SB 170 REPAY GRADUATE EDUCATION AID  Number 107 CHAIRMAN WILKEN announced that CSSB 170(HES) was the next item of business before the committee. JOE AMBROSE , Staff to Senator Taylor, informed the committee that Senator Taylor recommends that the committee move forward with the committee substitute as adopted at the last meeting. The committee packet contains a memo from Diane Barrans in response to Senator Leman's question regarding federal tax implications. Mr. Ambrose said that based on similar programs in other states there should not be a problem. The packet should also include a new calculation based on the new committee substitute. SENATOR ELLIS inquired as to what the Conference Committee has done with WAMI funding. JOE AMBROSE was unaware of the Conference Committee's actions. WENDY REDMAN , Vice President of the University of Alaska stated that the Conference Committee replaced the money for the WAMI program in the Department of Education budget that had been previously removed. CHAIRMAN WILKEN clarified that half of the request for WAMI had been removed and all of it was replaced. WENDY REDMAN agreed. SENATOR GREEN moved to report CSSB 170(HES) out of committee with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note. Without objection, it was so ordered.