SB 117 -  STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL                              
                                                                               
 Number 1414                                                                   
                                                                               
 STAN RIDGEWAY, Deputy Director, Division of Vocational                        
 Rehabilitation, Department of Education, said this bill was                   
 introduced at the request of the Department of Education by Senator           
 Halford.  In order for Alaska to continue to receive federal funds            
 for independent living, the state must establish in statute a                 
 Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC).  There has been a                
 council functioning for the last year and a half, but last year               
 there were questions raised about the legality of the council.                
 Former Governor Hickel had to reappoint a council so it could get             
 federal funds in October.                                                     
                                                                               
 MR. RIDGEWAY stated that SB 117 establishes the council in statute.           
 There is a fiscal note of $142,000 that is already in the budget              
 and is being spent by the council.  This enables the state to                 
 receive about $900,000 in federal money.  There is $602,000 in                
 state money that has been going to the independent living centers             
 in Alaska, and there is a $39,000 match to that.                              
                                                                               
 MR. RIDGEWAY said the council that is established spends about 9              
 percent of this money on operations.  That is the $142,000 fiscal             
 note.                                                                         
                                                                               
 Number 1475                                                                   
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIR TOOHEY noted that Mr. Ridgeway had said the $142,000 is              
 already in the budget.                                                        
                                                                               
 MR. RIDGEWAY said that was correct.                                           
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIR TOOHEY asked if there will be a reappropriation of money             
 the next year.                                                                
                                                                               
 MR. RIDGEWAY said yes, there would be.  It is a part of the roughly           
 $1 million that is already appropriated from federal and state                
 money.                                                                        
                                                                               
 Number 1499                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON asked if the SILC was located within the              
 DHSS.                                                                         
                                                                               
 MR. RIDGEWAY said no, actually the SILC is located within the                 
 Department of Education.  The language in the bill exempts it from            
 that, and places it in the Department of Education.                           
                                                                               
 Number 1517                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS asked if the SILC was considered to be a part            
 of the Human Resources Investment Council (HRIC).  He noted that              
 the SILC was not included in the HRIC as far as the merger of                 
 councils.                                                                     
                                                                               
 MR. RIDGEWAY said Representative Davis was correct.  On a federal             
 and state level, vocational rehabilitation has been mentioned in              
 the HRIC, but it has been exempted.                                           
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIR BUNDE closed public testimony and asked for the wish of              
 the committee.                                                                
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON moved CSSB 117(HES) with attached backup              
 documents, accompanying fiscal notes, and individual                          
 recommendations.  There were no objections, and the bill passed               
 from the House Health, Education and Social Services Committee.