SB 213-FUNDING FOR SCHOOL MEALS  8:04:31 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS announced consideration of SB 213. [CSSB 213, 26-LS1301\E, was before the committee.] 8:05:34 AM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI, sponsor of SB 213, said the bill provides a state match for school lunches and breakfasts. For every free and reduced-price breakfast the federal program funds, the state will match $.35; for every lunch the federal program funds, the state will match $.15. He noted that Alaska is one of the very few states in the country that does not already have a state match for these programs. 8:06:35 AM SENATOR STEVENS asked if Mr. Jeans' concern about the location of the bill in statute has been address. GEORGE ASCOTT, staff to Senator Wielechowski, said Mr. Jeans has prepared an amendment on that. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said he had no objection to Mr. Jeans' proposal. 8:07:23 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if Senator Wielechowski and the department agreed the amendment could appropriately be taken up in Finance if the bill was moved. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI answered yes. SENATOR DAVIS asked if the amendment was available. MR. JEANS indicated no. CO-CHAIR THOMAS called on Eddy Jeans to speak to the fiscal note and the proposed amendment. 8:09:17 AM EDDY JEANS, Director, School Finance and Facilities Section, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), Juneau, Alaska, explained that the amendment does not change the fiscal note, the intent of the bill, or the language in terms of the allocations; it just changes where the statute is placed. The bill places it in the foundation program, but it would be better placed in a section of statute called special programs, Title 14.30. He said he was not able to get the amendment drafted prior to the meeting, but was comfortable moving it, because it does not change the body of the bill at all. MR. JEANS said the fiscal note was based on the CS, which corrected an error in the allocations for lunch and breakfast. The program adjusts breakfast and lunch based on one-quarter of the geographic differential and by the Anchorage CPI. 8:11:25 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS asked if this fiscal note is less than the original. MR. JEANS answered yes. 8:11:45 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS called a brief at ease. 8:12:33 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS called the meeting back to order and continued public testimony. 8:13:15 AM CHRIS JOHNSON, President of the Alaska School Nutrition Association, Anchorage, Alaska, said he was available to answer questions. 8:14:50 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS called a brief at ease. 8:25:04 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS called the meeting back to order. 8:25:20 AM CO-CHAIR MEYER moved to adopt conceptual Amendment 1. There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. CO-CHAIR MEYER asked Mr. Jeans to explain the amendment. MR. JEANS explained that Amendment 1 moves the funding for this breakfast and lunch program into AS 14.30.760 and out of the Foundation Program; this component will be renamed "State Support for Special Programs." It also inserts "subject to appropriation" because it is a stand-alone program. That language already exists under the Foundation program. CO-CHAIR THOMAS said the sponsor supports the change. CO-CHAIR MEYER moved to report CSSB 213, 26-LS1301\E as amended, from committee with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes. Without objection, CSSB 213(EDC) moved from the committee. 8:27:05 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS called a brief at ease.