Legislature(2021 - 2022)BARNES 124

05/10/2022 09:00 AM House LABOR & COMMERCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Rescheduled from 5/9/22 --
+= HB 405 ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUSTS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= HB 406 MORATORIUM ON TRUSTS/PROPERTY ACQUISITION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= HB 408 MONEY TRANSMISSION; VIRTUAL CURRENCY TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled but Not Heard
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
+= HB 301 UTILITIES: RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 301(L&C) Out of Committee
                 HB 405-ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUSTS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:08:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ announced  that  the next  order of  business                                                               
would  be   HOUSE  BILL  NO.   405,  "An  Act  relating   to  the                                                               
establishment of  trusts; requiring  the filing of  certain trust                                                               
information; and requiring compliance with a federal law."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:09:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS, to give context  on the [three] amendments about                                                               
to be  proposed, recounted that  the committee listened  to input                                                               
from various  stakeholders.  He  offered his appreciation  to the                                                               
committee  for taking  up the  amendments to  provide a  template                                                               
that  future legislatures  can work  with, given  it is  too late                                                               
this session  to move  the bill.   He encouraged  stakeholders to                                                               
again  weigh in  after the  amendments  to relate  the extent  to                                                               
which the amendments resolve suggestions and concerned.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:09:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS  moved to  adopt Amendment 1  to HB  405, labeled                                                               
32-LS1620\B.1, Bannister, 4/26/22, which read:                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page  1,  line 1,  following  the  first occurrence  of                                                                    
     "of":                                                                                                                    
          Insert "certain"                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 2:                                                                                                            
          Following "to":                                                                                                     
          Insert "certain"                                                                                                    
          Following "trusts;":                                                                                                
          Insert "relating to Alaska Native corporation                                                                       
     settlement trusts;"                                                                                                      
          Delete "requiring"                                                                                                  
          Insert "relating to"                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 5, through page 2, line 6:                                                                                    
          Delete all material and insert:                                                                                       
        "* Section  1. AS 13.36.005 is  amended by  adding a                                                                
     new subsection to read:                                                                                                    
          (c)  If the establishment or relocation of a                                                                          
     trust  is subject  to AS 13.36.030,  the trust  must be                                                                    
     established  or  relocated  under  AS 13.36.030  before                                                                    
     registering under this section."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, following line 1:                                                                                                  
     Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                           
          "(g)  This section does not apply to a trust that                                                                     
     constitutes a settlement trust as  defined in 43 U.S.C.                                                                    
     1602  (Alaska Native  Claims Settlement  Act), or  to a                                                                    
     settlor,  trustee,  or  beneficiary  of  a  trust  that                                                                    
     constitutes a settlement trust as  defined in 43 U.S.C.                                                                    
     1602 (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act)."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Reletter the following subsections accordingly.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:10:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ objected for the purpose of explanation.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:10:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EVAN ANDERSON,  Staff, Representative  Zack Fields,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  on  behalf  of  Co-Chair  Fields,  sponsor  of  the                                                               
amendment,  explained   that  Amendment   1  was   created  after                                                               
conversations with  several Alaska Native  regional corporations.                                                               
They  stated that  Alaska Native  Settlement Trusts  (ANSTs) were                                                               
established through the 1971 Alaska  Native Claims Settlement Act                                                               
(ANCSA), but  that these trusts  were largely not  utilized until                                                               
the   2017  Tax   Cuts  and   Jobs  Act   (TCJA).     From  these                                                               
conversations,  they   continued,  it   seemed  clear   that  the                                                               
reporting  requirements being  sought for  all trusts  through HB
405 should  not count  for these  settlement trusts.   Therefore,                                                               
Mx. Anderson  said, Amendment  1 would  create a  broad exemption                                                               
for those settlement trusts.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:11:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS offered his understanding  that Amendment 1 would                                                               
entirely resolve any concerns had  by Alaska Native corporations.                                                               
He requested  that the corporations  let him know if  any further                                                               
