05/11/2002 09:47 AM House RLS

SB 235-EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COMPACT                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOTT announced that the next  order of business would be CS                                                               
FOR SENATE BILL  NO. 235(STA), "An Act relating  to emergency and                                                               
disaster  relief  forces  as  state  employees  for  purposes  of                                                               
workers'  compensation   benefits;  relating  to   the  Emergency                                                               
Management  Assistance  Compact  and the  implementation  of  the                                                               
compact; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0469                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CAROL  CARROLL,   Director,  Administrative   Services  Division,                                                               
Department  of Military  &  Veterans'  Affairs (DMVA),  presented                                                               
CSSB 235(STA) on behalf of  the administration, the sponsor of SB
.   She  explained  that  SB 235  allows  Alaska  to join  the                                                               
Emergency Management Assistance Compact,  which is a compact that                                                               
allows states  to send resources  [between each other] and  to be                                                               
reimbursed for the use of  those resources.  Therefore, if Alaska                                                               
joined the compact and didn't have  the resources to respond to a                                                               
disaster,  Alaska  could  call  another  state  that  would  send                                                               
resources.     This   legislation  also   clarifies  that   those                                                               
volunteers working  for the state  under DMVA are covered  by the                                                               
state's  workers'  compensation.   However,  she  specified  that                                                               
those  volunteers  must  be  on  an  active  roster  working  for                                                               
emergency  services.     Ms.  Carroll  informed   the  committee,                                                               
"Indications  are  that  the  first  responder  money,  the  $3.5                                                               
billion,  coming  from the  feds  may  certainly be  attached  to                                                               
members ... of  an assistance compact."   Therefore, this compact                                                               
might be one  which states are required to be  a member of before                                                               
the first responder money could be received.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOTT,  in response  to Representative  Berkowitz, explained                                                               
that SB  235 was referred  to the House Rules  Standing Committee                                                               
in order  to meet the  standing committee  hearing [requirement].                                                               
There  being  no one  else  who  wished  to testify,  Chair  Kott                                                               
announced that public testimony was closed.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 0591                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  McGUIRE  moved to  report  CSSB  235(STA) out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSSB  235(STA)  was                                                               
reported from the House Rules Standing Committee.