Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120
05/02/2023 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB158 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 158 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
May 2, 2023
12:36 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Stanley Wright, Chair
Representative Laddie Shaw
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Cliff Groh
Representative Andrew Gray
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Dan Saddler
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 158
"An Act relating to the Joint Armed Services Committee; relating
to judge advocates; relating to military facility zones; and
providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 158
SHORT TITLE: MILITARY; UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE
SPONSOR(s): MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
04/12/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/12/23 (H) MLV
04/27/23 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
04/27/23 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
05/02/23 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
FORREST WOLFE, Staff
Representative Stanley Wright
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 158, on behalf of
Representative Wright, prime sponsor.
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison
U.S. Department of Defense
Seattle, Washington
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered invited testimony during the
hearing on HB 158.
CHRISTOPHER CASTLE, Commander
Clear Space force Station
Anderson, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered invited testimony during the
hearing on HB 158.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:05:16 PM
CHAIR STANLEY WRIGHT called the House Special Committee on
Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 12:36 p.m.
Representatives Shaw, Carpenter, Groh, Gray, and Wright were
present at the call to order.
HB 158-MILITARY; UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE
1:05:53 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that the only order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 158, "An Act relating to the Joint Armed Services
Committee; relating to judge advocates; relating to military
facility zones; and providing for an effective date."
1:06:32 PM
FORREST WOLFE, Staff, Representative Stanley Wright, Alaska
State Legislature, presented HB 158, on behalf of Representative
Wright, prime sponsor. He said HB 158 seeks to add the U.S.
Space Force (USSF) to places in Alaska Statute where other
military branches are listed. This bill was brought forward as
a suggestion from the U.S. Department of Defense (USDOD). He
read through the sectional analysis [included in the committee
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Section 1: Adds the United States Space Force to AS
24.20.650(b) which establishes the membership makeup
of the Joint Armed Services Committee.
Section 2: Adds the United States Space Force to AS
26.05.385(d) which outlines who may serve as a judge
advocate under the code of military justice.
Section 3: Adds the United States Space Force to AS
26.30.900(3) under the definitions section of Chapter
30 Military Facility Zones.
Section 4: The effective date is immediate.
CHAIR WRIGHT introduced invited testifier, Tammie Perreault.
1:08:13 PM
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison, USDOD, said her
office supports policies that positively impact military
families. She expressed the department's support of HB 158, and
their hopes that Alaska becomes one of the first states to adopt
legislation on the issue. She referenced Title 10 which
includes the USSF as a part of the military and affirmed that
changing state law to mirror this federal code would ensure that
members and veterans of the military will be treated equally
across all branches. She emphasized the importance of the USSF
and described Alaska's role in national security as "on the
cutting edge." Recognizing the USSF in Alaska Statutes would
allow better support of state regiments.
CHAIR WRIGHT invited questions from committee members.
CHAIR WRIGHT asked whether there is a current or future need for
a USSF national guard.
MS. PERREAULT maintained that the answer is part of an ongoing
conversation and deferred this question to the National Guard or
Alaska National Guard if present.
CHAIR WRIGHT thanked Ms. Perreault and introduced the next
invited testifier, Lt. Colonel Christopher Castle.
1:11:18 PM
CHRISTOPHER CASTLE, Commander, Clear Space force Station,
expressed his passion for space and military operations therein,
including operations currently going on in Alaska. He provided
a brief summary of the history of the USSF as the newest branch
of the U.S military. It was established within the U.S. Air
Force and has two main functions. First, it exists to maintain
freedom of operation for the U.S. in, from, and to space, and
second, to provide prompt and sustained space operations. He
acknowledged a common question, "Why was the creation of this
new branch necessary?" Space touches most ways of Americans
civil way of life, he answered, and used the importance of
Global Positioning System (GPS) timing and space satellites as
examples. As for military, he reported that space provides an
asymmetric advantage for troops and detailed some of the
benefits of space support in military operations. Space was
once seen as a benign environment where objects we put into
orbit would not be touched, however, he posited that this is no
longer the case. He spoke about the potential of other
countries developing capabilities that would the degrade the
advantages [the United States] currently has in space. Alaska
comes into play due to its excellent strategic location, he
explained, which makes it a wonderful place for space
infrastructure. He referenced the Clear Space Force station in
the state, which has already provided the military with several
functions, including missile warning and defense and space
domain awareness. New radar systems for missile detection have
been put into place here, he reported, which contributes to the
billions of dollars of equipment and national security missions
already being carried out by the USSF in Alaska and he indicated
that there was huge potential for further growth in equipment,
units, and missions within the state. He reiterated his support
for HB 158.
1:17:01 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that HB 158 was held over.
1:17:10 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 1:17 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 158 ver A.PDF |
HMLV 5/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |
HB 158 |
| HB 158 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HMLV 5/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |
HB 158 |
| HB 158 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HMLV 5/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |
HB 158 |
| HB 158 Supporting Documents - DP_2023_DefiningArmedForces_20220914.pdf |
HMLV 5/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |
HB 158 |
| HB 158 Fiscal Note MVA-COM-04-21-23.pdf |
HMLV 5/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |
HB 158 |