03/17/2005 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

HB 167-DEATH CERTIFICATE FOR DECEASED VETERAN                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 167,  "An  Act  relating  to providing  a  death                                                               
certificate for a deceased veteran without cost."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SARAH HOOK,  Staff to Representative Max  Gruenberg, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  said  HB  167 provides  death  certificates  for  a                                                               
deceased  veteran without  costs to  next of  kin.   The bill  is                                                               
modeled after an Arizona statute.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:26:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EDWARD C. FERMAN,  Juneau, said he is a Veteran  of Foreign Wars,                                                               
and veterans are not being taken  care.  He said the committee is                                                               
doing a  good job,  but there are  a lot of  things that  are not                                                               
covered.   He  said a  soldier  came back  from the  Gulf with  a                                                               
crushed leg  and was  told she  could not  get the  treatment she                                                               
needed.  "We want to take care of our veterans," he said.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
PHILLIP  MITCHELL, Section  Chief,  Bureau  of Vital  Statistics,                                                               
Division  of  Public  Health, Department  of  Health  and  Social                                                               
Services, suggested a clear definition of a veteran for HB 167.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said his staff will do that.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:31:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said it will  be the same language found                                                               
in  the  companion bill  HB  166.    He  offered Amendment  1  as                                                               
defining a veteran as the meaning given in HB 166.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Hearing no objection, Amendment 1 was so moved.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
JERRY BEALE,  Director, Office of Veteran  Affairs, Department of                                                               
Military & Veterans'  Affairs, said HB 166 provides  a very basic                                                               
service.  It would add a benefit to the families.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CISSNA  moved to  report  CSHB  167, version  24-                                                               
LS0605\G   as   amended   out  of   committee   with   individual                                                               
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal  notes.    Hearing no                                                               
objection,  CSHB 167(MLV)  was  moved out  of  the House  Special                                                               
Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.