Legislature(2015 - 2016)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

04/14/2015 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 107 INSURANCE; RISK MG'T; HOLDING COMPANIES TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled but Not Heard
+ HB 26 EXTEND CERT. DIRECT-ENTRY MIDWIVES BOARD TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS HB 26(L&C) Out of Committee
+ HB 41 SPORT FISHING SERVICES TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ HB 46 WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD VETERAN MEMBER TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 46 Out of Committee
+ HB 116 EXTEND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL BOARD TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 116 Out of Committee
+ HB 178 WORKERS' COMP MEDICAL FEES; DELAY TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 178 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
        HB  46-WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD VETERAN MEMBER                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:30:22 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  COSTELLO announced  the consideration  of HB  46. "An  Act                                                               
relating  to  membership  in   the  Alaska  Workforce  Investment                                                               
Board."                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:30:46 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  DAN SADDLER,  Sponsor  of HB  46, introduced  the                                                               
legislation speaking to the following sponsor statement:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill  46  will   improve  the  Alaska  Workforce                                                                    
     Investment  Board's   ability  to   improve  employment                                                                    
     prospects for  an important and growing  segment of the                                                                    
     state's  workforce,  by  adding  a  seat  to  represent                                                                    
     veterans.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     The Alaska  Workforce Investment Board (AWIB)  is a 25-                                                                    
     member board  charged with helping  unemployed Alaskans                                                                    
     find jobs,  and helping current workers  upgrade skills                                                                    
     find  better jobs.  Board  members represent  business,                                                                    
     industry, education, organized  labor, state government                                                                    
     and community-based service organizations.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     However,  there is  no representation  specifically for                                                                    
     veterans,  who  represent  a  significant  and  growing                                                                    
     segment of Alaska's population.  Alaska is home to more                                                                    
     than  73,000  veterans,  and boasts  the  highest  per-                                                                    
     capita  veteran population  in the  nation. Each  month                                                                    
     about  320 service  members  separate  from service  at                                                                    
     Alaska's  three main  military  facilities: Joint  Base                                                                    
     Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson  Air Force Base,  and Ft.                                                                    
     Wainwright.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Polls show 80 percent of  these new veterans would love                                                                    
     to  remain  in Alaska,  but  only  20 percent  do.  The                                                                    
     inability to find  a good job plays  a significant part                                                                    
     in  the state's  loss of  these highly  trained, civic-                                                                    
     minded individuals and their families.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Having  a veterans'  seat  on the  AWIB  will help  the                                                                    
     board  develop workforce  development policies  to meet                                                                    
     this group's significant needs.  It will help provide a                                                                    
     pool of  well-trained employees for  Alaskan employers.                                                                    
     And  it will  help veterans  transition from  uniformed                                                                    
     service, close any skills gap,  find work and remain in                                                                    
     Alaska as productive citizens.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:32:46 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS asked if the bill specifically asks for a                                                                       
veteran to sit on the board.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER answered yes.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COSTELLO asked if there is any opposition to the bill.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER answered no, it enjoys broad support.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COSTELLO asked what the unemployment rate is for veterans                                                                 
in Alaska.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER surmised it's about 6.7 percent.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:34:10 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS asked him to clarify the meaning of veteran.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER replied  the definition  of "veteran"  in                                                               
this  legislation  is  someone   who  has  served  honorably  and                                                               
received an honorable discharge  from the armed forces, including                                                               
the reserves;  the National Guard, the  Alaska Territorial Guard,                                                               
and the Alaska Naval Militia.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
GREG  CASHEN,  Deputy  Commissioner,   Department  of  Labor  and                                                               
Workforce  Development  (DOLWD),  reported  that  the  department                                                               
provides   training  programs   specifically  for   veterans.  He                                                               
highlighted  that if  this bill  were to  pass, the  veteran seat                                                               
would replace one of the public seats on the AWIB.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COSTELLO   offered  her   understanding  that   there  are                                                               
currently five public seats on the board.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. CASHEN agreed.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COSTELLO asked if the administration supports the bill.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. CASHEN  replied the administration  has not taken  a position                                                               
on the bill.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GIESSEL  asked  if  the veteran  seat  would  be  filled                                                               
immediately or when one of the public seats terms out.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR.  CASHEN offered  his belief  that the  veteran seat  would be                                                               
filled when a  public seat expires and three seats  will do so on                                                               
October 13, 2015.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:37:04 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:37:22 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COSTELLO reconvened the meeting.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  explained that the five  public seats are                                                               
designed  specifically to  ensure  that there  is  a majority  of                                                               
private  sector  members  on  the board.  The  balance  would  be                                                               
maintained if one of those seats was designated for a veteran.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS commented  that  a private  sector member  could                                                               
also be a veteran.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER agreed.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COSTELLO opened and closed public testimony.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:38:17 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report  HB 46, labeled 29-LS0282\A, from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
note(s).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COSTELLO  announced  that  without  objection,  HB  46  is                                                               
reported from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.                                                                 

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 149 am - Sponsor Statement.pdf SL&C 4/9/2015 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 149
HB 26 - Fiscal Note DCCED.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 26
HB 26 - Hearing Request.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 26
HB 26 - Sponsor Statement.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 26
HB 26 - Supporting Documents - Legislative Audit 6-30-2014.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 26
HB 26 - Ver. A.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 26
HB 41 - Fiscal Note F&G 2.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Fiscal Note F&G.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Fiscal Note LAA.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Support Cummings.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Support Haney.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Support JCBOA.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Support Lost in AK.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Support Rum Runners.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Support SEAGO.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 - Ver. P.A.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 Explanation of Changes Version P.A.PDF SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 Sectional Analysis (FIN)am.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 41 Sport Fish Sponsor Statement P.A.PDF SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 41
HB 46 - Fiscal Note DMVA.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Fiscal Note DOLWD.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Senate Labor & Commerce Hearing Request.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Sponsor Statement.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Supporting Documents - Email from Douglas Bowers.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Supporting Documents - Email from Mr. Russ Black - SFAC Director JBER.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Supporting Documents - Letter from CH2M Hill.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Supporting Documents - Resolution from Alaska Veterans Advisory Council.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Supporting Documents-Letter Russ Black SFAC Director JBER.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 46 - Version A.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 46
HB 116 - Fiscal Note DCCED.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 116
HB 116 - Sponsor Statement.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 116
HB 116 - Supporting Documents - Legislative Audit 05-30-14.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 116
HB 116 - Ver. A.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 116
HB 178 - Fiscal Note DOLWFD.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 178
HB 178 - Sectional Analysis Ver R.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 178
HB 178 - Sponsor Statement.pdf SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 178
HB 178 - Supporting Documents-HB316 enacted in 2014.PDF SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 178
HB 316
HB 178 - Ver. H.PDF SL&C 4/14/2015 1:30:00 PM
HB 178