Legislature(2005 - 2006)CAPITOL 124
03/17/2005 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB90 | |
| HB122 | |
| HB201 | |
| HB181 | |
| HB168 | |
| HB167 | |
| HB166 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 181 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 90 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 167 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 166 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 168 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 201 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 122 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 201-PERM. FUND DIVIDEND APPS OF MILITARY 1:52:01 PM CHAIR LYNN announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 201 "An Act relating to an application for a permanent fund dividend for a member of the armed forces of the United States serving on active duty outside of the state; and providing for an effective date." ERICH DELAND, Staff to Representative Mike Chenault, Alaska State Legislature, said that some Alaskans in Iraq cannot sign their Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) application, and "their families back home are hurting." This bill allows a person who has the power of attorney for the one serving in Iraq to sign the application. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked who gets the check if more than one person has the power of attorney. 1:54:19 PM SHARON BARTON, Director, Permanent Fund Dividend Division, Department of Revenue, said the department would honor anyone that has a power of attorney. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked how the department will distinguish between duplicate applications. MS. BARTON said the department would send one check to the address for the recipient. She added that the powers of attorney are only used now for disabled applicants. The address of the applicant will be on file. REPRESENTATIVE MCGUIRE said someone with power of attorney can change the address to where the PFD check is sent. Divorced families, with money coming to children, may run into a problem. 1:57:32 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said the department probably has the regulatory authority to resolve such issues, and the legislature should not get into the details. But when the regulation is written, that issue should be specifically addressed, he said. 1:57:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said the problem may be exasperated with previous spouses and competing heirs. MS. BARTON said she could address it in the regulatory process. She added that she has heard of the problems of military personnel accessing computers and mail. She said the department has gone to the military bases to give information. 1:59:37 PM MS. BARTON said the filing period was extended for 90 days after a person has been eligible for hostile fire or imminent danger pay. The commissioner has executed a waiver from the 72-hour rule for any military member, who, because of the national emergency, cannot make it back for those 72 hours in the past two years. As it stands now, she said, a power of attorney can file an application for a military person, but cannot sign it. 2:01:49 PM MS. BARTON said that partnerships have helped. Commanding officers gave all 129 soldiers applications, and assisted in getting them filed. She said she is training her staff to provide good service to deployed military. She suggested that HB 201 be limited to people in combat zones; other servicemembers have ready access to mail and internet, she said. 2:04:27 PM CHAIR LYNN said there are other places where people are stationed that aren't convenient for filing. REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS moved to report [HB 201] out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. Hearing no objection, HB 201 was moved out of the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.
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