Legislature(2007 - 2008)CAPITOL 106
04/10/2007 04:00 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB207 | |
| HB215 | |
| HB213 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 207 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 215 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 213 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 215-TASK FORCE RE: COUNCIL ON DOM. VIOL. 4:59:49 PM CHAIR WILSON announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 215, "An Act relating to the establishment of a task force to review the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault." 5:00:20 PM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH introduced HB 215 as prime sponsor. She touched upon points in the sponsor statement, which read as follows: Last month the Legislature voted to reauthorize the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA). Alaska continues to rank among the highest in the nation for rates of domestic violence and sexual assault and the Council has a vital role in prevention, education and response to those incidents in our state. During the Reauthorization process, a number of questions arose on a variety of issues related to the Council, including its placement in the Department of Public Safety, the Council's mission, and concerns brought forth in Legislative Audit Reports released in 2006 and 2002. The work done by CDVSA and its role in the battle to end sexual assault and domestic violence is essential, but the Legislature and the public deserve to have their questions addressed. The Task Force would bring members of the legislature and administration together with members of the public to have thoughtful, comprehensive discussions about the Council and the issues at hand. This Task Force would prepare and present a report to the full legislature, in an effort to bring increased awareness of the Council's role as well as answer on- going questions that members have with its extension. This act will be repealed April 16, 2008. I urge your support in the creation of this Task Force. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH expressed her hope that she will be appointed as a member of the aforementioned task force. She noted that the Department of Public Safety has committed to paying the transportation and per diem costs of the two public members of the task force, as well as the person representing the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH stated that there would be amendments to the bill. One amendment would quantify the meeting time and the expected outcome of the meeting. Another amendment would insert "domestic violence" on page 2, line 6. The last amendment would address legislation that established a 90-day session, by changing the February 1, 2008, date on page 3 to March 1, in order to accommodate the possibility of a later session commencement. CHAIR WILSON commended Representative Fairclough's efforts. 5:05:20 PM CHRIS ASHENBRENNER, Interim Program Administrator, Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA), noted that she had submitted a letter in support of HB 215, on behalf of CDVSA. She related that at a press conference, Governor Sarah Palin expressed her dislike of Alaska's current statistics related to sexual assault and domestic violence. She emphasized the council's commitment to continually strive for improvements. 5:06:50 PM PEGGY BROWN, Executive Director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA), spoke of a letter from the network in support of HB 215. She said ANDVSA has been actively working with Representative Fairclough and CDVSA. She reported that at a recent meeting, the lieutenant governor stressed the importance of lowering Alaska's statistics on domestic violence and sexual assault. She said it has been 11 years since the Domestic Violence Protection Act of 1996, and it is prudent to look for means of improvement. 5:08:44 PM CHAIR WILSON closed public testimony. 5:08:54 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER said upon her first glance of the bill she had questioned what the task force could do that could not be done by the council. She stated that her understanding after hearing Representative Fairclough's presentation is that the council does not establish it's own mandate - the legislature does - and the task force would make recommendations to the legislature. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH confirmed that would be the case. She noted that [the council] has been working with many members around the state, but she indicated that the council may not be completing all the necessary tasks. She explained, "I think that in the current language we've got a lot of implemented steps to accomplish a broader picture that we may not need ...." The mission, she said, is very broad and needs to be narrowed to allow the council to do the work it needs to do. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH, in response Representative Gardner, said those sitting on the task force would not be the same individuals as those already sitting on the council. She said, "The Department of Law's currently there, but the Department of Corrections is not ... currently at the table. ... I don't believe that the Department of Education and Early Development has been an active participant, but the commissioner has at a higher level." REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER suggested that it may be more efficient for the council to make its own recommendations as to what should be its focus. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH explained that she wants to see the legislature's involvement so that the council is in line with what that body wants to support. She said her efforts are to streamline the process. She pointed out that those on the council are volunteers who work hard, but the council has not been successful with a strategic plan that it has been working on for four years. 5:14:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA remarked that HB 215 is succinct legislation. She recalled that six years ago discussions over domestic violence took place. She said resulting recommendations are not usually embraced by the legislature. She encouraged doing "some assessments of this process." She talked about the efforts of the community blending "with this," because she said she thinks there are "a lot of people out there that have been working on this for some time." 5:16:23 PM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said Representative Cissna's remarks are correct. Besides the council and the network, there used to be a funding committee and an action committee, she said. She said the action committee struggled to get anything done because they did not control the funds. She said people have not heard CDVSA's response to the audits. She said page 3 of the bill provides that one of the goals of the task force would be to consider the relationships between the council and other entities. She said the legislature should set the mandate of how it will address violence in Alaska. The council, she said, is in need of a supportive nudge - a partner that can recognize its work and the challenges therein. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH stated for the record: I don't think you can prevent rape; I don't think you can prevent someone from stealing your purse; but you can make people aware that that is out there as a possibility in [their] lives. But when we start to educate our public, and when we move toward social change, you're going to see an increase in reporting of child victimization. ... It means we're doing the right thing, because kids are saying it out loud. ... I just don't leave with anybody the impression that if we do this that the numbers are going to go down, because that's not what's going to happen. The numbers are going to go up, and that means we're doing our job. 5:19:19 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER requested that the sponsor provide the report titled "Preventing Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Violence and Child Maltreatment" identified on page 3, lines 17- 18. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH, in response to a question from Representative Gardner, explained that if an amendment were to pass, regarding how often the task force would meet and who would pay per diem and travel expenses, then "a more accurate number document" would be available. REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked for the definition of ex officio. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH specified that ex officio means "not a voting member." She explained the importance of that distinction. 5:23:06 PM REPRESENTATIVE ROSES moved to adopt Amendment 1, labeled 25- LS0681\C.2, Luckhaupt/Bullard, 4/10/07, which read: Page 3, following line 20: Insert a new subsection to read: "(e) The task force shall meet a minimum of at least once in the following cities: Juneau, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and a rural community of the state." Reletter the following subsections accordingly. Page 3, line 22, following "AS 39.20.180.": Insert "Each department shall pay the per diem and travel expenses for its representative or representatives to the task force. The Department of Public Safety shall pay the per diem and travel expenses for the two public members of the task force and the director of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault." 5:24:30 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER objected for discussion purposes. She asked if the council has its own way of paying per diem and travel expenses or if it should be included under the coverage given by the Department of Public Safety. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH explained that CDVSA has its own resources since it is a division of the State of Alaska. REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER removed her objection. There being no further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. 5:25:42 PM REPRESENTATIVE ROSES moved to adopt Amendment 2, as follows: On page 3, line 27: Delete "February 1" Insert "March 1" There being no objection, Amendment 2 was adopted. 5:26:25 PM REPRESENTATIVE ROSES moved to adopt Amendment 3, as follows: On page 2, line 6: Between "for victims of" and "sexual assault;" Insert "domestic violence and" There being no objection, Amendment 3 was adopted. 5:26:55 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER moved to report HB 215, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 215(HES) was reported from the House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.
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