HB 298-ALASKA FOOD STRATEGY TASK FORCE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:22:15 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   HUGHES   reconvened   the  meeting   and   announced   the                                                              
consideration  of  CS FOR  HOUSE  BILL  NO.  298(CRA) am  "An  Act                                                              
establishing the  Alaska Food Strategy  Task Force;  and providing                                                              
for an effective date."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:22:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MYERS moved  to  adopt  the Senate  Committee  Substitute                                                              
(SCS)  for  CSHB  298, work  order  32-LS1398\I,  as  the  working                                                              
document.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:22:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:23:11 PM                                                                                                                    
DANIEL  PHELPS,  Staff,  Senator   Shelley  Hughes,  Alaska  State                                                              
Legislature,   Juneau,  Alaska,   presented  the  explanation   of                                                              
changes for  the SCS  for HB 298  on behalf  of the committee.  He                                                              
paraphrased the following changes  from version B.A to version I:                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Change 1    Section 2, subsection  (b) is amended to say  that the                                                            
executive  board of  the task force  will consist  of two  members                                                              
from  the  Alaska  Food  Policy   Council,  one  member  from  the                                                              
Institute of  Social and  Economic Research,  one member  from the                                                              
Alaska  Farm  Bureau,  one  member   from  the  Alaska  Industrial                                                              
Development and Export  Authority, and four members  of the Alaska                                                              
State Legislature.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Change 2    Section 2, subsection  (d), number (11) is  amended to                                                            
say a youth  member from Alaska  Future Farmers of America  or the                                                              
Alaska 4-H Program.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Change 3    Section 2,  subsection (j),  number (3) is  amended to                                                            
say  enhancing the  climate for  food and  beverage processing  or                                                              
distribution businesses.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Change 4    Section 2,  subsection (j),  number (6) is  amended to                                                            
say  ensuring  food security  in  all  communities in  the  state,                                                              
including those  that are and are  not connected to the  main road                                                              
system of the state.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Change  5    Section 2,  subsection (k)  is amended  to say  seven                                                            
integrated  focus  areas  to  resolve  a  drafting  error  in  the                                                              
previous version.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:25:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   HUGHES  withdrew   her  objection.   Finding  no   further                                                              
objection, SCS CSHB 298 was adopted as the working document.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:26:36 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  LIZ  SNYDER,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  Juneau,                                                              
Alaska,  sponsor  of  HB  298, expressed  her  gratitude  for  the                                                              
opportunity  to discuss  the bill  and work  through changes  with                                                              
committee members.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:27:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES commented  that the Institute of Social  and Economic                                                              
Research (ISER) was  excited about the prospect of  being a member                                                              
the Alaska Food  Strategy Task Force. ISER has not  delved in this                                                              
area but  understands  the importance  of this  task force  and is                                                              
willing  to  serve. The  same  is  true  with  AIDEA. One  of  the                                                              
reasons  AIDEA  was  selected  is  its  experience  with  areawide                                                              
distribution systems  and financing. Food strategy  will require a                                                              
lot of  effort over  time for systemic  transformation.  The start                                                              
date was  changed to  accommodate legislators  and the  task force                                                              
will pick up where the executive task force ended.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  HUGHES asked  Representative Snyder  if she  would like  to                                                              
make closing remarks.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:31:52 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  SNYDER replied  that  she was  looking forward  to                                                              
working with the committee next week.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:32:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES held HB 298 in committee.