00                      CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 549(JUD)                                                                    
01 "An Act relating to unsolicited communications following an aircraft accident."                                         
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  AS 02.40 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                 
04            Sec. 02.40.030.  Unsolicited communication prohibited.  (a)  Except as                                     
05       provided in (b) of this section, in the event of an accident involving an air carrier                             
06       providing intrastate transportation of passengers, an attorney may not initiate a contact                         
07       with an individual injured in the accident or a relative of an individual involved in the                         
08       accident for the purpose of offering or discussing potential representation in an action                          
09       based on the accident for personal injury or wrongful death within 45 days following                              
10       the accident.  In this subsection, "attorney" includes an attorney for an air carrier and                         
11       an associate, agent, employee, or other representative of an attorney.                                            
12            (b)  The prohibition in (a) of this section does not apply to the activities that an                         
13       air carrier or its insurers may undertake, or the obligations that an air carrier or its                          
14       insurers may have, in providing short-term physical or financial assistance to a                                  
15       passenger or the family of a passenger involved in an aircraft accident.                                          

01            (c)  A person who violates this section is guilty of a class A misdemeanor and,                              
02       upon conviction, is punishable only by a fine of $10,000.  A person who violates this                             
03       section within 10 years following a prior conviction under this section is guilty of a                            
04       class B felony and, upon conviction, is punishable only by a fine of $100,000.                                    
05    * Sec. 2.  The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                         
06 read:                                                                                                                   
07       APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to an accident involving an air carrier that occurs                              
08 on or after the effective date of this Act.