HB 190-PFD ALLOWABLE ABSENCE  9:55:23 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the last order of business was SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 190, "An Act relating to allowable absences from the state for purposes of eligibility for permanent fund dividends; and providing for an effective date." 9:55:59 AM REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for SSHB 190, Version 27-LS0564\R, Kirsch, 2/3/12, as a work draft. There being no objection, Version R was before the committee. 9:56:25 AM MICHAEL PASCALL, Staff, Representative Eric Feige, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Feige, sponsor, noted that the House State Affairs Standing Committee had heard HB 190 last year. He reminded the committee that approximately 13 years ago, statute was put into place such that anyone on an allowable absence from the state became ineligible for a permanent fund dividend (PFD) after 10 years, with the exception of members of Congress, congressional staff, and their families. He said numerous objections have been raised, there have been questions about constitutionality, and there have been court cases. He said the sponsor, in working on HB 190, decided to propose extending the allowable absence time from 10 years to 20 years, during which time perhaps a better solution could be found. He indicated that Version R would create a tighter standard by putting some regulations into statute. He said he would offer a presentation at the next hearing of the proposed bill that would explain SSHB 190 in more detail. CHAIR LYNN recognized that Representative Eric Feige, sponsor of HB 190, had arrived. 9:59:24 AM CHAIR LYNN closed public testimony. [HB 190 was held over.]