Legislature(2005 - 2006)BELTZ 211

04/11/2006 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE


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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ HB 439 INSURANCE PRODUCT REGULATION COMPACT TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
*+ SB 282 BROADCASTING PROMOTING CHARITABLE GAMING TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= HB 122 NATIONAL GUARD INSURANCE & OTHER RELIEF TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
Confirmation:
Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Jeffrey Garness
Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled
Including But Not Limited to:
+= SB 311 ATHLETIC COMMISSION; BOXING & WRESTLING TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= SB 312 CONCERT OR ATHLETIC EVENT PROMOTERS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 312(L&C) Out of Committee
+= SB 309 CONSTR. TRAINING GRANT;UNEMPLOYMENT COMP. TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 309(L&C) Out of Committee
     CSHB 122(FIN)-NATIONAL GUARD INSURANCE & OTHER RELIEF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE announced CSHB 122(FIN) to be up for consideration.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR RALPH SEEKINS  moved to adopt SCS  CSHB 122(L&C), version                                                               
T, as the  working document. There were no objections  and it was                                                               
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NANCY DAHLSTROM,  sponsor  of  HB 122,  explained                                                               
that  it  provides  life  insurance   reimbursement  as  well  as                                                               
complimentary hunting  and fishing  licenses to  Alaska Guardsmen                                                               
during deployment on active duty in the military.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:08:39 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BUNDE  noted a  negative impact of  $7,100 for  the hunting                                                               
licenses and $300,000 for the life insurance premiums.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:09:16 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR SEEKINS  asked for clarification  of the two  years after                                                               
deployment for complimentary hunting  and fishing licenses and if                                                               
an  individual could  live  in  another state  and  come back  to                                                               
Alaska and still get a complimentary license.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAHLSTROM replied  they  must return  to live  in                                                               
Alaska and apply for the license within two years of being back.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEEKINS asked how long the license was good for.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAHLSTROM replied  the usual  time period  of one                                                               
year. The intent is for a one-year exemption.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:10:32 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR SEEKINS  asked if the  life insurance premium is  the one                                                               
they belong  to as a  member of the  National Guard or  any group                                                               
life insurance.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAHLSTROM   replied  that   it  applies   to  the                                                               
insurance that comes through the Guard, not any other.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS asked  how much a year was the  normal premium on                                                               
that.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAHLSTROM  replied  $251,000  per  year  for  all                                                               
members. She  didn't have a per  member break down, but  said she                                                               
would get if for him.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:11:48 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BEN STEVENS asked if why Section .261 was inserted.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM  said that some things  were unnecessary                                                               
in  the original  version of  HB  122 because  they were  already                                                               
covered in the  Soldier and Sailors Civil Relief  Act and Service                                                               
Members Civil Relief Act.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEN STEVENS  asked if Section 261 of  the Finance version                                                               
dealing with  relief for  members who served  abroad in  a combat                                                               
zone and with a spouse or  a spouse member's motor vehicle lease,                                                               
wireless phone was covered in existing language.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM  replied that  some of those  items were                                                               
covered in  existing language;  some items,  such as  motor lease                                                               
vehicles,  were  not covered.  She  chose  to remove  them  after                                                               
discussions  with  several  members  of  the  House  and  Senate,                                                               
because  of differences  in banking  laws. She  needed to  remove                                                               
motor leased vehicles in order to get the basics.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:14:44 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BEN  STEVENS  asked  if credit  at  the  University  was                                                               
pulled.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM explained that it  was pulled out of the                                                               
original  bill. Senator  Huggins wanted  her  to go  back to  the                                                               
original language.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEN  STEVENS said  he  wanted  further discussion  about                                                               
that. He  said he supported  elements that the state  had control                                                               
of  like  the  University.  If   someone  is  deployed  while  in                                                               
secondary  education, the  state could  issue the  credit and  he                                                               
liked the original  language - or language that  would mention if                                                               
it's a state institution, therefore  the state is controlling it,                                                               
not a commercial obligation.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE said it was  the committee's prerogative to flesh the                                                               
bill out as it saw fit.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:16:59 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR SEEKINS explained that he  had talked about lease payment                                                               
forgiveness  with the  sponsor and  that no  bank or  independent                                                               
institute  would  grant  a  lease  to someone  that  was  in  the                                                               
National Guard. So, you would  be actually hurting them more than                                                               
helping. He wanted  to look at language on page  1, line 10, that                                                               
talks about the complimentary license  and maybe insert "good for                                                               
one calendar  year" and on page  2, line 24 insert  "for the time                                                               
the member  was deployed in  the combat zone"  - to make  it very                                                               
clear that payments would be made  for that time rather than just                                                               
a general waiver.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE asked them to work together on a CS.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:18:40 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR ELLIS asked if they would continue the forgiveness                                                                      
during the time of convalescence at a military hospital.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS replied that he wouldn't have a problem with                                                                    
that.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM also supported those changes.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE said he would set HB 122 aside to address at a                                                                      
future date. There being no further business to come before the                                                                 
committee, he adjourned the meeting at 3:19:59 PM.                                                                            

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