ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE  March 26, 2018 3:02 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Matt Claman, Chair Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Vice Chair Representative Louise Stutes Representative Gabrielle LeDoux Representative David Eastman Representative Chuck Kopp MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Lora Reinbold Representative Charisse Millett (alternate) Representative Tiffany Zulkosky (alternate) COMMITTEE CALENDAR  SENATE BILL NO. 148 "An Act relating to powers of the Alaska Police Standards Council; and relating to background checks for admission to police training programs and certification as a police officer." - MOVED SB 148 OUT OF COMMITTEE HOUSE BILL NO. 355 "An Act relating to the crime of criminally negligent burning; relating to protection of and fire management on forested land; relating to prohibited acts and penalties for prohibited acts on forested land; and providing for an effective date." - SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD HOUSE BILL NO. 75 "An Act relating to gun violence protective orders; relating to the crime of violating a protective order; relating to a central registry for protective orders; relating to the powers of district judges and magistrates; requiring physicians, psychologists, psychological associates, social workers, marital and family therapists, and licensed professional counselors to report annually threats of gun violence; and amending Rules 4 and 65, Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure, and Rule 9, Alaska Rules of Administration." - SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: SB 148 SHORT TITLE: BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR POLICE/TRAINING SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR 01/18/18 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/18/18 (S) STA, JUD 02/08/18 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 02/08/18 (S) Moved SB 148 Out of Committee 02/08/18 (S) MINUTE(STA) 02/09/18 (S) STA RPT 3DP 2NR 02/09/18 (S) DP: MEYER, GIESSEL, EGAN 02/09/18 (S) NR: WILSON, COGHILL 02/26/18 (S) JUD AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) 02/26/18 (S) Heard & Held 02/26/18 (S) MINUTE(JUD) 03/02/18 (S) JUD AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) 03/02/18 (S) Moved SB 148 Out of Committee 03/02/18 (S) MINUTE(JUD) 03/05/18 (S) JUD RPT 1DP 3NR 03/05/18 (S) DP: COGHILL 03/05/18 (S) NR: WIELECHOWSKI, COSTELLO, KELLY 03/14/18 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 03/14/18 (S) VERSION: SB 148 03/15/18 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/15/18 (H) JUD 03/21/18 (H) JUD AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120 03/21/18 (H) Heard & Held 03/21/18 (H) MINUTE(JUD) 03/26/18 (H) JUD AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120 WITNESS REGISTER BOB GRIFFITHS Executive Director Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC) Department of Public Safety Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: During the hearing of SB 148, answered a question. ACTION NARRATIVE 3:02:22 PM CHAIR MATT CLAMAN called the House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:02 p.m. Representatives Claman, Eastman, Kopp, LeDoux, and Kreiss-Tomkins were present at the call to order. Representative Stutes arrived as the meeting was in progress. SB 148-BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR POLICE/TRAINING  3:02:51 PM CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the only order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 148, "An Act relating to powers of the Alaska Police Standards Council; and relating to background checks for admission to police training programs and certification as a police officer." 3:03:54 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN referred to [Section 1, AS 12.62.400(a)(19)] page 2, lines 28-31, which read as follows: (19) admittance to a police training program  under AS 18.65.230 or for certification as a police  officer under AS 18.65.240 if that person's  prospective employer does not have access to a  criminal justice information system. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN asked why this was not an issue previously, or if it was an issue, how was it handled. 3:04:43 PM BOB GRIFFITHS, Executive Director, Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC), Department of Public Safety, reiterated his testimony from the previous hearing and advised that prior to last year, the Alaska Police Standards Council (ASPC) was deemed a law enforcement agency. Under that authority, he said, the ASPC routinely ran fingerprints as a law enforcement agency, except, two years ago, unbeknownst to the ASPC, the FBI reclassified the Police Standards Councils as a licensing agency, thereby, losing its access to the fingerprint-based background checks. In order to gain back that authority, he advised that SB 148 adds it to the list for occupational licenses on pages 1-2 of SB 148. 3:05:58 PM REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS moved to report SB 148, labeled 30-GS2594\A out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, SB 148 passed out of the House Judiciary Standing Committee. 3:07:03 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:07 p.m.