Legislature(2019 - 2020)ADAMS 519
03/05/2020 09:00 AM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB186 | |
| HB230 | |
| HB197 | |
| HB159 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 230 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 197 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 186 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 159 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
March 5, 2020
10:21 a.m.
10:21:00 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Johnston called the House Finance Committee
meeting to order at 10:21 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair
Representative Jennifer Johnston, Co-Chair
Representative Dan Ortiz, Vice-Chair
Representative Andy Josephson
Representative Gary Knopp
Representative Bart LeBon
Representative Kelly Merrick
Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard
Representative Cathy Tilton
Representative Adam Wool
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Ben Carpenter
ALSO PRESENT
Sara Perman, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes;
Representative John Lincoln, Bill Sponsor; Elizabeth
Ferguson, Staff, Representative John Lincoln;
Representative Chris Tuck, Bill Sponsor; Mike Mason, Staff,
Representative Chris Tuck; Kris Curtis, Legislative
Auditor, Alaska Division of Legislative Audit;
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tompkins, Sponsor.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Eddie Grasser, Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation,
Department of Fish and Game
SUMMARY
HB 159 MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
HB 159 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
HB 186 NAMING IRENE WEBBER BRIDGE
HB 186 was REPORTED out of committee with a "do
pass" recommendation and with one previously
published fiscal impact note: FN1 (DOT).
HB 197 EXTEND SEISMIC HAZARDS SAFETY COMMISSION
HB 197 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
HB 230 INTENSIVE MGMT SURCHARGE/REPEAL TERM DATE
HB 230 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
Co-Chair Johnston reviewed the meeting agenda.
HOUSE BILL NO. 186
"An Act naming the irene Webber Bridge."
10:21:46 AM
Co-Chair Johnston invited the bill sponsor's staff to
provide a brief reintroduction of the legislation.
SARA PERMAN, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE LOUISE STUTES, shared
that the bill would name a bridge at mile 9.5 in Cordova
the "irene Webber Bridge" as a tribute to Ms. Webber. She
detailed that Ms. Webber was a former Cordovan and runner
who had founded a marathon that crossed over the bridge.
Co-Chair Johnston asked the Department of Transportation
and Public Facilities to answer any questions on its fiscal
note.
Co-Chair Johnston asked members if there were questions
about the fiscal note. [There were no questions.]
Co-Chair Foster MOVED to REPORT HB 186 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
note.
HB 186 was REPORTED out of committee with a "do pass"
recommendation and with one previously published fiscal
impact note: FN1 (DOT).
HOUSE BILL NO. 230
"An Act repealing the termination date for the
intensive management hunting license surcharge."
10:24:28 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHN LINCOLN, BILL SPONSOR, introduced
himself. He asked his staff to provide a description of the
legislation.
ELIZABETH FERGUSON, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE JOHN LINCOLN,
explained that the one-line bill would repeal the sunset
date for the intensive management hunting license
surcharge. She provided additional detail with a written
statement:
The surcharge was first implemented after legislation
passed in 2016 authorizing the collection for it at a
rate of $10 per resident hunting license and $30 for a
nonresident hunting license. In its three years, the
surcharge has grossed just about $3.1 million. House
Bill 230 does not increase or change the surcharge
amount per hunting license, and it does not change
policy on intensive management, it just funds
activities and will continue to allow the department
to use much of that money for federal match.
Ms. Ferguson referenced two pie charts in the packets'
showing the total spending on intensive management
activities for FY 18 and FY 19 prepared by the Division of
Wildlife Conservation in the Department of Fish and Game
(copy on file). She pointed out that the majority of the
expenditures went toward research and management. She
elaborated that scientists and researchers determined all
of the factors at play - each case varied from one to
another. Using the funds to assist the data driven approach
had made the program successful. Currently most of the
surcharge was used for a 1:3 match for Pittman-Robertson
funds. The bill had a zero fiscal note; however, it showed
that without the surcharge revenue, the Department of Fish
and Game (DFG) could stand to lose up to $4 million, which
would make management research, surveying, and inventory
more challenging. Section 1 of the bill [the bill's only
section] read that the current sunset provision would be
repealed with the passage of the bill. She relayed that the
department was online for any questions.
