SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 6 Creating and relating to the Senate VPSO Task Force. This was the first hearing for this bill in the Senate Finance Committee. SENATOR RALPH SEEKINS, Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee, which sponsored this bill communicated the resolution would create a Senate task force to gather facts and further discussions to improve the Village Public Safety Officers (VPSO) program. Many rural communities in the State depend on the VPSO program for police protection and law enforcement services. Senator Seekins stated that upon review of a Rural Justice Committee report [copy not provided] and information provided by rural communities, the Senate Judiciary Committee determined that forming a task force to review the program would be beneficial. He also expressed that the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the program, was aware of the issues and would continue to address them. Senator Seekins conveyed the task force would endeavor to identify program weaknesses in order to determine why program objectives have been unobtainable. The task force would develop a report to include findings and recommendations for program improvement. 9:11:34 AM Co-Chair Green asked for further clarification of language on page 1, lines 14 through 16, of the resolution that reads as follows. FURTHER RESOLVED that the public members of the task force may receive per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180, subject to available funding and approval by the task force chair; … 9:11:54 AM Senator Seekins clarified that per diem for public members of the task force would be limited to meals and lodging only. "No honorarium of any kind" would be provided. Co-Chair Green asked whether public member expenses would be addressed via a reimbursement method. Senator Seekins affirmed it would be a "dollar for dollar reimbursement". Co-Chair Green questioned whether the language was specific enough in this regard. Senator Seekins was "willing to craft" the language as deemed necessary. Continuing, however, he assured that the intent of the language would be adhered to. Co-Chair Green voiced concern that the intent could be challenged, as no monetary limitation was specified. Senator Seekins communicated that, at his request, Tamara Cook, Director, Legislative Legal and Research Services, had drafted the language in question. Co-Chair Green sought confirmation Ms. Cook considered the language "restrictive enough". Senator Seekins remarked that Ms. Cook deemed the language to be reasonable. Furthermore, expenses would be subject to approval by the task force chair. Reimbursable expenses would be limited to meals and travel. In concluding his remarks, Senator Seekins opined that task force members traveling to rural areas of the State should be provided meals and transported and housed in "a safe manner". Committee members raised no further concerns. 9:13:20 AM Co-Chair Green asked whether this legislation mirrored previous efforts to address concerns about the VPSO program or whether this action differed because circumstances have advanced to "a new level". Senator Seekins viewed the situation as reaching "a new level where solid recommendations" and action must occur. Previous discussions on the issue had not resulted in any action. The goal for this task force would be to identify and further "solid solutions". 9:14:07 AM LORETTA BULLARD, President, Kawerak, Inc., testified via teleconference from Nome. Kawerak is "one of six regional non- profit corporations that contracts with the State to provide the Village Public Safety Officer program". The VPSO program operated by Kawerak employs eight people in 16 communities in the Bering Straits region. Ms. Bullard "encouraged" the Committee to support this legislation and report it from Committee. The proposed task force should travel to rural communities, regardless of whether a VSPO program operates there, in order to "gather public input on how the VPSO program can be improved. This service is so desperately needed in the rural areas." The VPSO program could "function more effectively". Filling vacant VPSO positions would provide rural residents access "to law enforcement that they so desperately need". Ms. Bullard noted that the previous year, the VPSO contractors had hired Dittman Research to conduct a public opinion survey of the Program. The survey results could be shared with the task force, who might find them "very illuminating in terms of the rural perception of the VPSO program". 9:15:56 AM Senator Olson asked Ms. Bullard whether she anticipated any new information to be gleamed by this task force. Ms. Bullard thought the effort could provide "an opportunity" for Legislators to hear Rural Alaskans' comments regarding "the need for the Program". A review of Statutes and regulations governing the program and the wages paid to VPSOs would also be appreciated. In addition, the "huge" role played by the VPSO contract administrators, who firmly believe in the necessity of the program, is "not reflected in the State program". Ms. Bullard pointed out that the VPSO program is operating in several communities whose city offices are staffed only a few hours a day, and many of those communities are struggling to pay their utility bills. While Alaska Congressman Senator Ted Stevens successfully secured federal funds to assist in renovating rural holding cells, that money has yet to be spent and many "community holding cells are is dismal shape." The Legislature should be aware of such issues and should assist VPSO contractors and the Department of Public Safety in addressing them. 9:17:30 AM Senator Olson asked why the task force's Legislative membership was limited to three Senate members. Senator Seekins cited this as a Senate Resolution. The House of Representatives could choose to participate. Senator Olson applauded the effort to address this issue, as the VPSO program is "very important" to Rural Alaska. 9:17:59 AM Senator Olson moved to report the bill from Committee with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note. There being no objection, SR 6 was REPORTED from Committee with new $70,000 fiscal note, dated April 27, 2006, from the Legislative Affairs Agency. Co-Chair Green stated the Resolution would move from Committee with the understanding that the per diem would be limited to meals and lodging only. Senator Seekins affirmed. 9:18:40 AM