CSHB 215(HES): "An Act relating to the establishment of a task force to review the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 215(HES) 01 "An Act relating to the establishment of a task force to review the Council on Domestic 02 Violence and Sexual Assault." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 05 to read: 06 FINDINGS. The legislature finds that 07 (1) for the past decade, Alaska has ranked among the top five states in the 08 nation in per capita domestic violence rates; 09 (2) in 2002, 2003, and 2004, Alaska had the dishonorable distinction of having 10 the highest rate of women murdered by men, and this rate was more than double the rate at 11 which women were murdered by men in the state with the second highest rate; 12 (3) for the last 27 years, Alaska has ranked among the top five states in the 13 nation for rape and sexual assault; 14 (4) the Twelfth Alaska State Legislature established the Council on Domestic
01 Violence and Sexual Assault in 1981 and placed it in the Department of Public Safety, with a 02 mission to reduce the causes and incidence of interpersonal violence in the state; 03 (5) the council collects valuable state-specific data on domestic violence and 04 sexual assault; 05 (6) the council currently serves the state by planning and coordinating services 06 for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; 07 (7) the council is the recipient of both state and federal funds and serves as the 08 conduit for these funds to community-based victims' services, batterers' programs, and prison- 09 based batterers' programs; and 10 (8) staff turnover, reports on grant management, office location, division 11 location, selection of council members, and coordination with other state agencies have been 12 the subject of questions. 13 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 14 read: 15 TASK FORCE TO REVIEW COUNCIL ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND 16 SEXUAL ASSAULT. (a) There is established in the legislative branch of state government 17 the Task Force to Review the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The task 18 force is composed of the following 15 members: 19 (1) three members appointed by the president of the senate from among the 20 members of the senate; 21 (2) three members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives 22 from among the members of the house of representatives; 23 (3) two members appointed by the governor who are citizens involved with, or 24 who have a history of involvement in, the delivery of services to victims of domestic violence 25 and sexual assault, one of whom shall be from a community with a population of less than 26 2,500 and one of whom shall be from a community with a population of 2,500 or more; 27 (4) one member appointed by the governor from each of the following: 28 (A) the Department of Law; 29 (B) the Department of Corrections; 30 (C) the Department of Education and Early Development; 31 (D) the Department of Health and Social Services; and
01 (E) the Department of Public Safety; 02 (5) the director of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault 03 serving ex officio; and 04 (6) the director of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual 05 Assault serving ex officio. 06 (b) The members of the task force shall select a chair from among the members who 07 shall serve as a facilitator and nonvoting member except in the case of a tie vote. 08 (c) The task force shall consider and develop recommendations that address 09 (1) the council's relationship and consultation with other state agencies; 10 (2) the statutory responsibilities and priorities of the council; 11 (3) the appointment process for members of the council; 12 (4) the geographic location of the council's office; 13 (5) the location of the council within the state administrative structure; 14 (6) the council's compliance with grant management requirements; and 15 (7) the council's mission, and the focus of the council's mission on prevention, 16 intervention, crisis response, and perpetrator accountability. 17 (d) The task force shall examine "Preventing Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual 18 Violence and Child Maltreatment," which is available on the Centers for Disease Control and 19 Prevention Internet website, for best practices and shall make recommendations about those 20 practices that should be implemented by the council. 21 (e) The task force shall meet a minimum of at least once in the following cities: 22 Juneau, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and a rural community of the state. 23 (f) Members of the task force shall be entitled to the per diem and travel expenses 24 allowed under AS 39.20.180. Each department shall pay the per diem and travel expenses for 25 its representative or representatives to the task force. The Department of Public Safety shall 26 pay the per diem and travel expenses for the two public members of the task force and the 27 director of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. 28 (g) The Legislative Affairs Agency shall provide a staff member and other resources, 29 as necessary, to the task force. 30 (h) The task force shall submit a report of its findings and shall make 31 recommendations regarding the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault to the
01 legislature by March 1, 2008. 02 * Sec. 3. This Act is repealed on April 16, 2008.