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[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: We'll go there. Alright. Thank you. Welcome, everyone. It is Tuesday, March 24. It is 1PM, house government operations and military affairs. We are hearing proposals of amendment on two of our bills that are floating around the building. They ended up for action tomorrow. We are gonna start with h five six seven, an act relating to unclaimed property, state retirement systems, and capital debt. Here with us is representative Elaine Dickinson. She's the sponsor of the amendment from US appropriations. November.
[Representative Lynn Dickinson (Appropriations)]: For the record, representative Lynn Dickinson, Saint Albans Town, I serve on appropriations, and I'm here to report on our amendment to h five sixty seven. This is generally referred to as omnibus bill. Anyway, the Treasury bill. Yes, it's the Treasury's omnibus bill. Several things. We made four amendments, really. Two of them are very related. First and second instance of amendment is in section two in the subdivision 5A. It's a technical correction to the number 300,000 to correct a typo of the number. They left off a zero in that So, that's the first two instances of amendment. Third instance of amendment is a section seven to strike out subsection H in its entirety. It funds the 75,000 for the pension and benefits funding task force for actuarial work. It was included in the big bill for appropriations, so we do not need to duplicate it in this bill. The fourth instance of amendment was to strike Section 24 in entirety and include one position for unclaimed property in the big bill for appropriations for the unclaimed property division of the treasurer's office. We're also going to put that in the bill, so we don't need to duplicate it here. We heard from the fiscal office, ledge counsel, and a representative from the treasurer's office, and we voted, I believe,
[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: one zero zero on this. I was present through a lot of the conversation. So and I'm the presenter of the bill, so I've got a good understanding of what you did down there. Do we have any questions for representatives? Okay. This is, thank you very much. Okay. I don't think we need you any further. So Okay. Thank you. I know you had to get to the floor. Thank you so much for the time. Okay. So we do have a correction tomorrow. It's pretty straightforward. So, is everyone comfortable taking a position on this trouble? Favorable thumbs? Alright, that's a 12345678. Did I get that
[Representative Lynn Dickinson (Appropriations)]: right? Yep. Alright.
[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: 8. 802 straw.
[Representative Martha “Marty” Feltus (Appropriations)]: Oh, wait. Do you nail?
[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Nah. It's done. He wasn't here for the explanation.
[Representative Martha “Marty” Feltus (Appropriations)]: Yeah. Yeah.
[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Okay. And on queue. Alright. Representative Felts, we are gonna shift gears. We're going to shift gears now over to our emergency management bill for another member of appropriations. Representative Felthus, how are you doing?
[Representative Martha “Marty” Feltus (Appropriations)]: I'm fine. Thank you. How are you? Wonderful. Welcome back. You folks presented or made Bill nine thirty five, which has a lot of really great stuff in it. It came to appropriations, however, and we just wanted to put a little more flesh on the section about the public safety communication system, because that's been, as you all know, I'm sure it's had a long history. And we just thought it needed to have a little more flesh and a little more description and some little guardrails to it. So that's the main reason for the amendment we wanted to make. We also changed a couple of other appropriations. So the first instance of the amendment, and as I will describe on the floor, but you folks already know, the section 12, we replaced the old section 12 and put in a new one. And as you know, in subsection A, it talks about the money that was appropriated at various times and reserves were put on that money over time. And that money cannot be released without the approval of general assembly. And that's what you folks are asking to do. And so then the And that's to release money from the previous amounts that had been appropriated. You described the first step of the 2,250,000.00, understanding that. You described the second step of the $190,000 that you would like to authorize. And then the third step was the 4,500,000.0, And you gave it a partial description. I just thought it needed a much more concise or a much more amplified description of what you intended to do. And you had also indicated to spend that money over two years. It sounded to me as if there was a lot of work there, and I suggested we extend that to three years. If the Department of Public Safety can do it in only two years, that's great. That was why we extended it to three years. And the descriptions in the sub A, B and C, implement the THEN mobile radio network, detail designs for one or more proof of concepts, and build out or improve 10 or more LMR sites with the antenna development, deployment at existing chosen sites. That language is all taken from the reports that you had received in December '5 and January '6. So, it's nothing I made up. I just thought it was important in the legislation to describe more fully what you wanted to do. So, we added that in there. And we also felt then that there should be reports back on that money spending. So, there's three reports expected at three different times over that three year period of spending that money. Then, the next subsection, in D, we said spending this money that you've described does not use up the whole $11,000,000 that was originally appropriated. So we put in a paragraph, obviously, that said, if when you get to your end of that three year period and you do those things, or in less time, and the Department of Public Safety still has more projects to do on this same, theme, and I know they will, that they still need to come back to the legislature and ask for approval for releasing the rest of those funds with plan, what they're gonna do with it. So it will be reserved, after that, up to that three year period. And then there will be a chance for the legislature to review their next steps on this big process and potentially release some of the rest of that money. So that's what we did on the public safety communications. The second instance of amendment is striking out the appropriations that you had, and we put in a new section. Section 13 is authorizing the agency of administration to support the creation of the Emergency and All Hazards Rescue Grant Program. That is, at the preparedness media in the 13 languages. We did not appropriate any specific funds. So, it's up to the agency of administration to see if they can find funding in order to do that. Section 13A, mentions that the language project as well as the technical rescue grant program, which is described in your section two. They are both contingent on finding funds, either within the Department of Public Safety or in the agency of administration, both of those items. And the last 13B is we did appropriate $500,000 of general fund to the Department of Public Safety for the Ready Response Grant Program that you've had described very completely in your section one of the bill. You have originally asked for a billion dollars in appropriations. We appropriated 500,000. So, it's 500,000 there. And I worked with Lisa on that. We had conversations with folks from, DPS, conversations with E911, gov ops, Legis Council, JFO, to look at that funding, try to find out specifically where that funding went, the $11,000,000,000 and what we expect you to expend and what might be left at the end. So that's the basis of our amendment.
[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Any questions for representative of this? No, that was a lot of work and a lot of noodling on the lake, representative Hango. So I just want to thank both of you for the time and energy that you put into honing this bill and I think it's definitely in a better place after that work. Thank you. So, I guess seeing no hands, thank you so much for your time. And the committee vote on this, remind me, was it eleven-zero? Committee? Your yes.
[Representative Martha “Marty” Feltus (Appropriations)]: Yes, I believe our committee.
[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Noting that on my sheets. Okay, thank you so much, representative. All right, committee?
[Representative Martha “Marty” Feltus (Appropriations)]: Thank you.
[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Thank you. Any further discussion or thoughts on this? Seeing no hands, I will ask for affirmative thumbs on the amendment from, appropriation. Yes. Colonel? Okay, saw the thumb on the phone. I didn't know if that was her. Yeah. Okay. So that's +1, (234), 567-8901. That's nice. And
[Representative Martha “Marty” Feltus (Appropriations)]: I just want to thank JFO for being so good about following the map on those numbers. Mr.
[Representative Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Rutland, thank you. All right, Katie, we're gonna go offline until Representative Bernard shows up. And we take a look at that last amendment, and then I think that tightens the ship up on the amendments we have floating for tomorrow.