00HOUSE BILL NO. 262                                                                                                      
01 "An Act relating to confidentiality of permanent fund dividend application                                              
02 information."                                                                                                           
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1.  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.  The legislature finds that                                                      
05   (1)  the right of the people to privacy is recognized in art. I, sec. 22, of the state                                
06 constitution, and the legislature is charged with implementing that section;                                            
07   (2)  the permanent fund dividend program, available as it is to every resident,                                       
08 gathers a tremendous amount of information of a personal nature;                                                        
09   (3)  a danger exists that information gathered by the permanent fund dividend                                         
10 program could be used in ways that infringe on the right of privacy; and                                                
11   (4)  it is incumbent on the legislature to avoid potential abuse of this large body                                   
12 of information by ensuring that the information is made confidential.                                                   
13    * Sec. 2.  AS 23.40.075 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:                                                
14   (5)  authority of the Department of Revenue under AS 43.23.017(c) to                                                 

01 terminate an employee who violates confidentiality requirements.                                                        
02    * Sec. 3.  AS 43.23 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                      
03  Sec. 43.23.017.  Confidential information.  (a)  Except as provided in (b) of                                         
04 this section and except upon court order, information contained on a permanent fund                                     
05 dividend application or provided to the department in connection with a dividend                                        
06 application shall be kept confidential and is not subject to inspection under                                           
07 AS 09.25.110 or 09.25.120.                                                                                              
08  (b)  All information regarding a permanent fund dividend application shall be                                         
09 made available to the dividend applicant or the person who filed the application on                                     
10 behalf of a minor or a disabled or an incompetent individual.  The name and address                                     
11 of individuals who apply for a dividend shall be made available to any person.                                          
12 Information regarding the denial of a dividend shall be made available to a legislator                                  
13 who represents the district in which the applicant resides.  At the option of the                                       
14 requestor, the department shall provide a paper copy of the information released under                                  
15 this subsection or shall provide the information on three and one-half inch 1.44M or                                    
16 greater diskette created using MS/DOS ASCII.                                                                            
17  (c)  In addition to other penalties that may apply, an employee of the                                                
18 department who violates this section shall be terminated from employment.