Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
04/07/2016 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB231 | |
| SB150 | |
| SB171 | |
| HB77 | |
| HB273 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 150 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 171 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 231 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 273 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 77 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 171-DOA PAYMENTS; REPEAL OTHER DOA DUTIES
9:39:17 AM
CHAIR STOLTZE announced the consideration of SB 171.
DANIEL GEORGE, Staff, Senator Stoltze, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, stated that the CS for SB 171(STA), version H,
was adopted during the 3/24/16 hearing. He explained that the CS
inserted into the statutes for: the state's online-checkbook
system, fiscal-note inclusion, and department appropriation and
allocation. He added that fiscal note revisions by the
Department of Administration were done as well.
CHAIR STOLTZE requested that Mr. George review the revised
fiscal notes.
MR. GEORGE explained that the previous fiscal note from the
Department of Administration contained the addition of three-
fulltime positions and several hundred-thousand dollars of
personal services as well as $81,000 of commodities starting in
FY17. He opined that the fiscal note was fairly significant.
He detailed that Commissioner Fisher from the Department of
Administration worked with the committee's office to help reduce
the fiscal impact to the state while implementing a policy that
ensured transparency to the public. He revealed that the new
fiscal note reflected no personal-services costs as well as a
reduced services cost in FY17 and FY18, and no additional
personnel. He added that the revised fiscal note was contingent
on the adoption of Amendment 3.
MR. GEORGE added that the CS requires the university system and
court system to participate in the state's managed-travel
program. He noted that the court system presented a fiscal note
with thorough analysis in a previous meeting that participation
in the state's managed-travel program was not cost effective. He
added that the university system's president submitted a letter
addressing participation in the managed-travel program, but a
fiscal note was not provided.
9:42:47 AM
CHAIR STOLTZE withdraw Amendment 1. [Amendment 1 was not offered
but was in the bill packet.]
CHAIR STOLTZE moved to adopt Amendment 2, labeled 29-GS2811\H.1.
AMENDMENT 2
OFFERED IN THE SENATE
TO: CSSB 171(STA), Draft Version "H"
Page 2, lines 14 - 18:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
Page 6, line 8:
Delete "sec. 6"
Insert "sec. 5"
Page 6, line 12:
Delete "sec. 6"
Insert "sec. 5"
CHAIR STOLTZE explained that Amendment 2 removes the court
system from participating in the state's managed-travel program.
He opined that the court system made a case that participating
in the managed-travel program would not provide efficiencies.
He announced that hearing no objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.
CHAIR STOLTZE moved to adopt Amendment 3, labeled 29-GS2811\H.5
AMENDMENT 3
OFFERED IN THE SENATE
TO: CSSB 171(STA), Draft Version "H"
Page 2, lines 11 - 12:
Delete ", approving, purchasing, and reimbursing"
Insert "and purchasing"
Page 6, line 8:
Delete "October 1, 2016"
Insert "January 1, 2017"
Page 6, line 12:
Delete "must,"
Page 6, lines 13 - 14:
Delete "list information from the previous fiscal
year. Beginning on October 1, 2017, the list shall be
updated monthly or annually, as specified"
Insert "must implement and expand a public data
portal as follows:
(1) Software for expenditure transactions,
by July 1, 2017;
(2) Employee-payroll transactions, by
January 1, 2019;
(3) Revenue transactions, by January 1,
2020"
SENATOR COGHILL objected for discussion purposes.
MR. GEORGE explained that Amendment 3, version H.5, replaces
Amendment 1. He clarified that the state managed-travel program
does not approve someone's travel or reimburse them, but simply
dealt with purchasing the travel. He added that the state's
online-checkbook would be delayed three months to January 1,
2017 to help defray costs. He said Amendment 3 also added
transitional language regarding the implementation timeline for
the state's online-checkbook as well as software expenditures
and implementation payroll and revenue.
9:45:09 AM
SCOT AREHART, Director, Division of Finance, Department of
Administration, Juneau, Alaska, testified that the fiscal note
was modified by scheduling software implementation in phases
that used current resources within the division.
CHAIR STOLTZE asked Mr. Arehart to confirm that scheduling
coordination would occur with other major upgrades that the
division was already doing.
MR. AREHART answered correct.
CHAIR STOLTZE asked if there were any objections to Amendment 3.
SENATOR COGHILL removed his objection.
CHAIR STOLTZE announced that hearing no objection, Amendment 3
was adopted.
CHAIR STOLTZE moved Amendment 4, labeled 29-GS2811\H.6.
AMENDMENT 4
OFFERED IN THE SENATE
TO: CSSB 171(STA), Draft Version "H"
Page 1, lines 2 - 3:
Delete "the Department of Administration's
managed travel program"
Insert "negotiated state contracts to make
arrangements for persons traveling on official
business"
Page 2, lines 8 - 18:
Delete all material and insert:
"Sec. 14.40.335. Use of negotiated state
contracts. The University of Alaska shall use state
contracts negotiated by the Department of
Administration to make arrangements for a person
traveling on official business."
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
Page 6, line 8:
Delete "sec. 6"
Insert "sec. 5"
Page 6, line 12:
Delete "sec. 6"
Insert "sec. 5"
SENATOR COGHILL objected for discussion purposes.
9:47:00 AM
MR. GEORGE explained that Amendment 4, version H.6, clarified
that the university system would use the Department of
Administration's already negotiated travel contracts and that
the university can become a separate entity under the contracts.
CHAIR STOLTZE pointed out that the amendment was requested by
Commissioner Fisher.
SENATOR COGHILL withdrew his objection.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the university supports Amendment
4.
CHRIS CHRISTENSEN, Associate Vice President of State Relations,
University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, remarked that the
amendment takes care of part of the problem. He pointed that the
university has reduced its unrestricted-travel budget by
approximately 30 percent over the past three and a half years.
He stated that the university's preference would be that the
language instruct the university system to use the state's
contracts or adopt a travel system that provides an equivalent
or greater cost savings and efficiencies. He expressed that the
university system could conceivably come up with a system that
works better. He noted that more than half of the university
system's travel was actually federally funded due research
grants and Medicaid travel.
9:50:16 AM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if Mr. Christensen supported
Amendment 4.
MR. CHRISTENSEN suggested that language be added that allowed
greater flexibility for the university system to use either the
state's managed-travel program or its own travel system if
savings were equal or greater than the state's managed-travel
program.
CHAIR STOLTZE noted that the Senate State Affairs Committee was
the first committee of referral and the bill would go through
both the Senate and House finance committees. He reiterated that
the bill was a placeholder for further discussions and possible
changes.
9:52:58 AM
CHAIR STOLTZE announced that Amendment 4 was adopted without
objection.
9:53:25 AM
SENATOR COGHILL moved to report the CS for SB 171(STA), as
amended, from committee with individual recommendations and
attached fiscal notes.
CHAIR STOLTZE objected for Senator Wielechowski to make a
statement.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI stated that he appreciated the online-
checkbook additions. He noted that Alaska was dead last in the
country regarding an online-checkbook system which led to a
severe lack of transparency in what was happening in government.
He said the bill would get the state to the point where people
can have more confidence in what was happening in the
government. He added that he appreciated what was done regarding
savings as well.
CHAIR STOLTZE removed his objection and announced that without
objection, CSSB 171(STA) moved out of committee.