03/13/2025 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

            HB  58-OPA: PUBLIC ADVOCATE APPOINTMENT                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:53:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT announced  that the  final order  of business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL NO.  58, "An Act  relating to the  office of                                                               
public advocacy; and relating to the public advocate."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:54:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COURTNEY OWEN,  Staff, Representative  Zack Fields,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of Representative Fields,  prime sponsor,                                                               
gave  a recap  of  HB 58.    She  said the  bill  would make  the                                                               
selection  process  for the  director  of  the Office  of  Public                                                               
Advocacy (OPA) analogous with that  of the Public Defender Agency                                                               
(PDA).                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT opened  public  testimony on  HB  58.   After                                                               
ascertaining that  no one  wished to  testify, she  closed public                                                               
testimony and announced that the bill would be held over.