Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120

05/04/2023 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

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Audio Topic
01:05:58 PM Start
01:06:43 PM Presentation(s): Overview of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
01:48:40 PM HB155
01:57:45 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Presentation: Overview of the Division of TELECONFERENCED
Homeland Security and Emergency Management by
Bryan Fisher, Director
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
+= HB 155 ESTABLISH AK MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMISSION TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 155(MLV) Out of Committee
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
   HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS                                                                  
                          May 4, 2023                                                                                           
                           1:05 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stanley Wright, Chair                                                                                            
Representative Laddie Shaw                                                                                                      
Representative Ben Carpenter                                                                                                    
Representative Dan Saddler                                                                                                      
Representative Cliff Groh                                                                                                       
Representative Andrew Gray                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative George Rauscher                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION(S): OVERVIEW OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY                                                                  
AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 155                                                                                                              
"An Act establishing the Alaska Military Affairs Commission; and                                                                
relating to the duties and powers of the Alaska Military Affairs                                                                
Commission."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSHB 155(MLV) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 155                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: ESTABLISH AK MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMISSION                                                                           
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) STAPP                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
04/10/23       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/10/23       (H)       MLV                                                                                                    
04/20/23       (H)       MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120                                                                           
04/20/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/20/23       (H)       MINUTE(MLV)                                                                                            
04/25/23       (H)       MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120                                                                           
04/25/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/25/23       (H)       MINUTE(MLV)                                                                                            
04/27/23       (H)       MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120                                                                           
04/27/23       (H)       <Bill Hearing Canceled>                                                                                
05/04/23       (H)       MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
BRYAN FISHER, Director                                                                                                          
Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management                                                                   
Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs                                                                              
Fort Richardson, Alaska                                                                                                         
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Gave  an  overview  presentation  of  the                                                             
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILL STAPP                                                                                                       
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Presented HB 155 as prime sponsor.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
FORREST WOLFE, Staff                                                                                                            
Representative Stanley Wright                                                                                                   
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:   Explained  the changes within  the proposed                                                             
committee substitute, Version U, to HB 155.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:05:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STANLEY  WRIGHT  called the  House  Special  Committee  on                                                             
Military  and Veterans'  Affairs meeting  to order  at 1:05  p.m.                                                               
Representatives Gray, Groh, Shaw,  Carpenter, Saddler, and Wright                                                               
were present at the call to order.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
^PRESENTATION(S): OVERVIEW  OF THE DIVISION OF  HOMELAND SECURITY                                                               
AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT                                                                                                        
 PRESENTATION(S): OVERVIEW OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY                                                             
                    AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:06:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
the Overview of  the Division of Homeland  Security and Emergency                                                               
Management presentation.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:07:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRYAN  FISHER,  Director,  Division   of  Homeland  Security  and                                                               
Emergency  Management,   Department  of  Military   and  Veterans                                                               
Affairs, began the PowerPoint  presentation [hardcopy included in                                                               
committee packet],  titled "Overview of the  Division of Homeland                                                               
Security  and  Emergency  Management,"   and  described  how  the                                                               
division is organized under the  department, as shown on slide 2.                                                               
He moved to slide 3  to show the division's organizational chart.                                                               
He moved to slides 4 and 5  to show what offices are activated in                                                               
a disaster.   On slides 6  and 7, he talked  about the division's                                                               
disaster response planning process.   He explained that the chart                                                               
shows several  agencies, which  assist in  flow of  operations as                                                               
well as how the private  sector is involved in disaster response.                                                               
Slides 7  and 8  address the  small community  emergency response                                                               
plan  (SCERP),  which  is   a  customizable,  community  specific                                                               
