Legislature(1993 - 1994)
04/14/1993 03:00 PM House HES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES
STANDING COMMITTEE
April 14, 1993
3:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Rep. Cynthia Toohey, Co-Chair
Rep. Con Bunde, Co-Chair
Rep. Gary Davis, Vice Chair
Rep. Al Vezey
Rep. Pete Kott
Rep. Harley Olberg
Rep. Bettye Davis
Rep. Irene Nicholia
Rep. Tom Brice
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
*HJR 36: Urging the federal Department of Health and Human
Services to repeal the "100-hour rule" relating to
employment of certain persons receiving AFDC and
to replace it with a regulation that will serve as
an incentive for AFDC recipients to accept
part-time employment.
PASSED WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS
HB 106: "An Act establishing the Alaska education
technology program; and providing for an effective
date."
PASSED WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS
HCR 17: Relating to a health insurance pool established
for residents of the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
PASSED WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS, AS AMENDED
Confirmation Hearing - Board of Psychologist and
Psychological Associate Examiners
(* First public hearing.)
WITNESS REGISTER
JAN HENSEN, Director
Division of Public Assistance
Department of Health and Social Services
P.O. Box 110640
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0640
(907) 465-2680
Position statement: Testified in support of HJR 36
KAREN CRANE, Director
Archives, Libraries, Museum
Department of Education
P.O. Box 110571
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0571
Phone: (907) 465-2910
Position statement: Testified in support of HB 106
KEN SYKES, Insurance Analyst
Division of Insurance
Department of Commerce and Economic Development
P.O. Box 110805
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0805
Phone: (907) 465-2564
Position statement: Raised questions on HB 106
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: HJR 36
SHORT TITLE: REPEAL 100 HOUR RULE FOR AFDC PROGRAM
BILL VERSION:
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) BRICE,Navarre,B.Davis,
Finkelstein,Brown,Nordlund,James,Menard
TITLE: Urging the federal Department of Health and Human
Services to repeal the "100-hour rule" relating to
employment of certain persons receiving AFDC and to replace
it with a regulation that will serve as an incentive for
AFDC recipients to accept part-time employment.
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
03/26/93 793 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
03/26/93 793 (H) HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL
SERVICES
04/07/93 1094 (H) COSPONSOR(S): MENARD
04/14/93 (H) HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 106
SHORT TITLE: EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
BILL VERSION:
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) BROWN,Ulmer,Davidson,
Bunde,B.Davis,Carney,Nordlund,Brice,Nicholia,Davies,Willis
TITLE: "An Act establishing the Alaska education technology
program; and providing for an effective date."
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
01/29/93 180 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
01/29/93 180 (H) HES, FINANCE
03/10/93 (H) HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106
03/10/93 (H) MINUTE(HES)
04/14/93 (H) HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HCR 17
SHORT TITLE: KENAI PENINSULA INSURANCE POOL
BILL VERSION:
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) G.DAVIS
TITLE: Relating to a health insurance pool established for
residents of the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
03/24/93 760 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
03/24/93 760 (H) LABOR & COMMERCE, HES, FINANCE
04/06/93 (H) L&C AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 17
04/06/93 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
04/07/93 1057 (H) L&C RPT 6DP
04/07/93 1057 (H) DP: PORTER, MACKIE, MULDER,
WILLIAMS
04/07/93 1057 (H) DP: GREEN, HUDSON
04/07/93 1057 (H) -ZERO FISCAL NOTE(H.L&C/ALL
DEPTS)4/7/93
04/13/93 (H) HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106
04/13/93 (H) MINUTE(HES)
04/14/93 (H) HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 93-65, SIDE A
Number 000
CHAIR BUNDE called the meeting to order at 3:08 p.m., noted
members present, and announced the calendar. He called
HJR 36 to the table.
HJR 36: REPEAL 100-HOUR RULE FOR AFDC
CHAIR BUNDE noted that Rep. Brice had a committee substitute
(CS) for HJR 36 with amendments suggested by the Department
of Education. He invited Rep. Brice to present his CS,
after which the committee would take public testimony.
