Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120

05/15/2021 10:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Recessed to 5/17/21 at 9:00 am --
-- Please Note Time Change --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
*+ HB 198 AK COMMUNITY HEALTH AIDE APPRECIATION DAY TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 198 Out of Committee
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+= HB 177 REVISED PROGRAM: APPROPRIATIONS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
+ SB 32 COLLEGE CREDIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ HB 149 CHILD CARE PROVIDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ SB 71 COUNCIL ON ARTS: PLATES & MANAGE ART TELECONFERENCED
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+= HB 187 STATE AGENCY PUBLICATIONS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 187(STA) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                HB 187-STATE AGENCY PUBLICATIONS                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:27:56 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that  the next order  of business                                                               
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 187,  "An Act relating to the elimination                                                               
or modification  of state agency publications  that are outdated,                                                               
duplicative,  or   excessive  or   that  could  be   improved  or                                                               
consolidated  with other  publications  or exclusively  delivered                                                               
electronically; and providing for an effective date."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[Before the committee was CSHB 187(STA).]                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:28:20 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS opened  public  testimony on  HB  187.   He                                                               
ascertained  that there  was no  one who  wished to  testify, and                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:29:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS moved  Amendment 1,  labeled 32-LS0779\G.1,                                                               
Wallace, 5/14/21, which read as follows:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 14:                                                                                                           
     Delete "(a)"                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 8:                                                                                                            
     Delete "; and"                                                                                                             
     Insert "."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, lines 9 - 18:                                                                                                      
     Delete all material.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN,  prime sponsor, objected for  the purpose                                                               
of discussion.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:29:27 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS   explained  that  amendment   1  addresses                                                               
language in  Section 2, subsection  (3) to  eliminate duplicative                                                               
reports every even-numbered year by  the governor.  He noted that                                                               
statute books had been determined  to be [obsolete] and a statute                                                               
had  been passed  for their  destruction,  and a  report of  that                                                               
action could be redundant.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  stated that lines  9   18  would initiate                                                               
the  new  process  and  directs  the submission  of  a  list  and                                                               
characterized  that  requirement  as  being  based  on  available                                                               
information and not redundant.   He suggested that the list would                                                               
provide transparency  for which [publications] to  be deleted and                                                               
would summarize  a list for  lawmakers to consider  which reports                                                               
may already be in existence.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS allowed  that the  language in  amendment 1                                                               
may be overly  inclusive and directed attention to lines  14   18                                                               
and  referenced  the  report  due   each  October  31,  which  he                                                               
characterized  as not  redundant.   He asked  why the  additional                                                               
process of requiring a percentage  report equal to 100 percent of                                                               
the publications  that would  be requested to  be deleted  by the                                                               
governor's office by means of legislation.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:34:11 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  answered that the proposed  system is not                                                               
a  static  one.    He explained  that  the  committee  substitute                                                               
prescribes a  two-year cycle which  would align  with legislative                                                               
sessions.  He  offered that the intent of the  bill was to manage                                                               
publications  under  changing  legislative priorities  and  other                                                               
government functions in a sustainable manner.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  asked  what could  negatively  affect  the                                                               
process should it occur every two years.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN  answered that  the  bill  would begin  a                                                               
continuous improvement culture.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS restated  his question  regarding the  two-                                                               
year cycle and referred to subsections 2 and 3.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN stated  that the  cycle had  been set  to                                                               
encourage goal setting and welcomed the committee's feedback.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  offered  that   the  process  was  not  an                                                               
entirely  executive function  and,  should  the executive  branch                                                               
offer  a   list  of  publications   to  be  deleted   subject  to                                                               
legislative  approval, he  questioned  a two-year  caveat on  the                                                               
process.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:38:25 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE  referred to  page 1, on  line 7,  and asked                                                               
whether  the  legislature  could  require a  governor  to  submit                                                               
legislation rather than a report.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN stated  his understanding after consulting                                                               
the legal department  that it could and expressed  his hope that,                                                               
if it were  not permissible, the legal team would  have raised an                                                               
issue with the proposed language.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  postulated that  the administration  may be                                                               
"on  board"  with the  proposed  legislation  and having  such  a                                                               
requirement might not be controversial.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CLAMAN,  in  response  to  Representative  Vance,                                                               
noted  that  the  legislature compels  the  executive  branch  to                                                               
perform many functions including  reports.  He rhetorically asked                                                               
what the consequence would be  should an executive not fulfil any                                                               
legislative  mandate,  up  to  and   including  a  lawsuit.    He                                                               
postulated  that  each  administration  is  concerned  with  cost                                                               
savings.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS offered  that he  perceived a  sentiment of                                                               
support for the proposed process.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE  asked who  the legislature would  compel to                                                               
produce  the proposed  reports  and stated  that  she would  find                                                               
value in the proposed process.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  offered that it was  the legislature's role                                                               
to compel the executive branch by way of statute.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN   added  that  there  would   occur  more                                                               
discussions  regarding waste  reduction  and process  evaluation.                                                               
He  acknowledged that  there exists  some  tension regarding  the                                                               
finance committee's review of the  bill and offered that it would                                                               
compel compromise on process improvement.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS invited a representative  from the Office of                                                               
