05/15/2025 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

            HB  58-OPA: PUBLIC ADVOCATE APPOINTMENT                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:45:45 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK  announced the  consideration of  HOUSE BILL  NO. 58                                                              
"An Act  relating to the office  of public advocacy;  and relating                                                              
to the public advocate."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:46:10 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE   ZACK   FIELDS,    District   17,   Alaska   State                                                              
Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,  said that  HB 58  would change  the                                                              
selection process  for the Public Advocate Director  to match that                                                              
of the Public  Defender. He explained that the  Alaska Legislature                                                              
founded the Alaska  Public Defender Agency in 1969  and the Office                                                              
of Public Advocacy  (OPA) in 1983. He surmised  that the different                                                              
selection  processes   likely  resulted  from  an   oversight.  He                                                              
briefly described  the process  the Alaska  Judicial Council  uses                                                              
to select  nominees  for Public  Defender; HB  58 would apply  the                                                              
same  (or  similar)  process  to   the  selection  of  the  Public                                                              
Advocacy Director.  He stated that HB 58 would  disallow arbitrary                                                              
removal  of  the  OPA  Director  and  would  require  "for  cause"                                                              
removal. He noted  that this is aligned with  the requirements for                                                              
the removal  of the  Public Defender. He  added that  both offices                                                              
provide legal assistance  to indigent Alaskans. He  noted that OPA                                                              
has broader  authorities, including  guardian ad litem.  He stated                                                              
that  both  agencies  are important  and  offer  significant  cost                                                              
savings to  the State of Alaska.  He emphasized that HB  58 is not                                                              
a  critique of  the governor  or  OPA; rather,  it  is a  forward-                                                              
looking,   good  governance   change   that   would  protect   the                                                              
independence of the OPA director into the future.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:48:11 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK solicited the will of the committee.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:48:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR moved  to report  HB 58,  work order  34-LS0011\A,                                                              
from  committee  with  individual   recommendations  and  attached                                                              
fiscal note(s)  and authorize Legislative  Legal Services  to make                                                              
conforming changes.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:48:29 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK found  no objection and HB 58 was  reported from the                                                              
Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.