Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120
02/02/2023 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Department of Defense Key Quality of Life Issues for State Policy | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
February 2, 2023
1:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Stanley Wright, Chair
Representative Laddie Shaw
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Cliff Groh
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Andrew Gray
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE KEY QUALITY OF LIFE
ISSUES FOR STATE POLICY
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison
Defense State Liaison Office
U.S. Department of Defense
Seattle, Washington
POSITION STATEMENT: For the Department of Defense Key Quality
of Life Issues for State Policy presentation, gave a PowerPoint,
titled "Key Military Quality of Life Issues for State Policy."
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:00:17 PM
CHAIR STANLEY WRIGHT called the House Special Committee on
Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.
Representatives Shaw, Carpenter, Groh, and Wright were present
at the call to order. Representative Rauscher arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
^PRESENTATION(S): DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE KEY QUALITY OF LIFE
ISSUES FOR STATE POLICY
PRESENTATION(S): DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE KEY QUALITY OF LIFE
ISSUES FOR STATE POLICY
1:01:12 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that the only order of business would be
the Department of Defense Key Quality of Life Issues for State
Policy presentation.
1:01:43 PM
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison, Defense State
Liaison Office, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), for the
Department of Defense Key Quality of Life Issues for State
Policy presentation, began a PowerPoint [hard copy included in
the committee packet] on slide 4 and stated the importance of
policies that help military members and their families. She
acknowledged that the Federal Government needs the help of
states to accomplish those policy directives. She said that
taking care of military members and their families is paramount
to retention and mission readiness.
1:04:45 PM
MS. PERRAULT continued to slide 5 and highlighted the areas in
which she believes Alaska is already doing well in supporting
military members and their families, including the Purple Star
Program. The State of Alaska has also enacted legislation that
allows for strong coordination between the military and state
agencies in cases of child abuse or neglect. She added that
Alaska is a national leader in allowing the Air Force to have
oversight over facilities that provide childcare to children of
military families.
1:06:52 PM
MS. PERRAULT skipped to slide 9 and emphasized the importance of
states updating their definition of the military to include the
recently created Space Force, ensuring that its members receive
the same benefits as members of other branches.
1:08:08 PM
MS. PERRAULT said that occupational licensure is an area that
has improved and could use continued improvement. She thanked
the committee for the legislature's passing of Senate Bill 21
[during the Thirty-Second Alaska State Legislature], which
streamlined the process for military families with an
occupational license in another state to receive one to work in
Alaska. She stated that it is difficult for a member of the
military and their spouse to support each other when the spouse
is unable to obtain an occupational license needed to work in
the field of their choosing. She added that 34 percent of
military spouses work in an occupation that requires them to
have some sort of occupational licensure.
1:11:26 PM
MS. PERRAULT returned to slides 6 through 8 and advised that
while the state of Alaska is a member of 28 different interstate
compacts, none of them are related to military spouse
occupational licensure. She stated that it is a high priority
for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to encourage states to
enter interstate compacts for occupational licenses, as it
removes barriers for military spouses to find a job in the field
of their choosing. She gave examples of some of the occupations
included in the previously mentioned compacts, adding that
interstate licensure compact legislation is currently pending in
Alaska for nurses, occupational therapists, and audio and speech
language pathologists.
MS. PERRAULT continued to slide 10 and stated that Alaska has
previously passed progressive anti-discrimination laws and urged
the committee to consider revising the anti-discrimination
statutes to include members of the military.
1:17:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW asked if DoD would accept members of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the
United States Public Health Service under the state definition
of the uniformed services.
MS. PERREAULT answered that DoD would support any improvements
the state would like to make in expanding the definition of
armed services to include uniformed services, but the
expectation applies primarily to the Space Force.
1:18:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GROH asked which occupational licenses would be
the most important on which to take legislative action.
MS. PERREAULT answered that nursing and physical therapy
occupational licensure compacts are the top licensure compacts
that the DoD hopes to see passed in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE GROH asked about the relationship between funding
education and military family quality of life.
MS. PERREAULT answered that she defers to the states on how to
appropriate funding for education for students, including those
of military families. She acknowledged that the federal funding
given for this purpose does not completely cover the cost of
education for a child of a military family. She added that DoD
does believe that education is a significant part of quality of
life for military families.
1:22:43 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 1:22 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 2.2.23 DSLO Presentation - Tammie Perreault.pdf |
HMLV 2/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |
|
| 2023_BestPractices-MilitaryAndVeteranAnti-DiscriminationStatus_20240104.pdf |
HMLV 2/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |
|
| 2023_DiscussionPoints_MilitaryAndVeteranAnti-DiscriminationStatus_20230104.pdf |
HMLV 2/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |
|
| Alaska State Status Feb 2023.pdf |
HMLV 2/2/2023 1:00:00 PM |