Management & Budget (OMB) to offer remarks.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:45:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CAROLINE SCHULTZ, Policy Analyst,  Office of Management & Budget,                                                               
Office of  the Governor, shared  that OMB staff  had participated                                                               
in  discussions  with  the  bill sponsor  to  determine  how  the                                                               
proposed legislation could be integrated  into the state's budget                                                               
process, and offered  the position that the bill  would result in                                                               
reduction of  waste.  She posed  the same question as  to whether                                                               
the legislature  could compel  the executive  office to  submit a                                                               
bill and stated that the requirement had strengthened the bill.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
10:47:28 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN questioned the  validity of the fiscal note                                                               
being zero and asked whether OMB  agreed that there would be zero                                                               
fiscal impact, should HB 187 pass.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. SCHULTZ  related that OMB currently  collects immense amounts                                                               
of  information  from state  agencies  during  the annual  budget                                                               
process.  She  said that adding this requirement  would result in                                                               
only  a marginally  small cost.   She  qualified her  answer that                                                               
there could occur some initial  cost to transition to include the                                                               
new requirement, but  that a review of  publications would likely                                                               
result in cost savings overall.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN shared his  background as a career quality                                                               
manager  and  stated  that  his  most  rewarding  experience  was                                                               
improved  happiness   in  the  workplace  by   means  of  process                                                               
improvement.   He  suggested  that workers  would  be willing  to                                                               
nominate areas in which the  potential for waste reduction exist.                                                               
He suggested  that the  proposed bill  would codify  such process                                                               
improvement.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:51:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS moved a Conceptual  Amendment 1 to Amendment                                                               
1, such  that line 8 deletes  line 9, and substitute  like 14 [in                                                               
its place] and  would delete lines 14 -18 in  the underlying bill                                                               
rather than lines 9  18.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CLAMAN objected  for  discussion and  recommended                                                               
further modification such that lines  4-6 of the amendment should                                                               
be deleted  and explained  that the word  "and" should  remain so                                                               
that the following paragraph would remain.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  withdrew Conceptual  Amendment 1  and moved                                                               
Conceptual Amendment  2 to  Amendment 1, such  that lines  4-6 be                                                               
deleted  and line  8,  delete "lines  9    18"  and replace  with                                                               
"lines 14  18."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
10:54:29 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  sought any further objection  to Conceptual                                                               
Amendment 2  to Amendment 1  and, seeing none, announced  that it                                                               
had been adopted.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:54:46 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  removed his  objection to Amendment  1 on                                                               
the basis that it had been conceptually amended.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS sought further  objection to Amendment 1, as                                                               
amended and, seeing none, announced that it had been adopted.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:55:06 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN moved  Amendment 2, labeled 32-LS0779\G.2,                                                               
Wallace, 5/14/21, which read as follows:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 18:                                                                                                 
     Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                           
     "(c)     In  this  section,  "state   agency"  means  a                                                                    
     department,  institution, board,  commission, division,                                                                    
     authority, public corporation,  or other administrative                                                                    
     unit of the executive  branch, including the University                                                                    
     of Alaska and the Alaska Railroad Corporation."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS objected.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:55:13 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN   explained  that  the   amendment  would                                                               
designate the  correct body of  publications which  exists within                                                               
the executive branch only.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  asked  whether the  university  or  Alaska                                                               
Railroad would be  some of the instrumentalities of  the state as                                                               
referenced.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. SCHULTZ  answered that all the  instrumentalities listed with                                                               
the exception of the Alaska  Railroad were involved in the annual                                                               
budget process and suggested removing the Alaska Railroad.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN  asked the rationale for  not also removing                                                               
the university.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SCHULTZ answered  that  the university  is  included in  the                                                               
executive budget  act process and allowed  that the determination                                                               
would be one of policy.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:57:42 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS moved Conceptual  Amendment 1 to Amendment 2                                                               
2,  such   that  it  would   delete  "and  the   Alaska  Railroad                                                               
Corporation" among  lines 5 -6  and add "and" and  "including" on                                                               
line 5 to conform the language.   He added that Legislative Legal                                                               
Services would be authorized to  make any technical or conforming                                                               
changes.     He  sought  any  further   objection  to  Conceptual                                                               
Amendment 1  to Amendment 2  and, seeing none, announced  that it                                                               
had been adopted.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS removed his objection  to Amendment 2 on the                                                               
basis that it  had been conceptually amended.   He sought further                                                               
objection to Amendment 2, as  amended and, seeing none, announced                                                               
that it had been adopted.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN  complimented  the committee's  work  and                                                               
expressed  that  he  had  been   pleased  to  advance  a  process                                                               
improvement bill.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS stated his intent  to offer to co-sponsor HB
187.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:59:44 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN moved to report  CSHB 187(STA), as amended,                                                               
out  of   committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  the                                                               
accompanying  fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection,  CSHB
187(STA)  was  moved  from  the   House  State  Affairs  Standing                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 198 Letter of Support - Koponen 5.13.21.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 198
HB 177 Amendment A.1.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 177
HB 177 Research Legal Opinion 05.05.2020.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 177
HB 177 Research Legal Opinon 08.26.2020.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 177
SB 71 Sponsor Statement.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 Sectional Analysis.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 Sample Plates Plate Demand.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 ArtsCouncil_Support-Letter_KodiakArts_08March2021.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 Version B.PDF HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 Public Testimony Rogers.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
SB 71 DMV License Plate Options.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
SB 71
HB 187 Amendment G.1 - Kreiss-Tomkins.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 187
HB 187 Amendment G.2 - Kaufman.pdf HSTA 5/15/2021 10:00:00 AM
HB 187