ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS  February 22, 2007 1:06 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Bob Roses, Chair Representative Gabrielle LeDoux Representative Jay Ramras Representative Robert L. "Bob" Buch Representative Scott Kawasaki MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Nancy Dahlstrom Representative Anna Fairclough COMMITTEE CALENDAR    HOUSE BILL NO. 45 "An Act authorizing the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to establish and maintain Alaska veterans' cemeteries; and establishing the Alaska veterans' cemetery fund in the general fund." - MOVED CSHB 45(MLV) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 45 SHORT TITLE: STATE VETERANS' CEMETERY & FUND SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) GUTTENBERG, DOLL 01/16/07 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/5/07 01/16/07 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/16/07 (H) MLV, STA, FIN 02/13/07 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124 02/13/07 (H) Heard & Held 02/13/07 (H) MINUTE(MLV) 02/20/07 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124 02/20/07 (H) -- Meeting Canceled -- 02/22/07 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124 WITNESS REGISTER    REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GUTTENBERG Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced an amendment to House Bill 45.   ACTION NARRATIVE CHAIR BOB ROSES called the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:06:42 PM. Representatives Buch, Kawasaki, Ramras, LeDoux, and Roses were present at the call to order. HB 45 - STATE VETERANS' CEMETERY & FUND CHAIR ROSES announced that the only item of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 45, "An Act authorizing the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to establish and maintain Alaska veterans' cemeteries; and establishing the Alaska veterans' cemetery fund in the general fund." 1:07:04 PM REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GUTTENBERG, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of HB 45, informed the committee that HB 45 seeks to authorize the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (DMVA) to apply for grants which are available to states to fund state veterans' cemeteries. He noted that Alaska is not eligible for a new national cemetery; however, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a program to establish state veterans' cemeteries. Representative Guttenberg said a similar bill was introduced last year that designated Fairbanks as the location for the proposed cemetery; however the bill was amended to allow any community to apply for a grant. He described the need for a veterans' cemetery in Alaska, and said that the bill has support from veterans' organizations throughout the state. He noted that he had provided an amendment to the committee which addresses the questions that were raised at the previous meeting on February 13, 2007. The amendment is 25-LS0230\A.1, Bullock, 2/19/07, which read: Page 2, following line 2: Insert a new bill section to read: "* Sec. 2. AS 37.05.146(c) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: (82) gifts, donations, and grants received by the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs for the purpose of establishing and maintaining Alaska veterans' cemeteries under AS 26.10.030 and AS 44.35.035(b)." Renumber the following bill sections accordingly. Page 2, line 8: Delete "2007" Insert "2008" REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG explained that the amendment is necessary to name in statute the specific fund in the general fund in order to identify appropriations to and withdrawals from the veterans' cemetery fund. 1:10:09 PM REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI moved to adopt [Amendment 1] labeled 25- LS0230\A.1. Bullock, 2/19/07. Hearing no objection, the amendment was adopted. REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked if the questions raised previously by Representatives Fairclough and Dahlstrom were addressed in the amendment. REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG affirmed that he had satisfied the concerns of Representatives Fairclough and Dahlstrom. He further explained that all funds in the general fund are managed as short-term funds; however, an appropriation for the gift of land or for monuments may possibly be managed as long-term funds. He further explained that since the grant has not been approved, an effective date is not needed in the title of the bill. 1:13:08 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved to report HB 45, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 45(MLV) was reported from the House Special Committee on Military and Veteran's Affairs. ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Special Committee on Military and Veteran's Affairs meeting was adjourned at 1:13 p.m.