05/13/2021 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

           HB 106-MISSING PERSONS UNDER 21 YEARS OLD                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:16:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SNYDER announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 106, "An  Act relating to missing persons under                                                               
21 years of age."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:17:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LISA  PURINTON,   Chief,  Criminal  Records   and  Identification                                                               
Bureau,  Division of  Statewide  Services,  Department of  Public                                                               
Safety (DPS), provided a summary of  HB 106 on behalf of the bill                                                               
sponsor, House Rules  by request of the governor.   She explained                                                               
that HB  106 would align  state law with federal  requirements as                                                               
it  relates to  missing  persons  under the  age  21.   She  said                                                               
current  state law  requires law  enforcement agencies  to report                                                               
information for  missing individuals under  the age of 18  to the                                                               
state and  national databases for  missing juveniles, and  to the                                                               
Missing  Persons  Clearinghouse,  and this  information  must  be                                                               
reported  within  24  hours  of  learning  the  person  has  been                                                               
reported missing.   She explained that HB 106  would increase the                                                               
age from 18  years to individuals under 21 years  to address that                                                               
vulnerable population,  usually college age population,  that are                                                               
often away  from the home  for the first time.   As well,  HB 106                                                               
would  change  the  24-hour  timeframe   to  within  2  hours  of                                                               
receiving notification  for agencies  to report  that information                                                               
to the state and national  databases.  She further specified that                                                               
HB 106 would address changes to AS 18.65.620 and AS 47.10.141.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KURKA  asked whether these are  already things the                                                               
state is  generally doing, and it  is just a matter  of codifying                                                               
the practice.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. PURINTON  confirmed that this is  correct.  She said  most of                                                               
the  law  enforcement  agencies  are  aware  of  this  difference                                                               
between  state law  and federal  requirements and  most do  their                                                               
best  to comply  with the  federal  requirement to  get the  data                                                               
entered  within two  hours of  receipt of  the information.   She                                                               
stated that right  now the department conducts  training with law                                                               
enforcement  and  trains them  to  the  more restrictive  federal                                                               
requirement.  But,  she continued, there is  no state requirement                                                               
for them  to do  that; the  bill addresses that  gap so  there is                                                               
conforming language on both sides.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:21:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX requested  confirmation  that this  proposed                                                               
change  is to  align  Alaska statute  with federal  requirements,                                                               
nothing more, nothing less.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. PURINTON responded that that is  correct.  She said there are                                                               
no   major  changes   other  than   to  increase   the  reporting                                                               
requirement to age  21 and to more timely  enter this information                                                               
into  the database,  which is  to align  state requirements  with                                                               
federal law.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:22:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ZULKOSKY  moved to report  HB 106 out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:23:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 4:23 p.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:23:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SNYDER announced  that there being no  objection, HB 106                                                               
was  reported  out  of  the  House  Health  and  Social  Services                                                               
Standing Committee.