01/25/2024 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

               HB 229-ALASKA VETERANS' POPPY DAY                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:01:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 229 "An  Act establishing Alaska  Veterans' Poppy                                                               
Day; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:02:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAUL  MENKE,  Staff,  Representative  Will  Stapp,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of  Representative Stapp,  prime sponsor,                                                               
read  the sponsor  statement for  HB 229  [included in  committee                                                               
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Serving our great  nation is one of  the most honorable                                                                    
     and  commendable  acts  that a  person  can  undertake.                                                                    
     Countless individuals  have given their lives  and paid                                                                    
     the highest price for our  liberty, and there can never                                                                    
     be enough  gratitude or recognition given  to those who                                                                    
     have lost life and limb in the line of duty.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     The  State of  Alaska has  one of  the largest  veteran                                                                    
     populations  per   capita  in   the  nation.   Tens  of                                                                    
     thousands   of  Alaskans   have  served   our  nation's                                                                    
     military  to fight  for values  that make  America, and                                                                    
     Alaska, a beacon of freedom  and prosperity that shines                                                                    
     across  the globe.  This is  why it  is imperative  for                                                                    
     Alaska  to expand  our recognition  and remembrance  of                                                                    
     the brave  men and women  who made undaunted  the final                                                                    
     sacrifice for our country.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Named after  a hardy flower  that grew on  the scorched                                                                    
     French battlefields in World  War I, HB 229 establishes                                                                    
     the Friday  after Memorial Day  of each year  as Alaska                                                                    
     Veterans' Poppy Day.  The objective of this  bill is to                                                                    
     honor  and promote  the  remembrance  of Alaska's  many                                                                    
     veterans,  current and  former armed  services members,                                                                    
     and  servicemembers  who have  fallen  in  the line  of                                                                    
     duty.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:04:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MENKE read the sectional analysis for HB 229 [included in                                                                   
committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation                                                                  
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1:                                                                                                                 
     Establishes the  Friday before  Memorial Day  each year                                                                    
     as Alaska Veterans' Poppy Day.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2:                                                                                                                 
     Provides for an immediate effective date.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:04:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILL STAPP, Alaska State Legislature, as prime                                                                   
sponsor of HB 229, added that it is important to remind Alaskans                                                                
of those who served.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:06:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked how the date was decided.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STAPP responded that the day would be on the                                                                     
Friday following Memorial Day weekend.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:06:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  said he likes the  spirit of HB 229.   He                                                               
asked if  this will  be in conflict  or compliment  with Canadian                                                               
remembrance events.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STAPP  answered  that  it  would  complement  the                                                               
events.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  questioned   whether  other  states  are                                                               
looking at such a remembrance day.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:08:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MENKE  offered his  understanding  that  all states  observe                                                               
national poppy  day, and Virginia  does have  a poppy day  as the                                                               
Friday before  Memorial Day.  He  said Alaska would be  the first                                                               
to pass a bill for a poppy day.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:09:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEANNE  OSTNES, President,  American Legion  Jack Henry,  Post 1,                                                               
shared history about American Legion  Post 1.  She explained that                                                               
the  bill has  been a  yearlong  process; there  is a  resolution                                                               
approved by  the post in  2023 included in the  committee packet.                                                               
She said  this year's poppy day  is on May 27,  and that national                                                               
poppy  day started  in  2017.   She pointed  out  that the  first                                                               
veteran's   organization   to   organize   a   nationwide   poppy                                                               
distribution was Veterans of Foreign Wars  (VFW) in 1922.  If the                                                               
state also  recognizes May 27  as National Poppy Day,  this would                                                               
show the  populace that  that state  is showing  its appreciation                                                               
for  service  and  sacrifice.   She  detailed  the  logistics  of                                                               
distributing  poppy flowers.   She  said  the idea  of poppy  day                                                               
encourages people to wear a poppy  as a symbol of remembrance and                                                               
hope.  She  explained that all poppy funds must  only be used for                                                               
the  welfare   of  veterans,   active-duty  members,   and  their                                                               
families; poppies are not for  sale, rather, they are distributed                                                               
at the  request of the  person receiving them after  they donate.                                                               
She informed  members of  the other support  letters sent  to the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:17:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked, if HB  229 were to pass,  would it                                                               
change how  the American Legion  carries out  veteran remembrance                                                               
events.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. OSTNES  answered no, events would  stay the same.   She noted                                                               
that poppies are  available throughout the year.   In response to                                                               
a follow-up from Representative Saddler regarding overseas use                                                                  
of poppies, she responded that Canada, England, France, Belgium,                                                                
and Australia all use the poppy as a symbol.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:21:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER thanked Ms. Ostnes for her testimony.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:22:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT opened public testimony on HB 229.  After                                                                          
ascertaining that there was no one wishing to testify, he closed                                                                
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT thanked the sponsor for bringing HB 229 forward.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:22:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that HB 229 was held over.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:23:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was                                                                 
adjourned at 1:23 p.m.