CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 205(FIN)(Corrected) am(brf sup maj fld) "An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan program expenses of state government and for certain programs; capitalizing funds; making supplemental appropriations; and providing for an effective date." SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 205(FIN) am S "An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan program expenses of state government and for certain programs; capitalizing funds; making capital appropriations, supplemental appropriations, and reappropriations; making appropriations for the operating and capital expenses of the state's integrated comprehensive mental health program; making appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State of Alaska, from the constitutional budget reserve fund; and providing for an effective date." 2:32:03 PM Representative Foster MOVED that Senator Stedman serve as the presiding chair of the FY 21 Conference Committee on HB 205. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Stedman MOVED that Representative Foster serve as Vice-Chair of the FY 21 Conference Committee on HB 205. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Stedman reviewed procedures pertaining to the conference committee. He noted that both the House and Senate budget process allowed for public testimony. That portion of the process was concluded; the conference committee would not accept further public testimony. Unless invited by the Chair, only members of the conference committee would take part in discussions or sit at the table. Chair Stedman observed that the Legislative Finance Division had been directed to prepare the "motion sheets" for use by the conference committee. The motion sheets summarized the differences between the two versions of the bills before the conference committee, were located on the Legislative Finance Division's website, and would be updated after each meeting. Chair Stedman noted that he wanted as few meetings as possible due to the COVID-19 virus issue. Chair Stedman explained that the conference committee would operate under Uniform Rule 42. All action required a majority vote from each body for adoption. A copy of Uniform Rule 42 and related legal opinions were provided in each member's packet. 2:34:29 PM Vice-Chair Foster MOVED that all appropriations and language in the FY 21 operating budget that were identical in House and Senate versions of HB 205 be adopted. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Chair Stedman observed that the committee would need limited powers to reach agreements. He requested a motion to request "limited powers" for budget items for which differences exist. He relayed he had distributed a letter for dated March 25, 2020 addressed to the Speaker of the House and the Senate President. Under limited powers, the Conference Committee could adopt any amount between zero and the higher of the House or Senate version of each item subject to conference. Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT a letter requesting limited powers of free conference for budget items that were not identical. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. 2:35:47 PM AT EASE 2:37:19 PM RECONVENED Chair Stedman stated that the committee would be meeting and taking action on the operating budget after limited powers had been received. Chair Stedman relayed that the committee meetings would be posted on BASIS under the 24-hour rule. Chair Stedman stated that when the proper appointment was received from both bodies, the Chair and Vice-Chair would do preliminary work and then meeting as soon as possible to further the work of the committee. He wanted to conclude the workday by 6:30 p.m. Chair Foster MOVED to RECESS the meeting to the call of the chair. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. 2:38:50 PM RECESSED 6:46:13 PM RECONVENED Chair Stedman called the conference committee back to order. Chair Stedman noted that Limited Powers of Free Conference had been granted by both the House and the Senate. He invited Pat Pitney, Director of the Legislative Finance Division to the committee table. Chair Stedman explained how objections would be handled. He detailed that if there was an objection, the item would be noted and set aside. The committee would continue to go through the other items in the department, adopt them, and would come back to any item that has an objection. Chair Stedman relayed that the committee would address open items in HB 205 based on the motion sheets distributed to members and dated March 25th on the Departments of: Administration Commerce, Community, and Economic Development Education and Early Development Environmental Conservation Fish and Game Office of the Governor Labor and Workforce Development Military and Veterans' Affairs Revenue Transportation and Public Facilities Legislature Debt Service Fund Capitalizations Fund Transfers Fiscal Year 2020 Operating Supplementals 6:48:05 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Administration's budget: Item 1 House Item 2 Senate Item 3 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Department of Administration's budget. 6:48:33 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, COMMUNITY, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development's budget: Item 1 Senate Item 2 House Item 3 Senate Item 4 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development's budget. 6:49:07 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Education and Early Development's budget: Item 1 Senate Item 2 Senate Item 3 Senate Item 4 Senate Representative Tilton OBJECTED to Item 1. Chair Stedman asked to set aside Item 1 to address at a later time. There being NO further OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED items 2, 3, and 4 in the Department of Education and Early Development's budget, leaving Item 1 OPEN. Chair Stedman asked if Representative Tilton wanted to address her objection to Item 1. Representative Tilton stated that Item 1 would add $30 million outside of the formula foundation funding. She referenced a reading program. She thought that the reading program needed to be addressed; and since the reading program was not before the committee, she did not support the additional $30 million in funding outside the Base Student Allocation (BSA). Chair Stedman set the Item 1 aside to take up at a future meeting. 6:51:00 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Environmental Conservation's budget: Item 1 House Item 2 House Item 3 Senate Item 4 House Item 5 Senate Item 6 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Department of Environmental Conservation's budget. 6:51:35 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Fish and Game's budget: Item 1 Senate Item 2 Senate Item 3 Senate Item 4 Senate Item 5 Senate Item 6 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Department of Fish and Game's budget. 6:52:08 PM ^OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Governor's budget: Item 1 House Item 2 House There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Governor's Office budget. 6:52:28 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development's budget: Item 1 Senate Item 2 Senate Item 3 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development's budget. 6:52:55 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs' budget: Item 1 House Item 2 House There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs' budget. 6:53:22 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Revenue's budget: Item 1 House Item 2 House There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Department of Revenue's budget. 6:53:46 PM ^DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' budget: Item 1 Senate Item 2 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' budget. 6:54:16 PM ^LEGISLATURE: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in the Legislatures budget: Item 1 House, modified, move wordage to Office of the Governor, change to "It is the intent of the legislature that the Office of Management and Budget exclude the legislature from billing for budget analyst time." Item 2 Senate Item 3 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in the Legislature's budget. 6:54:56 PM ^DEBT SERVICE: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in Debt Service: Item 1 Senate Item 2 Senate Item 3 Open There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED items 1 and 2 in Debt Service, leaving item 3 OPEN. 6:55:26 PM ^FUND CAPITALIZATIONS: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in Fund Capitalizations: Item 1 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in Fund Capitalizations. 6:55:48 PM ^FUND TRANSFERS: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in Fund Transfers: Item 1 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED the conferenceable items in Fund Transfers. 6:56:07 PM ^FY20 OPERATING SUPPLEMENTALS: Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADOPT the following in Fiscal Year 2020 Operating Supplemental items: Item 1 Open Item 2 Senate, modified to an immediate effective date Item 3 Senate Item 4 Senate Item 5 Open Item 6 Senate, modified to an immediate effective date Item 7 Open Item 8 Senate Item 9 Senate Item 10 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action CLOSED items 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10 and leaves open items 1, 5, and 7. 6:57:05 PM AT EASE 6:57:30 PM RECONVENED Chair Stedman relayed that Conference Committees on the budget were exempt from the 24-hour notice rule and fell under the 'reasonable notice' rule. The committee would attempt to give as much notice as possible given the time constraints. He relayed there would be a meeting the following day and the time would be announced when agreed upon. Chair Stedman expressed the desire to finish the conference committee the following day. HB 205 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. Vice-Chair Foster MOVED to ADJOURN the meeting. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.