Legislature(2023 - 2024)ADAMS 519

03/22/2023 05:00 PM House FINANCE

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05:03:11 PM Start
05:04:50 PM HB39 || HB41
05:07:36 PM Public Testimony: Anchorage, Mat-su, and Offnets
07:32:22 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= HB 39 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUND; SUPP TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony <2 Minute Limit> --
+= HB 41 APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony <2 Minute Limit> --
- Public Testimony 5:00 - 8:00 PM
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Send written testimony to house.finance@akleg.gov
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
HOUSE BILL NO. 39                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act making  appropriations for  the operating  and                                                                    
     loan  program  expenses  of state  government  and  for                                                                    
     certain   programs;    capitalizing   funds;   amending                                                                    
     appropriations;    making   reappropriations;    making                                                                    
     supplemental   appropriations;  making   appropriations                                                                    
     under art.  IX, sec.  17(c), Constitution of  the State                                                                    
     of  Alaska,  from  the  constitutional  budget  reserve                                                                    
     fund; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 41                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act making  appropriations for  the operating  and                                                                    
     capital    expenses   of    the   state's    integrated                                                                    
     comprehensive mental health  program; and providing for                                                                    
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:04:50 PM                                                                                                                    
AT-EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:06:24 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
^PUBLIC TESTIMONY: ANCHORAGE, MAT-SU, AND OFFNETS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:07:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATI  CAPOZZI,  PRESIDENT,  ALASKA CHAMBER,  ANCHORAGE  (via                                                                    
teleconference),  testified in  support of  funding the  404                                                                    
State  Primacy Program  (SPP) provision  of the  Clean Water                                                                    
Act (CWA).  The Alaska Chamber  was founded in 1953  and its                                                                    
mission  was to  promote a  healthy business  environment in                                                                    
Alaska. The  chamber represented over 58,000  Alaska workers                                                                    
and $4.6  billion in wages.  The chamber had  long supported                                                                    
increasing  responsible  resource development  by  improving                                                                    
the efficiency of the permitting  process and gaining access                                                                    
to the state's  resources. State primacy of  the 404 program                                                                    
would   result  in   a  timelier   and  better   coordinated                                                                    
permitting process  without compromising  current regulatory                                                                    
standards  and  requirements.  It  would also  allow  for  a                                                                    
greater  ability to  tailor policies  and procedures  to the                                                                    
state's unique conditions. The chamber  was pleased that the                                                                    
legislature   had  approved   the  statutory   authority  to                                                                    
implement the  404 program and it  encouraged legislators to                                                                    
take subsequent  steps to provide additional  funding needed                                                                    
to  apply and  implement the  program. There  had previously                                                                    
been significant administrative  and legislative action that                                                                    
had  negatively  impacted  businesses  in  Alaska,  but  the                                                                    
legislature  could provide  some  much  needed stability  to                                                                    
Alaskans by funding the program.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Coulombe  thanked   Ms.  Capozzi   for  her                                                                    
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnson noted that  Representative Cronk had joined                                                                    
the meeting.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:10:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ALICIA  AMBERG,   EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR,   ASSOCIATED  GENERAL                                                                    
CONTRACTORS  OF  ALASKA,   ANCHORAGE  (via  teleconference),                                                                    
testified  in support  of  the  Department of  Environmental                                                                    
Conservation's (DEC) pursuit of  permit primacy over section                                                                    
404  of CWA.  She believed  that the  economy would  benefit                                                                    
from  Alaskans being  entrusted with  the responsibility  of                                                                    
permitting projects  in the  state as  it would  ensure that                                                                    
the  state's  unique   landscape  and  limited  construction                                                                    
season   would   be   considered   by   regulators   without                                                                    
compromising environmental  standards. The largest  users of                                                                    
the  404  program  in  the  state  were  the  Department  of                                                                    
Transportation   and  Public   Facilities   (DOT)  and   the                                                                    
Associated  General Contractors  (AGC) of  Alaska. A  state-                                                                    
wide  primacy  program  would ensure  a  stable  and  timely                                                                    
permitting process for construction  projects. It would also                                                                    
encourage  regular conversation  and accountability  between                                                                    
the permitters and regulators.  Similarly, the program would                                                                    
be  held accountable  by Alaskans  and the  legislature. The                                                                    
funds  coming  to  the   state  through  the  Infrastructure                                                                    
Investment and  Jobs Act  (IIJA) would  create opportunities                                                                    
