SENATE BILL NO. 108                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the confidentiality of certain                                                                         
     records of criminal cases; and providing for an                                                                            
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:07:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer  communicated that the bill  introduction and                                                                    
public testimony had been heard the previous day.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  FRED  DYSON,  SPONSOR  thanked  the  committee  for                                                                    
hearing the bill. He was available to answer questions.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  observed that public testimony  the prior day                                                                    
had been  overwhelmingly in favor  of the bill.  He wondered                                                                    
if any opposition had been  expressed. Senator Dyson replied                                                                    
that  the only  active  opposition was  from  the Office  of                                                                    
Victim's Rights.  The office was  concerned that  the public                                                                    
information  on  CourtView  helped individuals  to  identify                                                                    
potential  patterns   of  bad  behavior.  The   sponsor  had                                                                    
provided  a workaround  with the  Department  of Health  and                                                                    
Social Services  (DHSS) that would allow  the agency through                                                                    
training  to  gain access  to  confidential  records if  the                                                                    
legislation passed. He asked his staff to elaborate.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHUCK KOPP,  STAFF, SENATOR FRED  DYSON, explained  that the                                                                    
exception of access to information  made confidential by the                                                                    
legislation had  been brought to  the sponsor by  the Office                                                                    
of Public  Advocacy and  DHSS. The  entities had  asked that                                                                    
persons  responsible for  the safety  and  welfare of  child                                                                    
placement, vulnerable adults,  and seniors with disabilities                                                                    
have  access to  the information  for the  placement of  the                                                                    
individuals.  Additionally,  individuals who  currently  had                                                                    
access to the Alaska  Public Safety Information Network (the                                                                    
state  criminal justice  information system)  would continue                                                                    
to  have access  to the  information. The  amendment to  the                                                                    
bill had  been made in Section  2. He noted that  the change                                                                    
had resulted in a fiscal note from the Alaska Court System.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dyson  advised that there would  always be pragmatic                                                                    
reasons to trample on personal  liberties and Bill of Rights                                                                    
issues. He  acknowledged that  decisions would  be difficult                                                                    
due to  heartfelt testimony on  the downsides  of particular                                                                    
personal liberties.  He believed  the legislature  needed to                                                                    
be vigilant about upholding  personal liberties. The current                                                                    
issue was related to privacy and due process.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:12:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Kelly  MOVED  to  REPORT   CSSB  108(JUD)  out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal notes. There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  108(JUD) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation  and  with previously  published  zero                                                                    
fiscal notes: FN1  (LAW), FN2 (ADM), and FN3  (ADM); one new                                                                    
zero fiscal  note from the  Department of Health  and Social                                                                    
Services; and  one new  fiscal impact  note from  the Alaska                                                                    
Court System.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:12:18 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:13:50 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED