ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE  February 19, 2018 1:34 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Matt Claman, Chair Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Representative Gabrielle LeDoux Representative David Eastman Representative Chuck Kopp Representative Lora Reinbold MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Zach Fansler, Vice Chair Representative Charisse Millett (alternate) Representative Louise Stutes (alternate) COMMITTEE CALENDAR  CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Select Committee on Legislative Ethics Dennis "Skip" Cook - Fairbanks - CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED HOUSE BILL NO. 307 "An Act requiring a person who commits certain offenses under the code of military justice to register as a sex offender or child kidnapper; relating to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; relating to contracts made by a member of the organized militia; relating to nonjudicial punishment of members of the organized militia; relating to offenses subject to court-martial proceedings; and providing for an effective date." - HEARD AND HELD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 307 SHORT TITLE: MILITARY JUSTICE & MILITIA CIVIL RELIEF SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) TUCK 01/24/18 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/24/18 (H) MLV, JUD 01/30/18 (H) MLV AT 1:30 PM GRUENBERG 120 01/30/18 (H) Heard & Held 01/30/18 (H) MINUTE(MLV) 02/06/18 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120 02/06/18 (H) Heard & Held 02/06/18 (H) MINUTE(MLV) 02/13/18 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120 02/13/18 (H) Moved CSHB 307(MLV) Out of Committee 02/13/18 (H) MINUTE(MLV) 02/14/18 (H) MLV RPT CS(MLV) NT 2DP 1NR 2AM 02/14/18 (H) DP: PARISH, TUCK 02/14/18 (H) NR: SADDLER 02/14/18 (H) AM: RAUSCHER, LEDOUX 02/19/18 (H) JUD AT 1:30 PM GRUENBERG 120 WITNESS REGISTER DENNIS "SKIP" COOK, Appointee Fairbanks, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: As appointee to the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, discussed his qualifications and answered questions. KENDRA KLOSTER Staff to Rep. Tuck Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: During the hearing of HB 307, presented the legislation. DALE VANDHEY Regional State Liaison Department of Defense State Liaison Office Washington DC POSITION STATEMENT: During the hearing of HB 307, testified regarding Section 6 of the legislation. ACTION NARRATIVE 1:34:13 PM CHAIR MATT CLAMAN called the House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:34 p.m. Representatives Claman, Reinbold, Kopp, Kreiss-Tomkins, LeDoux, Eastman were present at the call to order. ^CONFIRMATION HEARING CONFIRMATION HEARING  1:34:44 PM CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the first order of business would be the confirmation hearing for the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics. 1:35:04 PM DENNIS "SKIP" COOK, Appointee, advised that he is a life-long Alaskan, raised in Fairbanks, and has lived in Juneau and Fairbanks. He said that he has served on and enjoyed working on the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics committee for a number of years, the committee renders a good service to the State of Alaska as the oversight of the legislature. There is a benefit in mixing members with longevity and the several good new members, because this service can be challenging as the statute is known to be fairly complex with complex issues. He remarked that he enjoys working through the issues with the other members on the committee and he would appreciate serving another two years on the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics. 1:36:49 PM REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD thanked Mr. Cook for his willingness to serve because she has heard good things about his service, and she looks forward to meeting him in the future. 1:37:11 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN noted that Mr. Cook "completed your vigil in 2003," and congratulated him, and thanked him for his continued service on the committee. MR. COOK advised that he is still active with the Boy Scouts of America. 1:37:54 PM CHAIR CLAMAN closed invited testimony on Mr. Cook. 1:38:09 PM REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS said that with the committee having reviewed the qualifications of the Chief Justice's appointee, the House Judiciary Standing Committee recommends that the following name, Dennis "Skip" Cook, be forwarded to the joint session of the House of Representatives and Senate. This action does not reflect the intent of any members to vote for or against Mr. Cook during any further sessions for the purposes of appointment. 1:38:38 PM The committee took an at-ease from 1:38 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. HB 307-MILITARY JUSTICE & MILITIA CIVIL RELIEF  1:40:18 PM CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the final order of business would be CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 307(MLV), "An Act requiring a person who commits certain offenses under the code of military justice to register as a sex offender or child kidnapper; relating to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; relating to contracts made by servicemembers; relating to nonjudicial punishment of members of the organized militia; relating to offenses subject to court- martial proceedings; and providing for an effective date." 1:40:47 PM KENDRA KLOSTER, Staff to Rep. Tuck, Alaska State Legislature, explained that the [previous update to the Code of Military Justice was enacted via House Bill 126, passed in the Twenty- Ninth Alaska State Legislature] and this legislation is the second iteration updating those statutes. The Federal Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) was recently updated and this bill reflects its changes. This legislation, she pointed out, updates crimes recognized by the Federal UCMJ, as follows: establishes a procedure for the service member who commits a sexual offense to register as a sex offender; a child kidnapper; updates offenses subject to court martial proceedings; and updates consumer protections for service members. 1:41:59 PM REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD remarked that the sponsor's office worked with the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs to resolve the issues put before the committee, and she is comfortable with the bill at this point. CHAIR CLAMAN surmised that amendments were offered in the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' addressing the raised concerns. REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD answered in the affirmative. 1:42:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said that "we did a good job" in the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs, except there may be a few outstanding issues. She offered hope that this bill would not move out of committee today because she would like the opportunity to continue working on the bill. CHAIR CLAMAN advised that he did not plan to move the bill out of committee today, noting that during the first revisions to the Uniform Code of Military Justice via House Bill 126, the House Judiciary Standing Committee spent many hours reviewing the legislation. CHAIR CLAMAN opened public testimony on HB 307. 1:44:16 PM DALE VANDHEY, Regional State Liaison, Department of Defense State Liaison Office, advised that the Department of Defense State Liaison Office is interested in Section 6. This section, he said, has to do with consumer protection for those military members called for deployments so that their contracts can be suspended when they are deployed. This is an effort by all of the states to work together to help protect military members and their families, this is one of the Department of Defense State Liaison Office's ten (indisc.) for 2018 and it would appreciate the legislature's support on HB 307. 1:45:38 PM CHAIR CLAMAN, after ascertaining no one wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 307. [HB 307 was held over.] 1:46:18 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:46 p.m.