for  the state,  but  also  had the  potential  to create  a                                                                    
significant backlog  in permits. Virtually  all construction                                                                    
projects funded  by IIJA funds  would require a  404 permit,                                                                    
such as building roads, bridges, airports, and schools.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Galvin  commented that  she was  grateful for                                                                    
Ms. Amberg's  work. She thought  the projects helmed  by AGC                                                                    
were critical.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:13:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DEANTHA   SKIBINSKI,  EXECUTIVE   DIRECTOR,  ALASKA   MINERS                                                                    
ASSOCIATION,  ANCHORAGE (via  teleconference), testified  in                                                                    
support  of funding  the  404 SPP.  She  explained that  the                                                                    
members of  the Alaska Miners Association  (AMA) ranged from                                                                    
small  and family-run  projects  to  large-scale mines.  She                                                                    
thought the  implementation of  the 404  SPP would  show the                                                                    
state's willingness to participate in  the adoption of a fee                                                                    
structure  to  recover  state  costs.  The  state  would  be                                                                    
required to  comply with CWA  and the standards would  be as                                                                    
stringent   as  the   federal  regulations,   if  not   more                                                                    
stringent. The  predictability that the program  would bring                                                                    
about  would  also  be  a  significant  improvement  in  the                                                                    
permitting  process.  Alaskan regulators  better  understood                                                                    
the  nuances of  the  state than  regulators  that were  not                                                                    
familiar with the intricacies of  the environment. The state                                                                    
had an excellent track record  in managing similar programs,                                                                    
such as  the Safe Drinking  Water Act (SDWA). The  state was                                                                    
well equipped to  manage CWA as well. Alaska's  miners had a                                                                    
long history  of paying  their way  and contributing  to the                                                                    
state economy.  Miners were open to  an appropriate increase                                                                    
in  fees  to cover  the  costs  required to  administer  the                                                                    
program and were  in support of DEC's efforts  to pursue and                                                                    
secure federal funding for the program.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:15:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MICHELE  GIRAULT, HOPE  COMMUNITY  RESOURCES KEY  COALITION,                                                                    
ANCHORAGE  (via  teleconference),  testified in  support  of                                                                    
funding  the  404  SPP.  She   had  worked  in  the  state's                                                                    
community   service   delivery   system  for   people   with                                                                    
disabilities  for   nearly  40  years  and   was  intimately                                                                    
familiar  with systemic  challenges in  the workforce.  Some                                                                    
challenges included limited  and unpaid workers populations,                                                                    
insufficient reimbursement rates,  families in distress, and                                                                    
Alaskans  waiting  for  services.  She  had  also  witnessed                                                                    
wonderful  progress as  communities grew  and Alaskans  with                                                                    
disabilities  were  valued  and  able  to  contribute  their                                                                    
unique   gifts   and   talents.   The   current   rates   of                                                                    
reimbursement  were  insufficient for  continued  operations                                                                    
across the state. The  Federal Medical Assistance Percentage                                                                    
(FMAP) was  increased during the  COVID-19 pandemic  and the                                                                    
governor's  budget maintained  the increase,  for which  she                                                                    
was grateful;  however, it would  not be enough to  keep the                                                                    
system intact without an additional  increment. She urged an                                                                    
additional  investment   of  $15  million  to   ensure  that                                                                    
Alaskans with  disabilities could be supported  in community                                                                    
rather than experiencing a higher  cost of care. She thanked                                                                    
the committee  on behalf of  those who were unable  to voice                                                                    
their concerns.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:18:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHERINE  CRONLUND, SELF,  ANCHORAGE (via  teleconference),                                                                    
testified in  support of HB  41. She  was the parent  of two                                                                    
children with special  needs. Over the last  five years, she                                                                    
had gone through seven support  providers and three agencies                                                                    
as  they  were  not   able  to  accommodate  her  children's                                                                    
schedules. She  was allowed to become  the primary caregiver                                                                    
to provider  the services her  children needed and  was able                                                                    
to alter her work schedule  and become more available to her                                                                    
children.  Her home  was  set  up to  ensure  that the  best                                                                    
possible  support was  in  place to  allow  her children  to                                                                    
learn  fundamental skills  to survive  independently in  the                                                                    
community.   Home   and  community-based   waiver   services                                                                    
provided the  skills for children to  maintain autonomy. The                                                                    
program would not only benefit  children with special needs,                                                                    
