29TH ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE FIRST SESSION CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB72 and HB73 April 13, 2015 4:03 p.m. 4:03:31 PM CALL TO ORDER Chair Neuman called the Conference Committee meeting on HB72 and HB73 to order at 4:03 p.m MEMBERS PRESENT: House: Representative Mark Neuman, Chair Representative Steve Thompson Representative Les Gara Senate: Senator Pete Kelly, Vice-Chair Senator Anna MacKinnon Senator Donny Olson MEMBERS ABSENT None ALSO PRESENT: David Teal, Director, Legislative Finance Division; fiscal analysts with the Office of Management and Budget and Legislative Finance Division; and aides to committee members and other members of the Legislature. SUMMARY HB 72 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS HB 72 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. HB 73 APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET HB 73 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration.  CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 72(FIN) "An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan program expenses of state government and for certain programs and capitalizing funds; and providing for an effective date." SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 72(FIN) am S "An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan program expenses of state government and for certain programs and capitalizing funds; amending appropriations; and providing for an effective date." and CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 73(FIN) "An Act making appropriations for the operating and capital expenses of the state's integrated comprehensive mental health program; and providing for an effective date." SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 73(FIN) "An Act making appropriations for the operating and capital expenses of the state's integrated comprehensive mental health program; and providing for an effective date." DEPARTMENTS Environmental Conservation Office of the Governor Labor and Workforce Development Law Military and Veterans Affairs Public Safety Revenue Judiciary Debt Service Chair Neuman communicated that the conference committee would be meeting on HB 72 and HB 73 open items. He noted that Limited Powers of Free Conference had been granted by both the Senate and the House. Departments with open items would be taken up based on the motion sheets distributed to members earlier in the day and dated //. He relayed that the conference committee would not address open items from the following departments during the current meeting: 4:05:00 PM DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for the Department of Environmental Conservation budget: Item 1 Senate Item 2 House Item 3 House Item 4 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the Department of Environmental Conservation. 4:05:23 PM OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for the Office of the Governor budget: Item 1 House There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the Office of Governor. 4:05:41 PM DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development budget: Item 1 Senate Item 2 House on both fund sources and remove the language specifying a PCN Item 3 Senate Item 4 House minus $50.0 thousand Item 5 House Item 6 Senate minus $60.0 thousand Co-Chair MacKinnon OBJECTED to item 6, and explained a possible conflict of interest, through her husband's association. 4:06:48 PM AT EASE 4:07:00 PM RECONVENED Vice-Chair Kelly restated that Item 6 was "Senate minus $60.0 thousand." Representative Gara OBJECTED to Items 1 through 4. He wondered if the identified PCN language had been removed. Vice-Chair Kelly replied in the affirmative. Vice-Chair Kelly explained that Item 2 only referred to one line with a PCN. He remarked that a staff member was indicating in the affirmative, therefore the PCN language was removed from Item 2. Representative Gara explained that there was a deputy commissioner position that was removed in the House version, but the committee was accepting the Senate version's removal of the PCN language. Representative Gara REMOVED his objection. There being NO further OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 4:08:39 PM DEPARTMENT OF LAW Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for the Department of Law budget: Item 1 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the Department of Law. 4:09:03 PM DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: Item 1 House Item 2 Senate Item 3 Senate Item 4 House There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for the Department of Public Safety. Item 1 Senate plus $170.0 thousand and 1 PCN Item 2 House Item 3 House Item 4 Senate Item 5 Senate 4:09:51 PM Senator Olson OBJECTED to Item 4. He stated that the House recommendation for funding the Council on Domestic Violence was $1.5 million, and the Senate version zeroed out those funds. He explained that $1.5 million covered all the prevention programs in the state. Without the funds, there would be no prevention programs in the state. The Council on Domestic Violence would not be able to publish the Alaska Victimization Study, and without the funds, the state was only able to react to violence, rather than prevent violence. He urged the committee to accept the House funding. Representative Gara agreed with Senator Olson. He wondered what would happen to the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA) without the $1.5 million. Chair Neuman stated that he did not oversee the Department of Public Safety (DPS) budget. He understood that his focus was only related to budget reductions. He queried the balance on the CDVSA budget. Mr. Teal explained that the CDVSA request from the governor was $3 million; the House decreased it by half; and the Senate reduced it to zero. Chair Neuman surmised that there would be zero funds for CDVSA. Mr. Teal replied that CDVSA still had its own budget, and this request was only for the $3 million from the governor's office. Senator MacKinnon recalled that the CDVSA had $16 million in operating costs. Chair Neuman agreed. Senator Olson stressed that the prevention programs were important aspects of the CDVSA. Chair Neuman explained that a "yes" vote would accept the recommendation of the Conference Committee. 4:13:35 PM AT EASE 4:14:27 PM RECONVENED 4:14:34 PM Chair Neuman restated that a "yes" vote would accept the Senate version for Item 4. A roll call vote was taken accept the recommendation by the committee for Item 4. IN FAVOR: MacKinnon, Kelly, Thompson, Neuman OPPOSED: Gara, Olson The MOTION PASSED (Senate 2/1; House 2/1). There being NO further OBJECTION, the recommendation by the Conference Committee for Item 4 was accepted. Representative Gara OBJECTED to Item 2. He queried the two locations of the wildlife positions. Mr. Teal explained that any identifiers were removed. He explained that it only referred to two unknown positions. It would be up to the department where the position eliminations would occur. Representative Gara felt that the positions should be removed in Wrangell and Haines. He REMOVED his objection. There being NO further OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the Department of Public Safety. 4:16:39 PM DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for the Department of Revenue. Item 1 Senate Item 2 Senate Item 3 Senate for all fund sources Item 4 Senate Item 5 Senate Item 6 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the Department of Revenue. 4:17:08 PM JUDICIARY Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for Alaska Judiciary System. Item 1 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the Alaska Judiciary System. 4:17:31 PM DEBT SERVICE Vice-Chair Kelly MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation on the following items for the Debt Service. Item 1 Senate Item 2 Senate There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The action closed all conferencable items in the budget for Debt Service. Chair Neuman relayed that the next meeting would be held on Tuesday, April 14, 4pm. HB 72 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. HB 73 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. ADJOURNMENT 4:18:19 PM The meeting was adjourned at 4:18 p.m.