1996-01-08                     House Journal                      Page 2375
HB 399                                                                       
Under this vehicle theft bill, juveniles who steal vehicles will be            
treated like juveniles who steal other property--waived into adult court       
if they are not amenable to treatment and dealt with in juvenile court         
if they are amenable to treatment.  By providing that first offense            
vehicle theft is a class C felony rather than a misdemeanor, the               
division of family and youth services in the Department of Health and          
Social Services will have a much more effective tool for holding               
juveniles accountable for their acts.                                          
                                                                               
The bill also adds the conviction of either first or second degree             
vehicle theft to the statute authorizing immediate revocation of driving       
privileges, and provides for mandatory revocation of driving privileges        
by the court when a person is convicted of vehicle theft in the first or       
second degree.                                                                 
                                                                               
For the bill to be effective in reducing vehicle theft in Alaska,  the         
state agencies responsible for enforcing it must be fully funded.  The         
division of family and youth services, which administers the juvenile          
justice system, must have additional probation officers; and the               
Department of Corrections must be funded for the additional costs of           
incarceration and supervision of car thieves.  Prosecution of felonies         
is more expensive for the Department of Law, and administrative costs          
for the division of motor vehicles in the Department of Public Safety          
will increase as a result of the automatic license revocation for persons      
convicted of vehicle theft.  A safer and more secure place to own and          
operate a vehicle will result from the passage and funding of this             
legislation.                                                                   
                                                                               
I urge your prompt consideration and passage of this bill.                     
                                                                               
							Sincerely,                                                              
							/s/                                                                     
							Tony Knowles                                                            
							Governor                                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
HB 400                                                                       
HOUSE BILL NO.  400 by the House Rules Committee by request of                 
the Governor, entitled: