04/01/2021 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

            HB  106-MISSING PERSONS UNDER 21 YEARS OLD                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:25:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS announced  that  the next  order of  business                                                             
would be HOUSE  BILL NO. 106, "An  Act relating to missing  persons                                                             
under 21 years of age."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS invited questions from the committee.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:27:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE  asked  why  the  bill  pertains  to  missing                                                             
persons under the age of 21 as opposed to 18.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:27:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RANDI  BREAGER,  Special Assistant,  Office  of  the  Commissioner,                                                             
Department  of Public  Safety,  indicated  that recent  changes  in                                                             
federal  law  require amending  Alaska  statutes  for  consistency.                                                             
She deferred to Ms. Monfreda for further explanation.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:28:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHY   MONFREDA,  Director,   Division   of  Statewide   Services,                                                             
Department  of  Public  Safety,  explained  that  federal  law  was                                                             
changed to  require the reporting  of missing people under  the age                                                             
of  21 primarily  based on  Suzanne's  Law, which  was designed  to                                                             
provide extra  protection for  people [between  the ages of  18 and                                                             
21]  in the  vulnerable  college-age population.    She shared  her                                                             
belief  that  age  21  was chosen  because  it  is  viewed  as  the                                                             
threshold of adulthood.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE questioned  what vulnerabilities exist  among                                                             
the 18-21 age group that lawmakers should be aware of.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. MONFREDA  stated her understanding  that the age group  is more                                                             
vulnerable  to coercion  due  to  the decision-making  ability  and                                                             
gullibility at that age.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:31:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   KREISS-TOMKINS    opened    public   testimony.       After                                                             
ascertaining  that  no one  wished  to  testify, he  closed  public                                                             
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[HB 106 was held over.]