Committee adopts committee substitutes for HB 23 and HB 34; details and amendment deadlines noted

The Alaska House Labor and Commerce Committee adopted committee substitutes for two bills during its Feb. 24 hearing.

A committee substitute for House Bill 23 — legislation updating the State Commission on Human Rights — was adopted on a roll‑call vote, 6 yeas to 1 nay. The motion to adopt the proposed committee substitute was moved during the hearing; the roll‑call recorded votes as follows: Representative Burke — yes; Representative Sadler — no; Representative Kerrick — yes; Representative Nelson — yes; Representative Colom — yes; Co‑chair Hall — yes; Co‑chair Fields — yes. The chair announced the committee substitute adopted with 6 yeas and 1 nay. The committee set an amendment deadline for HB 23 at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25.

What HB 23 changes: Sponsor Representative Andy Josephson described the substitute as consolidating previous proposals. Major provisions discussed in the hearing included renaming the agency the "Commission for Civil Rights," a requirement that commissioners be removable only for cause, changes to the timing and delivery method of the agency's annual report (moving to electronic delivery and a November 15 deadline), and clarifications that religious organizations are not subject to discrimination claims when an employee is hired for a religious purpose. Committee staff and the commission discussed legal advice that the commission is a quasi‑judicial agency and therefore may be made subject to a "for cause" removal standard.

During debate members asked about the fiscal effect and other implications. Department and commission staff told the committee they expected the bill to remain a zero net fiscal impact in core agency operations but to require receipt authority for increased costs; legislative legal staff provided a memo confirming the change is legally permissible for a quasi‑judicial agency. The committee received the commission's summary of changes and a memo from Legislative Legal referenced in the discussion.

House Bill 34: The committee also adopted a committee substitute for HB 34, sponsor Representative Kai Holland, after discussion and the withdrawal of an objection. Staff described the substitute as incorporating committee feedback and reducing the proposed council size from 19 members to 15; the substitute also changes membership composition (removing some ex officio seats), adds a seat intended to represent labor interests, requires the council's annual report to include an assessment of Alaska capital markets gaps, and sets annual chair election terms with the possibility of reappointment. The committee did not have an updated fiscal note at the time of the hearing; prior cost estimates for a larger version of the council were described in testimony as about $500,000 annually, and staff said a reduced council size would likely lower that estimate. The committee set an amendment deadline (one bill kept at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25; the committee later set the other bill's amendment deadline at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 to stagger drafting workload).

Decisions and next steps: Both substitutes were adopted as working documents. Committee staff were directed to draft amendments under the stated deadlines; members were told to contact the chair if they needed additional time. The committee adjourned after returning to the final invited testifier on private equity.