but it would  benefit the state in the  long-term. If family                                                                    
members were not  able to continue to  provide services, she                                                                    
was unsure if  her children would receive  the services they                                                                    
needed.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Galvin commented  that it  was helpful  when                                                                    
parents called  in and offered  firsthand experience  on the                                                                    
ways in which the services made a difference.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
5:21:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DIRK  SHUMAKER,   EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR,  ALASKA   HEAD  START                                                                    
ASSOCIATION,  ANCHORAGE (via  teleconference), testified  on                                                                    
behalf  of the  Alaska Head  Start Association  (AHSA) which                                                                    
provided services to about 3,000  children annually. Some of                                                                    
AHSA's  services included  pre-school, developmental  health                                                                    
and  dental screenings,  and behavioral  health support  for                                                                    
parents and  the entire family.  The quality of  the program                                                                    
was  ensured by  intensive federal  monitoring reviews  that                                                                    
did  not incur  any costs  to the  state. He  expressed that                                                                    
AHSA grantees  were facing a  workforce crisis  and programs                                                                    
were understaffed. In addition,  high inflation had impacted                                                                    
the  program's ability  to pay  for basic  operational costs                                                                    
such as utilities.  He was requesting a  $5 million increase                                                                    
in order  to ensure the  continuation of the  program. State                                                                    
funding for AHSA had been  flat since 2010 but inflation had                                                                    
continued  increasing. Additional  funding would  ensure the                                                                    
continuation  of the  program and  would afford  the program                                                                    
the  ability to  provide essential  services in  addition to                                                                    
keeping the lights on.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Coulombe thanked Mr. Shumaker for his work.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnson  noted that Co-Chair Edgmon  had joined the                                                                    
meeting.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:24:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VICKI  HEWITT,  PRESIDENT,   MAT-SU  EDUCATION  ASSOCIATION,                                                                    
shared that the  flat funding in schools for  the past seven                                                                    
years  had a  tremendous impact  on education.  For example,                                                                    
class  sizes  had  grown  substantially  and  teachers  were                                                                    
unable to sustain  the number of students  in the classroom.                                                                    
She was aware  of one middle school teacher  trying to teach                                                                    
upper-level math to 40 students.  There were also elementary                                                                    
school classes with  a student count of almost  30. The high                                                                    
student counts meant that students  were left behind because                                                                    
teachers could  not fine-tune learning experiences  for each                                                                    
student.  Flat  funding had  also  impacted  the ability  to                                                                    
recruit and  retain quality  educators. She  heard regularly                                                                    
from educators that  they were ready to leave  Alaska due to                                                                    
the lack of competitive  pay and benefits. Without investing                                                                    
in   schools,  students   would  continue   to  suffer   and                                                                    
educational  outcomes would  not  improve.  The students  of                                                                    
today were the population of  the future. She urged that the                                                                    
legislature  support  the  increase   of  the  Base  Student                                                                    
Allocation (BSA).                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
5:26:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIFFANY HALL, EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR, RECOVER ALASKA, ANCHORAGE                                                                    
(via  teleconference), explained  that Recover  Alaska aimed                                                                    
to  help  Alaskans  live  free from  the  harms  of  alcohol                                                                    
misuse.  She   was  specifically   calling  in   support  of                                                                    
maintained  and  increased  funding for  recovery  services,                                                                    
including  increasing  the  Crisis  Now  Continuum  of  Care                                                                    
Grant. In addition, she  supported maintaining treatment and                                                                    
recovery grants  and an increase  for peer  support funding.                                                                    
She  noted  that  peer  support  was  a  critical  piece  of                                                                    
recovery  framework.  Before  the pandemic,  roughly  44,000                                                                    
Alaskans  experienced an  alcohol use  disorder and  only 15                                                                    
percent of individuals who  qualified for treatment actually                                                                    
received  treatment.  During  the  pandemic,  many  Alaskans                                                                    
increased their use  of alcohol to cope with  stress and the                                                                    
rate  for alcohol  related deaths  increased by  31 percent.                                                                    
She  emphasized that  the services  were critical  and urged                                                                    
support.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:29:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
STEVE  FLEIFCHMAN,  SELF,  ANCHORAGE  (via  teleconference),                                                                    
shared  that  his daughter  had  down  syndrome and  heavily                                                                    
relied  on mental  health services.  He  explained that  his                                                                    