REP. BRICE MOVED the committee adopt CSHJR 36 (LSO911\k) as
a working document.
CHAIR BUNDE asked for objections, and heard none. He
invited Rep. Brice to speak to his CS.
Number 052
REP. BRICE said he had a position paper from the Department
of Health and Social Services, and said the CS addressed the
department's concerns. He noted the sponsor statement
outlining the need for the resolution and encouraging the
administration to support it. He offered to answer
questions.
Number 067
JAN HENSEN, DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, testified in
Juneau in support of HJR 36. She said that the department
had been considering seeking some kind of waiver of the 100-
hour rule when it was considering welfare reform earlier in
the year. She said her division had given a position paper
to Gov. Walter Hickel, who had transferred it to President
Clinton, which outlined six or seven areas in which the
state hoped to see changes in welfare, including repeal of
the 100-hour rule. She said that because Alaska had high
pay standards, residents were discouraged from accepting
full-time employment. She said encouraging the federal
government to change its regulations would cost the state
much less than having to go through a waiver process.
(Rep. B. Davis arrived at 3:13 p.m.)
REP. VEZEY asked for an explanation of the changes in the
CS.
REP. BRICE said that the change came on page 2, lines 9-10,
asking the federal government to adopt regulations to
encourage AFDC recipients to accept employment regardless of
the number of hours they work, remaining eligible for
benefits as long as they earned no more than the state
standard of need.
MS. HENSEN said that the key change was that the original
bill referred to part-time employment which was already
allowed. She said the most significant change permitted the
state to allow AFDC recipients to accept full-time work of
more than 100 hours.
Number 125
REP. VEZEY said the only change seemed to be on lines 9-11,
and that he did not see a big change. He asked if there
were other changes.
MS. HENSEN said there were changes on lines 3 and 4 that
would allow AFDC recipients to accept work of more than 100
hours per month as an incentive.
REP. VEZEY said he did not see that the change was
necessary, but thanked Ms. Hensen anyway.
Number 141
REP. G. DAVIS said the change sounded like a good idea. He
asked if other states had successfully gotten such waivers.
MS. HENSEN said no state had succeeded in getting the
federal government to change the regulation. However, she
said she believed there was a strong consensus among states
for a repeal of the federal 100-hour rule. She said it did
not matter to some states that pay very little, and in some
Southern states where pay is low, people working 100 hours a
week (month) would not qualify for welfare. It is more of
an issue in states with more moderate payment standards.
She said the pressure from a variety of forces and states
seeking repeal of the rule could persuade the federal
government to drop it, she said.
Number 161
CHAIR BUNDE asked what the resolution would actually
accomplish.
MS. HENSEN said that if the resolution did not work, the
state would next seek a waiver of the rule. She said the
state strategy was to influence the federal government, as
the 100-hour rule was not in statute, but in regulation.
She said Alaska, other states, and some advocacy think-tanks
believed that the Clinton administration could make the
change. She said efforts to influence the rule were not a
futile exercise.
Number 174
REP. VEZEY asked the minimum wage a person could accept in a
full-time job and justify getting off public assistance.
MS. HENSEN asked if the question was how much income would
put a person over the needs standard.
Number 182
REP. VEZEY said no, but no one would have the economic
incentive to leave welfare rolls and work for the minimum
wage, as it would be a cut in income. He asked how much a
full-time job would have to pay to induce a person to leave
public assistance.
MS. HENSEN said she did not have that figure, but could get
it for him. She said she could calculate the break-even
point, and said a department study on welfare's impact on
self-sufficiency showed what welfare recipients said they
needed to get off public assistance.
Number 198
REP. BRICE noted that an article reporting the welfare and
dependency study was present in the bill packets for HJR 36.
