2017-03-08                     Senate Journal                      Page 0454
SB 82                                                                                                                         
SENATE BILL NO. 82 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                                
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                

2017-03-08                     Senate Journal                      Page 0455
          "An Act authorizing the Department of Public Safety                                                                   
          to enter into agreements with nonprofit regional                                                                      
          corporations and federal, tribal, and local government                                                                
          agencies to provide law enforcement services;                                                                         
          authorizing the Department of Public Safety to                                                                        
          collect fees for certain law enforcement services; and                                                                
          providing for an effective date."                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the Community and Regional                                                              
Affairs and Judiciary Committees.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
 Fiscal Note No. 1, indeterminate, Department of Public Safety                                                                  
 Fiscal Note No. 2, zero, Department of Administration                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Governor's transmittal letter dated March 7:                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Kelly:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18, of the Alaska                                                                   
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill authorizing the Department of                                                            
Public Safety to enter into agreements with and collect fees from                                                               
nonprofit regional corporations and federal, tribal, and local                                                                  
government agencies to provide law enforcement services.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
The State's current fiscal crisis has forced many agencies to reevaluate                                                        
how they allocate their limited resources. In particular, the Department                                                        
of Public Safety has been forced to reduce its Trooper presence in                                                              
some areas. Under current law, the Department of Public Safety does                                                             
not have the ability to enter into contractual agreements with                                                                  
communities to provide continued law enforcement services. This                                                                 
requires many of these areas to consider procuring alternate law                                                                
enforcement services. The bill would allow nonprofit regional                                                                   
corporations and governmental agencies to contract with the                                                                     
Department of Public Safety and pay for Trooper presence in their                                                               
area. This will not only have a positive effect on public safety in those                                                       
local areas, but will also allow the Department to better allocate                                                              
resources in order to continue to provide basic law enforcement                                                                 
services statewide. This bill would limit contracts to communities that                                                         
currently lack an organized police force.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                

2017-03-08                     Senate Journal                      Page 0456
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Bill Walker                                                                                                                     
Governor