Legislature(2025 - 2026)GRUENBERG 120
03/05/2026 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB250 | |
| HB152 | |
| HB278 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 250 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 152 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 295 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 278 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 278-ECONOMIC DEV:AK-IRELAND TRADE COMM.
5:00:44 PM
CHAIR CARRICK announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 278, "An Act establishing the Alaska-Ireland
Trade Commission; and providing for an effective date."
5:01:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 278, Version 34-LS1299\T, Gunther,
3/5/26, as a working document.
CHAIR CARRICK objected for presentational purposes.
5:02:17 PM
STUART RELAY, Staff, Representative Ashley Carrick, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of the bill sponsor, the House State
Affairs Standing Committee, on which Representative Carrick
serves as chair, gave a summary of changes to the proposed CS,
Version 34-LS1299, to HB 278 [included in the committee file],
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Section 1: Various changes to the commission (AS
44.33.440) and its operations, including:
Subsection (a) has conforming changes that delete the
"Department of Commerce Community and Economic
Development" and replace it with "department."
Department is later defined on page 3, lines 9-10 of
the CS under a new subsection (j).
Subsection (b) is changed to increase the term lengths
of commission members from two to three years.
Subsection (f) relating to the authority of the
department to accept donations is changed to provide
additional clarity and adds a new requirement that
donations be disclosed (discussed further under new
subsection (h)).
Specifically, this section specifies that the
department may accept a grant, donation, or gift from
a public or private source for (1) per diem and travel
expenses, and (2) other assistance that the department
or commission may require to carry out its mission.
New Subsection (g) specifies that members of the
commission are voluntary, serve without compensation,
and are not entitled to per diem or travel expenses
authorized under the Executive Budget Act.
New Subsection (h) changes the reporting requirements.
In the previous version of this bill, the report to
the legislature required under former section 2 of the
bill was only a one-time report. Subsection (h)
changes the reporting requirement to an annual report
to the Legislature.
In addition to reporting on the commission's
"findings, results, and recommendations," this new
annual report requires that the commission disclose
all of its donors and include the same information
that candidates are required to disclose for APOC
reports.
New Subsection (i) specifies that the commission may
not contract for services or support to prepare its
annual report unless someone makes a donation for that
purpose.
New Subsection (j) defines the department as the
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic
Development.
Section 2: Former section 2 relating to a one-time
report to the legislature is deleted and replaced with
new language relating to the initial appointments and
staggered terms for commission members. Required for
longer-term lengths.
Section 3: Unchanged, immediate effective date.
5:04:58 PM
CHAIR CARRICK asked if the Department of Commerce, Community &
Economic Development anticipates a change in the fiscal note.
5:05:20 PM
HANNAH LAGER, Director, Division of Administrative Services,
Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, said
she would need to examine the CS more to be able to update the
fiscal note.
5:06:00 PM
CHAIR CARRICK stated the intent of [the proposed CS, Version T]
was to reduce the cost significantly or completely.
5:06:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MIA COSTELLO, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau,
Alaska, as prime sponsor of HB 278, appreciate the collaborative
effort toward having no impact on the state and the cost paid
for by donations.
5:06:42 PM
CHAIR CARRICK removed her objection. There being no further
objection, Version T was before the committee.
5:07:29 PM
CHAIR CARRICK announced HB 278, Version T, was held over.