[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6326670,"mediaKeyId","2323811-1fa1c1c0faaf15475224b87d925430b4","parentId",2323811,"title","Senate committee opens discussion on state-run flood insurance, hears split testimony","audioSeconds",1615,"startMs",435000,"endMs",2050000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323811-1fa1c1c0faaf15475224b87d925430b4&start=435&end=2050","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323811-1fa1c1c0faaf15475224b87d925430b4/thumbnail_435000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6326670/Alaska/Senate-committee-opens-discussion-on-state-run-flood-insurance-hears-split-testimony","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326670-a0774171efa640550d7bd7e5518898a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771059047&Signature=kwBZUOm4xToqmKC1YltLZnAnSFnmYnU1BRflKS-XLFrfVaCtlSmYzCNHZsQAZRuW4PoNvJHvMPR6eceKwoQymKe3VCT5-Rl~Pfg5TtPi4ptxmUVfheIVLKK55EfGD51GuqeNNfONn8PtV9OXeWXWwwZiI-FIzyIHnhW6I9dPaxxd7CdzDRSRgFz4lA7VN1LnmFSKQh9HmWBOuY8P-kLmrqnXAqwdNwn~AWrU1zvEjD~q7wO3zmm07P9ZfyKOWsnorDbaAwLMXTGsV34KnGGkv8ih6NBGNdNkdY9dWIhM2fqQOk7~~pFQkl9Dy4fLvvdUxfdIATkAi0mcpunPihjihA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska State Legislature","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Stedman, sponsor of Senate Bill 11, told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Feb. 17 that the bill seeks a ‘‘solution to the flood insurance program in Alaska’’ because premiums ‘‘far exceed the losses that we've had’’ and federal requirements imposed through FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) have created burdens for coastal communities.

The bill would authorize a state-run program to provide flood coverage tailored to Alaska’s geographic and risk profile. ‘‘We're a big state geographically, a minuscule state with population, and I don't think we're being fairly treated,’’ Stedman said, framing the legislation as an effort to reduce premiums and to limit federal building‑code restrictions that, he said, ‘‘directly push back development of our shorefront.’’

The committee heard from Laurie Wing Hyer, director of the Division of Insurance, who described the technical challenges such a program would face and emphasized participation levels as central to viability. ‘‘I think key is gonna be the take up — how many people are gonna buy from this program, and will it support itself?’’ Wing Hyer said, noting Alaska currently has low take‑up for private flood coverage and that the state has no captive‑insurance law to host captive pools domestically.

Public testimony emphasized different priorities. Lisa Bush, formerly executive director of the Sitka Sound Science Center, said regional landslide and debris‑flow risk in Southeast Alaska makes insurance questions urgent: ‘‘…people want to know about where they can get insurance, if they can get insurance, and how insurance works.’’

Laura Curtis, representing the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, urged the committee to reject SB 11. Curtis said flood coverage is already available through the NFIP and private carriers and warned a mandatory, state‑run residual market could ‘‘create availability issues’’ and place the state at substantial fiscal risk. She noted the bill would authorize up to $10 million in state funds to cover losses if premiums proved inadequate and recommended directing funds to mitigation and to encourage more communities to participate in the NFIP instead.

Committee members asked technical questions about the new FEMA flood maps scheduled to take effect at month’s end and about adverse selection and captive‑pool structures. Wing Hyer and the sponsor agreed many details — rates, take‑up assumptions, and whether pools should be statewide or community‑specific — remain to be resolved. The committee did not take a final vote on SB 11 and set the bill aside for further consideration.

The committee record shows no formal vote on SB 11 at the Feb. 17 meeting; senators and witnesses signaled it will be a multi‑year policy process with further technical analysis and input from the Division of Insurance and affected communities.

Looking ahead, the committee indicated it will solicit additional technical analysis from the Division of Insurance and monitor community participation in the NFIP as staff and legislators refine policy options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SENATE LABOR & COMMERCE. 02/17/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senator Stedman, sponsor of Senate Bill 11, told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Feb. 17 that the bill seeks a ‘‘solution to the flood insurance program in Alaska’’ because premiums ‘‘far exceed the losses that we've had’’ and federal requirements imposed through FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) have created burdens for coastal communities.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326659,"Audit finds gaps at Board of Veterinary Examiners; committee moves to revisit extension",1035,2735000,3770000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323811-1fa1c1c0faaf15475224b87d925430b4&start=2735&end=3770","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323811-1fa1c1c0faaf15475224b87d925430b4/thumbnail_2735000.jpg","/articles/6326659/Alaska/Audit-finds-gaps-at-Board-of-Veterinary-Examiners-committee-moves-to-revisit-extension","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326659-7e6af2f67dc05801c149f7ec849a40a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771059047&Signature=huRuZsE6VYLNnShDCNY~q4fd0Tj~5w9czmB2Do~ZEyDBarsDM~DdgY4ttgx3jAREpLtZVCqUC05n1anJ-d9QMvOYldqditACiD3RjBcEBR8wUKkg5OPlFNgluNYyyWk3gCwQcQY1xqyIOgN7do96fFhOL-dWSz4hkJbMTAkb~qux54b0fIzD2vc7gkvZHeiAK~vk644-~WfKq0OBuumyIVW07Hf2UPKEt8DpUfGSs5VcqjdHo~5Siolqvk29GiT6McQzrpmZRibupqvkFSZ2xx~1~vM79mNK7qLvqVhq7cGq-DmWxUfZ494epXmpRgfYjSmIYHhqVDWPCF4cteR36g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Matthew Churchill, staff to Senator Bjorkman, presented Senate Bill 98 on Feb. 17, explaining the bill would extend the Board of Veterinary Examiners’ statutory sunset from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2031. ‘‘The Board of Veterinary Examiners, a 5 member panel that regulates the profession of veterinary care in the state, will currently sunset on 06/30/2025,’’ Churchill said.

