04/01/2004 08:02 AM House STA

HB 460-ALLOWABLE ABSENCES AND PFDS                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 0879                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH turned  to the last order of  business, which was                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 460, "An Act  relating to absences to provide care                                                               
for  certain relatives  for purposes  of permanent  fund dividend                                                               
eligibility; and providing for an effective date."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 0900                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
AURORA HAWK, Staff to Representative  Beth Kerttula, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  on  behalf  of  Representative  Kerttula,  sponsor,                                                               
presented HB 460.  She stated  that HB 460 would make it possible                                                               
for an  Alaskan to care  for a  critically ill or  injured family                                                               
member and not  lose his/her permanent fund dividend  (PFD).  She                                                               
noted  that,  currently,  Alaska statute  provides  an  allowable                                                               
absence for  a person who is  caring for a critically  ill family                                                               
member, only  if that family  member has  to travel out  of state                                                               
for treatment.   She  clarified, "This means  that if  your child                                                               
who is living out of state,  for instance, in college, is hurt or                                                               
becomes ill, you  will lose your dividend if you  are required to                                                               
spend a long period of time out  of state to care for them."  She                                                               
said when  a family member is  ill or injured, it  is a stressful                                                               
time, and  Alaskans should be able  to care for a  family member,                                                               
and not have to worry  about receiving their dividend, regardless                                                               
of  that family  member's residency  or where  they happen  to be                                                               
when they become ill.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HAWK noted  that  there  is an  amendment  in the  committee                                                               
packet,  but suggested  that  the committee  may  wish to  listen                                                               
first to public testimony.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 0978                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
IRIS MANYA  PUNGOWIYI-REED testified  that she is  proud to  be a                                                               
long-time Alaskan.   She related having moved to  Alaska in 1970,                                                               
and  she shared  some  of her  history as  an  Alaskan living  in                                                               
various  parts of  the  state.   She  revealed  that her  current                                                               
husband's name is Ron Reed, and they own a home in Juneau.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. PUNGOWIYI-REED  said her niece,  a student of  the University                                                               
of Alaska, Southeast, sustained a  knee injury in September 2001,                                                               
while on an exchange student  program in Albuquerque, New Mexico,                                                               
and  needed  surgery.   Ms.  Reed  indicated  that she  [and  her                                                               
husband] traveled  to Albuquerque in  December to help  take care                                                               
of   the  niece's   son  while   the  niece   had  her   surgery.                                                               
Concurrently, her son Bryce, who  was living in Denver, Colorado,                                                               
at the  time, also came  to Albuquerque.   On December  13, 2001,                                                               
Ms. Reed  said, Bryce was involved  in an accident.   She related                                                               
the details of  that accident and the injuries  Bryce received as                                                               
a result.   Bryce was in critical condition at  the University of                                                               
New Mexico Hospital.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. PUNGOWIYI-REED stated  that as a result  of the complications                                                               
from  Bryce's  trauma,  he  is  non-verbal,  non-mobile,  is  fed                                                               
through a tube, and is 100  percent dependent upon others for his                                                               
care.  Ms.  Reed said she has explored the  possibility of caring                                                               
for Bryce in  Juneau, Alaska.  She said she  also inquired at the                                                               
VA [Department of Veterans Affairs]  office in Anchorage, Alaska,                                                               
because  her son  is eligible  to receive  "100 percent  service-                                                               
connected disability."   She said  she was told that  Bryce would                                                               
have to be  sent to Seattle, Washington.  She  stated that she is                                                               
not  comfortable "taking  that kind  of risk,"  and she  declared                                                               
that  she -  as his  mother,  next-of-kin, and  legal guardian  -                                                               
would not  abandon him to  return home.   She related  that there                                                               
has  been  emotional and  financial  stress  associated with  her                                                               
son's accident.  She offered examples.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH  requested that Ms. Reed  complete her testimony,                                                               
because committee members needed to  be present at the 10:00 a.m.                                                               
House floor  session.   He stated that  the committee  would come                                                               
back  to   the  issue.     He  said,   "It's  tough   when  these                                                               
circumstances happen to a family, and our hearts go out to you."                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. PUNGOWIYI-REED  stated that she is  currently prohibited from                                                               
getting her  PFD, and she  emphasized that  she has not  given up                                                               
her Alaska residency.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[HB 460 was heard and held.]