04/30/1997 09:16 AM Senate HES

                                                                               
              SB 170 REPAY GRADUATE EDUCATION AID                             
                                                                              
 Number 107                                                                    
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN WILKEN  announced that  CSSB 170(HES)  was the next item of         
 business before the committee.                                                
                                                                               
  JOE AMBROSE , Staff to Senator Taylor, informed the committee that           
 Senator Taylor recommends that the committee move forward with the            
 committee substitute as adopted at the last meeting.  The committee           
 packet contains a memo from Diane Barrans in response to Senator              
 Leman's question regarding federal tax implications.  Mr. Ambrose             
 said that based on similar programs in other states there should              
 not be a problem.  The packet should also include a new calculation           
 based on the new committee substitute.                                        
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS  inquired as to what the Conference Committee has done         
 with WAMI funding.   JOE AMBROSE  was unaware of the Conference               
 Committee's actions.   WENDY REDMAN , Vice President of the                   
 University of Alaska stated that the Conference Committee replaced            
 the money for the WAMI program in the Department of Education                 
 budget that had been previously removed.   CHAIRMAN WILKEN  clarified         
 that half of the request for WAMI had been removed and all of it              
 was replaced.   WENDY REDMAN  agreed.                                         
                                                                               
  SENATOR GREEN  moved to report CSSB 170(HES) out of committee with           
 individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note.  Without             
 objection, it was so ordered.