document to  assist Alaskans in  disaster planning  and response.                                                               
The SCERP  process informs the  community of  critical locations,                                                               
contacts, as  well as resources available  to them.  He  moved to                                                               
slide  9 and  10  to  talk about  the  state's hazard  mitigation                                                               
development process.   He said  communities need to work  on such                                                               
plans  every  five years  and  receive  approval by  the  Federal                                                               
Emergency  Management Agency  (FEMA).   He stated  that having  a                                                               
plan is the  first step in accessing federal funding.   On slides                                                               
he spoke about funding sources  for mitigation projects.  He said                                                               
that  a barrier  to  the program  is the  cost  to match  federal                                                               
dollars, and  that communities have been  unsuccessful in getting                                                               
federal  funding.   As for  the Hazard  Mitigation Grant  Program                                                               
(HMGP),  he explained  that the  cost share  is paid  for by  the                                                               
state when a  federally declared disaster is called.   He thanked                                                               
the legislature for  funding the program, and  explained that the                                                               
grant  application  requires   extensive  documentation,  like  a                                                               
benefit-cost analysis.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:16:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  FISHER  moved   to  slides  13  and  14   and  talked  about                                                               
preparedness, training,  exercises, and outreach.   He said that,                                                               
as the  division learns  from disaster  response, it  reviews the                                                               
actions  for  future  review.   He  shared  that  the  department                                                               
partners  with  several  organizations  to  carry  out  emergency                                                               
preparedness outreach in communities.   He moved to slides 15 and                                                               
16 to  talk about the  State Emergency Operations  Center (SEOC),                                                               
which he  said is the  central location in  coordinating disaster                                                               
responses  in  the state.    In  a  disaster, SEOC  assists  with                                                               
initial   damage  assessment   and  helps   draft  the   disaster                                                               
declaration request.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:23:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. FISHER moved to slide  17 to outline the disaster declaration                                                               
process,  including  economic  and  natural.    He  stressed  the                                                               
importance of the governor's signature  as it relates to funding.                                                               
He said  that federal declaration  is different in  what triggers                                                               
it, and he  noted that the federal government  does recognize the                                                               
uniqueness of Alaska's  landscape.  He moved to slides  18 and 19                                                               
to  explain the  division's  disaster  assistance programs,  like                                                               
grants  to  repair infrastructure.    He  moved  to slide  20  to                                                               
outline what makes  a project eligible.  He  shared what programs                                                               
fall  under  individual  assistance,  which  are  individual  and                                                               
family  grants, as  well as  temporary  housing grants.   On  the                                                               
temporary housing grant,  he talked about what  help the division                                                               
provided.   He  said  FEMA has  similar programs.    He moved  to                                                               
slides 22  and 23 to  talk about  program support, which  he said                                                               
consists  of the  division's  administrative support,  logistics,                                                               
grants, and audits.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:39:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. FISHER, in response to  Representative Saddler, described the                                                               
several  communications  systems  used and  talked  about  Tribes                                                               
being partners,  as well as  having the  right to go  directly to                                                               
the  federal  level.     Also,  Tribes  can   declare  their  own                                                               
emergencies.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:46:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:46 p.m. to 1:48 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
        HB 155-ESTABLISH AK MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMISSION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:48:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  155, "An  Act establishing  the Alaska  Military                                                               
Affairs Commission; and relating to  the duties and powers of the                                                               
Alaska Military Affairs Commission."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:49:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SHAW  moved  to   adopt  the  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  to  HB   155,  Version  33-LS0701\U,  Bergerud,                                                               
4/27/23, as a working document.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:50:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
FORREST  WOLFE,  Staff,  Representative  Stanley  Wright,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature,  explained  that  Version U  would  make  two                                                               
changes to HB 155:   on page 2, line 26,  it would add subsection                                                               
(e) to  AS 44.19860  to add  language that  places administrative                                                               
support responsibilities  in the Office  of the Governor;  and it                                                               
would  change "Armed  Services" to  "Armed Forces  of the  United                                                               
States" to be in compliance with U.S. code and state statue.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:51:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY  asked  why  administrative  support  duties                                                               
would be moved from the Office  of the Lieutenant Governor to the                                                               
Office of the Governor.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WILL STAPP,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor  of HB  155,  answered that  the change  is  a matter  of                                                               
resource  with  existing personnel  and  funding  to be  able  to                                                               
