04/04/2016 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 147                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to eligibility requirements of the                                                                        
     Alaska senior benefits payment program; and providing                                                                      
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:23:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Kelly relayed  the  committee  was addressing  the                                                                    
Senate Health  and Social Services Committee  version of the                                                                    
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon relayed the bill  had been heard on March                                                                    
15, 2016. She asked for a review of the fiscal note.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  addressed  Fiscal   Note  2  from  the                                                                    
Department of Health and Social  Services, which showed zero                                                                    
operating  expenditures  for FY  17  and  annual savings  of                                                                    
$43,200 in FY 18 through FY  22. The fund source was General                                                                    
Fund.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:26:11 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:26:54 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon   referred  to  conversation   with  the                                                                    
Legislative  Finance Division  indicating the  savings shown                                                                    
in the fiscal note may need to be reduced.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. O'Brien  shared that the  fiscal note  reflected savings                                                                    
of approximately  $43,000 per year  beginning in FY  18. The                                                                    
savings would  result from  more efficient  administering of                                                                    
the program.  He detailed  the action  under the  bill would                                                                    
create  a  level   playing  field  in  terms   of  the  U.S.                                                                    
citizenship requirement of all  the other Division of Public                                                                    
Assistance   programs.  There   were   currently  about   16                                                                    
individuals  who   would  not  meet  the   U.S.  citizenship                                                                    
eligibility guidelines under  the proposed rules; therefore,                                                                    
there would  be some cost savings  in that area as  well. He                                                                    
believed  the  department's  original fiscal  note  had  not                                                                    
changed.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:28:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  observed  the   only  change  was  the                                                                    
"citizen  of  the  United  States   or  a  qualified  alien"                                                                    
requirement.  He wondered  how  the  change translated  into                                                                    
$43,000  in  savings. He  asked  if  it would  simplify  the                                                                    
process,  which  would translate  into  a  time savings  per                                                                    
applicant.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. O'Brien deferred the question to a colleague.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MONICA MITCHELL, CHIEF OF PROGRAM  AND POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF                                                                    
HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, explained  that the savings came                                                                    
from the  16 people  the department  had identified  who did                                                                    
not meet the citizenship  requirements. The department would                                                                    
be able to close those particular cases.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche  asked if the  same cost per  person was                                                                    
easy enough to calculate just  by closing out the cases. Ms.                                                                    
Mitchell replied in the affirmative.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Kelly  MOVED  to  report   CSSB  147(HSS)  out  of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  147(HSS) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation  and  with  one  previously  published                                                                    
fiscal impact note: FN2 (DHS).                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:30:24 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:34:11 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED