CHAIRMAN RIEGER introduced HJR 47 (FUNDS TO UPGRADE MILITARY BASE SCHOOLS) as the next order of business before the committee. REPRESENTATIVE ELDON MULDER, Prime Sponsor, said that the Military Schools Task Force evaluated the problem of lack of repairs and repair funding for the school base schools. There is approximately a $52 million backload of work needed to bring these schools up to minimal standards. He explained that the municipalities within which the schools reside are not allowed to bond for the upgrades of these schools since they do not own the schools while the school districts are hesitant to transfer or accept ownership of the schools until they are upgraded. HJR 47 along with a $26 million appropriation bill would attempt to cooperatively reach an agreement between the state and the federal government in order to address this problem. He pointed out that they would propose a 50- 50 match between the state and federal government. The federal government has allocated $10 million towards these type schools nation wide. HJR 47 and some funding from the budget would work towards securing the funds needed to upgrade these schools. DENNIS PORTER, Executive Officer to General Ralston and member of the Task Force, said that this resolution would be used to lobby the federal government in order to free up funds from them. He pointed out that the current Deputy Secretary of Education, Madeline Cunin, will be coming to Alaska to see the problems on school base installation facilities. Hopefully, she will acknowledge the problems, realize the slowness of the funding, recognize that Alaska is trying to satisfy the immediate needs while looking to the long term. He encouraged the committee's support of HJR 47. SENATOR LEMAN inquired as to Representative Mulder's comment regarding funding from the budget this year. He expressed concern with the inability to identify an amount from the $10 million that would be available in Alaska. He said that he did not see references to the military schools task force in HJR 47, and he asked if that is an intentional omission. REPRESENTATIVE MULDER explained that the 50-50 match was not included in HJR 47, the appropriations bill was the 50-50 match. The omission was intentional in order to recognize budgetary constraints, but everything would be done to try to provide that match. He felt that the match was a reasonable alternative. He noted that this problem affects the security of these bases in terms of evaluation. They are trying to push some kind of funding in the House. He mentioned the Aurora school and its problem. SENATOR LEMAN thought that Representative Mulder had mentioned funding this year on the 50-50 match. REPRESENTATIVE MULDER noted the presence of a proposal regarding some school construction money. SENATOR MILLER moved HJR 47 as amended out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objections, it was so ordered.