HB 313-APPROVING AND RATIFYING RPLS  3:10:32 PM CHAIR KOPP announced that the only order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 313, "An Act approving and ratifying the actions of the governor and executive branch in expending certain federal receipts and of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee in approving the expenditure of certain federal receipts during fiscal years 2020 and 2021; and providing for an effective date." 3:11:19 PM GRACE ERVINE, Staff, Representative Chuck Kopp, Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 313 by means of the accompanying Sectional Analysis on behalf of the House Rules Standing Committee, sponsor, on which Representative Kopp serves as chair. She paraphrased the Sectional Analysis [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided, with some formatting changes]: Section 1 Legislative Findings, Purpose and  Intent (pages 1-3)  Makes legislative findings related to COVID-19; outlining actions taken by the President of the United States, Governor and Legislature to declare a state of emergency; and describing the RPL process undertaken by the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee. Delineates that the purpose of the bill is to approve the expenditure of the federal receipts outlined in the RPLs, and that the intent of the Legislature is that the appropriations identified by the RPLs be increased as approved by the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee. Section 2 Approval and Ratification (page 3)  Approves and ratifies the expenditure of the funds outlined in the RPL packages described in Section 1. Section 3 Suspension of Other Law (page 3)  Allows Section 2 to go into effect notwithstanding the provisions of other law, including AS 37.07.080. Section 4 Retroactive Clause (page 3)  Provides for a retroactive effective date of May 1, 2020. Section 5 Effective Date Clause (pages 3-4)  This act has an immediate effective date. MS. ERVINE noted that the numbers related to the Revised Program - Legislative (RPL) package were provided in a handout in the committee packet. 3:12:54 PM CHAIR KOPP directed attention to language in Section 1, subsection (6), of HB 313, on page 2, beginning on line 10, which read as follows: (6) on April 21, 2020, in response to the anticipated receipt of additional federal receipts appropriated to states as part of the CARES Act that were not specifically accounted for in passage of the fiscal year 2020 or fiscal year 2021 budgets, the governor issued a revised program legislative (RPL) package CHAIR KOPP pointed out that the ensuing information in subsection (6) was a list of the RPLs, and detailed information pertaining to them, including the agencies to which the monies would be directed, was included in the committee packet. CHAIR KOPP relayed that on May 1, 2020, Governor Mike Dunleavy revised several of the RPLs and issued a few new ones and the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee approved six RPLs. On May 7, 2020, the governor revised four RPLs. On May 11, 2020, the governor revised another RPL and the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, working with the administration, approved a package of RPLs "to get the money out to the people of Alaska." Chair Kopp explained that the approval was challenged in court, so the purpose of today's hearing of HB 313 was "to act in our constitutional authority to remove any uncertainty as to the status of the expenditure of these funds." He added, "In short, we are approving and ratifying what we have done." 3:15:21 PM CHAIR KOPP opened public testimony on HB 313. After ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public testimony. 3:16:10 PM CHAIR KOPP pointed out that there was a zero fiscal note accompanying the proposed legislation. He invited closing comments from the committee. There being none, he expressed to all Alaskans that he wanted them to know that their Representatives were working hard to respond to "the unprecedented and difficult times" facing the state and would continue efforts to get Alaskans the assistance they need. He said he would entertain a motion on HB 313. 3:16:46 PM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON moved to report HB 313 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, HB 313 was reported out of the House Rules Standing Committee.