refinement is needed.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ  expressed her appreciation for  the intent of                                                               
Co-Chair  Fields   in  working  on   HB  405,  as  well   as  the                                                               
collaborative process  in fine tuning the  legislation to prevent                                                               
creating any  unintentional harm.   She noted that  the committee                                                               
is seeking to improve the  bill through these amendments and then                                                               
work with stakeholders on further refinements over the interim.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:12:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ removed  her objection to Amendment  1.  There                                                               
being no further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:12:16 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS  moved to  adopt Amendment 2  to HB  405, labeled                                                               
32-LS1620\B.2, Bannister, 4/28/22, which read:                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, lines 16 - 17:                                                                                                     
          Delete "within 30 days after"                                                                                         
      Insert "on or before January 30 of the calendar year                                                                      
     that follows the calendar year in which"                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:12:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ objected for the purpose of explanation.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:12:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MX.  ANDERSON,  on behalf  of  Co-Chair  Fields, sponsor  of  the                                                               
amendment,  noted  that  Amendment  2 came  after  feedback  from                                                               
representatives of the trust industry.   They said the bill had a                                                               
strong reporting requirement  for any time changes are  made to a                                                               
trust, such  as a new beneficiary  or new settlor.   For example,                                                               
they related,  the committee  heard testimony  that every  time a                                                               
new grandchild  is born a trust  might be subject to  fines.  So,                                                               
Amendment 2 was  built in direct response to  that feedback, they                                                               
said.  The  disclosure requirement would instead be  on an annual                                                               
basis    any  changes  would be  reported by  January  30 of  the                                                               
following  year to  the Department  of  Commerce, Community,  and                                                               
Economic Development  (DCCED).   This would line  it up  with the                                                               
federal  tax cycle,  Mx. Anderson  continued, making  it reliable                                                               
and easy  to plan for.   They noted  that people can  also report                                                               
changes  at the  time those  changes occur  [rather than  waiting                                                               
until January 30 of the following year].                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MX. ANDERSON,  in response to Co-Chair  Spohnholz, confirmed that                                                               
this is just when  there is a change to the trust,  this is not a                                                               
requirement to  report annually  or file  documents on  an annual                                                               
basis if there haven't been any changes to the trust.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:14:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ removed  her objection to Amendment  2.  There                                                               
being no further objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:14:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS moved  to a adopt Amendment 3 to  HB 405, labeled                                                               
32-LS1620\B.3, Bannister, 4/29/22, which read:                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
       Page 1, line 1, following the first occurrence of                                                                        
     "of":                                                                                                                    
          Insert "certain"                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 2:                                                                                                            
          Following "to":                                                                                                     
          Insert "certain"                                                                                                    
          Following "trusts;":                                                                                                
          Insert "relating to charitable trusts;"                                                                             
          Delete "requiring"                                                                                                  
          Insert "relating to"                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, following line 1:                                                                                                  
          Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                      
          "(g)  This section does not apply to a trust that                                                                     
       is described as a charitable trust under 26 U.S.C.                                                                       
     4947(a)(1) (Internal Revenue Code of 1954)."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Reletter the following subsections accordingly.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:14:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ objected for the purpose of explanation.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:14:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS explained  Amendment 3  would exempt  charitable                                                               
trusts, which was a suggestion made by stakeholders.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:14:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ removed  her objection to Amendment  3.  There                                                               
being no further objection, Amendment 3 was adopted.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ  said  the committee  looks  forward  to  any                                                               
feedback that  stakeholders want  to provide on  the legislation,                                                               
as amended.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
[HB 405 was held over.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 405 Completed Amendment Packet_5.10.22.pdf HL&C 5/10/2022 9:00:00 AM
HB 405
HB 406 Completed Amendment Packet_5.10.22.pdf HL&C 5/10/2022 9:00:00 AM
HB 406