MS. HENSEN said that, as reported on page 14 of the article,
11 percent of clients said a monthly salary of up to $1,100
would be enough to make them drop welfare; 14 percent said
from $1,100 and $1,300; 21 percent said $1,300 to $1,500;
and 21 percent said they required at least $2,000 per month
before they would give up welfare benefits.
CHAIR BUNDE said that 21 percent of the clients responding
could leave welfare to work for the legislature.
Number 216
REP. VEZEY added that he would divide the monthly pay levels
by 173 hours to arrive at an hourly wage.
REP. OLBERG said that $1,100 per month equalled about $6 per
hour.
Number 226
CHAIR BUNDE asked for any other questions or testimony on
the measure, then asked the pleasure of the committee.
REP. B. DAVIS MOVED PASSAGE OF CSHJR 36 FROM THE COMMITTEE
WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
CHAIR BUNDE called for objections and, hearing none,
declared CSHJR 36 PASSED FROM THE COMMITTEE WITH INDIVIDUAL
RECOMMENDATIONS. He then brought HB 106 to the table.
HB 106: EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
CHAIR BUNDE noted that it was the second time the bill had
been before the committee. He invited Rep. Kay Brown to
speak to the bill.
Number 244
REP. KAY BROWN, PRIME SPONSOR, gave a brief presentation on
the provisions of HB 106. (Rep. Brown gave a detailed
presentation on HB 106 on March 10, 1993. The records of
that meeting are on file.) She said HB 106 would establish
an Education Technology Program in the Department of
Education. She gave the program's highlights: technological
assistance to school districts and libraries; training for
teachers; a plan for computer networks; a departmental
directive to coordinate existing resources; establishment of
a fund requiring matching funds (though HB 106 did not
deposit money into the fund). She said another bill in the
committee, HB 107, provided for capitalization of the fund.
She said HB 106 also established eligibility pre-requisites
for libraries or districts for grants.
CHAIR BUNDE observed that the local match formula in HB 106
was based on the formula contained in HB 82, and that HB 82
had been amended to include a five percent minimum match and
to exclude a sliding scale.
Number 274
REP. BROWN said she had asked Rep. MacLean, chair of the
House Finance Committee, whether she anticipated more
changes to the matching formula in HB 82, and was answered
that such changes were likely. Rep. Brown said she was
willing to adjust her matching formula with the formula in
HB 82 as amended. She said that if the bill passed in its
current form, she would move a conforming amendment in the
House Finance Committee.
CHAIR BUNDE said he would prefer the matching formula in
HB 106 coincide with the formula in the committee substitute
for HB 82 as amended by the HESS Committee.
REP. BROWN also said HB 106 would provide for an education
technology committee to develop funding distribution
guidelines; would amend the school report card to include
reporting on technology; and would require a survey of
public school and library technology resources.
Number 306
REP. BROWN noted that there were two fiscal notes from the
Department of Education, and that the third fiscal note,
from the Department of Revenue's treasury division, would
not apply until the fund was capitalized. She claimed broad
support from educators for her bill. She said the Alaska
Association of School Boards liked the bill and was
concerned about technology as an important element of
education that was absent in the Alaska 2000 reform effort.
She said passing HB 106 was important, even before the
Education Technology Fund was capitalized.
Number 327
CHAIR BUNDE asked Rep. Brown how she would define an
equitable distribution of funds.
Number 330
REP. BROWN said one measure would be per-capita basis. She
said other criteria would be the current level of technology
in a particular school; the size of classes; the number of
teachers; and the location of the school. She said it was
probably better not to legislate a specific formula. She
said it would be easier to allocate money after knowing how
much money was available to allocate.
Number 360
KAREN CRANE, DIRECTOR OF ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS FOR
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, testified in Juneau to
reiterate the support of the commissioner and the department
for HB 106. She noted that the commissioner felt that the
bill, and technology, should play a strong role in the
Alaska 2000 effort. She noted that the bill also had the
support of the Alaska Library Association, as the bill also
addressed library needs.
