Legislature(2019 - 2020)CAPITOL 106

04/16/2019 08:00 AM House TRIBAL AFFAIRS

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
+= HR 6 NAT'L. NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS MEMORIAL TELECONFERENCED
Moved HR 6 Out of Committee
+= HR 7 SUPPORT AK TRIBAL CHILD WELFARE COMPACT TELECONFERENCED
Moved HR 7 Out of Committee
+= HB 126 ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 126 Out of Committee
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
           HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS                                                                          
                         April 16, 2019                                                                                         
                           8:03 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, Chair                                                                                          
Representative Bryce Edgmon, Vice Chair                                                                                         
Representative John Lincoln                                                                                                     
Representative Dan Ortiz                                                                                                        
Representative Chuck Kopp                                                                                                       
Representative Dave Talerico                                                                                                    
Representative Sarah Vance                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 6                                                                                                          
Expressing support and appreciation for the National Native                                                                     
American Veterans Memorial.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HR 6 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 126                                                                                                              
"An Act establishing November as Alaska Native Heritage Month."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HB 126 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 7                                                                                                          
Urging the governor to continue to fully implement the Alaska                                                                   
Tribal Child Welfare Compact and build ongoing partnerships                                                                     
between the state and tribal governments.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HR 7 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HR 6                                                                                                                    
SHORT TITLE: NAT'L. NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS MEMORIAL                                                                           
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) LINCOLN                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
03/18/19       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
03/18/19       (H)       TRB, MLV                                                                                               
04/09/19       (H)       TRB AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
04/09/19       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/09/19       (H)       MINUTE(TRB)                                                                                            
04/16/19       (H)       TRB AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 126                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH                                                                                       
SPONSOR(s): TRIBAL AFFAIRS                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
04/08/19       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/08/19       (H)       TRB                                                                                                    
04/09/19       (H)       TRB AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
04/09/19       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/09/19       (H)       MINUTE(TRB)                                                                                            
04/16/19       (H)       TRB AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HR 7                                                                                                                    
SHORT TITLE: SUPPORT AK TRIBAL CHILD WELFARE COMPACT                                                                            
SPONSOR(s): TRIBAL AFFAIRS                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
04/10/19       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/10/19       (H)       TRB                                                                                                    
04/11/19       (H)       TRB AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
04/11/19       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/11/19       (H)       MINUTE(TRB)                                                                                            
04/16/19       (H)       TRB AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
JOHN BIOFF, General Counsel                                                                                                     
Kawerak, Inc.                                                                                                                   
Nome, Alaska                                                                                                                    
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of HR 7.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:03:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  TIFFANY ZULKOSKY  called  the House  Special Committee  on                                                             
Tribal Affairs  meeting to  order at  8:03 a.m.   Representatives                                                               
Talerico,  Lincoln,  Ortiz,  Vance,  Edgmon,  and  Zulkosky  were                                                               
present at  the call  to order.   Representative Kopp  arrived as                                                               
the meeting was in progress.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
         HR 6-NAT'L. NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS MEMORIAL                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:04:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ZULKOSKY announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  RESOLUTION NO. 6,  Expressing support  and appreciation                                                               
for the National Native American Veterans Memorial.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  ZULKOSKY  noted  that the  committee  previously  heard  a                                                               
presentation on  HR 6, as  well as invited and  public testimony.                                                               
She asked  if Representative Lincoln,  the prime  sponsor, wished                                                               
to make any final comments.  He indicated that he did not.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  ZULKOSKY relayed  to committee  members that  fiscal notes                                                               
are  available for  all three  pieces of  legislation on  today's                                                               
calendar,  and  that they  are  all  zero  fiscal notes.    After                                                               
ascertaining  that  no committee  member  wished  to offer  final                                                               
comments  on HR  6,  she  expressed that  she  would entertain  a                                                               
motion to move it out of committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:05:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON moved to report  HR 6 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the attached  zero fiscal  note.                                                               
