HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE April 4, 2022 1:42 p.m. 1:42:43 PM CALL TO ORDER Co-Chair Merrick called the House Finance Committee meeting to order at 1:42 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair Representative Kelly Merrick, Co-Chair Representative Dan Ortiz, Vice-Chair Representative Ben Carpenter Representative Bryce Edgmon Representative Andy Josephson Representative Bart LeBon Representative Sara Rasmussen Representative Steve Thompson Representative Adam Wool MEMBERS ABSENT Representative DeLena Johnson ALSO PRESENT Representative Andy Josephson, Sponsor; Senator Robert Meyers, Sponsor. PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE Kerry Thomas, Director, Postsecondary Education Operations, Department of Education and Early Development; Andy Mills, Legislative Liaison, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. SUMMARY HB 229 ALASKA HIGHER EDUCATION INVESTMENT FUND CSHB 229(EDC) was REPORTED out of committee with six "do pass" recommendations and four "no recommendation" recommendations and with one new fiscal impact note from the Department of Education and Early Development and one new indeterminate fiscal note from the Office of the Governor/Fund Capitalization. HB 307 EXTEND BOND AUTH FOR INTERIOR ENERGY PROJ HB 307 was SCHEDULED but not HEARD. SB 168 DONATIONS/GIFTS FOR DOT&PF SIGNAGE SB 168 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. Co-Chair Merrick reviewed the meeting agenda. HOUSE BILL NO. 229 "An Act relating to the Alaska higher education investment fund; and relating to the Alaska Student Loan Corporation." 1:43:27 PM Co-Chair Merrick noted that the bill had been previously heard and no amendments had been received by her office. Co-Chair Merrick OPENED and CLOSED public testimony. 1:44:16 PM AT EASE 1:47:02 PM RECONVENED Co-Chair Merrick asked the department to review the fiscal note. KERRY THOMAS, DIRECTOR, POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION OPERATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT (via teleconference), reviewed the fiscal note with the control code cxzuG. The fiscal note included a funding request for personal services to provide additional funds for half-time accounting position. The note also included [Department of Law] legal fees, audit fees, and a one-time legal cost to establish the Higher Education Investment Fund under the Alaska Student Loan Corporation. 1:48:50 PM REPRESENTATIVE ANDY JOSEPHSON, SPONSOR, thought the committee could zero out the fiscal note. He believed the expenses shown in the note were excessive. He stated that the bill was well vetted and was in cooperation with the University of Alaska. He elaborated that the bill offered and afforded the greatest protection from a sweep for the Higher Education Investment Fund. He encouraged passage of the bill. Co-Chair Foster MOVED to REPORT CSHB 229(EDC) out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. CSHB 229(EDC) was REPORTED out of committee with six "do pass" recommendations and four "no recommendation" recommendations and with one new fiscal impact note from the Department of Education and Early Development and one new indeterminate fiscal note from the Office of the Governor/Fund Capitalization. 1:50:20 PM AT EASE 1:51:28 PM RECONVENED SENATE BILL NO. 168 "An Act relating to program receipts; and relating to the acceptance of gifts, donations, and grants for the purpose of providing signage for assets under the control of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities." 1:51:33 PM Co-Chair Merrick noted the committee had previously heard the identical companion bill. SENATOR ROBERT MEYERS, SPONSOR, introduced the bill. He relayed that the bill included identical language to HB 296, which had been heard by the committee the previous week. He explained that the bill would provide a new avenue for funding commemorative naming projects by allowing receipt authority for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to enable the department to collect donations for signage. The bill did not require costs to be paid by outside groups but helped to codify a process that would not be reliant on state funds. The bill was less about policy and more about codifying process and timing. 1:52:41 PM Co-Chair Merrick OPENED and CLOSED public testimony. 1:53:00 PM Co-Chair Merrick asked the department to review the fiscal note. ANDY MILLS, LEGISLATIVE LIAISON, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES (via teleconference), reviewed the zero fiscal note with the control code dkycm. He detailed that the language of the bill sought to provide a [funding] method option for future naming legislation. He explained that a future bill would be required to produce an associated fiscal note. The process included in SB 168 outlined the method a future [naming] bill would use. He elaborated that future naming legislation could outline that statutory designated program receipts would be collected and used to pay for the legislation. Senator Meyers thanked the committee for hearing the bill. Co-Chair Merrick set an amendment deadline for Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. SB 168 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. Co-Chair Merrick reviewed the schedule for the following day. ADJOURNMENT 1:55:59 PM The meeting was adjourned at 1:55 p.m.