MINUTES CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON THE FY 97 OPERATING BUDGET April 23, 1996 5:45 p.m. TAPES CC-96, #1, Side 1 (000-110) CALL TO ORDER The 1995 Conference Committee Chairman, Representative Mark Hanley, convened the first meeting of the conference committee on the FY 97 operating budget in the Senate Finance Committee Room, Room 532, State Capitol Building, Juneau, Alaska, at approximately 5:45 p.m. PRESENT All conference committee members were present: Senator Frank Representative Hanley Senator Halford Representative Foster Senator Zharoff Representative Grussendorf ALSO ATTENDING: Mike Greany, Director, Legislative Finance Division; Nancy Slagle, Director of Budget Review; fiscal analysts from the Legislative Finance Division; budget analysts from the Office of Management and Budget; department representatives; and aides to committee members and other members of the legislature. SUMMARY INFORMATION HB 412 - APPROPRIATIONS: OPERATING BUDGET HB 413 - APPROPRIATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH The organizational meeting set forth rules and procedures the committee would follow in developing the conference committee budget. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN FOR 1996 Representative Hanley noted traditional rotation of the conference committee chairmanship between House and Senate members and nominated Senator Steve Frank to serve as chairman of the 1996 conference committee. No objection having been raise, it was so ordered. Senator Frank nominated Representative Hanley to serve as vice-chairman. No objection having been raised, it was so ordered. RULES AND PROCEDURES Chairman Frank advised that the committee would meet concurrently on HB 412 and HB 413 to develop the FY 97 conference committee budget. Directing attention to informational packets (copy on file), the Chairman explained that the committee would operate under Uniform Rule 42. Committee action and adoption of motions will require a majority of the members and two affirmative votes from each side. Only committee members may make motions, partake in discussion, and sit at the table. The exception will be the presence of staff from the Legislative Finance Division at one end of the table and staff from the Office of Management and Budget at the other. Legislators and witnesses may be called to respond to questions from committee members, but public testimony will not be heard since both House and Senate Finance Committees and their subcommittees held hearings as separate versions of the budget were developed. The Chairman next directed that motion sheets (copy on file), prepared by the Legislative Finance Division, be distributed. He explained that the sheets summarize line item differences between the two versions of the budget. LIMITED POWERS Chairman Frank called for a motion requesting limited powers of free conference on both HB 412 and HB 413. Representative Hanley MOVED to request limited powers on SCS CSHB 412 (Fin) am S (BRF FLD), CSHB 412 (Fin)am (BRF PFLD), SCS CSHB 413 (Fin), and CSHB 413 (Fin). The Chairman explained that under requested powers the committee could select no amount greater than the highest number in either the House or Senate budget. The committee may, however, "go as low as zero or anywhere in between." Category listings (copy on file) were distributed, and the Chairman noted the following designations: Category I House and Senate budgets are the same in both appropriations and intent. Category II House and Senate budgets are the same in appropriation amounts but different in intent. The committee is free to adopt either version of intent or insert new intent. Category III House and Senate budgets are different in appropriations and intent. No objection to the motion for limited powers having been raised, the motion CARRIED, and letters (copies on file) to the Senate President and Speaker of the House were circulated for signature. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Frank announced that the committee would generally meet at 3:00 p.m. He then scheduled the next meeting for 3:00 p.m., Friday, April 26, 1996. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:50 p.m.