daughter's  life  had  improved   tremendously  due  to  the                                                                    
availability of  services. The most  important issue  to him                                                                    
was to ensure that his  daughter had a happy life regardless                                                                    
of  the  health   of  himself  or  his   wife.  Without  the                                                                    
availability of services, his daughter  would have been home                                                                    
alone while he and his wife  were at work. He and his family                                                                    
were grateful  for the services  and hoped that  the funding                                                                    
for the services would continue.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
5:31:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
STEVE   ROLLINS,  DEAN,   UNIVERSITY  OF   ALASKA  ANCHORAGE                                                                    
CONSORTIUM   LIBRARY,    ANCHORAGE   (via   teleconference),                                                                    
testified in  support of funding  for the  Statewide Library                                                                    
Electronic Doorway (SLED) and  state libraries. In the prior                                                                    
year, $635,900 was added to  the University of Alaska's (UA)                                                                    
budget and passed the House  and Senate, but the funding was                                                                    
vetoed by the  governor. Due to budget  cuts, the university                                                                    
libraries were  in jeopardy. The  libraries served  about 92                                                                    
percent  of  the  populated  areas  of  Alaska.  The  Alaska                                                                    
library   catalogue  had   more   than  259,000   registered                                                                    
borrowers  and  had an  annual  circulation  of 2.3  million                                                                    
books in the  prior year, which represented a  value of more                                                                    
than $49  million in library  materials. He added  that SLED                                                                    
also  provided access  to the  online library  catalogue and                                                                    
supported the  governor's reading and  literacy initiatives.                                                                    
Due to the budget cuts, funding  was needed to keep SLED and                                                                    
the library  catalogue sustainable.  He was  concerned about                                                                    
the recent budget cuts and  thought it would have a negative                                                                    
impact on  the state's  libraries. He  urged the  support of                                                                    
increased funding for the libraries.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
5:34:42 PM                                                                                                                    
AT-EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:35:19 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
TREVOR STORRS,  PRESIDENT AND CEO, ALASKA  CHILDREN'S TRUST,                                                                    
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), shared  that there were more                                                                    
than 3,000 cases of child  maltreatment in the state in 2021                                                                    
alone. It was a complex  issue and the organization believed                                                                    
that  parents loved  their children  and did  not intend  to                                                                    
hurt  them; however,  issues could  compound to  bring about                                                                    
child abuse and neglect.  Evidence showed that when children                                                                    
and  families   had  the  knowledge,  skills,   support  and                                                                    
research  in  order  to  thrive,  child  abuse  and  neglect                                                                    
greatly   reduced.   There   were  many   items   that   the                                                                    
organization  supported   in  the  budget,  such   as:  pre-                                                                    
kindergarten   grants,  after-school   programs,  technology                                                                    
upgrades,  and  continued  funding   for  the  tribal  child                                                                    
welfare compacting. There were  several areas in which added                                                                    
investment  was still  needed, such  as: funds  to stabilize                                                                    
the child-care sector, $5 million  in addition funds for the                                                                    
Head  Start program,  and  added funds  for  the Parents  as                                                                    
Teachers  (PAT) program.  Not only  did the  program support                                                                    
child development  but it had also  proven highly successful                                                                    
in the  area of preventing  child abuse and  neglect. Alaska                                                                    
could not afford to abstain from investing in the program.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Galvin thanked  Mr.  Storrs  and the  Alaska                                                                    
Children's Trust for its hard work.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:38:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CATHY  HERNANDEZ,  BOARD   MEMBER,  ALZHEIMER'S  ASSOCIATION                                                                    
ALASKA  CHAPTER, ANCHORAGE  (via teleconference),  testified                                                                    
in  support  of additional  funding  to  support the  63,000                                                                    
Alaskans  experiencing  subjective  cognitive  decline.  She                                                                    
hoped  to incorporate  $50,000 into  the Dementia  Awareness                                                                    
Program within  the Department of  Health (DOH). She  was an                                                                    
Anchorage  resident, but  represented all  Alaskans impacted                                                                    
by  Alzheimer's.  Alaska  had  the fourth  highest  rate  of                                                                    
diagnosed dementia  across the nation, which  was incredible                                                                    
because there was limited access  to diagnosis and high cost                                                                    
of  travel to  medical providers.  Treatment could  slow the                                                                    
progression of  the disease. She urged  the appropriation of                                                                    
$50,000 for the program.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:40:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARK  LACKEY,   EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR,  CCS   EARLY  LEARNING,                                                                    
