02/20/2017 01:30 PM House JUDICIARY

                HB 106-CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES FUND                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:45:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 106, "An  Act allowing appropriations to the civil                                                               
legal services fund from court filing fees."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:46:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN, after  ascertaining no one wished  to testify, said                                                               
he would not reopen public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:46:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FANSLER  summarized  his previous  testimony  and                                                               
reminded the  committee that  HB 106 is  merely a  mechanism that                                                               
sets forth  a process  in which the  legislature can  designate a                                                               
portion  of the  funds received  from  court fees  to the  Alaska                                                               
Legal Services Corporation (ALS).   He related that this bill, in                                                               
no manner, forces future legislatures  to appropriate these funds                                                               
because  each  year  the  funds would  be  at  the  legislature's                                                               
discretion  to  appropriate  anywhere  from zero  dollars  to  25                                                               
percent.  He  further reminded the committee that ALS  was set up                                                               
to  provide  civil  representation  for  all  Alaskans  with  the                                                               
greatest need.  He explained  that beneficiaries include: elders,                                                               
veterans, children,  and those with  the most need.   The funding                                                               
does  not  go to  criminal  cases,  abortion related  litigation,                                                               
representation  of  undocumented  immigrants except  where  human                                                               
trafficking is involved, class  actions, prisoners, eviction from                                                               
public housing due to illegal drug  use, or cases where a private                                                               
attorney  would  take the  case  on  a  contingency fee  basis  -                                                               
meaning no tort liability, he stressed.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
There  are numerous  offices throughout  the state  assisting low                                                               
income Alaskans  with invaluable services and,  he commented, ALS                                                               
"does a lot  with a little."   He then stated he  considers it an                                                               
honor to work with ALS as a pro bono attorney.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:50:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD asked whether Representatives Claman and                                                                
Fansler were pro bono attorneys for ALS.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN confirmed that he, also, performs pro bono work for                                                                
ALS.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:50:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP  moved to report HB  106, Version 30-LS0397\A                                                               
out  of   committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  the                                                               
accompanying  fiscal notes.   There  being no  objection, HB  106                                                               
passed out of the House Judiciary Standing Committee.