1994-03-09                     Senate Journal                      Page 3115
SB 352                                                                       
SENATE BILL NO. 352 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                              
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                          
                                                                               
"An Act relating to the confidentiality of certain                            
information in vehicle records; and providing for an                           
effective date."                                                               
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Judiciary        
Committees.                                                                    
                                                                               
Fiscal note published today from Department of Public Safety.  Zero            
fiscal notes published today from Department of Law, Department of             
Administration (2).                                                            
                                                                               
Governor's transmittal letter dated March 9:                                   
                                                                               
Dear Mr. President:                                                            
                                                                               
Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution,          
I am transmitting a bill that generally makes confidential the                 
addresses and telephone numbers of persons identified in registration          
records, titles, and documents maintained by the division of motor             
vehicles (DMV), Department of Public Safety.  This information has             
been used by criminals to learn the residence address of a victim.             
Making this information generally confidential will help protect the           
public.                                                                        

1994-03-09                     Senate Journal                      Page 3116
SB 352                                                                       
California passed nearly identical legislation after vehicle registration      
information was used in the notorious stalking murder of actress               
Rebecca Schaeffer in Los Angeles.  Here in Alaska, a convicted                 
murderer used DMV license plate information last year to identify              
the addresses of senior employees of a business before robbing them            
at gunpoint.                                                                   
                                                                               
As it stands now, if the public, including a person planning a crime,          
knows the license plate of a particular car, DMV must release the              
name, address and telephone number of the car owner as a public                
record.  In order to protect the public -- and in keeping with                 
Alaska's tradition of protecting the privacy of its citizens -- the            
attached bill amends AS28.05.061 to make the addresses and                     
telephone numbers contained in DMV records confidential unless the             
requestor has a legitimate interest in the information, as determined          
under regulations adopted by the Department of Public Safety.                  
                                                                               
I urge your favorable action on this bill.                                     
                                                                               
Sincerely,                                                                     
					/s/                                                                       
					Walter J. Hickel                                                          
Governor