05/16/2003 01:49 PM House FIN

SENATE BILL NO. 192                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     An  Act relating  to teachers and  training programs  in                                                                   
     the Department  of Labor  and Workforce Development,  to                                                                   
     the  placement  in  the   exempt  service  of  certified                                                                   
     teachers  employed  by  the   Department  of  Labor  and                                                                   
     Workforce   Development,   to   their   eligibility   to                                                                   
     participate  in  the  Teachers'   Retirement  System  of                                                                   
     Alaska,  and to the  functions of  the Alaska  Workforce                                                                   
     Investment  Board   regarding  the  Kotzebue   Technical                                                                   
     Center and  the Alaska Vocational Technical  Center; and                                                                   
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
DOUG  LETCH, STAFF,  SENATOR GARY  STEVENS,  stated that  the                                                                   
bill would amend language so that  teachers in the Department                                                                   
of Labor and Workforce Development  would be eligible for the                                                                   
Teachers  Retirement System  (TRS).   Additionally, it  would                                                                   
provide  conforming  language  for the  Workforce  Investment                                                                   
Board so  that there would  be only one Workforce  Investment                                                                   
Board.   Section #3 would  add Kotzebue Technical  Center and                                                                   
Alaska  Vocational  Technical   Center  (AVTEC)  as  programs                                                                   
within  the   Department  of   Labor  and  remove   from  the                                                                   
Department of Education.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Letch  continued, Section  #4 conforms languag4e  for one                                                                   
Workforce Investment  Board.   Section #5 amends  language so                                                                   
that existing teachers at Alaska  Vocational Technical Center                                                                   
(AVTEC) and  skill centers that  are exempt positions  remain                                                                   
exempt positions.   Section #6 repeals statutory  language so                                                                   
that there is one Workforce Investment  Board and repeals the                                                                   
Business  Incentive  Training  Program,  which has  not  been                                                                   
funded for many years.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GARY STEVENS  reiterated comments made  by Mr. Letch.                                                                   
The legislation  resulted from an issue in  consolidating the                                                                   
workforce and resulted in a substantial  savings indicated in                                                                   
the  attached  fiscal  note.    The  Board  will  have  fewer                                                                   
members.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Harris   MOVED  to  report  CSSB   192  (L&C)  from                                                                   
Committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  with  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  192 (L&C)  was reported  out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass"  recommendation  and with  a  new  fiscal note  by  the                                                                   
Department of Labor and Workforce Development.