04/16/2016 09:00 AM Senate JUDICIARY

           SB 182-DNA TESTING EXEMPTION FOR GENEALOGY                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:05:12 AM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR MCGUIRE  announced the consideration  of SB 182.  She noted                                                               
that this is the second hearing.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:05:24 AM                                                                                                                   
FORREST  WOLFE, Staff,  Senator McGuire,  summarized that  SB 182                                                               
exempts the  field of genetic  genealogy from the  Alaska Genetic                                                               
Privacy Act.  In this field  an individual voluntarily  submits a                                                               
sample of their DNA to a  large pool for the purpose of comparing                                                               
lineage and ancestry to gain information about family history.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:06:08 AM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR MCGUIRE,  speaking as sponsor,  said she is unaware  of any                                                               
controversy.  She  found  no public  comment  and  closed  public                                                               
testimony on SB 182.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
11:06:29 AM                                                                                                                   
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI highlighted that  SB 182 wasn't specifically                                                               
listed  as a  bill that  might be  taken up  today, and  there is                                                               
significant opposition to the bill.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE offered her understanding  that the only opposition                                                               
that  came forward  was to  a notion  that was  discussed in  the                                                               
other body about inserting a retroactivity clause.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI expressed  dismay that  there is  an active                                                               
lawsuit about which the committee was never informed.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE related  that the discussion in the  other body was                                                               
about an  amendment that would  have made this  bill retroactive.                                                               
That   would  have   intersected  the   active  lawsuit   Senator                                                               
Wielechowski referenced. She explained that  SB 182 is an attempt                                                               
to  clarify prospectively  an area  of law  related to  voluntary                                                               
buccal swab offerings  of DNA. It has nothing to  do with the law                                                               
relating to the use of DNA in criminal cases.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE set SB 182 aside  to allow people who have concerns                                                               
to express them on the record when the committee reconvenes.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
11:10:47 AM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR MCGUIRE  recessed the  Senate Judiciary  Standing Committee                                                               
meeting  to a  call of  the chair  at 11:10  a.m. [The  committee                                                               
reconvened on 4/17/16, but SB 182 was not taken up.]