WASILLA (via teleconference), thanked  the committee for its                                                                    
work. He shared that he had  worked for CCS for 24 years and                                                                    
the program  served over 100  communities across  the state.                                                                    
He had  never encountered  the kind  of challenges  that the                                                                    
state was currently experiencing.  The organization was only                                                                    
serving 60  percent of the  children that it  should because                                                                    
it  could not  recruit  and retain  the  staff necessary  to                                                                    
operate at  full capacity. The  organization was  reliant on                                                                    
federal  and state  grants which  were not  keeping up  with                                                                    
inflationary costs as the funding  had been flat since 2010.                                                                    
The  federal Head  Start grant  required a  20 percent  non-                                                                    
federal match and the state  had been committed to providing                                                                    
the  match;  however  due  to  flat  funding,  it  was  only                                                                    
contributing  at  12  percent.  The low  enrollment  in  the                                                                    
program  due   to  insufficient  staffing  meant   that  the                                                                    
organization  was  not  able   to  serve  approximately  150                                                                    
families.  Of  the  children who  were  currently  enrolled,                                                                    
about  50 percent  were homeless  or in  foster care.  At no                                                                    
fault  of  the children,  the  work  in the  classrooms  was                                                                    
incredibly  challenging.  The  state  needed  to  match  the                                                                    
grants at 20 percent in order to maintain the program.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:43:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SUSAN  DELOACH,  BRIGHT  BEGINNINGS EARLY  LEARNING  CENTER,                                                                    
PALMER (via teleconference), shared  that she had never seen                                                                    
such difficult  operating conditions in her  time working in                                                                    
early  learning. Since  the pandemic,  operating costs  were                                                                    
higher and  enrollment had dropped  to below 50  percent. It                                                                    
was  more difficult  to hire  qualified staff  which limited                                                                    
the  number  of  children  who  could  be  enrolled  in  the                                                                    
program. The Alaska Chamber of  Commerce recently found that                                                                    
insufficient  child-care had  a  significant  impact on  the                                                                    
health of  the economy. Quality child-care  was paramount to                                                                    
the  economic recovery  of the  state. The  pandemic support                                                                    
funds  were  vital  in  the  continuation  of  the  program;                                                                    
however, the  funding would  soon cease.  Additional funding                                                                    
was  needed  in  order  to continue  the  operation  of  the                                                                    
program. The  cost of providing child-care  was greater than                                                                    
most  families could  afford to  pay. She  expressed that  a                                                                    
broken child-care  system set everyone  up for  failure. She                                                                    
requested that  the legislature support  child-care programs                                                                    
by  adding $15  million  to the  budget  to increase  worker                                                                    
wages.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:46:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PATRICIA  FISHER, SELF,  MEADOW LAKES  (via teleconference),                                                                    
testified  in support  of the  proposal for  the participant                                                                    
directed care. She was the  caregiver of a young person with                                                                    
a  disability waiver  and  had a  direct  connection to  the                                                                    
issue.  Her family  had not  received  a workable  referable                                                                    
from an agency  in over six months and  the situation needed                                                                    
to  improve.  With  participant directed  care,  her  family                                                                    
would  be enabled  to  seek out  the  necessary health  care                                                                    
without having  to navigate a slow  and complicated process.                                                                    
If home care was not  available, her grandchild could be put                                                                    
in an in-patient facility with  higher costs. She understood                                                                    
that  participant directed  care  was projected  to be  less                                                                    
expensive  than  the  current  system.  She  encouraged  the                                                                    
committee's support for the proposal.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
5:48:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SUZI PEARSON,  ABUSED WOMEN'S AID IN  CRISIS, ANCHORAGE (via                                                                    
teleconference), explained  that the  Abused Women's  Aid in                                                                    
Crisis (AWAIC) was the only  domestic violence crisis center                                                                    
for women  in Anchorage. The  largest funder of  the program                                                                    
was  the Council  on Domestic  Violence  and Sexual  Assault                                                                    
(CDVSA).  In the  prior year,  AWAIC served  519 adults  and                                                                    
children in  total. In the  current year, AWAIC  had already                                                                    
served  580   adults  and  children.  The   demand  for  the                                                                    
organization's  services  was increasing  while  recruitment                                                                    
and retention  levels were low.  One of the main  issues was                                                                    
that   worker  wages   were  not   competitive  with   other                                                                    
