HOUSE BILL NO. 197 "An Act extending the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission; and providing for an effective date." 9:10:09 AM MIKE MASON, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS TUCK, reported that Alaska was one of the most seismically active regions on Earth. The state had a history of very large and damaging earthquakes. The state had tried to work diligently to prepare for future earthquakes and, as part of that work, it created the Alaska Seismic Hazard Safety Commission in 2001. House Bill 197 would simply extend the Alaska Seismic Hazard Safety Commission through June 30, 2028. The bill included an immediate effective date because the current authorization expired in June. A recent audit of the commission included a specific recommendation to extend the commission until 2028. The chair of the commission, Sterling Strait, was online and available to answer questions. He thanked the committee. 9:11:18 AM AT EASE 9:11:55 AM RECONVENED Co-Chair Johnston OPENED public testimony. STERLING STRAIT, ALASKA SEISMIC HAZARD SAFETY COMMISSION, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), thanked Representative Tuck for bringing the bill forward and the House Finance Committee for hearing it. He was available to answer any questions. He stated that he was excited about the work the commission was doing. There had been good discussion about the Anchorage earthquake that occurred 1.5 years prior. The commission was compiling some good recommendations to move forward and was excited about what it could do to help improve seismic safety in the state. He thanked members for their time. 9:13:21 AM Co-Chair Johnston CLOSED public testimony. Co-Chair Foster MOVED to report HB 197 out of Committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. HB 197 was REPORTED OUT of Committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with one previously published fiscal impact note: FN1 (DNR).