02/23/2006 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HB 475-PUB EMPLOYEE & TEACHER RETIREMENT & SBS                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
[Contains brief mention of SB 141.]                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:06:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEATON announced  that  the first  order  of business  was                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  475,  "An Act  describing  contributions to  the                                                               
health reimbursement  arrangement plan  for certain  teachers and                                                               
public employees;  clarifying eligibility for membership  in that                                                               
health   reimbursement   arrangement   plan;  relating   to   the                                                               
'administrator'  of the  Public Employees'  Retirement System  of                                                               
Alaska; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:06:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTO  moved  to  adopt  the  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute (CS) for HB 475,  Version 24-LS1685\G, Wayne, 2/22/06,                                                               
as a work draft.  There  being no objection, Version G was before                                                               
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:07:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON explained  his intent was to bring  Version G before                                                               
the committee,  but to  hold further  discussion relating  to the                                                               
bill until a forthcoming meeting.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:07:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEATON,  in response  to  a  question from  Representative                                                               
Gardner,  said  the  committee  will  be  receiving  a  sectional                                                               
analysis.   He explained  that HB  475 is  basically a  series of                                                               
clarification amendments to  issues that were unclear  in SB 141.                                                               
Without the  clarification of  HB 475,  it would  be left  to the                                                               
administrator of  the retirement  plan to make  judgments without                                                               
legislative direction,  which may  result in an  inconsistency of                                                               
"the policies that we adopted in our discussions last year."                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:09:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER stated,  "I think one of  the reasons that                                                               
happens so much is because we  never did get a sectional analysis                                                               
for [SB 141].                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:09:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON  indicated that  the sectional  analysis for  HB 475                                                               
would be more in depth than a typical section analysis.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:09:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON announced that HB 475 was heard and held.