organizations that could  take an equal or  higher number of                                                                    
clients without  the added stress  of working in  a shelter.                                                                    
The program  had been  flat funded for  the past  five years                                                                    
and there had been no  increases to address the rising costs                                                                    
of operating costs  such as utilities. The  center needed an                                                                    
additional   $150,000  to   attract  qualified   candidates.                                                                    
Without the  increment increase, services for  victims would                                                                    
fall short. The center  was requesting that one-time general                                                                    
funds be  put in the base  in order to create  a sustainable                                                                    
income  source and  additional funding  to address  the flat                                                                    
funding issues. She was grateful for the committee's time.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Galvin   was  grateful  for   Ms.  Pearson's                                                                    
testimony and the information she provided.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster offered  a  reminder  that testifiers  were                                                                    
also able to submit testimony via email.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:51:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TOMMY  HIRATSUKA, CHIEF  FINANCIAL  OFFICER, HOPE  COMMUNITY                                                                    
RESOURCES,  ANCHORAGE (via  teleconference), explained  that                                                                    
Hope  Community Resources  (HCR)  was  an organization  that                                                                    
provided services  and support  to people  with intellectual                                                                    
and  developmental disabilities  throughout  Alaska. He  was                                                                    
advocating  for  an  additional $16  million  added  to  the                                                                    
Medicaid  budget  for  the  individuals  supported  by  HCR.                                                                    
Without the funding, HCR and  similar organizations would be                                                                    
out  of business  in  the near  future.  The closures  would                                                                    
cause  added financial  burden to  the state  as individuals                                                                    
who were  receiving help  from in-state  organizations would                                                                    
have to  be sent out of  state to continue to  receive care.                                                                    
Out of  state care was  much more expensive than  what could                                                                    
be  provided in  Alaska. He  was requesting  the funding  in                                                                    
order to keep  people employed in Alaska. He  thought it was                                                                    
not only  the right thing  to do  morally, but it  also made                                                                    
sense financially.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:53:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RON  MEEHAN,  POLICY  AND ADVOCACY  MANAGER,  FOOD  BANK  OF                                                                    
ALASKA,   ANCHORAGE  (via   teleconference),  testified   in                                                                    
support of the governor's FY  24 amended budget proposal. He                                                                    
particularly supported  of technology  upgrades at  DOH. The                                                                    
upgrades were important because  it would help alleviate the                                                                    
Supplemental  Nutrition  Assistance Program  (SNAP)  backlog                                                                    
which had a devastating impact  on those who relied upon it.                                                                    
When Alaskans were unable to  get SNAP benefits, they turned                                                                    
to food banks  and food pantries for  assistance, which were                                                                    
already strained.  One of the  greatest problems  in getting                                                                    
applications processed  was that  the technology  system had                                                                    
not been updated  in decades. It was a manual  system and it                                                                    
had posed  significant challenges over the  years in getting                                                                    
applications  processed in  a timely  and efficient  manner.                                                                    
Hiring more  workers for the  Division of  Public Assistance                                                                    
(DPA)  would  reduce strain  on  the  system and  allow  the                                                                    
applications to  be processed faster.  He hoped  there would                                                                    
be  additional  upgrades to  SNAP  alongside  the hiring  of                                                                    
additional workers and he was  grateful to the House for the                                                                    
time it had spent working on the supplemental budget.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Coulombe  asked how the backlog  had impacted                                                                    
the services  provided by food  banks and whether  the banks                                                                    
were able to provide the amount of food needed.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Meehan  responded that  it had  been a  tremendous task.                                                                    
There had  been historically low  levels of food  donated to                                                                    
the  banks in  addition to  the federal  commodity programs.                                                                    
There was just under $1.7  million that was appropriated for                                                                    
immediate  relief was  being used  for pass-through  funding                                                                    
and bulk  food purchased that  had helped to  alleviate some                                                                    
of  the  need.  The  banks   had  received  orders  from  47                                                                    
different partner  agencies around the state  and the orders                                                                    
were continuing to stream in.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
5:56:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WENDY   LESENAN,   SELF,   ARIZONA   (via   teleconference),                                                                    
testified  in  support  of  HB  41.  She  was  an  Anchorage                                                                    
resident  but was  calling from  Arizona.  Her daughter  had                                                                    
down syndrome  and was  also a  direct service  provider for                                                                    
