05/10/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

                  SB 147-REEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:18:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
SENATE BILL NO. 147, "An  Act relating to reemployment rights and                                                               
benefits" [Before the committee was  CSSB 147(L&C), as amended on                                                               
4/12/24].                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:18:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JAMES  KAUFMAN,  Alaska   State  Legislature,  as  prime                                                               
sponsor of CSSB 147 (L&C), introduced himself for the record.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:18:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to  rescind the committee's action                                                               
on 4/12/24 in adopting Amendment  1 to CSSB 147(L&C), labeled 33-                                                               
LS0799\S.1, Marx, 3/19/24, which read:                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, lines 6 - 7:                                                                                                       
          Delete    "job   analysis    developed   by    the                                                                
     rehabilitation specialist"                                                                                             
          Insert "Occupational Information Network 28.2                                                                     
     database published by the United States Department of                                                                  
     Labor, Employment and Training Administration,"                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  objected and  asked for  clarification as                                                               
to which amendment was being rescinded.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE answered S.1.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:19:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[Representative Saddler [removed his  objection.]  There being no                                                               
further objection, Amendment 1 was rescinded.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:19:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:19 p.m. to 3:21 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:21:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RUFFRIDGE  moved to  adopt  Amendment  2 to  CSSB
(L&C), labeled 33-LS079\S.5, Marx, 4/18/24, which read:                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, lines 6 - 7:                                                                                                       
          Delete    "developed    by   the    rehabilitation                                                                
     specialist"                                                                                                            
          Insert "obtained from the most recent version of                                                                  
    the    Occupational   Information    Network   database                                                                 
      published by the United States Department of Labor,                                                                   
     Employment and Training Administration,"                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT objected.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   RUFFRIDGE  explained   that   Amendment  1   was                                                               
rescinded  because it  specifically referenced  database 28.2  of                                                               
the Occupational Information Network  (O*NET).  Amendment 2 would                                                               
be  less prescriptive  and  give  rehabilitation specialists  the                                                               
flexibility to use the entire system.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked  the bill sponsor for  his opinion on                                                               
Amendment 2.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:22:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KAUFMAN  shared his  belief that Amendment  2 is  "at the                                                               
right level."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:22:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WRIGHT removed  his  objection.   There being  no                                                               
further objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:23:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RUFFRIDGE  moved  to  report  CSSB  147(L&C),  as                                                               
amended,  out of  Committee with  individual recommendations  and                                                               
the accompanying  fiscal notes.   There  being no  objection, HCS                                                               
CSSB 147  (L&C) was  reported from the  House Labor  and Commerce                                                               
Standing Committee.