10:26:53 AM
Representative Josephson directed a question to DFG. He
asked for confirmation that the federal match could not be
used for predator control.
EDDIE GRASSER, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION,
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME (via teleconference), answered
in the negative. However, because of constraints federal
land managers had on their land and other issues, DFG had
elected to never use Pittman-Robertson dollars if possible,
for actual predator management.
Representative Josephson asked if it included not using the
funding on state lands.
Mr. Grasser agreed.
Representative Josephson reported that he had been told
during the current week by a DFG employee that Pittman-
Robertson dollars could not be used for predator control.
He stated his understanding of Mr. Grasser's testimony that
DFG could use the funds [for predator control], but the
department opted to not use the funds for that purpose. He
asked why people kept telling him incorrectly that the
department could not use Pittman-Robertson dollars on
predator control.
Mr. Grasser replied that he did not know. He clarified that
there was nothing in the statutory language housing the
Pittman-Robertson Act that barred the state from conducting
predator management programs with the use of Pittman-
Robertson dollars.
HB 230 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HOUSE BILL NO. 197
"An Act extending the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety
Commission; and providing for an effective date."
10:29:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS TUCK, BILL SPONSOR, introduced the
bill with a prepared statement:
Thank you for hearing House Bill 197 to extend the
Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission. As we all
know, Alaska is one of the most seismically active
regions on earth with a history of very large and
damaging earthquakes.
In January, the Alaska Earthquake Center issued a
summary of Alaska's seismic activity in 2019. (The
report is in your packet).
Alaska experienced 50,289 earthquakes in 2019.
• 2nd most in Alaska's history.
• So far this year, there have been 7,050
earthquakes.
The State of Alaska has worked diligently to prepare
for future earthquakes to ensure the safety of our
people and our infrastructure.
As part of this work, the state created the Alaska
Seismic Hazards Safety Commission in 2001. This
Commission provides recommendations on goals and
priorities to mitigate seismic hazards in Alaska
through...
• Gathering and disseminating information on how to
reduce Alaska's vulnerability to earthquakes; and
• Reviewing earthquake recovery and reconstruction
efforts to make recommendations to improve these
efforts.
The commission is made up of volunteer experts and key
government officials to "provide advice to
policymakers on disaster preparedness and seismic
hazard mitigation."
• The commission is staffed by the Division of
Geological and Geophysical Surveys.
• The Director of the Division, Steve Masterman, is
on the line if you have any questions.
• The latest annual report for the commission was
included in your bill packet.
• House Bill 197 would extend the Alaska Seismic
Hazards Safety Commission through June 30, 2028.
• The bill includes an immediate effective date
because the current authorization expires at the
end of this June.
• A recent audit of the commission included a
specific recommendation to extend the commission
until 2028.
• Kris Curtis, the legislative auditor, will go
through the results of the audit.
• In conclusion, Alaska is threatened by
earthquakes 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
• The Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission has
played a key role in preparing the public and
private sectors for future earthquakes.
• With the passage of House Bill 197 that vital
work can continue.
10:33:07 AM
Co-Chair Johnston asked to hear a sectional analysis.
MIKE MASON, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS TUCK, provided the
sectional analysis. The bill would amend AS 44.66.010 and
change the sunset date from June 30, 2020 to June 30, 2028.
The act would take place immediately.
Co-Chair Johnston asked to hear from the Division of
Legislative Audit.
KRIS CURTIS, LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR, ALASKA DIVISION OF
LEGISLATIVE AUDIT, referenced the audit titled "A Sunset
Review of the Department of Natural Resources, Alaska
Seismic Hazards Safety Commission," dated March 15, 2019
(copy on file). She reminded the committee that the purpose
of a sunset audit was to determine whether a board or
commission was serving the publics' interest and whether it
should be extended. The audit found there continued to be a
public policy need for the commission's continued
existence. The audit findings recommended a maximum
extension of eight years. She turned to a schedule of
expenditures on page 9 of the audit. The audit found that
the commission was a fairly low cost way of leveraging the
volunteer expertise. She elaborated that annual
expenditures ranged from over just over $3,500 per year to
just over $13,000.
