SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 37(JUD)                                                                                
     "An Act relating to restricting  sale of cigarettes, to                                                                    
     enforcement  of  certain  laws  relating  to  sales  of                                                                    
     cigarettes,  and  to  smoking education  and  cessation                                                                    
     programs administered  by the Department of  Health and                                                                    
     Social Services."                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   NORMAN   ROKEBERG    testified   that   the                                                                    
legislation   would   authorize  a   comprehensive   smoking                                                                    
education,  tobacco  use   prevention  and  tobacco  control                                                                    
program.    It  would   ensure  that  non-State  contractors                                                                    
administer the tobacco  education prevention.  Approximately                                                                    
$816 million  dollars in tobacco  settlement monies  will be                                                                    
forthcoming to the  State.  He noted that  the Department of                                                                    
Health  and Social  Services would  monitor private  tobacco                                                                    
settlement contracts.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Rokeberg  stated  that   HB  37  outlines  a                                                                    
comprehensive tobacco  control program  based on  the Center                                                                    
for  Disease Control  guidelines.   The bill  would prohibit                                                                    
sales of cigarettes in-groups of  less than 20, not in their                                                                    
original  packaging, and  not properly  labeled for  sale in                                                                    
the  states.   He noted  that it  was his  intent that  upon                                                                    
passage of  the bill,  contractual agreements would  be made                                                                    
with organizations  such as the American  Cancer Society, to                                                                    
implement the program.  The  Department of Health and Social                                                                    
Services   would   be   responsible   for   the   oversight.                                                                    
Representative  Rokeberg stated  that  the  State of  Alaska                                                                    
does  not  need  to  contribute  government  bureaucracy  by                                                                    
burdening the State with additional programmatic duties.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilken questioned the fiscal  note.  He asked if the                                                                    
hire of one full time equivalent was necessary.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Rokeberg  replied  that  there  was  another                                                                    
fiscal note that he and  Senator Parnell had prepared a note                                                                    
that zeroed out that position.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Torgerson understood that  the Department of Health                                                                    
and Social  Services would like  to have more money  in that                                                                    
program, which the fiscal note reflects.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Parnell spoke to  Amendment #1, 1-LS0247/B.1, Ford,                                                                    
4/13/00.    He  stated  that  the  amendment  would  address                                                                    
language  on  Page  5,  Line  5,  deleting  "more  than  one                                                                    
organization" and inserting "one or more organizations".                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Rokeberg  voiced   his   support  for   the                                                                    
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Leman stated  that he  would support  the amendment                                                                    
with  the  current dollar  amount.    He clarified  that  he                                                                    
supported competition for securing the contract.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Green  stated  that  she   could  not  support  the                                                                    
amendment.    She  believed  that  there  are  organizations                                                                    
currently  in  place that  should  be  eligible to  directly                                                                    
receive funding  and should  not be  required to  go through                                                                    
another agency or beneficiary.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Parnell  noted that was possible  with the proposed                                                                    
amendment language.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Green OBJECTED to Amendment #1.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
IN FAVOR:      Donley, Leman, Adams, Wilken, Phillips,                                                                          
               Parnell, Torgerson                                                                                               
OPPOSED:       P. Kelly, Green                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The MOTION PASSED (7-2).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Parnell  MOVED  to adopt  the  fiscal  note  dated                                                                    
4/15/00 as provided by the  Senate Finance Committee.  There                                                                    
being NO OBJECTION, it was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Parnell  MOVED to report  SCS CSHB 37 (FIN)  out of                                                                    
Committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  with  the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.  There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SCS CS  HB 37 (FIIN)  was reported  out of Committee  with a                                                                    
"do pass"  recommendation and with  a fiscal note  by Senate                                                                    
Finance Committee.