Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
04/05/2013 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): Professional Teaching Practices Commission | |
| HB154 | |
| HB190 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 154 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 196 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 190 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 154-MUSEUM OF THE NORTH
8:12:23 AM
CHAIR GATTIS announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 154, "An Act relating to natural and cultural
history collections at the University of Alaska Museum of the
North."
8:12:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 154, labeled 28-LS0613\N, Mischel,
3/20/13, as the working document. There being no objection, it
was so ordered.
REPRESENTATIVE STEVE THOMPSON, Alaska State Legislature,
introduced HB 154, and paraphrased from the sponsor statement
[Included in members' packets]:
House Bill 154 is an act relating to natural and
cultural history repositories. It revises statutes
governing the University of Alaska adding a new
section that designates the Museum of the North as a
repository of the state natural and cultural history
collections and gives the university the authority to
designate other repositories as needed. The bill also
defines the purpose and the functions of a repository.
Museum collections include 1.4 million artifacts and
specimens representing millions of years of biological
diversity and thousands of years of cultural
traditions. These are crucial resource items that
need to be available. Designating the Museum of the
North as a repository will help ensure that the
historical collections remain available to
researchers, students, Alaska citizens and others with
an interest in cultural history and an interest in
repositories.
8:14:47 AM
LYNETTE BERGH, Staff, Representative Steve Thompson, Alaska
State Legislature, said that she would answer any questions
about proposed HB 154.
8:15:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention to page 1, lines 6 - 7,
and asked why the University of Alaska Fairbanks was being
offered the power to designate museums throughout Alaska as
repositories.
8:15:36 AM
MS. BERGH, in response, explained that the intention was for
campuses with museums to be designated as repositories, and that
the designations could not be made outside the University of
Alaska system.
8:16:20 AM
KEVIN WINKER, Chief Curator; Acting Director, University of
Alaska Museum, explained that the designations were limited to
within the other campuses in the University of Alaska system.
8:17:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON suggested that the designation was too
broad, and he questioned whether it was the University of Alaska
or the museum that was given power to designate.
MR. WINKER agreed that the main purpose was the designation for
the University of Alaska Museum of the North, and he also
requested clarification for future designations. He pointed out
the potential for the use of these resources for both research
and education, stating that "it's a great idea."
8:18:26 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD, noting that there was a zero fiscal
note attached [Included in members' packets], asked if there
were any projected costs in the future.
MR. WINKER replied that he did not anticipate any cost directly
associated with the proposed bill, though he conceded there were
costs for the maintenance of collections. He pointed out that
the proposed bill designated a home to allow for collections to
remain in Alaska.
8:21:08 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked whether the Alaska State Museum was
designated as a repository, and whether it had the authority to
designate other museums as repositories.
LINDA THIBODEAU, Director, Office of the Director, Libraries,
Archives & Museums, Department of Education and Early
Development, replied that the repository language was not in
statute, but that statute did designate the museum and its
branches as the State Museum, which was satisfactory for its
purposes.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked to clarify that statute and policy
had been designated by the Legislature for both the museum and
its branches.
MS. THIBODEAU expressed her agreement.
8:22:36 AM
CHAIR GATTIS closed public testimony.
8:22:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON expressed his concern with proposed HB 154
for giving authority to the Museum of the North for the
designation of repositories, as the Alaska State Legislature had
previously made those designations to museums. He questioned
whether this was an integral part of the proposed bill.
8:23:34 AM
MS. BERGH, in response to Representative Seaton, offered her
belief that allowing the Museum of the North as the sole
repository would not allow other campuses to have a repository,
which would create a separate class of museum.
8:24:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD moved to report the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 154, labeled 28-LS0613\N, Mischel,
3/20/13, out of committee with individual recommendations and
the accompanying zero fiscal notes.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON objected for discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked that the sponsor clarify the
repository requirement language which gave the University of
Alaska the ability to designate other museums in the University
of Alaska system as repositories, a designation which he opined
should be reserved for the Legislature to determine.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON removed his objection. There being no
further objections, CSHB 154(EDC) was moved from the House
Education Standing Committee.