02/26/2007 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 120(FIN)                                                                                             
     "An Act extending the Council on Domestic Violence and                                                                     
     Sexual Assault; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the first hearing for  this bill in the  Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:02:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ANNA FAIRCLOUGH,  the  bill's sponsor,  explained                                                               
that this bill would extend  the Council on Domestic Violence and                                                               
Sexual Assault  (CDVSA) until  the year 2014.  The CDVSA  plays a                                                               
vital role  in addressing Alaska's "dishonorable  distinction" of                                                               
being  ranked third  nationally in  domestic violence  and sexual                                                               
assaults for the past decade.  She urged the Committee to support                                                               
the bill.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman,  noting that SB  75, HB 120's  Senate companion                                                               
bill,  specified  an  extension   date  of  2011,  asked  whether                                                               
Representative  Fairclough would  support  an amendment  changing                                                               
the 2014 date proposed in HB 120 to 2011.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Fairclough voiced no objection.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Amendment #1:  This amendment  changes the  Council's termination                                                               
date of June 30, 2014, as specified  in Section 1, line 6 page 1,                                                               
to June 30, 2011.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Elton moved Amendment #1.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, Amendment #1 was ADOPTED.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Huggins pointed  out that the amendment  aligned the bill                                                               
with  the extension  date specified  in  its accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman appreciated  Senator Huggins'  observation. The                                                               
Committee  would   endeavor  to  insure  that   bills  and  their                                                               
accompanying fiscal notes were in alignment.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
No further testimony was forthcoming.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Elton  moved  to  report  the  bill,  as  amended,  from                                                               
Committee  with   individual  recommendations   and  accompanying                                                               
fiscal notes.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Without objection,  SCS HB 120(FIN)  was REPORTED  from Committee                                                               
with  two previous  zero fiscal  notes: fiscal  note #3  from the                                                               
House  Finance Committee  for the  Department of  Public Safety's                                                               
Batterers  Intervention  Program, and  fiscal  note  #4 from  the                                                               
House Finance Committee pertaining to the CDVSA.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Fairclough thanked the  Committee for their action                                                               
in support of extending the life  of the Council, as otherwise it                                                               
would have terminated this year.