Legislature(2021 - 2022)SENATE FINANCE 532
03/21/2022 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB186 | |
| SB190 | |
| SB222 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 186 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 190 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 222 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SENATE BILL NO. 190
"An Act extending the termination date of the
Regulatory Commission of Alaska; and providing for an
effective date."
9:27:23 AM
SENATOR ROBERT MYERS, SPONSOR, spoke to the Sponsor
Statement (copy on file):
The Senate Bill 190 extends the termination date of
the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) until June
30, 2027.
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska is an independent,
quasi-judicial regulatory body that was formed by the
legislature in 1999 to replace the Alaska Public
Utilities Commission. The RCA is charged with
regulating public utilities and pipeline services.
Regulation is accomplished by certifying qualified
providers and ensuring they provide safe and adequate
services and facilities at just and reasonable rates,
terms, and conditions.
9:28:25 AM
DAWSON MANN, STAFF, ROBERT SENATOR MYERS, discussed the
Explanation of Changes (copy on file):
Sec. 1 Page 1, Lines 4-9
Adds legislative intent language to uncodified law
which states that it is the intent to extend the
Regulatory Commission of Alaska every five years to
take into account the term length of legislators,
providing for awareness of the commission and its
purpose through legislative review and debate.
Sec. 2 AS 44.66.010(a)(3) Page 1, Lines 10-13
Changes the expiration date for the commission from
2030 to 2027.
Mr. Mann looked at the Sectional Analysis (copy on file):
Section 1: Page 1, Lines 4-9
This section adds legislative intent language to
uncodified law which states that it is the intent to
extend the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) every
five years to take into account the term length of
legislators, providing for awareness of the commission
and its purpose through legislative review and debate.
Section 2: AS 44.66.010(a)(3) Page 1, Lines 10-12
This section extends the termination date for the
Regulatory Commission of Alaska until June 30, 2027.
Section 3: Page 1, Line 13
This section establishes an immediate effective date.
9:29:55 AM
Senator Olson asked whether the sponsor supported the
committee substitute.
Senator Myers deferred to the Division of Legislative
Audit.
Senator von Imhof queried the date change from 2030 to
2027.
Senator Myers replied that the change had been made in the
previous committee out of concern for the size of the RCA
and that future legislators might not know what the
commission was; the idea was that a more frequent audit
would familiarize new legislators with the RCA.
Senator von Imhof recalled that legislators were
responsible for educating themselves on various boards and
commissions. She though that if the auditor made a
recommendation, they had good reason to do so. She felt
that the auditor recommending a 2030 sunset made sense as
long as legislators were keeping up to date on audit
findings.
Senator Wilson probed the reason for the change. He felt
that if there were no findings in the audit, repetitive
steps were being taken that drained time and resources.
Co-Chair Stedman agreed. He did not believe in increasing
the cost to the state by truncating the board reviews.
Co-Chair Bishop agreed.
9:33:45 AM
KRIS CURTIS, AUDITOR, LEGISLATIVE AUDIT, looked at the
"Sunset Review of the Department of Commerce, Community and
Economic Development, Regulatory Commission of Alaska
(RCA)" (copy on file). She read the report findings:
REPORT CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the audit concluded RCA operated in an
effective manner and served the public's interest by:
.notdefassessing the capabilities of utility and pipeline
companies to safely serve the public;
.notdef evaluating tariffs and charges made by regulated
entities;
.notdef verifying the pass-through charges to consumers from
electric and natural gas utilities;
.notdef adjudicating disputes between ratepayers and
regulated entities;
.notdef providing consumer protection services; and
.notdef performing financial reviews of utilities for the
State's power cost equalization program.
Ms. Curtis stated that the recommendation was to extend the
sunset 8 years. She shared that that a survey, found on
Page 19 of the audit, showed that the positive responses to
survey questions outweighed negative responses in the
surveyed areas. She spoke to Page 4 of the audit, which
showed that Regulatory Commission of Alaska resolved most
of their consumer complaints within a 30-day period. She
said that Page 5 provided a listing of the types of
complaints received from July 2020 through February 2021.
She said that Page 4 showed the conclusion that RCA
processed tariff filing and dockets within the statutory
regulatory timelines, which was the area that received the
most review. The audit had one administrative
recommendation:
Recommendation No. 1:
The RCA chair should clarify regulations concerning
the cancelation of scheduled public meetings.
Ms. Curtis shared that Regulatory Commission of Alaska
regulations required two meetings a month and if there was
nothing on the agenda meetings were cancelled. She relayed
that during the audit timeframe, 25 of 88 meetings were
cancelled, 6 consecutively. She related that according to
RCA management regulations allowed the commission to modify
a requirement by their own motion, but no official motion
had been recognized but the auditors. She offered that it
was reasonable for the RCA to cancel meetings when there
were no agenda items, but that action did not strictly
adhere to their regulations. She did not believe that the
issue should affect the extension timeline. She shared that
the response on Page 23 revealed that both the commissioner
of DCCED and the RCA chairman supported the extension.
9:37:57 AM
Senator von Imhof recalled that there were some questions
about the time the RCA took to review rates and make
recommendations. She queried the average timeline.
Ms. Curtis replied that the audit background information
provided all statutory timelines, which differed for each
type of business. She added that the statutory requirements
were approved by the legislature and the regulatory through
the public comment process She said that it had been found
that
9:39:31 AM
Senator von Imhof thought that it could be time for the
legislature to review the regulatory timelines for the
Regulatory Commission of Alaska to complete its work.
Co-Chair Bishop agreed.
KEITH KURBER, COMMISSIONER, REGULATORY COMMISSION OF
ALASKA, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), noted that in a
previous hearing in another committee there had been a
question as to whether changing the sunset from 8 years to
5 years would affect the work of legislative auditors.
BOB PICKETT, CHAIRMAN, REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), supported the original
recommendation of an 8-year sunset date.
9:42:04 AM
Co-Chair Bishop OPENED and CLOSED public testimony.
Co-Chair Bishop set an amendment deadline of March 28,
2022.
SB 190 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 186 Optometry Sponsor Statement 2.22.2022.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 186 |
| SB 186 Optometry Audit June 2021.pdf |
HL&C 4/25/2022 3:15:00 PM SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 186 |
| SB 186 Optometry Letters of Support _bundled as of 3.4.2022.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 186 |
| SB 190 v. I Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM SFIN 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 190 |
| SB 190 Explanation of Changes version A to I.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 190 |
| SB 190 Support Document- Legislative Audit RCA Sunset Review 9.21.21.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM SFIN 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 190 |
| SB 190 v. I Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM SFIN 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 190 |
| SB 222 Sponsor Statement for Senate Bill 222.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 222 |
| SB 222 Audit Report 02.17.2022.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 222 |
| SB 222 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SFIN 3/21/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 222 |