one of the agencies that  provided services to her daughter.                                                                    
She  worked  for the  agency  partly  because it  was  short                                                                    
staffed,  but  also because  she  enjoyed  working with  the                                                                    
population. There  were many individuals who  contributed to                                                                    
her daughter's wellbeing and helped  her navigate all of the                                                                    
various services that were available.  She expressed her joy                                                                    
in seeing  her daughter thriving  and having access  to many                                                                    
valuable  services   and  helpful  people.  She   urged  the                                                                    
continuation of the services for  her daughter and her peers                                                                    
at  a reasonable  rate. One  of the  biggest challenges  was                                                                    
staffing  as  many of  the  current  employees were  nearing                                                                    
retirement age  and the agencies  needed to  attract younger                                                                    
and newer staff.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Galvin   thanked   Ms.  Lesenan   for   her                                                                    
testimony.  She appreciated  hearing  the  perspective of  a                                                                    
care provider who experienced joy in her job.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
5:59:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BERT  HOUGHTALING,  SELF,  BIG  LAKE  (via  teleconference),                                                                    
wondered  why  the  mental  health  budget  had  received  a                                                                    
"rubber stamp"  once it was  put up  for a vote.  He thought                                                                    
that although  the testimony  had been  heartbreaking, there                                                                    
was no  one available  to work the  critical jobs.  He asked                                                                    
where the  money allocated  to the agencies  went if  it was                                                                    
not being  spent on hiring  new employees. He did  not think                                                                    
there  was  accountability  in   how  the  money  was  being                                                                    
distributed. He hoped that money  could be spent more wisely                                                                    
in the future.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
6:02:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARGE STONEKING, ADVOCACY  DIRECTOR, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF                                                                    
RETIRED    PERSONS    (AARP)    ALASKA,    ANCHORAGE    (via                                                                    
teleconference),  testified  in  support  of  mental  health                                                                    
funding. She emphasized the  importance of infrastructure in                                                                    
the DPA  in order  to assist the  employees in  handling the                                                                    
volume of Medicaid redeterminations.  She was calling to ask                                                                    
for an increment in home  and community based services to be                                                                    
able  to stand  up  a participant-directed  care option  for                                                                    
waiver participants.  She noted that she  had also submitted                                                                    
written testimony.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
6:04:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARIE  WILSON, SELF,  HOUSTON, ALASKA  (via teleconference),                                                                    
noted that  Access Alaska  had been  helping her  since 2014                                                                    
after she  experienced a traumatic  brain injury.  She would                                                                    
not have the  same quality of life without the  help she had                                                                    
received from  Access Alaska. For example,  the organization                                                                    
recently  helped coordinate  a heating  oil delivery  to her                                                                    
residence after  she had been  without heat for  three days.                                                                    
She appreciated  the program and  thanked the  committee for                                                                    
its hard work.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
6:06:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GERALD DEWHURST, SELF, BIG  LAKE (via teleconference), noted                                                                    
that  he   had  close   relationships  with   many  disabled                                                                    
individuals. He had  a niece who resided in a  care home and                                                                    
she thrived in the environment;  however, one of the largest                                                                    
challenges was staffing  because the wages were  low and the                                                                    
workload was heavy  and the employees were not  able to stay                                                                    
as  long as  needed. He  spoke about  the importance  of the                                                                    
funding in  order to allow individuals  with disabilities to                                                                    
stay within  the community. He  asked the committee  to pass                                                                    
the budget.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Foster  offered   a   reminder  that   interested                                                                    
testifiers  could  submit  public testimony  via  email.  He                                                                    
announced that there would be an at-ease until 7:00 p.m.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
6:10:06 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
7:01:47 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Johnson   announced  that  there  were   two  more                                                                    
testifiers.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
7:02:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROSLYN    GOODMAN,   SELF,    PEDRO    BAY,   ALASKA    (via                                                                    
teleconference),  testified in  support  of reinstating  the                                                                    
$402,700  in public  library funding  that was  reduced from                                                                    
the governor's  budget. The public libraries  presently used                                                                    
the funds to provide public  library assistance grants to 86                                                                    
villages  and   communities  and  if  the   funds  were  not                                                                    
reinstated,  the $7,000  annual  grant would  be reduced  to                                                                    