Chris Curtis, the state legislative auditor, summarized the 2024 sunset audit and its recommendations. ‘‘Overall we found the board served the public's interest,’’ Curtis said, while noting shortcomings: final regulations were not consistently reviewed and approved by the board prior to enactment; two board members were serving with expired terms and one seat had been vacant for 31 months; and several cases were not investigated in a timely manner. The audit reported the board had 716 active licenses as of January 2024 and a surplus of approximately $200,000.

Sylvan Raab, director of the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL), told the committee the Department of Law had changed the regulatory workflow to require legal review prior to public comment to avoid future technical discrepancies. Raab also said all five board seats are currently filled and CBPL is focused on recruitment and retention of investigators to reduce investigative backlogs.

Dr. Hal Geiger, public member and the board’s longest‑serving member, described practical impacts from a regulatory drafting error affecting the veterinarian‑client‑patient relationship (VCPR). He said the board had ‘‘spent many meetings crafting that regulation’’ and that a ‘‘vital part of the regulation we passed was simply taken out,’’ a change he attributed to technical edits by the Department of Law. Geiger said the deletion created an impractical VCPR rule that, as published, is ‘‘not practically workable’’ for veterinarians and the board is seeking assistance to restore workable language.

Committee members asked whether the board advises on broader policy issues like food security; Geiger said those topics generally fall to the Alaska Veterinary Medical Association and that the board focuses on statutory licensing and regulation.

Senators set SB 98 aside for further consideration; no vote to extend the board occurred at the Feb. 17 meeting. The audit’s three recommendations — improve regulatory review procedures, fill board vacancies promptly, and strengthen investigator recruitment and retention — were accepted in management responses included in the audit packet.","Matthew Churchill, staff to Senator Bjorkman, presented Senate Bill 98 on Feb. 17, explaining the bill would extend the Board of Veterinary Examiners’ statutory sunset from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2031.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326665,"Committee approves bill criminalizing counterfeit or nonfunctioning airbags; moves SB 17 out of committee",355,2215000,2570000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323811-1fa1c1c0faaf15475224b87d925430b4&start=2215&end=2570","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323811-1fa1c1c0faaf15475224b87d925430b4/thumbnail_2215000.jpg","/articles/6326665/Alaska/Committee-approves-bill-criminalizing-counterfeit-or-nonfunctioning-airbags-moves-SB-17-out-of-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326665-ed71e79b10dc1180018a0e2d8d8990d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771059047&Signature=QOBZ1ZLKYB4Hrf7iw84t~WhclCGDee~iMZXGIn1Az9P-LdUrESV85OOOKybzGD2d-YUHd9Bdv5lfT3lwH2gond0aMpx-rDb1Mcv3Tn3geacylcQTbkScfPckpa4Mz0Hg-tSb0KCpdNWfhHt8HBBd0dyAqwB5m-OQyzp1iRW2PWqUcP0UHBLR8VpQHU23QRbY384GPVHqg6LpJRHHEa5lKSbAzM6cbhiElaDqeZ9jJ6Cf7~KmyAxiVWiwg394A1mreUHB0qnyC5NeK4IxYzVhBaVW8mKp40bXyuofJUW051Ld18ixNd-B-~pVr4IrGC6B2~yVW7~~KQxouE9GwYlOmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Matt Klayman, sponsor of Senate Bill 17, told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Feb. 17 that the measure ‘‘establishes airbag fraud as a crime’’ and would prohibit ‘‘dangerous actors from knowingly selling, installing, or manufacturing these dangerous and improper devices.’’ Klayman said the bill is intended to complement federal enforcement and ‘‘support federal efforts to stop the importation of counterfeit or non functioning airbags.’’

Committee members asked questions about the scope of the offense and whether the bill could unintentionally criminalize safe aftermarket parts. Senator Dunbar emphasized the committee’s intent that the statute not be used to penalize ‘‘aftermarket but otherwise safe products that simply don't meet the industry's own proprietary standards,’’ and the sponsor agreed the bill was not intended to target safe aftermarket alternatives.

No public testimony was offered during the committee’s public‑testimony period. An industry contact, Craig Orland, was noted as being on the line and available to answer questions, but no live testimony was recorded.

Following the discussion, a committee member moved to report Senate Bill 17 from committee ‘‘with individual recommendations and 6 attached fiscal notes.’’ The motion passed without objection; the committee clerk announced the bill ‘‘moves from committee with individual recommendations and attached 6 fiscal notes.’’ No roll‑call vote was recorded in the hearing minutes.

Because the bill was reported from committee with recommendations, it will proceed in the legislative process with committee amendments and fiscal notes to be reflected in the next version.","Senate Bill 17, introduced by Senator Matt Klayman, would create a criminal offense for knowingly selling, installing, or manufacturing counterfeit or nonfunctioning airbags. After brief discussion and no public testimony, the committee voted to report the bill out with individual recommendations and six fiscal notes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee opens discussion on state-run flood insurance, hears split testimony

Audit finds gaps at Board of Veterinary Examiners; committee moves to revisit extension

Committee approves bill criminalizing counterfeit or nonfunctioning airbags; moves SB 17 out of committee