Number 375
CHAIR BUNDE asked Rep. Brown if she would consider as a
friendly amendment a change to HB 106 calling for the
matching formula would be the same as that in CSHB 82(HES).
(Rep. Toohey arrived at 3:32 p.m.)
REP. BROWN responded she would consider that a friendly
amendment. She noted that the language was on page 6
starting with line 5. She added that the HESS Committee had
not adopted the proposed committee substitute, which she
identified as being drafted by Ford and dated 2/16/93. She
said the CS made minor changes relating to libraries, upon
which she had worked with Ms. Crane.
Number 402
CHAIR BUNDE asked if Rep. Brown was referring to the CS of
HB 106.
REP. BROWN answered yes, and pointed out the location of the
amendment on page 6 of the CS. She asked if CSHB 82(HES)
included a phase-in period.
CHAIR BUNDE answered that it did not.
Number 406
REP. BROWN noted that page 9 of her proposed CS did have a
phase-in provision, modeled after that in the governor's
original version of HB 82, but which had been cut from HB 82
by the HESS Committee. She said, "The committee might wish
to adopt a conceptual amendment and direct the drafters to
make this language conform to the earlier - that's what I
did in requesting this draft, was asking them to make it
conform to HB 82."
CHAIR BUNDE said the HESS Committee wanted the language in
the CSHB 106 to conform to the HESS committee version of
HB 82 instead of the governor's original version.
(Rep. Toohey arrived at 3:32 p.m.)
Number 415
CHAIR BUNDE said that he needed a motion to adopt the CS
version of HB 106 in order to proceed procedurally.
(Rep. Kott arrived at 3:35 p.m.)
REP. BRICE MOVED the committee adopt CSHB 106 as a working
draft of the bill.
Number 420
CHAIR BUNDE asked for objections and heard none. He said
the amendment before the committee was the conceptual
amendment that he and Rep. Brown had been discussing, which
would amend the matching grant provisions in CSHB 106 to
match the provisions in CSHB 82(HES).
REP. BRICE MOVED the conceptual amendment suggested by Chair
Bunde.
Number 425
CHAIR BUNDE asked for objections and heard none. He
declared that the committee was now considering CSHB 106 as
amended. He asked for further discussion.
REP. B. DAVIS asked if there were other people wanting to
testify on the bill.
CHAIR BUNDE said he had heard none. He then closed public
testimony and asked the pleasure of the committee.
Number 438
REP. B. DAVIS MOVED PASSAGE OF CSHB 106 FROM THE COMMITTEE
WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS and asked for unanimous
consent.
REP. OLBERG OBJECTED.
CHAIR BUNDE invited Rep. Olberg to speak to his objection.
REP. OLBERG declined.
CHAIR BUNDE called for a roll call vote on the motion.
Those voting yes were: Reps. Toohey, Bunde, G. Davis, Kott,
B. Davis and Brice. Those voting no were: Reps. Vezey and
Olberg. The motion PASSED 6-2. Chair Bunde declared CSHB
106 as amended by the Hess Committee had PASSED WITH
INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS. He then brought HCR 17 to the
table.
HCR 17: KENAI PENINSULA INSURANCE POOL
Number 455
REP. G. DAVIS said that the CS for HCR 17 addressed the
concerns raised by the committee during the previous day's
discussion of the resolution. He said that the change on
page 1, line 4, changed the language to "a significant
number of residents" instead of nearly 90,000 residents. He
said page 3, lines 9-12, changed the language to reflect
more generic language instead of the detailed aspects of the
Kenai Peninsula Borough's (KPB) proposed plan. He said
there had been concern expressed the day before over the
zero fiscal note which included a request for financial
support. He said that language on page 3, line 14, of the
original resolution had been changed to request the governor
and commissioner of Health and Social Services to offer
support and assistance to the Kenai council, instead of
financial support. However, he said he hoped that such
support might include some degree of financial support. He
said the Division of Insurance had raised questions
concerning the resolution, but he said they were not
relevant to the insurance investigation. He said it was up
to the council to make sure they met state statutes in
working on the program.
