Legislature(2003 - 2004)

05/09/2004 04:28 PM House RLS

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
                 HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                               
                          May 9, 2004                                                                                           
                           4:28 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Norman Rokeberg, Chair                                                                                           
Representative John Coghill                                                                                                     
Representative Lesil McGuire                                                                                                    
Representative Carl Morgan                                                                                                      
Representative Ethan Berkowitz                                                                                                  
Representative Beth Kerttula                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Pete Kott                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 326(STA)                                                                                                 
"An Act relating to investments of Alaska permanent fund assets;                                                                
and providing for an effective date."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSSB 326(STA) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB 326                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: PERMANENT FUND INVESTMENTS                                                                                         
SPONSOR(S): RULES BY REQUEST OF LEG BUDGET & AUDIT                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
02/13/04       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/13/04       (S)       STA, FIN                                                                                               
02/24/04       (S)       STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 211                                                                               
02/24/04       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
02/24/04       (S)       MINUTE(STA)                                                                                            
03/04/04       (S)       STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 211                                                                               
03/04/04       (S)       Moved CSSB 326(STA) Out of Committee                                                                   
03/04/04       (S)       MINUTE(STA)                                                                                            
03/05/04       (S)       STA RPT CS 1DP 2NR          SAME TITLE                                                                 
03/05/04       (S)       NR: STEVENS G, STEDMAN; DP: COWDERY                                                                    
03/29/04       (S)       FIN RPT CS(STA)  2DP 5NR                                                                               
03/29/04       (S)       DP: GREEN, WILKEN; NR: DYSON, HOFFMAN,                                                                 
03/29/04       (S)       STEVENS B, BUNDE, OLSON                                                                                
03/29/04       (H)       FIN AT 9:00 AM HOUSE FINANCE 519                                                                       
03/29/04       (S)       Moved CSSB 326(STA) Out of Committee                                                                   
03/29/04       (S)       MINUTE(FIN)                                                                                            
05/07/04       (S)       TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                                                                     
05/07/04       (S)       VERSION: CSSB 326(STA)                                                                                 
05/08/04       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
05/08/04       (H)       RLS                                                                                                    
05/08/04       (H)       HB 466 SIMILAR BILL                                                                                    
05/08/04       (H)       RLS AT 12:00 AM CAPITOL 124                                                                            
05/08/04       (H)       <Pending Referral>                                                                                     
05/09/04       (H)       RLS AT 3:45 PM CAPITOL 102                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT STORER, Executive Director                                                                                               
Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC)                                                                                        
Department of Revenue                                                                                                           
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Explained SB 326.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 04-8, SIDE A                                                                                                             
Number 0001                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR NORMAN  ROKEBERG called the House  Rules Standing Committee                                                             
meeting  to  order  at  4:28   p.m.    Representatives  Rokeberg,                                                               
Coghill, McGuire,  Morgan, Berkowitz,  and Kerttula  were present                                                               
at the call to order.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SB 326-PERMANENT FUND INVESTMENTS                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG  announced that the  only order of  business would                                                               
be  CS  FOR  SENATE  BILL  NO.  326(STA),  "An  Act  relating  to                                                               
investments of  Alaska permanent  fund assets; and  providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 0059                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT   STORER,  Executive   Director,  Alaska   Permanent  Fund                                                               
Corporation  (APFC), Department  of Revenue,  explained that  the                                                               
APFC  must  follow the  prudent  investor  rule  as well  as  the                                                               
statutory list  specifying investments  APFC is allowed  to make.                                                               
Approximately four  years ago, the legislature  assisted the APFC                                                               
in allowing  it to invest 5  percent of its total  assets outside                                                               
of the statutory list while  following the prudent investor rule.                                                               
Mr. Storer referred to it as the basket clause.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STORER  further explained  that  on  page  1, line  14,  the                                                               
legislation cleans up  some of the original intent  language.  On                                                               
page 2, line  3, the Senate increased the  original percentage to                                                               
10 percent,  which will  provide greater  investment flexibility.                                                               
However, it  doesn't mean  that the permanent  fund would  take a                                                               
lot  more risk.   He  explained that  it means  that when  APFC's                                                               
investments  appreciate,   APFC  won't  be  forced   to  sell  or                                                               
liquidate those investments because of statutory constraints.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 0163                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BERKOWITZ  inquired  as   to  how  CSSB  326(STA)                                                               
differs  from  the  House   State  Affairs  Standing  Committee's                                                               
version.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. STORER  specified that the  Senate asked if APFC  would amend                                                               
its original request  of 15 percent down to 10  percent, to which                                                               
he  agreed.   He related  his belief  that the  10 percent  would                                                               
provide the minimum  that could be utilized over  the next couple                                                               
of years.   However, he noted that APFC would  be back before the                                                               
legislature [on  this matter] in a  couple of years.   In further                                                               
response to  Representative Berkowitz, Mr. Storer  confirmed that                                                               
CSSB  326(STA)  is what  is  necessary  to move  the  legislation                                                               
through the process is these last days of the session.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 0224                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BERKOWITZ moved  to report  CSSB 326(STA)  out of                                                               
committee [with  individual recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes].   There  being no  objection,  CSSB 326(STA)  was                                                               
reported from the House Rules Standing Committee.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 4:33 p.m.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

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