04/29/1996 04:24 PM Senate TRA

                     SENATE TRANSPORTATION                                     
                         April 29, 1996                                        
                           4:24 p.m.                                           
  MEMBERS PRESENT                                                              
                                                                               
 Senator Steve Rieger, Chairman                                                
 Senator Robin Taylor, Vice Chair                                              
 Senator Lyda Green                                                            
 Senator Georgianna Lincoln                                                    
                                                                               
  MEMBERS ABSENT                                                               
                                                                               
 Senator Al Adams                                                              
                                                                               
 COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                            
                                                                               
 SENATE BILL NO. 290                                                           
 "An Act making capital and other appropriations; and providing for            
 an effective date."                                                           
                                                                               
  PREVIOUS SENATE ACTION                                                       
                                                                               
 SB 290 - See Senate Transportation minutes dated 4/9/96, 4/11/96,             
          4/16/96.                                                             
                                                                               
  WITNESS REGISTER                                                             
                                                                               
  ACTION NARRATIVE                                                             
                                                                               
 TAPE 96-20, SIDE A                                                            
                                                                               
            SB 290 APPROPRIATIONS: CAPITAL & OTHERS                           
                                                                              
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN RIEGER called the Senate Transportation meeting to order             
 at 4:24 p.m. and introduced  SB 290  as the first order of business           
 before the committee.  He informed the committee that there was a             
 draft CS that he did not intend to move today.                                
                                                                               
 SENATOR GREEN moved that CSSB 290(TRA) be adopted in lieu of the              
 original bill.  Hearing no objection, the CS was adopted.                     
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN RIEGER reiterated that he did not intend to move the bill            
 today.  He discussed the changes in the CS and pointed out that               
 there are no deletions of any project recommended from the                    
 Governor, except those recommended for deletion by the Governor.              
 The capital matching grants are adopted by the legislative                    
 financial staff with no changes.  The main change is in the                   
 allocations.  He asked if committee members had questions.                    
                                                                               
 Number 058                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN asked if Chairman Rieger had received her amendment           
 that changed what the money would be used for in a community, but             
 not the dollar amount.  She gave the amendment to committee staff             
 for distribution.                                                             
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR asked if Senator Lincoln's amendment merely renamed            
 the designation of the project within a community.  SENATOR LINCOLN           
 replied yes.  She said that the committee staff just informed her             
 that her amendment was encompassed in the CS.  However, she had               
 another amendment that would change the front change section, but             
 not the dollar figure.                                                        
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN asked Chairman Rieger to explain the changes in the           
 DOT portion of the bill.                                                      
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN RIEGER explained that there were appropriations that did             
 not have allocations specified.  The CS places the allocations in             
 the capital budget.  State allocations do not restrict the                    
 flexibility to adjust dollar totals, but it provides greater                  
 clarity.                                                                      
                                                                               
 Number 109                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN noted that a copy of her amendment had been passed            
 out. The amendment noted that the City of Tuluksak had changed to             
 the Tuluksak I.R.A. Council which was identified in the incorrect             
 place in the bill.  Tuluksak should be identified in the beginning            
 of the bill.                                                                  
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN RIEGER had no objection to Senator Lincoln offering her              
 amendment for consideration.                                                  
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN moved Amendment 1.                                            
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR objected.  How would the amendment comport with the            
 provisions in the operating budget where there is a distinction               
 between a nonprofit corporation and a tribal entity?  SENATOR                 
 LINCOLN said that Tuluksak would be in the same position as                   
 communities that are I.R.A.s and are not nonprofits.                          
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR felt that communities should be treated in the same            
 way in the operating budget as well as the capital budget.  If                
 Senator Halford's legal opinions are correct, then there should be            
 consistency.  For purposes of receiving the grant, perhaps the name           
 should be changed to Tuluksak Community Nonprofit.                            
                                                                               
 Number 159                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN explained that Tuluksak went through a process with           
 the Department of Community and Regional Affairs to become an                 
 I.R.A. Council.  Anything within this bill carries that forward for           
 all of the communities.                                                       
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR did not know if I.R.A.s were distinguished or not.             
 If the legislation passes will the Tanana Chief Council have to               
 create a nonprofit corporation to receive and distribute those                
 funds?  SENATOR LINCOLN understood that the community would have to           
 establish a non profit entity in order to receive funds.  This                
 would fall under the same category, if that legislation was                   
 adopted.                                                                      
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR emphasized that this should be a policy decision               
 when the capital budget is structured.  He reiterated that there              
 should be consistency.  The policy should be clarified before the             
 amendment is added.                                                           
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN RIEGER informed the committee that the other budgets                 
 utilized blanket language in the front.  He indicated that it is              
 probably a different set of issues for a grant for a capital item             
 as opposed to a grant to someone to provide a service.                        
                                                                               
 Number 214                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR GREEN inquired as to the part that Senator Lincoln referred           
 to that was already included in the CS.  SENATOR LINCOLN said that            
 was another amendment.                                                        
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN withdrew her amendment.                                       
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN RIEGER asked if anyone wanted to testify.  Hearing no one,           
 the meeting was adjourned at 4:48 p.m.