04/07/2009 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HJR 24-FED. SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM/MILITARY                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:38:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that the  next order of business  was HOUSE                                                               
JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 24, Urging  the United States  Congress and                                                               
the United States  Department of Agriculture to  extend the basic                                                               
housing  allowance   exclusion  to  all  military   families  for                                                               
purposes of the school nutrition program.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:39:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANA  STROMMEN, Staff,  Representative Jay  Ramras, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  introduced  HJR  24  on  behalf  of  Representative                                                               
Ramras, prime sponsor.   She read part of  the sponsor statement,                                                               
which  read   in  entirety   as  follows   [original  punctuation                                                               
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     House  Joint Resolution  24  enables military  families                                                                    
     that are living off the  base to qualify for the school                                                                    
     nutrition programs.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Families who live off the  base are given an additional                                                                    
     basic  allowance   for  housing  (BAH).  Due   to  this                                                                    
     increase of  income children of these  families are not                                                                    
     qualified for  the school  nutrition programs.  Many of                                                                    
     these   families  are   struggling  financially.   This                                                                    
     presents a  major issue for  families that have  one or                                                                    
     multiple children to  feed and a vital  program such as                                                                    
     the free  lunch program  is denied  to them  because of                                                                    
     the location  of their homes  and increased  income due                                                                    
     to the basic allowance for housing.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     HJR 24  encourages the United  States Congress  and the                                                                    
     United States Department of Agriculture  to look at the                                                                    
     issue presented  to the heroic  military men  and women                                                                    
     and  thus their  families.  This is  an opportunity  to                                                                    
     ensure  our military  families do  not  have to  endure                                                                    
     additional   hardships  while   a   family  member   is                                                                    
     defending our country.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:40:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN, after ascertaining that  there was no one to testify,                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:40:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG moved to report  HJR 24 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:41:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG if suggested copies  of HJR 24 should be                                                               
sent to other  members of Congress, since it  urges U.S. Congress                                                               
to extend legislation.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. STROMMEN responded  that she worked closely  with Josh Tempel                                                               
in Senator  Huggins' office regarding  this legislation,  and she                                                               
said she  thinks Mr. Temple, Senator  Huggins, and Representative                                                               
Ramras would agree "that we could extend that."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG renewed  the motion to moved  HJR 24 out                                                               
of committee with individual  recommendations and attached fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HJR 24 was reported out of the                                                               
House State Affairs Standing Committee.