HB 397-ELIMINATE VACANT STATE POSITIONS  3:20:51 PM CHAIR SHAW announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 397, "An Act relating to eliminating vacant positions in the classified and partially exempt service of the state; and providing for an effective date." 3:21:13 PM CHAIR SHAW opened public testimony on HB 397. After ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public testimony. 3:21:30 PM CHAIR SHAW announced that the committee would be hearing proposed amendments to HB 397. 3:21:54 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY moved to adopt Amendment 1 to HB 397, labeled 33-LS1551\A.2, A. Radford, 4/25/24, which read as follows: Page 1, line 5, following "each": Insert "odd-numbered" Page 1, line 7: Delete "364-day" Insert "728-day" Page 1, line 12: Delete "364-day" Insert "728-day" Page 1, line 13: Delete "364-day" Insert "728-day" Page 2, line 4: Delete "2024" Insert "2025" REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT objected for the purpose of discussion. REPRESENTATIVE STORY explained that Amendment 1 would extend the amount of time that a state position could remain vacant before it would be eliminated. 3:23:01 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER said he supported lines 1-14 of Amendment 1 and moved Conceptual Amendment 1 to Amendment 1 to delete lines 16-18 of Amendment 1. 3:23:31 PM There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 to Amendment 1 was adopted. 3:24:05 PM The committee took a brief at-ease at 3:24 p.m. 3:24:43 PM REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT removed his objection to Amendment 1, as amended. There being no further objection, Amendment 1, as amended, was adopted. 3:24:56 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY said that she would not offer Amendment 2. 3:25:12 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY moved to adopt Amendment 3 to HB 397, labeled 33-LS1551\A.1, A. Radford, 4/25/24, which read as follows: Page 1, line 1: Delete "eliminating" Page 1, line 5: Delete "Elimination of" Insert "Report on" Page 1, line 6: Delete "eliminate a position" Insert "submit a report to the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee identifying all positions" Page 1, line 7: Delete "has" Insert "have" Page 2, lines 2 - 4: Delete all material. Renumber the following bill section accordingly. REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT objected for the purpose of discussion. REPRESENTATIVE STORY explained that Amendment 3 would remove language eliminating state positions that have been vacant for a year and instead require the Division of Personnel to provide a report each year listing positions that have been vacant. 3:26:05 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER said he is not in favor of Amendment 3 and explained that he would be more willing to converse about Amendment 4 [not yet offered]. REPRESENTATIVE STORY explained that the reason she thought a report could be an important first step to eliminating vacant state positions was because it would alleviate costs associated with the elimination of state positions. 3:27:18 PM REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT maintained his objection. 3:27:20 PM A roll call vote was taken. Representative Story voted in favor of Amendment 3 to HB 397. Representatives Carpenter, Allard, Wright, and Shaw voted against it. Therefore, Amendment 3 failed to be adopted by a vote of 1-4. 3:28:02 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY moved to adopt Amendment 4 to HB 397, labeled 33-LS1551\A.4, A. Radford, 4/25/24, which read as follows: Page 1, line 2: Delete "eliminating" Page 1, line 5: Delete "positions." Insert "positions; report. (a)" Page 2, following line 1: Insert a new subsection to read: "(b) The director of personnel shall prepare an annual report with an explanation of how funding provided for each position that has been vacant for the 364-day period immediately preceding June 30 was spent. The director of personnel shall submit the report to the senate secretary and the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the report is available." REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT objected for the purpose of discussion. REPRESENTATIVE STORY said that Amendment 4 is similar to Amendment 3 but there would be more specific instructions to the director or personnel. 3:28:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER commented that he is not opposed to Amendment 4 as he understands it and said that the legislation needs to detail when the report to the Division of Personnel is due and change its due date to the end of each year. 3:29:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1 to Amendment 4, to insert the words "by December 31st each year" after "report" on line 10, as numbered on Amendment 4. He further clarified the roles of the Office of the Senate Secretary and the Office of the Chief Clerk in the Alaska State Legislature in relation to receipt of the report. [No objection was stated and the committee treated Conceptual Amendment 1 to Amendment 4 as adopted.] 3:30:58 PM The committee took an at-ease from 3:30 p.m. to 3:31 p.m. 3:31:35 PM REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT removed his objection to Amendment 4, as amended. There being no further objection, Amendment 4, as amended, was adopted. 3:32:48 PM REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to report HB 397, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, CSHB 397(STA) was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.