SB 191-REPEAL COVID 19 DISASTER EMERGENCY  1:36:11 PM CHAIR WILSON announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 191 "An Act repealing emergency powers of the commissioner of health and social services and certain provisions related to the response to the novel coronavirus disease; and providing for an effective date."   1:36:25 PM  SENATOR BEGICH asked what the impact would be to the state with regard to SNAP benefits if SB 191 were to pass.   1:36:59 PM  MATT DAVIDSON, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Juneau, Alaska, offered his understanding that due to the states public health emergency (PHE) declaration, the SNAP program receives an additional $7.6 million dollars a month in supplemental benefits to Alaskans.   SENATOR BEGICH asked what triggers the extra benefits and whether a concomitant declaration is required to receive those federal funds. MR. DAVIDSON confirmed that was his understanding; the state must be under a public health emergency for the supplemental benefits to be implemented. 1:38:15 PM SENATOR REINBOLD questioned why the state should have to be in a public health emergency to receive the enhanced benefits. She asked how many people this affects. MR. DAVIDSON said he would have to follow up with the number, but his understanding is that a PHE is necessary to qualify because these are supplemental benefits. 1:38:59 PM SENATOR HUGHES asked him to repeat the amount the state receives each month in supplemental SNAP benefits. MR. DAVIDSON replied it's approximately $7.6 million per month. SENATOR HUGHES asked if there have been any adjustments recently based on rising inflation. MR. DAVIDSON said he was not aware of any adjustments to SNAP due to inflation. The supplement benefits were an enhancement due to the federal disaster. SENATOR REINBOLD asked if he could say with certainty that the state has to be in a state of emergency to receive the supplemental SNAP benefits. MR. DAVIDSON stated that he would provide a written response to the committee. 1:40:56 PM CHAIR WILSON solicited a motion. 1:40:59 PM SENATOR BEGICH moved to adopt Amendment 1, work order 32- LS1497\I.1. 32-LS1497\I.1 Ambrose/Foote 5/4/22 AMENDMENT 1  OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR BEGICH TO: SB 191 Page 1, line 5: Delete "9, 10," Delete "21(b)-(e)" Insert "21(c) and (e)" 1:41:01 PM CHAIR WILSON objected for purposes of discussion. 1:41:03 PM SENATOR BEGICH explain that the amendment removes the references in the bill to Sections 9 and 10 [ch. 2, SLA 2021] that deal with charitable gaming and school operating funds respectively. Legislation on these issues has yet to pass so they could unnecessarily be affected if they are included in SB 191. The reference to "21(b) - (e), ch. 2, SLA 2021," is also changed to "21(c) and (e)" to reflect the removal of Sections 9 and 10. 1:42:43 PM SENATOR REINBOLD stated that she would support Amendment 1 out of comradery and to ensure that minority voices are heard. 1:43:22 PM CHAIR WILSON removed his objection; he found no further objection and Amendment 1 was adopted. SENATOR REINBOLD stated her belief that the local, state, and federal mandates have created a larger disaster than COVID-19 itself. SB 191 responds by stripping what she sees as illegitimate, illegal constitutional powers from public health Commissioner Adam Crum. She emphasized that there was no justification for the continued emergency and the department had failed to provide data in response to her questions for the past two years. She thanked the chair for scheduling the hearings on the bill and asked the members for their support. CHAIR WILSON solicited the will of the committee. 1:45:10 PM SENATOR HUGHES moved to report SB 191, work order 32-LS1497\I, as amended, from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). 1:45:21 PM CHAIR WILSON found no objection and CSSB 191(HSS) was reported from the Senate Health and Social Services Standing Committee.