04/29/2002 11:03 AM Senate RLS

MS. PAMELA  FINLEY, revisor  of statutes,  explained that  HB 375-                                                          
REVISOR'S BILL is  the standard statute clean-up  bill. The Senate                                                          
Judiciary Committee  removed the most problematic  section; she is                                                              
happy with that result. A section  of interest is Section 1, which                                                              
puts in  statute a practice  used by  the revisor's office  for at                                                              
least 18 years concerning effective dates.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS asked if that is a substantive change.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. FINLEY  said it isn't substantive  in that it does  not change                                                              
what  the   revisor's  office  has   been  doing.  She   said  the                                                              
legislative branch writes the effective date.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT pointed  out that it is the status  quo so that                                                              
if the  legislature adds an  immediate or specific  effective date                                                              
to a bill, it does not want the Administration  to be able to hold                                                              
or veto that bill past that date.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  PHILLIPS  asked if  the  bill contains  any  substantive                                                              
changes because, in the past, legislators  often added substantive                                                              
legislation to it.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. FINLEY said it does not.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COWDERY  moved  to  calendar  HB 375  at  the  Chairman's                                                              
discretion with its zero fiscal note.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT  asked Ms. Finley  to describe the  change made                                                              
by the House.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. FINLEY  said a change  was made on  the floor at  her request.                                                              
The phrase  "subject to  state control" was  added to  Sections 11                                                              
and 12  on pages 5 and  6. She explained  that she sent  the draft                                                              
bill to the Executive  Branch for review, but it  wasn't until the                                                              
House Judiciary Committee  held a hearing that  the Older Alaskans                                                              
Commission notified her that it had  several federal programs that                                                              
the state could  not administer. Therefore, to  avoid reporting on                                                              
something the state  could not take control over,  that phrase was                                                              
added.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS announced that  with no objection to calendaring                                                              
HB 375, the motion carried.