Labor subcommittee trims proposed Alaska Safety Advisory Program positions, keeps receipt authority

The House Finance Budget Subcommittee recommended an FY26 operating budget for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development that accepted most governor proposals while declining an increase in general funds tied to the Alaska Safety Advisory Program (ASAP).

The subcommittee recommended UGF $23,148,600; DGF $32,795,700; other funds $17,793,900; and federal funds $92,620,400, for a total of $166,358,600. Position counts totaled 683 permanent full‑time, 40 permanent part‑time and 16 temporary (739 total). The subcommittee adopted all governor items except a proposed $290,400 UGF increase for the Alaska Safety Advisory Program and did not retain the position associated with the UGF request; it retained $281,600 in statutory designated program receipt (SDPR) authority to allow voluntary functions to continue.

Why it matters: The decision avoids converting previously interagency receipt‑funded, vacant inspector positions into UGF‑funded positions while preserving the program's ability to collect receipts tied to conferences and sponsor activity.

Staff and analysts told members that two inspector positions had been transferred into the program and were historically vacant; in FY25 those positions were supported with interagency receipt authority but the receipts’ collectability was questioned. The subcommittee cut funding for the two positions in FY26 (removing UGF support) while preserving receipt authority for voluntary activities and conferences.

Members asked for clarification about whether the cut removed services or only funding authority; staff from the Legislative Finance Division said the positions remain unfunded and that the subcommittee removed the UGF funding request while retaining receipt authority. The subcommittee set an amendment deadline and received no adopted amendments specific to this item.