Legislature(2021 - 2022)
04/08/2022 07:45 AM House LEGISLATIVE BUDGET & AUDIT
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Executive Session: Procurement and Strategic Plan | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
April 8, 2022
7:47 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Natasha von Imhof, Chair
Representative Chris Tuck, Vice Chair
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Lora Reinbold
Senator Bert Stedman
Representative Andy Josephson
Representative James Kaufman
Senator Click Bishop (alternate)
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Lyman Hoffman
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative Neal Foster
Representative Dan Ortiz (alternate)
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Ken McCarty
Representative Bart LeBon
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
EXECUTIVE SESSION: PROCUREMENT AND STRATEGIC PLAN
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
KRIS CURTIS, Legislative Auditor
Legislative Audit Division
Legislative Agencies and Offices
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided information on the procurement
request.
ACTION NARRATIVE
7:47:03 AM
CHAIR NATASHA VON IMHOF called the Legislative Budget and Audit
Committee meeting to order at 7:47 a.m. Representatives
Josephson, Kaufman, and Tuck and Senators Reinbold, Stedman,
Bishop, and von Imhof were present at the call to order.
^Executive Session: Procurement and Strategic Plan
Executive Session: Procurement and Strategic Plan
7:47:47 AM
CHAIR VON IMHOF announced that the first order of business would
be Executive Session to consider the legislative audit's
procurement memo and strategic plan.
7:47:58 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK moved that the Legislative Budget and Audit
Committee go into Executive Session under Uniform Rule 22(b)(3)
for the discussion of matters that may, by law, be required to
be confidential. He asked that the following persons remain in
the room or online: the legislative auditor and necessary staff
for the auditor, any legislators not on the committee, and staff
for legislators who are members of the committee.
7:48:28 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 7:48 a.m. to 8:34 a.m. for
the purpose of executive session.
8:34:22 AM
CHAIR VON IMHOF called the Legislative Budget and Audit
Committee meeting back to order at 8:34 a.m. Present at the
call back to order were Representatives Josephson, Kaufman, and
Tuck and Senators Reinbold, Micciche, Stedman, and von Imhof.
8:35:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK moved that the Legislative Budget and Audit
Committee authorize the legislative auditor to solicit for the
outside federal compliance audit of no more than five fiscal
year 2023 (FY 23) and FY 24 major federal programs.
8:35:28 AM
KRIS CURTIS, Legislative Auditor, Legislative Audit Division,
Legislative Agencies and Offices, explained that she had
requested to solicit for the outside audit of five major federal
programs for FY 23 and FY24. She stated that the "great
resignation" had impacted the Legislative Audit Division and
during the previous nine months the staff had been reduced by
eight positions, four of which were upper-level, experienced
auditors and four of which were lower-level auditors. She
stated that, in order to meet statutory audit deadlines, and
considering anticipated staff retirements, the agency needs to
recruit and train new auditors. She recalled that, in 2015,
when the new state accounting system was implemented, the agency
had taken a similar approach to manage a skyrocketing workload
and the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee had supported the
hiring of an outside auditor of the Department of Health and
Social Services major federal programs for FYs 16-18.
CHAIR VON IMHOF sought any objection from members of the
committee. There being none, the motion passed.
8:36:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK moved that the Legislative Budget and Audit
Committee authorize the legislative auditor to amend the
contract for the examination of FY 21 Alaska's Resource for
Integrated Eligibility Services (ARIES) information technology
(IT) general controls and application controls to include an
examination of FY 22 controls, not to exceed a total contract
amount of $138,000.
CHAIR VON IMHOF objected.
8:37:20 AM
MS. CURTIS referred to a memorandum dated April 5, 2022,
requesting approval for a procurement to examine the IT and
general application controls for the state's new Medicaid
control system, also known as ARIES. She recalled that the
committee had approved the procurement for FY 21 audit
activities and explained the request is for approval to continue
activities for FY 22. She noted that the estimated cost [for FY
22 contract continuation] was $80,000 and that the request was
being made not to exceed $85,000for FY 22 so that further
approval from the committee would not be required should the
contract scope expand and the amount exceed the estimated
$80.000. She noted that the entire contract [for FY 21 and
FY22] is not to exceed $138,000.
8:38:18 AM
CHAIR VON IMHOF removed her objection and sought any objection
from members of the committee. There being none, the motion
passed.
8:38:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK moved that any remote, full-time employment
of non-residents would be limited to two within the department.
CHAIR VON IMHOF objected.
8:38:43 AM
MS. CURTIS stated that the loss of staff that she had mentioned
earlier was the reason for the potential offering of remote work
limited to no more than two employees and that the recruitment
involved that of very specialized skillsets needed to meet the
agency's mission.
8:39:17 AM
CHAIR VON IMHOF removed her objection and sought any objection
from members of the committee. There being none, the motion
passed.
8:39:33 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the
Legislative Budget and Audit Committee meeting was adjourned at
8:39 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| LBA 4.8.22 ARIES Procurement Memo.PDF |
JBUD 4/8/2022 7:45:00 AM |
LBA 4.8.22 Procurement ARIES |