purpose of                                                                    
the bill. The  legislation would extend the  sunset date for                                                                    
the Board of Certified  Real Estate Appraisers. She detailed                                                                    
that the  federal government  had outlined  new requirements                                                                    
for   the  board;   therefore,  its   length  of   time  for                                                                    
reauthorization was  shortened in order to  ensure there was                                                                    
time to review the process for federal compliance.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
KRIS  CURTIS,   LEGISLATIVE  AUDITOR,  ALASKA   DIVISION  OF                                                                    
LEGISLATIVE  AUDIT,  communicated   that  the  division  had                                                                    
conducted a  sunset review  of the  Board of  Certified Real                                                                    
Estate  Appraisers.  The  division had  concluded  that  the                                                                    
board was  protecting the  public's interest  by effectively                                                                    
licensing  and regulating  the real  estate appraisers.  The                                                                    
audit  recommended  a  four-year   extension  (half  of  the                                                                    
maximum allowable  statutory extension) because  the board's                                                                    
mandated responsibilities had been  expanded by federal law.                                                                    
The  audit  included  two  recommendations  for  operational                                                                    
improvements,  which were  directed to  the director  of the                                                                    
Division   of   Corporations,  Business   and   Professional                                                                    
Licensing. The first recommendation  was for the division to                                                                    
improve its  administrative support to the  board, including                                                                    
addressing    delays   in    investigations.   The    second                                                                    
recommendation  was  to  continue  efforts  to  improve  the                                                                    
investigative   case  management   system's  integrity   and                                                                    
confidentiality. She  relayed that the board  and department                                                                    
had both concurred with the recommendations.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:51:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze CLOSED public  testimony. He asked if there                                                                    
were any amendments.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Costello  discussed the  previously published                                                                    
fiscal  impact   note  from  the  Department   of  Commerce,                                                                    
Community  and Economic  Development. The  note included  an                                                                    
annual fiscal impact of $7,400 in FY 15 through FY 20.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Neuman MOVED to REPORT CSSB 129(FIN) out of                                                                          
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 129(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do                                                                          
pass" recommendation and with one previously published                                                                          
fiscal impact note: FN2 (CED).                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:53:26 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:58:49 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED