SB 140-FIRE STATION GRANT PROGRAM                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:33:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK announced the consideration  of SENATE BILL NO. 140                                                               
"An Act  relating to  a matching grant  program for  fire station                                                               
construction  and  renovation;  and providing  for  an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:33:25 PM                                                                                                                    
MARGEAUX  LJUNGBERG, staff,  Senator Bert  Stedman, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,  Alaska, said  that  SB  140 establishes  a                                                               
matching  grant  program  within   the  Department  of  Commerce,                                                               
Community  and Economic  Development (DCCED)  that would  provide                                                               
funding for up  to 50 percent of the total  project costs for the                                                               
construction  or renovation  of fire  stations. SB  140 does  not                                                               
allocate  funds  for  fire station  construction  or  renovation;                                                               
instead,  the  fire  station  grant  fund  would  receive  future                                                               
legislative appropriations.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:34:16 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK solicited the will of the committee.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:34:21 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR OLSON joined the meeting.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:34:27 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR  moved to report  SB 140, work  order 34-LS0489\N,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal  note(s)  and  authorize  Legislative  Legal  Services  to                                                               
making conforming changes.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:34:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK  found no  objection and SB  140 was  reported from                                                               
the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.