HB 54 - PLACEMENT OF A CHILD IN NEED OF AID                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:48:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE  FOR HOUSE  BILL NO. 54,  "An Act  relating to                                                               
the  identification,  location,  and  notification  of  specified                                                               
family members  and family  friends of  a child  who is  in state                                                               
custody."  [Before the committee was CSSSHB 54(HSS).]                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:49:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LES GARA, Alaska State  Legislature, as one of the                                                               
joint prime sponsors  of SSHB 54, in response  to questions asked                                                               
during previous  hearings on the bill,  offered his understanding                                                               
that the  Office of Children's  Services (OCS) does not  notify a                                                               
parent  who's [already]  had his/her  parental rights  terminated                                                               
[of the  removal of the  child from  the child's home];  and that                                                               
the notifications  provided by the  OCS [regarding  such removal]                                                               
don't include the physical address of the child anyway.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:51:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTY LAWTON,  Director, Central  Office, Office  of Children's                                                               
Services (OCS), Department of Health  and Social Services (DHSS),                                                               
in response  to a question,  offered to research how  federal law                                                               
addresses  the   issue  of  noncustodial  parents   convicted  of                                                               
domestic violence (DV) crimes.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG  referred  to  a  handout  included  in                                                               
members' packets,  and offered his  understanding that  42 U.S.C.                                                               
671(a)(29)   -   federal  law   addressing   removal-from-custody                                                               
notifications -  contains the phrase, "subject  to exceptions due                                                               
to family  or domestic violence".   He surmised,  therefore, that                                                               
under  that  language,  state  law  could  provide  for  such  an                                                               
exception.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARA  concurred, but  pointed  out  that SSHB  45                                                               
doesn't address the issue of who  is notified.  Instead, the bill                                                               
merely  provides   that  a  supervisor  must   verify  that  [due                                                               
diligence was exercised].                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:55:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN  moved  to  report  CSSSHB  54(HSS)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being no  objection,  CSSSHB 54(HSS)  was                                                               
reported from the House Judiciary Standing Committee.