absorb the commission.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:52:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER  removed his objection.   There being no                                                               
further  objection,  Version U  was  before  the committee  as  a                                                               
working document.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:52:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER moved  to adopt  Amendment 1  to HB  155,                                                               
Version U, which read as follows:                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, following line 3:                                                                                                  
     Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                         
        "* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of                                                                        
     Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                                         
     LEGISLATIVE   INTENT.  It   is   the   intent  of   the                                                                    
     legislature   that  the   mayors  and   public  members                                                                    
     appointed to the Alaska  Military Affairs Commission be                                                                    
     geographically   distributed  to   represent  as   many                                                                    
     different communities across the state as possible."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 4:                                                                                                            
     Delete "Section 1"                                                                                                         
     Insert "Sec. 2"                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, line 1:                                                                                                            
     Delete "sec. 1"                                                                                                            
     Insert "sec. 2"                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, line 2:                                                                                                            
     Delete "sec. 1"                                                                                                            
     Insert "sec. 2"                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER commented  that  he supports  HB 155  and                                                               
sees that its goal benefits the  entire state by planning for and                                                               
encouraging  more  military  missions.     He  said  Amendment  1                                                               
expresses   the  legislature's   intent  that   members  of   the                                                               
commission be geographically distributed.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:53:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW maintained his objection.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:54:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was taken.  Representatives Shaw, Carpenter,                                                                   
Groh, Gray, Saddler, and Wright voted in favor of Amendment 1.                                                                  
Therefore, Amendment 1 was adopted by a vote of 6-0.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:54:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER moved to adopt Amendment 2 to HB 155,                                                                    
Version U, which read as follows:                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 23, following "state":                                                                                        
     Insert ";                                                                                                                  
     (8)  report  to the Joint Armed  Services Committee and                                                                    
     any special  committee of  the legislature  relating to                                                                    
     military  and  veterans'  affairs,  if  such  committee                                                                    
     exists at  the time  the report is  due, issues  on the                                                                    
     commission's  activities  over  the  previous  calendar                                                                    
     year;  the commission  shall provide  the report  in an                                                                    
     electronic format and deliver  the report by January 31                                                                    
     each year"                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  explained  that  Amendment  2  seeks  to                                                               
accommodate a  prohibition on members of  the legislature serving                                                               
on  the  Military Affairs  Commission.    He said  the  amendment                                                               
requires a  report, which would  keep committees  and legislators                                                               
informed.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SHAW  removed  his  objection.   There  being  no                                                               
further objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:55:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER moved  to adopt  Amendment 3  to HB  155,                                                               
Version U, which read as follows:                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 14, following "States,":                                                                                      
        Insert "and one of whom, to the extent possible,                                                                        
         representing a geographic region not otherwise                                                                         
     represented on the commission,"                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  explained that Amendment 3  is similar to                                                               
the  first  amendment  as  it relates  to  seat  distribution  by                                                               
geographic location.  He said  the amendment would allow that one                                                               
of the two  public members be from an area  that is not otherwise                                                               
represented.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SHAW  removed  his  objection.   There  being  no                                                               
further objection, Amendment 3 was adopted.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:56:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STAPP thanked committee members.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:57:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SHAW  moved  to  report  CSHB  155,  Version  33-                                                               
LS0701\U, Bergarud, 4/27/24, [as  amended], out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being no  objection, CSHB 155(MLV) was reported  out of the                                                               
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:57:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was                                                                 
adjourned at 1:58 p.m.                                                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
DMVA DHSEM Presentation for (H) MVA 04 MAY.pdf HMLV 5/4/2023 1:00:00 PM
HB 155 Amendment U.3.pdf HMLV 5/4/2023 1:00:00 PM
HB 155
HB 155 Amendment U.2.pdf HMLV 5/4/2023 1:00:00 PM
HB 155
HB 155 Amendment U.1.pdf HMLV 5/4/2023 1:00:00 PM
HB 155
CSHB 155 (MLV) ver U 5.1.23.pdf HMLV 5/4/2023 1:00:00 PM
HB 155
CSHB 155 Explanation of Changes ver A to U 5.3.23.pdf HMLV 5/4/2023 1:00:00 PM
HB 155