04/26/1994 04:15 PM Senate JUD

  CHAIRMAN ROBIN TAYLOR  called the Judiciary Committee meeting to             
 order at 4:15 p.m.  He introduced CSHB 319(FIN) (ALASKA POLICE                
 STNDS TRAINING FUND) as the first order of business.                          
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GAIL PHILLIPS, prime sponsor of HB 319, explained              
 the legislation will do three basic things: (1) it will create an             
 Alaska Standards Training Fund within the general fund; (2) it will           
 provide a source of receipts for the training fund paid for by the            
 violators of certain traffic offenses (moving violations and                  
 driving while intoxicated); and (3) it will allow the Legislature             
 to appropriate each year for the training of law enforcement and              
 corrections officers statewide through the Alaska Police Standards            
 Council.  She commented that training for law enforcement is sorely           
 needed, and, in too many instances, is nonexistent.                           
                                                                               
 Representative Phillips said the $10 and $25 increase to traffic              
 fines shouldn't be construed as a tax, surcharge, user fee, etc.,             
 since the Legislature does not set fine schedules.  The Supreme               
 Court and municipalities raise and adjust bail forfeiture schedules           
 and could do so without giving the Legislature the opportunity to             
 direct where the increase could be used and for what purpose.                 
                                                                               
 The anticipated receipts on only the collectable amounts of the               
 fines would be approximately $700,000 annually.  The delayed                  
 effective dates would allow the court system to implement their new           
 accounting and to amend their bail forfeiture schedules to reflect            
 this proposed increase, as well as allowing municipalities adequate           
 time to prepare in-house accounting systems.                                  
                                                                               
 Representative Phillips noted that there was a proposed Judiciary             
 SCS before the committee, and that she has no objections to the               
 proposed changes.                                                             
                                                                               
 Number 075                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR LITTLE asked what violations the $10 and $25 fees apply to.           
 LADDIE SHAW, Executive Director of the Alaska Police Standards                
 Council, answered that the $10 fee will be from uniform traffic               
 citations and the $25 fee will be from driving with a revoked                 
 license or driving while intoxicated.                                         
                                                                               
 Number 128                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR DONLEY asked how much Anchorage will benefit from this                
 training that will be provided.  DEPUTY COMMISSIONER C.E.                     
 SWACKHAMMER, Department of Public Safety, responded that every                
 municipal police department will benefit from the proceeds that go            
 into this training fund, and it will appropriated through the                 
 Alaska Police Standards Council.  He pointed out that the new                 
 committee substitute provides that part of the proceeds will go to            
 the Public Safety Training Academy, which also does training.                 
 SENATOR DONLEY expressed concern that because there are so many               
 people in Anchorage, they end up paying most of the new fees and              
 taxes, but the receipts tend to go out everywhere else at a                   
 disproportionate amount.  He added he would rather see these things           
 paid for through the communities for what services they receive.              
 LADDIE SHAW said Anchorage supplements more of the assessment fee,            
 but that is because of the population base.  The dollars will still           
 be equitably shared by all police officers throughout the state.              
                                                                               
 Number 200                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR moved that SCS CSHB 319(JUD) be adopted.  Hearing no           
 objection, the motion carried.                                                
                                                                               
 SENATOR LITTLE moved that SCS CSHB 319(JUD) be passed out of                  
 committee with individual recommendations.  Hearing no objection,             
 it was so ordered.