Legislature(2005 - 2006)FAHRENKAMP 203
01/26/2005 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB14 | |
| SB51 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 14 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 51 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 51-PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
SENATOR GARY STEVENS announced SB 51 to be before the committee
and asked Ms Farnham to introduce herself.
KATHERINE FARNAM, director of the Division of Public Assistance,
said she would give background for the Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families Program to frame the Native Family Assistance
Program.
In 1996 the State of Alaska began to rework welfare reform
through a state block grant that helped families work toward
self-sufficiency. She pointed to a chart illustrating that
Alaska has reduced the number of families on temporary
assistance by 58 percent. At the high point, there were 13,000
families on temporary assistance and in October 2004 there were
just 5,500. This success is attributable to the flexibility
provided by the block grant program and the emphasis on welfare
to work. The program also instituted a five year lifetime limit
for welfare benefits.
1:51:48 PM
MS. FARNAM said the effort to help families move to employment
and self-sufficiency has certainly been successful and when FY
04 is compared to FY 97, it shows that $66 million in cash
benefits have been saved.
She pointed out that their Native partnerships have contributed
to the success of their program. When the 1996 federal
legislation enabled the state's block grant, it instituted the
ability for tribal organizations to offer temporary assistance
programs directly.
1:52:26 PM
In the federal law, 12 regional Native non-profits plus
Metlakatla were identified as able to run their own temporary
assistance program. There are state matching funds for the
program and the maintenance of effort associated with temporary
assistance federal monies is at nearly an 80 percent level.
Because of the success in employment and work participation, it
will be at the 75 percent level in years to come, she said.
MS. FARNAM continued to explain that to operate a tribal program
at a level that is comparable to a state run program, some state
funds are required to go with the federal grant that they would
get directly on an approved program. To authorize the state
funds, the Legislature in 2000 introduced the Native Family
Assistance Program, which is the program under discussion in SB
51.
In Alaska, Tlingit Haida Central Council, Tanana Chiefs
Conference, and the Association of Village Council Presidents
have been running a tribal TANF program since 2000. Those three
non-profits serve 20 percent of the Alaska Natives on temporary
assistance in the state.
Because it was a new way of serving families, legislators
elected to set it up as a time limited program that sunsets June
30, 2005. It also identified four tribal organizations that were
eligible instead of the 13 designated in the federal law. Those
are the three mentioned previously and Metlakatla. Three of the
four non-profits have been running very successful programs that
outperform what the state could have done in those same years.
This is due to familiarity of the culture, the families and the
economic needs in the region.
MS. FARNAM pointed to the legislatively required report that
provides information on how the organizations achieved their
gains, how they built their programs and the advantages of
integrating those services with others that are provided.
1:56:34 PM
Nationally, 37 tribes have started tribal TANF programs that
help about 8400 families. The three Native non-profits have been
serving about 1,000 families in Alaska and receive about $8.7
million from the Native Family Assistance Program each year.
This is in support of the federal money to give them fair and
equitable resources to continue running their program rather
than continuing a state program.
Currently there are three other Native non-profits that are
working to set up their own tribal TANF programs. Without
extending the sunset date and reauthorizing the program, they
wouldn't be able to develop programs and receive state funds.
The three additional Native non-profits are the Cook Inlet
Tribal Corporation, the Bristol Bay Native Association and
Maniilaq Association.
1:57:59 PM
MS. FARNAM recommended making the program permanent and
expanding it to match the organizations that the federal
government authorizes for tribal TANF.
She noted that the fiscal note is based on the fiscal changes
associated with including Cook Inlet Native Association (CINA).
Instead of receiving federal money for the Cook Inlet families,
that federal money would go directly to CINA. Money would be
taken out of general fund expenditures that currently go into
Alaska Temporary Assistance Program and place it in the Native
Family Assistance Program.
1:58:56 PM
This reduces the federal block fund by the amount that Cook
Inlet would receive directly, which reduces the maintenance of
effort limit so there would be an associated net general fund
savings.
1:59:29 PM
SENATOR GARY STEVENS recapped saying the service goes to the
people wherever they are. If they were living in Anchorage they
would be served as fairly as if they lived in Cook Inlet (CIRI).
MS. FARNAM said yes, their policy has been that their services
have been for all Natives in the area not just corporate
shareholders.
SENATOR THOMAS WAGONER remarked that it looks to be an excellent
program. He questioned whether there is overlap between her
agency and tribes that are working with the families.
MS. FARNAM said that in very rural areas with a predominantly
Native population her agency elected to contract with the
Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) to serve all
regional residents to avoid duplication of services. She said
they would likely continue to do that in regions such as Bristol
Bay.
In some of the more populated areas such as Cook Inlet or in
Southeast, they collaborate closely with the regional non-profit
partners. Tribal organizations are often better able to
integrate services than the state.
2:01:39 PM
SENATOR WAGONER said, "You avoid turf wars."
