04/06/2016 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 210                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  relating  to the  community  revenue  sharing                                                                    
     program;  changing the  name of  the community  revenue                                                                    
     sharing  program to  the community  assistance program;                                                                    
     and relating  to the  municipal property  tax exemption                                                                    
     on the residence  of a senior, a  disabled veteran, and                                                                    
     a widow or widower of a senior or disabled veteran."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:27:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:27:27 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:27:38 AM                                                                                                                    
REVONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  MOVED   to  ADOPT  proposed  committee                                                                    
substitute  for   CSSB  210(FIN),  Work   Draft  29-LS1593/H                                                                    
(Shutts, 4/4/16).                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
LAURA CRAMER, STAFF, SENATOR  ANNA MACKINNON, explained that                                                                    
the CS  had removed  the language  relating to  the property                                                                    
tax  exemption  for  seniors and  disabled  veterans.  As  a                                                                    
result, the bill  was much smaller. There had  been a couple                                                                    
of small  changes to the Community  Revenue Sharing program,                                                                    
which under  the bill would become  the Community Assistance                                                                    
Program. She directed  attention to page 4 of  the bill, and                                                                    
noted the  first changes  started on line  14. The  CS would                                                                    
change the amount  that was deposited into the  fund; to the                                                                    
greater  of $30  million or  the amount,  when added  to the                                                                    
fund  balance  on  June  30 of  the  previous  fiscal  year,                                                                    
equaled $90 million.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Cramer continued  discussing  the CS,  noting that  the                                                                    
second change was on page  5, subsection b, starting on line                                                                    
7. She explained that after  consulting with the Division of                                                                    
Legislative Finance, it  was realized that there  could be a                                                                    
negative balance in the fund  if the revenue sharing payment                                                                    
was not rounded to the nearest dollar.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman asked  if the program was  in continuance or                                                                    
still had an expiration date.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Cramer relayed  that the program would  continue as long                                                                    
as the  legislature continued to appropriate  funds into the                                                                    
fund.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked  if the funding numbers  had changed for                                                                    
communities.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Cramer stated  that because the balance in  the fund was                                                                    
less than what the  legislature had previously appropriated,                                                                    
the amounts to communities would  be reduced. She noted that                                                                    
the  specific  monetary  amounts  had  been  distributed  to                                                                    
committee members.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  clarified  that his  question  pertained  to                                                                    
whether the amounts for communities  had changed between the                                                                    
two previous versions of the bill.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Cramer answered in the negative.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  WITHDREW her  OJBECTION. There  being NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SB  210  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon   reiterated  that  the   committee  was                                                                    
working on  the fiscal  notes and materials  for SB  91, and                                                                    
would bring  the bill back  before the committee at  a later                                                                    
time so the public would  have the opportunity to review the                                                                    
changes.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  discussed the afternoon  schedule, which                                                                    
would include public testimony for the capital budget.