HB 116 EXEMPT ASMI FROM PROCUREMENT CODE                          
                                                                              
 SENATOR KELLY announced CSHB 116(L&C) to be up for consideration.             
                                                                               
                                                                               
 AMY DOUGHERTY, Legislative Aide to Representative Austerman, said             
 HB 116 seeks relief for ASMI from the State Procurement Code,                 
 because it impedes their way of doing business by keeping them from           
 being more responsive in the marketing of state seafood.  The House           
 Labor and Commerce Committee decided to have the ASMI Board develop           
 their own procurement policies.                                               
                                                                               
 ART SHUNEMANN, Executive Director, Alaska Seafood Marketing                   
 Institute (ASMI), supported CSHB 116 (L&C).  He said they are a               
 seafood commodity commission funded through industry assessments.             
 The state procurement process they currently work under is designed           
 to manage the purchasing of traditional governmental services in              
 Alaska and is not compatible with marketing and business                      
 development type of work in the United States which is their target           
 market.                                                                       
                                                                               
 SENATOR KELLY asked what percentage of their budget is made up of             
 state funds.  MR. SHUNEMANN answered that it is currently $1.09               
 million of actual general fund money.  This is used to match                  
 federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign              
 Agriculture Service, for their export program.                                
                                                                               
 SENATOR KELLY questioned a letter that was written on Governor                
 Hickel's stationery that wasn't signed or dated and instructed                
 staff to not accept unsigned and undated letters.                             
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON moved to pass CS HB 116(L&C) from committee with            
 individual recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so           
 ordered.