Number 493
(Rep. Brice departed at 3:42 p.m.)
KEN SYKES, INSURANCE ANALYST FOR THE DIVISION OF INSURANCE
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
asked Rep. G. Davis what was meant on page 3, line 17, of
CSHCR 17 which mentioned a "modified Health Maintenance
Organization" (HMO).
REP. G. DAVIS answered that the Kenai Peninsula Borough Task
Force (KPBTF) was proposing an organization that they did
not feel was a true HMO and so coined the term "modified
HMO" to describe an element of its proposal.
Number 511
REP. TOOHEY thanked Rep. G. Davis for making elements of
HCR 17 less precise, and said she did not believe the state
should be held to anything in the resolution. She said she
believed the KPBTF health plan was imperfect, as were
others. She said for the record that HCR 17 merely
encouraged the KPB, upon a vote by the people, to try out a
system. She asserted that the resolution created no
obligation on anyone.
REP. G. DAVIS agreed with Rep. Toohey. He said it had been
overlooked during the prior day's discussion that page 3,
line 9, of the resolution included a "resolved" clause that
made the plan subject to a referendum vote by borough
residents.
REP. TOOHEY said she appreciated that, and she wished the
residents of the KPB great luck with the plan.
Number 528
CHAIR BUNDE closed public testimony on the resolution, but
continued committee discussion of the resolution.
REP. KOTT said he could not recall spending so much time on
a simple concurrent resolution. However, he said that he
would be more comfortable with the original language which
was replaced by the words "significant number of residents"
on page 1, line 4. However, he said his discomfort would
not force him to vote against the resolution.
Number 541
CHAIR BUNDE said that significant was a statistical measure,
meaning enough so that it mattered.
REP. KOTT said that it must therefore be necessary to
address the confidence level of the statistical analysis.
CHAIR BUNDE indicated that he was duly impressed and one-
upped by the statistical knowledge demonstrated by his
colleague.
Number 548
REP. OLBERG commented, "If this resolution was a horse, we'd
all be in jail for animal abuse. Unless someone else wants
to beat this thing to death, I would be prepared to make a
motion if the chair would be so inclined."
CHAIR BUNDE invited him to do so.
REP. OLBERG MOVED PASSAGE OF CSHCR 17 WITH INDIVIDUAL
RECOMMENDATIONS.
REP. B. DAVIS asked if the committee had yet adopted the CS.
REP. OLBERG amended his motion to include adopting the CS.
Number 553
CHAIR BUNDE repeated the motion to adopt the CS to HCR 17,
and to pass it from the committee with individual
recommendations. Hearing no objections, he declared CSHCR
17(HES) PASSED WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
CHAIR BUNDE then brought to the table the confirmation
hearings for two appointees to the Board of Psychologist and
Psychological Associate Examiners.
CONFIRMATION HEARING - BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGIST AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATE EXAMINERS
Number 560
CHAIR BUNDE called for public testimony on the confirmation
of Bruno M. Kappes, Ph.D. to the Board of Psychologist and
Psychological Associate Examiners and, hearing none, closed
public testimony. He asked the pleasure of the committee.
REP. TOOHEY MOVED the committee pass the appointment on to
the floor of the House.
REP. KOTT asked if any member knew of any reason why the
appointment should not be passed along.
CHAIR BUNDE said that if there were, he would have noted it.
Number 571
CHAIR BUNDE asked for objections to the motion, and hearing
none, DECLARED THAT THE APPOINTEE'S NAME WOULD BE ADVANCED
TO THE HOUSE. He noted that the members should sign the
regular form indicating that they had studied his record,
but was making no representations as to how they would vote
on the final confirmation on the floor.
CHAIR BUNDE announced that the committee would hold a brief
meeting the following day. He then ADJOURNED the meeting at
4:50 p.m.
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