$2,300.  There was  no longer  a school  in Pedro  Bay which                                                                    
meant  that the  library had  become the  main resource  for                                                                    
community  members   to  access   books,  DVDs,   and  other                                                                    
materials. Many community members  could not afford internet                                                                    
access  and were  reliant  upon the  library  to access  the                                                                    
internet. The library also provided  other resources such as                                                                    
summer  reading programs  and  culture  programs. She  hoped                                                                    
that the committee would consider reinstating the funds.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson   asked  for   the  name   of  the                                                                    
testifier.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnson responded with the testifier's name.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
7:04:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SUSIE   SILOOK,   SELF,  ANCHORAGE   (via   teleconference),                                                                    
experienced a  violent arrest and assault  in Anchorage. She                                                                    
was taken  to prison with no  cause and spoke to  many other                                                                    
individuals who  had suffered a similar  experience. She was                                                                    
able  to  be released  from  the  prison because  the  staff                                                                    
agreed with the  assessment that there was no  cause for her                                                                    
imprisonment.  She expressed  her  dissatisfaction with  the                                                                    
work of the legislature.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
7:07:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MELANIE   HOOPER,   CAMP   FIRE   ALASKA,   ANCHORAGE   (via                                                                    
teleconference), thanked  the committee  for its  support of                                                                    
the inclusion  of early childhood resources  and services in                                                                    
the  proposed  budget.  The   federal  relief  funding  that                                                                    
allowed for the  child-care centers to remain  open would be                                                                    
ending soon. She urged the  state to invest in child-care to                                                                    
soften the impact of the  termination of the funds. Prior to                                                                    
the pandemic,  Camp Fire Alaska operated  over 30 child-care                                                                    
programs.  Presently, Camp  Fire had  only 17  locations and                                                                    
served only 50  percent of the youth it served  prior to the                                                                    
pandemic.  Without  the  funding,  the  child-care  programs                                                                    
would  not have  been able  to operate  or remain  open. The                                                                    
funds  were  used  responsibly  and  strategically  but  the                                                                    
programs  were still  far from  being  fully recovered.  She                                                                    
urged the committee  to consider the impact of  the funds on                                                                    
working families.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
7:09:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
STEPHANIE    BERGLUND,   CEO,    THREAD,   ANCHORAGE    (via                                                                    
teleconference),  thanked the  committee for  supporting the                                                                    
budget  inclusive   of  funds   for  child-care   and  early                                                                    
childhood learning.  She was pleased  to see that  the funds                                                                    
would include  increased investments in the  Best Beginnings                                                                    
program. She relayed that  Thread encouraged other increased                                                                    
investments in  programs related to child-care,  Head Start,                                                                    
and  Alaska  Inclusive   Child-care  Program  (Alaska  IN!).                                                                    
There was a statewide  workforce shortage which had impacted                                                                    
child-care as  well as working  families and  businesses. In                                                                    
order for the economy to  grow, there needed to be increased                                                                    
access to early learning for children.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Johnson   announced  that   there  was   one  more                                                                    
testifier  and then  the committee  would recess  until 7:30                                                                    
p.m.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
7:12:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAUL  SWALING,  ASSOCIATED  GENERAL CONTRACTORS  OF  ALASKA,                                                                    
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified  in support of the                                                                    
primacy  of  404  of  CWA. He  supported  the  state  taking                                                                    
responsibility  for  the  program.  The  state  had  a  long                                                                    
history of  successfully taking  over the  responsibility of                                                                    
programs  that had  previously been  headed  by the  federal                                                                    
government.  There  would  be  significant  improvements  in                                                                    
accessibility, the  permitting process, and  specifically in                                                                    
the  speed at  which  permits were  approved. He  reiterated                                                                    
that the change would  streamline the process significantly.                                                                    
He thanked the committee.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
7:14:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnson thanked the testifiers.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnson announced the  committee would recess until                                                                    
7:30 p.m.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
7:15:04 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
7:31:07 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnson noted there were no additional testifiers.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Johnson  reviewed  the agenda  for  the  following                                                                    
day's meeting.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
HB  39  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
HB 41 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 39-HB 41 OP-MH Public Testimony Rec'd by 032223.pdf HFIN 3/22/2023 5:00:00 PM
HB 39
HB 41