04/13/2005 08:30 AM House RULES

HB 156-COMMISSION ON AGING                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 156, "An  Act relating to the membership of the                                                               
Alaska  Commission  on  Aging; and  providing  for  an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:47:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS  moved  to  adopt CSHB  156,  Version  24-                                                               
LS0615\I, Mischel, 4/6/05, as the  working document.  There being                                                               
no objection, Version I was before the committee.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:47:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA COTTING,  Staff to Representative Jim  Holm, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, reminded the committee  that the Commission on Aging                                                               
was  moved   from  the  Department   of  Administration   to  the                                                               
Department  of Health  and  Social Services  (DHSS)  in 2003  per                                                               
executive  order.     The  commissioner  of   the  Department  of                                                               
Administration, who has a seat  on the commission, indicated that                                                               
he is unable  to participate on the commission.   Therefore, this                                                               
legislation  removes  the  commissioner   of  the  Department  of                                                               
Administration's seat and  replaces it with a  public seat filled                                                               
by  a  senior  provider.   She  explained  that  originally,  the                                                               
aforementioned seat  was filled  by a  grant recipient,  but that                                                               
was perceived as  a conflict of interest  although the Commission                                                               
on Aging  no longer  administers the  grant program.   Therefore,                                                               
that  was  changed and  filled  by  a senior  services  provider,                                                               
regardless of age.   On page 2,  line 31 through page  3, line 1,                                                               
and page  3, lines  4-5, the language  giving the  commission the                                                               
duty  to evaluate  grant  applicants and  make  grant awards  was                                                               
eliminated.   The  aforementioned appeared  to be  a conflict  of                                                               
interest.   This  legislation cleans  up the  section of  statute                                                               
that  addresses the  commission  and brings  it into  conformance                                                               
with actual practice.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:49:39 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. COTTING,  in response  to Representative  Kerttula, confirmed                                                               
that the  language specifying that  there be  a member who  is "a                                                           
senior  services  provider,  regardless   of  age"  was  inserted                                                           
because [the  sponsor] didn't want  that seat to have  to conform                                                               
with age requirements.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG  inquired as to the  location of the "60  years or                                                               
older" requirement.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS.  COTTING   specified  that  it's  in   existing  statute,  AS                                                               
47.45.200.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KERTTULA  pointed out  that  the  language in  AS                                                               
47.45.200(b) specifies,  in part:   "At least six of  the persons                                                               
appointed by the  governor shall be 60 years of  age or older. At                                                               
least two of these persons shall be 65 years of age or older."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:51:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KERTTULA  surmised  that by  using  the  language                                                               
"regardless  of  age",  the  member  who  is  a  senior  services                                                           
provider could be 60 or 65 years of age.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. COTTING agreed.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:52:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NANCY  KARACAND,  Planner,  Commission on  Aging,  Department  of                                                               
Health  and  Social  Services,   in  response  to  Representative                                                               
Harris, stated that she supported CSHB 156, Version I.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:53:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS  moved to  report  CSHB  156, Version  24-                                                               
LS0615\I,  Mischel,  4/6/05,  out of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no objection,  CSHB 156(RLS)  was reported  from the  House Rules                                                               
Standing Committee.