04/07/2009 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

          SJR 18-SUPPORT SOLDIERS' BURIAL DESIGNATIONS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:48:47 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MENARD announced the consideration of SJR 18.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
JOSH TEMPEL, Staff to the  Veterans Caucus, said SJR 18 expresses                                                               
Alaska's  support  for HR  1633,  a  congressional bill  entitled                                                               
"Honor the  Wish Act." This  bill will allow troops  to designate                                                               
people  other  than immediate  family  members  to oversee  their                                                               
disposition if they  are killed in the line of  duty. Current law                                                               
prohibits members  of armed forces from  authorizing nonrelatives                                                               
to  make their  funeral arrangements.  Members fill  out a  DD-93                                                               
form for this purpose. It only  allows them to designate a spouse                                                               
or  relative. Some  service  members need  someone  else to  bear                                                               
responsibility, but  they are  prohibited to  do that  by federal                                                               
law.  HR 1633  will  allow  service men  and  women to  designate                                                               
whoever they want. Passing SJR 18  is a meaningful way to support                                                               
the military. Some troops don't have good parents.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:50:54 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KOOKESH  asked if  the form can  be changed  once someone                                                               
fills it out.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. TEMPEL said every time a  person deploys, he or she fills out                                                               
that form. It  has a lot of  money attached to it.  A person gets                                                               
$100,000 to deal  with funeral expenses. That money  should go to                                                               
the person the member wants it to go to.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KOOKESH asked if Congress supports this.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
NICK HENDERSON, Army Veteran, said  a Tennessee representative is                                                               
the sponsor of HR 1633, and there are several cosponsors.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH  said there are  some families who are  not ideal,                                                               
and a soldier should be able to make this decision.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:53:19 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. HENDERSON said  part of the sponsor statement  is personal to                                                               
him. He met Christopher Fox  in airborne school, but neither made                                                               
it through the school. They  were assigned to the fourth infantry                                                               
division  in Colorado  and served  together Iraq.  Specialist Fox                                                               
redeployed after they  got back. Last September he  was killed in                                                               
action in Iraq.  This is the source of HR  1633. Fox's mother had                                                               
died and  he didn't really know  his father. His step  family was                                                               
"less  than desirable."  Specialist Fox  had specified  a teacher                                                               
who raised  him like a  mother, and she  was not recognized  as a                                                               
legal recipient. The intent of SJR 18 is to rectify this.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER  noted that previous resolutions  went to Congress,                                                               
the president,  and the  governor. He asked  if Mr.  Tempel would                                                               
like to use the same distribution list.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. TEMPEL said the resolution can be amended.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:56:05 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MEYER moved conceptual Amendment 1  to send SJR 18 to the                                                               
same list of people in SJR  17. Hearing no objection, Amendment 1                                                               
was adopted.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MEYER moved  SJR 18,  as amended,  with attached  fiscal                                                               
notes from committee with  individual recommendations. Hearing no                                                               
objections, CSSJR 18(STA) moved out of committee.