SB 297-MENTAL HEALTH TRUST LAND UNIT EMPLOYEES                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
[Contains brief discussion of SB 112.]                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 2695                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COGHILL  announced that  the  next  order of  business  was                                                              
SENATE  BILL NO.  297,  "An Act  moving  employees  of the  Alaska                                                              
mental  health  trust  land  unit of  the  Department  of  Natural                                                              
Resources  from  the  partially   exempt  service  to  the  exempt                                                              
service."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 2655                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
TIM  LAMKIN,   Staff  to   Senator  Gary   Wilken,  Alaska   State                                                              
Legislature,  told the  committee  that the  proposed  legislation                                                              
was drafted  to correct  an oversight from  the previous  year and                                                              
mentioned SB  112.  Nine employees  of the [Alaska  Mental Health]                                                              
land unit were overlooked [in that bill], he explained.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  remarked  that  there is  no  fiscal  note  attached,                                                              
because  the money  used to  pay  these employees  comes from  the                                                              
trust; therefore, there  are no general funds attached  to it.  He                                                              
added  that  there is  no  bargaining  unit involved,  because  of                                                              
"their" current  partially exempt  status.   He said,  "It allows,                                                              
essentially,  the trust  authority  to remain  competitive in  the                                                              
(indisc.)   market,   relevant   to  recruiting,   training,   and                                                              
retaining its natural resource managers."                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL  asked Mr. Lamkin if  he was aware of  any objection                                                              
from the department.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAMKIN  replied, "None whatsoever."   He reiterated  that [the                                                              
proposed legislation] comes at the request of the department.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COGHILL  asked  if  there   were  any  questions  from  the                                                              
committee  members.   He noted  that there  were people  available                                                              
from the department to answer questions.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 2579                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JAMES stated  her belief  that this  [legislation]                                                              
was  "going  in  the  right  direction,"   was  requested  by  the                                                              
department, and should  be moved forward.  She moved  to report SB                                                              
297  out of  committee  with  individual recommendations  and  the                                                              
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL  said he thought  it is a  management tool  that the                                                              
committee would  do well to  pass on to  the mental  health board.                                                              
He mentioned the mental health department and division, as well.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 2485                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL  asked if there was  any objection.  There  being no                                                              
objection,  SB  297 was  reported  from  the House  State  Affairs                                                              
Standing Committee.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being  no further business  before the committee,  the House                                                              
State Affairs  Standing Committee  meeting  was adjourned  at 9:01                                                              
a.m.