02/09/1994 09:00 AM Senate FIN

  SB 253:   An  Act  relating to  reapplication  for the  1993                 
            permanent  fund dividend  when  the United  States                 
            Postal Service documents the  loss of mail  during                 
            the 1993 application period; and providing  for an                 
            effective date.                                                    
                                                                               
            Senator Mike Miller, sponsor  of SB 253, testified                 
            in  support  of  the bill.    Thomas  C. Williams,                 
            Director,   Permanent   Fund   Dividend  Division,                 
            Department  of   Revenue,  testified  as   to  the                 
            department's  neutral position on  the bill.   The                 
            committee  questioned   whether  SB   253  was   a                 
            "temporary"  law.    Satisfied  that  it  was   by                 
            Legislative Legal Services,  the bill was REPORTED                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
            OUT  of  committee with  a  "do pass"  and  a zero                 
            fiscal note from the Department of Revenue.                        
                                                                               
  SENATE BILL NO. 253:                                                         
                                                                               
       An Act relating to reapplication for the 1993 permanent                 
       fund dividend  when the  United  States Postal  Service                 
       documents the loss of mail  during the 1993 application                 
       period; and providing for an effective date.                            
                                                                               
  CO-CHAIR PEARCE announced  that SB 253 was  before committee                 
  and invited Senator Miller, sponsor of the bill, to join the                 
  committee at the table.                                                      
                                                                               
  SENATOR MILLER testified in support of SB 253.  He explained                 
  that on January  8th, 9th, and 11th the  mail from the North                 
  Pole  post  office had  been lost.    This bill  would allow                 
  people that mailed  their PFD applications on  those days to                 
  reapply.  Sworn statements and documentation from the postal                 
  service would be required with  the reapplications.  Senator                 
  Miller confirmed the loss of mail on those days because of a                 
  personal piece of mail that he was missing.                                  
                                                                               
  SENATOR KERTTULA asked Senator Miller what document would be                 
  required from the post office.  Senator Miller said that the                 
  post office has supplied a document for use by residents for                 
  creditors that did not receive payments, etc.                                
                                                                               
  In answer to Co-chair Pearce,  Senator Miller confirmed that                 
  SB 253 was temporary law.                                                    
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Pearce  invited  Thomas   C.  Williams,  Director,                 
  Permanent Fund  Dividend Division, Department  of Revenue to                 
  join the  committee  at  the  table.    THOMAS  C.  WILLIAMS                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  testified  that the  department in  general  opposes general                 
  reopenings but  because of  the narrow  construction of  the                 
  bill and because it is  a temporary measure, their  position                 
  is neutral.   He  believed that  it would not  have a  large                 
  impact  on the  division and  the number of  people affected                 
  would be forty to  fifty.  Those could be  processed without                 
  an impact on the operation.                                                  
                                                                               
  SENATOR  RIEGER MOVED for  passage of SB  253 from committee                 
  with  individual  recommendations  after clarification  from                 
  legal that  the legislation  is clearly  temporary law.   No                 
  objections  being  raised,  SB  253   was  REPORTED  OUT  of                 
  committee with  a zero  fiscal  note for  the Department  of                 
  Revenue.    Co-chairs  Pearce  and Frank,  Senators  Rieger,                 
  Kelly,  Rieger,  Kerttula,  and Sharp  signed  the committee                 
  report  with  a  "do  pass"  recommendation.    (Immediately                 
  following  the  meeting,  clarification  was  received  from                 
  Legislative  Legal  Services  that SB  253,  as  worded, was                 
  temporary law.)