06/01/2015 08:19 PM Joint CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB2001

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 2001(FIN) am                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act making  appropriations for  the operating  and                                                                    
     loan  program  expenses  of state  government  and  for                                                                    
     certain   programs;  making   appropriations  for   the                                                                    
     operating   expenses   of    the   state's   integrated                                                                    
     comprehensive   mental  health   program;  capitalizing                                                                    
     funds    and     repealing    appropriations;    making                                                                    
     appropriations under art.  IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution                                                                    
     of the State of  Alaska, from the constitutional budget                                                                    
    reserve fund; and providing for an effective date."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
and                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 2001(FIN)                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act making  appropriations for  the operating  and                                                                    
     loan  program  expenses  of state  government  and  for                                                                    
     certain  programs  and  capitalizing  funds;  repealing                                                                    
     appropriations;  making appropriations  under art.  IX,                                                                    
     sec. 17(c),  Constitution of the State  of Alaska, from                                                                    
     the constitutional  budget reserve fund;  and providing                                                                    
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:20:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Pete Kelly  moved that  Representative Mark  Neuman                                                                    
serve as  presiding chair  of the  FY 2016  operating budget                                                                    
Conference Committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION,  it was so ordered. Representative                                                                    
Neuman is Chair of the Conference Committee.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Chair Neuman  moved that Senator  Kelly serve  as Vice-Chair                                                                    
of the FY 2016 operating budget Conference Committee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being NO  OBJECTION, it was so  ordered. Senator Kelly                                                                    
is Vice-Chair of the Conference Committee.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Chair Neuman  reviewed the process the  conference committee                                                                    
would follow  for the  meetings: Both  the House  and Senate                                                                    
budget processes allowed for  public testimony. That portion                                                                    
of the  process is  now concluded; the  Conference Committee                                                                    
will not  be accepting  public testimony. Unless  invited by                                                                    
the  Chair, only  members of  the  Conference Committee  may                                                                    
take part  in discussion  or sit  at the  table. Legislative                                                                    
Finance has been directed to  prepare the "motion sheets" we                                                                    
will  be using  at  the table.  These  sheets summarize  the                                                                    
differences between the  two versions of the  bills that are                                                                    
the  business  of  this Conference  Committee.  The  "motion                                                                    
sheets"  will be  posted  on  Legislative Finance's  website                                                                    
after  this   meeting  and  will   be  updated   after  each                                                                    
subsequent  meeting. The  Conference Committee  will operate                                                                    
under Uniform  Rule 42.  Adopting any  motion or  taking any                                                                    
action requires  a majority vote  from each body. A  copy of                                                                    
Uniform  Rule 42  and a  Legislative Legal  Services opinion                                                                    
dated March 26, 2015, are in each member's packet.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:21:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Chair  Neuman asked  for  a motion  to  adopt all  identical                                                                    
items.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Kelly moved that  all appropriations and language                                                                    
that are identical in both  the House and Senate versions of                                                                    
HB 2001 be adopted.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Chair  Neuman stated  that seeing  no  objection, the  items                                                                    
were adopted.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Chair Neuman asked for a  motion to request "limited powers"                                                                    
for  budget  allocations  for which  differences  exist.  He                                                                    
relayed that  he had distributed  a letter for  this purpose                                                                    
dated June  1, 2015, addressed  to the Speaker of  the House                                                                    
and  the   Senate  President.  Under  limited   powers,  the                                                                    
Conference Committee  can adopt any amount  between zero and                                                                    
the  higher of  the House  or  Senate version  of each  item                                                                    
subject to conference.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Kelly  moved  to  adopt  the  letter  requesting                                                                    
limited  powers  of  conference   for  items  that  are  not                                                                    
identical.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Chair Neuman stated that seeing  no  objection,  the  letter                                                                    
was  adopted. He  communicated that  each member  would sign                                                                    
two originals  of the letter requesting  limited powers, one                                                                    
for each body, at the end of this meeting.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Chair Neuman stated  that the committee would  be meeting to                                                                    
complete action on the operating  budget once limited powers                                                                    
have been received.  Meetings will be posted  on BASIS under                                                                    
the 24-hour rule. He asked if there was any other business,                                                                     
or any questions or comments from the members.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:22:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Kelly moved that this meeting of the Conference                                                                      
Committee be adjourned.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Chair Neuman stated that without objection, the meeting                                                                         
adjourned. He advised that each member needed to sign the                                                                       
two letters before leaving.