MS. FARNAM replied, "We don't turf war."
2:01:51 PM
SENATOR ALBERT KOOKESH asked whether there would be turf wars if
the bill were to die.
MS FARNAM assured him there would be grave difficulties if the
bill didn't pass. It would be particularly difficult for the
three existing programs because they would be entitled to
federal money, but they wouldn't have the $8.7 million in state
money that is necessary to provide a fair program.
SENATOR KOOKESH said his point is that the cost to the state
would rise dramatically if the bill didn't pass. He said he
didn't want everyone to think this would just benefit the Native
community. The state will benefit as much as the Native
community because the Native non-profits are shouldering some of
the load for the state.
MS. FARNAM agreed and said they have not only taken some of the
workload they've done a good job and saved the state money. They
estimate that there's been $33 million in general fund savings
since the first tribal TANF program. She emphasized that there
would be major shifts in service quality if the tribal
organizations continued to serve families without state support.
SENATOR KOOKESH said it works both ways.
MS. FARNAM agreed.
SENATOR GARY STEVENS restated the point saying that state
responsibility would increase dramatically if the tribal
organizations didn't continue the programs.
MS. FARNAM clarified that it would require reassuming the cases
they haven't been managing, which would be a significant effort.
If the block grants were turned down the state would receive the
money, but the state general fund commitment to the programs
would increase.
SENATOR GARY STEVENS thanked Senator Kookesh for bringing up
that point.
SENATOR JOHNNY ELLIS said the bill was great and that when the
Governor puts out the traditional must-have list at the end of
the session she should make sure this was included. It warrants
the attention and support.
MS. FARNAM thanked him for the suggestion and the support.
SENATOR GARY STEVENS called Ms. Merritt Duren.
MOLLY MERRITT DUREN, employment training services director for
Cook Inlet Tribal Council, explained that they are a non-profit
service agency that serves Anchorage and the six CIRI villages.
She said they provide employment training, family substance
abuse, and education services. They've been a vendor for the
state providing welfare to work TANF services for eight years.
2:05:58 PM
They serve all Alaska Natives and American Indians in the region
and they've become the largest village in the state.
2:07:10 PM
The 1994 caseload in the Anchorage area was 1,123 and that
number was used for the original tribal TANF caseload. As of
November 2004 the caseload was 692 while census reports showed
the Native population increased from 12,000 to 46,000 during
that time. This shows a caseload decrease of 62 percent.
She said they have worked in close partnership with the state
and would like legislative support so they could begin being a
tribal TANF provider in July 2005.
2:08:14 PM
To show their ability to become a tribal TANF provider, she
informed members that Cook Inlet Tribal Council provides
accounting services for 39 non-profits in the state through the
Foraker Group, and information technology for five non-profits.
SENATOR WAGONER asked whether there were 46,000 Natives in the
entire region or just Anchorage.
MS. MERRITT-DUREN clarified that it was just Anchorage.
SENATOR WAGONER asked how many Natives live in the region they
serve.
MS. MERRITT-DUREN thought the 1994 figure was right at 1,300.
She added, "We do propose to offer our villages the option of us
becoming a tribal TANF provider for them in years two, three,
four and we get a little experience under our belt."
2:10:17 PM
CHAIR GARY STEVENS asked whether the program also served Native
Americans that came from outside Alaska.
MS. MERRITT-DUREN replied they serve Alaska Natives and American
Indians.
OZZIE SHEAKLEY, Tlingit Haida Central Council representative,
informed members that he was representing his boss, Sharon
Olsen, and the tribe president, Ed Thomas. He pointed out that
Ms. Olsen's testimony was in the report he distributed, but he
wanted members to note the employment figures in particular
because in some communities, the Native unemployment rate
reaches 80 percent.
2:12:29 PM
He thanked the state for complementing the work they have done.
He pointed to a press release stating that the Department of
Labor gave them the highest award for work they've done for
their people.
2:13:24 PM
AMANDA BLACKGOAT, financial systems specialist for Tlingit Haida
TANF program said she has been with the program since inception
in March 2000. They took on their caseload in July 2000.
She noted that the Tlingit Haida TANF program averages over 360
cases per month, which is reduced from the 440 cases they
handled in the beginning. In addition, there are 300 potential
TANF clients that don't use the program for one reason or
another, but they might do so at some point. "The program
benefits the culture here in Southeast and Juneau in that we're
trying to be specific. We're trying to establish a foundation
for our clients. We're trying to be all encompassing in order
for them to be self sufficient," Ms. Blackgoat said.
2:15:45 PM
MR. SHEAKLEY closed saying they support SB 51.
CHAIR GARY STEVENS asked for a motion.
2:16:39 PM
SENATOR ELLIS motioned to move SB 51 from committee with
individual recommendations and four attached fiscal notes. There
being no objection, it was so ordered.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|