SB 109-COUNCIL FOR ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGES                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:15:33 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER announced  the consideration of SENATE  BILL NO. 109                                                               
"An  Act renaming  the Alaska  Native  Language Preservation  and                                                               
Advisory Council as the Council  for Alaska Native Languages; and                                                               
relating to the Council for Alaska Native Languages."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:15:44 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DONNY  OLSON, Alaska  State Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,                                                               
sponsor of  SB 109, introduced  the legislation  paraphrasing the                                                               
following sponsor statement:                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Senate  Bill 109  reflects a  request  from the  Alaska                                                                    
     Native  Language Preservation  and Advisory  Council to                                                                    
     change  its  name to  the  "Council  for Alaska  Native                                                                    
     Languages."  This change  would  shorten the  Council's                                                                    
     name  while emphasizing  the  Council's broader  focus,                                                                    
     which  includes more  than just  language preservation.                                                                    
     In  fact,  the  statute establishing  the  Council,  AS                                                                    
     44.33.520,  states the  purpose  of the  Council is  to                                                                    
     recommend  "the  establishment   or  reorganization  of                                                                    
     programs to support  the preservation, restoration, and                                                                    
     revitalization of Alaska Native languages."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     The  Council also  requests an  increase in  membership                                                                    
     from 5 to 7 members  in recognition of the diversity of                                                                    
     Alaska  Native languages  in the  state  (there are  at                                                                    
     least 20  Native languages in Alaska).  This allows for                                                                    
     greater  language  representation  on the  Council  and                                                                    
     increases the  involvement of a great  number of native                                                                    
     language speakers from different regions of the state.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:17:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER held SB 109 in committee for future consideration.