HOUSE BILL 438 "An Act relating to the indexing of documents recorded in the state recorder's offices; and providing for an effective date." FRED PASCOE, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE TOM BRICE, spoke to HB 438. He stated that the legislation would mandate a geographic location indexing method within the State Recorder's Office. The result will be the continuation of an effective cataloguing system of lands in the State, and future possibilities of cross referencing that information with the resources, leases, and claims information in other data bases. Mr. Pascoe stated that under the current work load, the Record's Office does not anticipate a significant fiscal impact. Land is an important asset in our State, and providing the data for an eventually up-to-date, integrated system for recording and retrieving resource, ownership, and location data is in everyone's best interest. SHARON YOUNG, (TESTIFIED VIA TELECONFERENCE), STATE RECORDER, RECORDER'S UC COMPONENT, SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, ANCHORAGE, stated that HB 438 would mandate the location index for the recording system. A location index is currently maintained by the State, which has been a curtesy for a number of years. Because it is a "curtesy", it gives way to other statutory mandates. There are many location gaps in the index at this time. She offered to answer questions of the Committee. Representative Mulder referenced the revised fiscal note included by the Department of Natural Resources. Representative Brown voiced concern with the lack of funding to implement the fiscal impact. She suggested that these be program receipts. Ms. Young pointed out that the bill is viewed as "prospective", being too extensive a task to go back and capture the old information. NICO BUS, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, added, initially when the legislation was evaluated, there were two fiscal notes, one for the State Recorder's Office submitted January 29, 1996, and one for the Information Resource Management. The revised fiscal note deals only with the impact to the State Recorder's Office. Now that has been changed to a zero impact. He added, however, the Information Resource 10 Management fiscal note is still valid. Representative Brown MOVED to report HB 438 out of Committee with individual recommendations and with the accompanying fiscal notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. HB 438 was reported out of Committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with a fiscal note by the Department of Natural Resources dated 3/12/96 and a new zero fiscal note by the Department of Natural Resources.