HOUSE BILL NO. 223                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act providing that  the Alaska Railroad Corporation                                                                    
     is subject  to the  Executive Budget Act  and providing                                                                    
     that  expenditures of  the Alaska  Railroad Corporation                                                                    
     are  subject to  appropriation;  and  providing for  an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:59:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough  moved  HB 223,  version  27-LS0771\M                                                                    
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOE  MICHEL, STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE BILL  STOLTZE, explained                                                                    
that HB  223 was an  exact replica of  HB 127 that  had been                                                                    
heard the prior legislative  session. He delineated that the                                                                    
bill would  place the Alaska Railroad  Corporation under the                                                                    
Executive Budget Act.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:00:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Neuman   wondered  about  the   history  and                                                                    
purpose of the legislation.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Michel replied that the  bill placed the Alaska Railroad                                                                    
Corporation under  the Executive  Budget Act to  provide the                                                                    
legislature  with  better  visibility of  the  corporation's                                                                    
actions and  because many state corporations,  including the                                                                    
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation,  had operated well under                                                                    
the act.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Neuman  believed that  the legislation  was a                                                                    
good idea.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas  discussed that the  bill would  be referred                                                                    
to   subcommittee  that   consisted  of   Co-Chair  Stoltze,                                                                    
Representative    Joule,   Representative    Costello,   and                                                                    
Representative  Guttenberg. He  noted that  Co-Chair Stoltze                                                                    
would consider  a request made by  Representative Neuman for                                                                    
a  seat  on  the  HB  223  subcommittee  and  a  request  by                                                                    
Representative  Guttenberg  to be  removed  from  the HB  78                                                                    
subcommittee.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
HB 223  was HEARD  and HELD and  referred to  a subcommittee                                                                    
that  consisted of  Co-Chair Stoltze,  Representative Joule,                                                                    
Representative Costello,  and Representative  Guttenberg for                                                                    
further consideration.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:01:49 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:03:39 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED