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Committee hears public testimony on voluntary senior‑services raffle; bill set aside
Summary
The House Community and Regional Affairs Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 255, a proposed voluntary raffle to fund senior services; testimony highlighted proposed 50/25/25 allocations and examples of cost savings from tailored in‑home services. The committee set the bill aside for a committee substitute; no vote was taken.
House Community and Regional Affairs Committee co‑chairs heard public testimony Feb. 10 on House Bill 255, a proposal to create a voluntary, non‑general‑fund raffle to raise money for senior services.
Representative Will Staff, sponsor of HB255, told the committee the bill is modeled on the state's existing dividend raffle and is intended to supplement — not replace — current services. Under the bill’s allocation formula described by the sponsor, 50% of receipts would fund immediate senior grants administered through the Department of Health, 25% would seed a senior‑center grant endowment for long‑term sustainability, and 25% would fund the raffle prize pool to encourage participation.
The committee heard public testimony from Vivian Stiver of Fairbanks, who described specific services the funds would pay for — housekeeping, laundry, simple maintenance such as changing light bulbs, snow removal, grocery and pharmacy pickup, mail assistance and appointment reminders — and highlighted transportation gaps for some seniors. Stiver said targeted home‑based services can keep people independent and lower institutional costs: “If she had gone into the Pioneer Home, it would have cost the state $264,000 plus for those 3 years,” she said. Stiver also noted the Fairbanks Senior Center received $7,000 from a pick‑click‑give program used for Meals on Wheels and that wait lists for meals remain.
Committee members acknowledged receipt of additional information since the prior hearing and thanked the sponsor for follow‑up. Tony Newman, director of senior and disability services, was present to answer technical questions though the committee did not call him for extended remarks during the public comment period.
Co‑chairs Rebecca Hemshutt and Donna Meares said they will work on a committee substitute that incorporates feedback from previous testimony and today’s session. With that direction, the committee set HB255 aside for a later date to allow drafting of the substitute; no formal committee vote occurred.
Next steps: cochairs will circulate a proposed committee substitute and the committee will take the bill up again at a later meeting. Public comments may also be submitted to the committee email address provided on the record.