There being  no objection,  HR 6  was reported  out of  the House                                                               
Special Committee on Tribal Affairs.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:05:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:05 a.m. to 8:08 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
              HB 126-ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:08:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ZULKOSKY  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 126,  "An Act establishing November  as Alaska                                                               
Native Heritage Month."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  ZULKOSKY  stated that  the  committee  previously heard  a                                                               
presentation on HB 126, as  well as invited and public testimony.                                                               
After  ascertaining  that no  committee  member  wished to  offer                                                               
final comments, she  expressed that she would  entertain a motion                                                               
to move HB 126 out of committee.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:08:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON  moved to  report HB  126 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual recommendations  and  the  attached zero  fiscal                                                               
note.  There  being no objection, HB 126 was  reported out of the                                                               
House Special Committee on Tribal Affairs.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:08:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:09 a.m. to 8:11 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          HR 7-SUPPORT AK TRIBAL CHILD WELFARE COMPACT                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:11:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ZULKOWSKY announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  RESOLUTION NO.  7, Urging the  governor to  continue to                                                               
fully  implement  the Alaska  Tribal  Child  Welfare Compact  and                                                               
build  ongoing   partnerships  between   the  state   and  tribal                                                               
governments.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  ZULKOSKY   noted  that  the  committee   already  heard  a                                                               
presentation on  HR 7, as  well as invited and  public testimony.                                                               
After ascertaining that no committee  members had questions about                                                               
HR 7, she re-opened public testimony                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:11:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  BIOFF,   General  Counsel,   Kawerak,  Inc.,   relayed  his                                                               
professional  background  and  involvement  with  Kawerak,  Inc.,                                                               
which he  explained is the  regional nonprofit  tribal consortium                                                               
located in  Nome.  He explained  that he is testifying  on behalf                                                               
of Melanie  Bahnke, President and CEO  of Kawerak, Inc.   He said                                                               
Kawerak, Inc.  provides social services  to the 20 tribes  in the                                                               
Bering Strait  region of  Alaska.   He added  that it  operates a                                                               
child advocacy center  that serves the region, and  that it works                                                               
in  partnership with  the  State of  Alaska  (SOA) to  facilitate                                                               
child  abuse investigations.   He  said Kawerak,  Inc. represents                                                               
the 20  tribes in  Indian Child  Welfare Act  (ICWA) proceedings.                                                               
He  discussed   his  experience   representing  tribes   in  ICWA                                                               
proceedings  and  opined on  the  importance  of Kawerak,  Inc.'s                                                               
partnership  with  SOA  and the  Office  of  Children's  Services                                                               
(OCS).    He  said  Kawerak,   Inc.  has  been  involved  in  the                                                               
development  of the  [Alaska Tribal  Child Welfare  Compact] from                                                               
the  beginning and  is a  signatory.   He spoke  to the  time and                                                               
resources  invested by  Kawerak, Inc.  in building  relationships                                                               
and supporting  the compact.   He discussed the important  of the                                                               
compact and HR 7.  He  stressed that tribal and SOA resources are                                                               
limited, so it  is imperative that partnerships  form to maximize                                                               
resources to  benefit Alaska families.   He said the  compact and                                                               
partnerships between  SOA and tribal  governments make  sense for                                                               
Alaska, given  the vastness  of the state  and the  complexity of                                                               
challenges  facing  rural areas.    He  affirmed Kawerak,  Inc.'s                                                               
support  of HR  7  and the  intent  and spirit  in  which it  was                                                               
drafted.  He  added that Kawerak, Inc. urges  Governor Michael J.                                                               
Dunleavy  to  fully  implement   the  compact  and  continue  the                                                               
partnership laid  out between SOA and  the tribes, as well  as to                                                               
pursue  additional partnership  opportunities.    He thanked  the                                                               
committee for the opportunity to testify.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:14:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  ZULKOWSKY  thanked Mr.  Bioff  for  his comments.    After                                                               
ascertaining  that no  one  else wished  to  testify, she  closed                                                               
public  testimony.   She  expressed that  she  would entertain  a                                                               
motion to move HR 7 out of committee.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:14:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON moved to report  HR 7 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the attached  zero fiscal  note.                                                               
There being  no objection,  HR 7  was reported  out of  the House                                                               
Special Committee on Tribal Affairs.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:14:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:15 a.m. to 8:17 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:17:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Special  Committee on  Tribal Affairs  meeting  was adjourned  at                                                               
8:17 p.m.                                                                                                                       

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