03/05/2020 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 182                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating to testing of sexual assault                                                                               
     examination kits; and providing for an effective date.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:55:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Johnston invited  the  bill sponsor  to provide  a                                                                    
summary of the bill.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GERAN  TARR, SPONSOR, relayed  that currently                                                                    
state law required rape kits  to be processed within 1 year.                                                                    
The bill would change the time to 6 months.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:56:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnston OPENED Public Testimony.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:56:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CARMEN  LOWERY,   EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR,  ALASKA   NETWORK  ON                                                                    
DOMESTIC  VIOLENCE AND  SEXUAL  ASSAULT,  reviewed that  the                                                                    
network was  a membership-based organization of  21 programs                                                                    
across  the  state  that  provided  community  services  for                                                                    
victims of  domestic violence. The  network also  engaged in                                                                    
prevention  work  and  advocacy work  to  create  conditions                                                                    
where  sexual assault  and domestic  violence did  not occur                                                                    
and to ensure  that victims and survivors  were treated with                                                                    
the  utmost respect  when their  rights  were violated.  The                                                                    
network  had  been  working   with  Representative  Tarr  on                                                                    
different iterations  of the sexual assault  kit initiative.                                                                    
She  was very  pleased  to  say that  the  network was  very                                                                    
supportive of the  committee substitute (CS) of  HB 127. She                                                                    
suggested  that  although 6  months  did  not sound  like  a                                                                    
significant  amount of  time, a  shorter  period of  getting                                                                    
information  back  to  survivors   was  a  good  thing.  She                                                                    
furthered that  for a victim  who reported a  sexual assault                                                                    
or  a  sexual violence  crime,  they  lived  in a  state  of                                                                    
anxiety, stress, and anger while  waiting for their results.                                                                    
The bill  would reduce the time  they did not know  what was                                                                    
going on and providing some  relief to a victim or survivor.                                                                    
She thought it sent a strong message that the state cared.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Johnston indicated  the  amendments  for the  bill                                                                    
were due by Monday, March 9, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:59:36 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:59:48 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnston CLOSED Public Testimony.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
HB  182  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.