SB 163-REPEAL CERTAIN INACTIVE FUNDS/ACCOUNTS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:51:46 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN   reconvened  the   meeting  and   announced  the                                                               
consideration  of  SENATE  BILL  NO.  163  "An  Act  relating  to                                                               
inactive state  accounts and funds; repealing  the home ownership                                                               
assistance fund;  repealing the  operating loss  reserve account;                                                               
repealing the public access fund;  repealing the Southeast energy                                                               
fund; repealing  the Alaska Gasline Inducement  Act reimbursement                                                               
fund;  repealing  the child  care  facility  revolving loan  fund                                                               
foreclosure  expense  account;  repealing the  tourism  revolving                                                               
fund  foreclosure  expense  account;  repealing  the  residential                                                               
energy conservation  fund foreclosure expense  account; repealing                                                               
the historical  district revolving loan fund  foreclosure expense                                                               
account;  repealing  the   Alaska  temporary  assistance  program                                                               
emergency  account; repealing  the  2001  Special Olympics  World                                                               
Winter Games reserve fund; and providing for an effective date."                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:52:25 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  JAMES KAUFMAN,  District  F,  Alaska State  Legislature,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB  163 explained that the bill builds                                                               
on a  process created in  a previous legislature to  review state                                                               
accounts every two years and  eliminate unused or outdated funds.                                                               
He said the  goal is to reduce clutter,  improve transparency and                                                               
efficiency,  and  ensure  only necessary  accounts  remain,  with                                                               
candidates  identified,  evaluated,  and  removed  if  no  longer                                                               
serving a purpose.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:55:43 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON noted that according  to the fiscal note, it                                                               
appears that all the funds are empty.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KAUFMAN said  while some unused funds  have been cleared,                                                               
outdated   accounts  often   remain   on   the  books,   creating                                                               
unnecessary clutter.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON asked  whether there is money in  any of the                                                               
funds.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KAUFMAN  replied  that  the  identified  funds  have  no                                                               
remaining  money.  He  said  going  forward,  any  unused  funded                                                               
accounts would also be cleared and closed.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:56:42 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON exclaimed  that if  there is  money in  the                                                               
funds that are being closed that is bonus money.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KAUFMAN replied yes. He  said the two-year review process                                                               
was  created  to  reassess outdated  requirements  and  accounts,                                                               
eliminate what is  no longer needed, and  improve efficiency. The                                                               
process  also ensures  that any  unnecessary  funds are  cleared,                                                               
enhancing transparency and public trust in government finances.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:58:42 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN  asked if  there were  more funds  identified that                                                               
the sponsor wants to add to the current list.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KAUFMAN  replied yes. He said  a list of unused  funds is                                                               
created, and legislation is then  needed to eliminate them. Since                                                               
these accounts accumulate over time  across statutes, the goal is                                                               
to work with legal and finance teams to identify more                                                                           
unnecessary funds and remove them more comprehensively.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:59:49 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN held SB 163 in committee.