HB 274-STATE LAND; EXCHANGES; LEASE EXTENSIONS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:49:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TALERICO  announced that  the  next  order of  business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL NO. 274,  "An Act relating to  extensions of                                                               
certain  state land  leases; relating  to the  exchange of  state                                                               
land; and relating to the definition of 'state land.'"                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:49:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON moved  to adopt  Amendment 1,  labeled 29-                                                               
LS0234\E.1, Bullard, 3/24/16, which read:                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, line 28, through page 5, line 3:                                                                                   
          Delete all material and insert:                                                                                       
        "* Sec. 10. AS 38.50.120(a) is amended to read:                                                                     
          (a)  [THE COMMISSIONER MAY HOLD AS MANY PUBLIC                                                                        
     HEARINGS   AS  IS   CONSIDERED  APPROPRIATE.]   For  an                                                                    
     exchange  of   state  land   having  an   appraised  or                                                                    
     estimated fair  market value  of more  than $5,000,000,                                                                    
     the  director  [THERE] shall  hold  [BE]  at least  two                                                        
     public  meetings before  the exchange  is submitted  to                                                                
     the  legislature  for  approval.  Meetings  under  this                                                                
     subsection may be held  telephonically, except at least                                                                
     [THREE PUBLIC  HEARINGS IN] one  meeting shall  be held                                                                
     in person  in a  municipality [OR  MORE MUNICIPALITIES]                                                                
     close to  the state land proposed  for exchange [BEFORE                                                                    
     IT IS SUBMITTED TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR APPROVAL].                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TALERICO objected.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:49:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON explained Amendment 1.   He said the change                                                               
reviewed in the  bill was moving from three meetings  down to one                                                               
meeting, and he opined that  the public notice and public process                                                               
was too  small.   Although, he continued,  he can  understand the                                                               
problem and  Amendment 1  relates to at  least two  meetings with                                                               
one meeting in  person, and the other meeting could  be in person                                                               
or telephonic.  The amendment  offers the additional benefit of a                                                               
telephonic  meeting  as  many  rural  areas  do  not  participate                                                               
because they  have to  drive 50  miles to reach  the site  of the                                                               
public  hearing.    Therefore,   Amendment  1  would  assist  the                                                               
department  in receiving  information from  different people  and                                                               
also make it cheaper to do so.   He reiterated there would be one                                                               
meeting  in a  regular public  in-person meeting,  but additional                                                               
meetings could be telephonic if so desired by the commissioner.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:51:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CRYSTAL  KOENEMAN,  Staff,  Representative  Cathy  Munoz,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, advised that  Representatives Munoz and Seaton                                                               
worked  together to  address  the public  notice  concern and  to                                                               
ensure that the constituency was well served.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON  described the amendment as  definitive and                                                               
that is what the committee needs.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:52:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TALERICO removed his objection.   There being no further                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:52:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  NAGEAK moved  to  report  HB 274,  as  amended, out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSHB  274(RES)  was                                                               
reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.