Ms. Curtis turned to a summary of the commission's
activities during the audit period on page 12. The schedule
showed the commission to be very active. She pointed to the
third bullet under Strategic Plan Goal 2 and explained that
during the audit period the commission helped secure
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants that were
used by school districts to assess the vulnerabilities of
school buildings susceptible to significant structural
damage during an earthquake. The number of the buildings
and specific locations were listed at the bottom of page
12.
Ms. Curtis relayed that the audit had also reviewed how the
commission helped respond to the major earthquake in
November 2018. She directed attention to page 14 and
highlighted that after the earthquake the commission
provided a list of certified evaluators who had assessment
training to assist with inspecting structures. A total of
11 volunteers had assisted with damage assessments, 8 of
which had completed training sponsored by the commission in
September 2018. Additionally, several commission members
helped with damage assessments by working directly with
state agencies. The audit recognized that FEMA reached out
to the commission after the earthquake and requested its
assistance in generating a damage report with future
recommendations for preparedness.
Ms. Curtis reported that the audit had identified two
administrative improvements, which began on page 16. The
audit recommended that the commission chair ensures
procedures were implemented to publish meeting notices
timely and accurately. She detailed that auditors had
tested 25 meetings during the audit period, 5 of the
meetings were not public noticed or not public noticed
timely. Second, the audit recommended the commission chair
ensure the strategic plan was updated to reflect the
current goals and priorities based on experience (page 17).
Ms. Curtis reported that responses to the audit began on
page 27. The commissioner of the Department of Natural
Resources and the chair of the commission agreed with the
findings and recommendations and corrective action had been
taken.
HB 197 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HOUSE BILL NO. 159
"An Act relating to repayment conditions for medical
education program participants."
10:36:49 AM
Co-Chair Johnston asked for a brief reintroduction of the
bill.
REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN KREISS-TOMPKINS, SPONSOR, thanked
the committee for the second bill hearing and was available
for questions.
Co-Chair Johnston asked committee members if they wanted a
brief overview of the bill.
Representative Knopp thanked the sponsor bringing the bill
forward and highlighted his support for the legislation.
Co-Chair Johnston OPENED and CLOSED public testimony.
10:38:02 AM
Co-Chair Johnston set an amendment deadline of Friday,
March 6 at 5:00 p.m.
HB 159 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
Co-Chair Johnston reviewed the agenda for the afternoon
meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
10:39:09 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 10:39 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 230 Administrative Process for Intensive Management 2.17.20.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM |
HB 230 |
| HB 186 DOT Response to HFIN 030320.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM |
HB 186 HB 223 |
| HB197 Supporting Document-Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission Audit.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/7/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 197 |
| HB197 Supporting Document-ASHSC 2018 Annual Report.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/7/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 197 |
| HB197 Additional Documents-2019 Alaska Seismicity Summary 2.01.20.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/7/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 197 |
| HB197 Sponsor Statement 1.22.20.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/7/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 197 |
| HB 230 Hunting License Surcharge Revenue CY17-CY19 2.4.2020.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 230 |
| HB 230 IM FY 19 Activities and Spending 2.7.2020.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM HRES 2/7/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 230 |
| HB 230 IM Species Determinations 12.17.2019.jpg |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM HRES 2/5/2020 1:00:00 PM HRES 2/7/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 230 |
| HB 230 Testimony Received by 2.18.20.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM |
HB 230 |
| HB 230 IM FY 18 Activities and Spending 2.11.20.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM |
HB 230 |
| HB 230 Administrative Process for Intensive Management 2.17.20.pdf |
HFIN 3/5/2020 9:00:00 AM |
HB 230 |