03/13/2017 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY

         HB 104-REPEAL COLLECTION OF CIVIL LITIG. INFO                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:42:45 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   COGHILL  reconvened   the  meeting   and  announced   the                                                               
consideration of  HB 104.  He asked if  there were  questions for                                                               
the sponsor's staff.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:43:39 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the  bill is fundamentally the same                                                               
as the one the committee heard last year.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
LIZZIE KUBITZ,  Staff, Representative  Matt Claman,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, sponsor  of HB 104, confirmed  that this legislation                                                               
is the same as last year.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL opened public testimony on HB 104.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:44:16 PM                                                                                                                    
SARAH  BADTEN, representing  herself, said  she practices  law in                                                               
Anchorage and  has been filing  out this  form for 10  years. For                                                               
the past two  years she's been testifying to  get the requirement                                                               
repealed. It is  a waste of time  and money and is  costly to her                                                               
clients, which  is unfair. Also,  because she  practices contract                                                               
law, the information she provides skews the data on tort reform.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:46:08 PM                                                                                                                    
KENNETH  JACOBUS,  representing  himself and  the  Anchorage  Bar                                                               
Association   (ABA),  testified   in  support   of  HB   104.  He                                                               
highlighted that the ABA annually  adopts a resolution to do away                                                               
with the civil  case reporting requirements. He  pointed out that                                                               
just 13  percent of  the required  data is  reported and  that it                                                               
will save  the state money to  drop the requirement. He  said the                                                               
House voted unanimously to pass  this legislation and it would be                                                               
a great service  to the state, the bar and  the people engaged in                                                               
civil litigation for the Senate to do the same.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:48:38 PM                                                                                                                    
LIBBY  BAKALAR,  Assistant   Attorney  General,  Civil  Division,                                                               
Transportation  Section,  Department   of  Law,  Juneau,  Alaska,                                                               
offered to answer questions related to HB 104.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL asked how many  reports the Department of Law files                                                               
a year.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. BAKALAR  said she would  follow up with the  information, but                                                               
the department does  file a report according  to the requirements                                                               
under AS 09.68.130 after every civil case is settled.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COGHILL  commented that  the  bill  might result  in  cost                                                               
savings.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. BAKALAR said the department  submitted a zero fiscal note and                                                               
the clear benefit  is that it would eliminate  a task. Responding                                                               
to a  further question,  she said the  department doesn't  have a                                                               
formal position on HB 104.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COGHILL  noted  that Suzanne  DiPietro  was  available  to                                                               
answer question.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:50:54 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COGHILL closed  public testimony on HB 104  and solicited a                                                               
motion.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:51:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  COSTELLO moved  to report  HB 104,  labeled 30-LS0393\D,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI disclosed that he is a member of the Alaska                                                                
Bar Association.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL announced that without objection, HB 104 is                                                                       
reported from the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee.