Legislature(2005 - 2006)CAPITOL 106
03/17/2005 03:00 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB193 | |
| HB185 | |
| HB156 | |
| HB151 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 151 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 156 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 185 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| = | HB 193 | ||
HB 156-COMMISSION ON AGING CHAIR WILSON announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 156 "An Act relating to the membership of the Alaska Commission on Aging; and providing for an effective date." BARBARA COTTING, Staff to Representative Jim Holm, presented HB 156 on behalf of Representative Holm. She explained that within the committee packet, the sponsor statement, sectional analysis, and her comments are addressed to the committee substitute because the original bill had suggested changes. 4:11:04 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 156, Version 24-LS0615\F, Mischel, 3/2/05, as a work draft. There being no objection, Version F was adopted. MS. COTTING explained that in 2003, Governor Murkowski issued an executive order that transferred the Alaska Commission on Aging, (ACoA), from the Department of Administration to the Department of Health and Social Services. In 2004, she related, Representative Holm sponsored HB 394 which put that change into statute; it also changed the "sunset" date from 2004 to 2008. She said that HB 156 makes a change in compliance with the wishes of the ACoA. She pointed out that at the ACoA February 2005 quarterly meeting, what was requested was that a vacancy be filled by a senior services provider, regardless of age, and that the provider be a recipient of a division of senior and disabilities grant under the senior grant program. She added that the ACoA felt strongly that the expertise that would be provided would be a good thing for the ACoA. She requested that the committee insert the phrase, "regardless of age" in HB 156, on page 1, line 11, after "senior services provider." REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER inquired as to who would be included in the pool of "grant recipients" mentioned. 4:14:13 PM LINDA GOHL, executive director, Alaska Commission on Aging, said there's a variety of services under the senior grant program, including nutrition, transportation support services, in-home services for home and community based care, chore respite, and Alzheimer's support services. REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked if the people who administer the aforementioned programs obtain the grants. MS. GOHL said grant recipients could be project coordinators or a board member for a non-profit organization; they are people providing direct services as part of an agency. She explained that the ACoA was asked, prior to the meeting, to consider this seat being a provider seat and they thought it would be beneficial to the community, as well as to the providers, beneficiaries, and stakeholders. 4:15:53 PM STEVE ASHMAN, Director, Division of Senior and Disability Services, said that under statute, the recipients of grants have to be a 501(c)3, a municipal government, or a "tribal government." REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER inquired as to the "ethics act." MS. GOHL said that the ACoA is no longer receiving grant proposals, reviewing grant proposals, making recommendations for grant awards, nor involved in any way in the grant award process. REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER clarified that there aren't conflicts with grant recipients. MS. GOHL said that is correct. She continued: The Department has essentially taken over that function, within the Division of Senior and Disability Services and the centralized grants and contracts administration unit, and then the Commissioner [of the Department] or his designee is the only individual who is actually signing grant awards ... there could be a potential conflict ... when the [ACoA] works on the state plan of services that has to be produced every two to three years and submitted to the federal government in order to receive continuing funds under the Older Americans Act, we have to do a formula allocation which is a geographic allocation for how the grant awards will be distributed throughout the state and there's different criteria and elements and factors that make up this chart of how the awards and the total funds will be allocated, and there could be a potential conflict if this provider were in an area that was going to see a loss, perhaps, or a gain in funding in their geographic area ... the commission discussed any potential ... conflicts of interest ... and they decided during the February meeting that they would ask the individual to refrain from voting. 4:19:15 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER moved to adopt Amendment 1, as follows: Page 1, line 11, following "senior services provider" Insert "regardless of age" There being no objection, it was so ordered. REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING moved to report CSHB 156, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 156(HES) was reported from the House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.
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