Legislature(2023 - 2024)SENATE FINANCE 532
05/10/2024 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB19 | |
| HB217 | |
| HB155 | |
| HB66 | |
| HB28 | |
| HB129 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 217 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 50 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 155 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 66 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 135 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 347 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 202 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 129 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 28 | TELECONFERENCED | |
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 129(JUD)
"An Act relating to voter registration; and providing
for an effective date."
2:41:03 PM
SENATOR SCOTT KAWASAKI, CHAIR, SENATE STATE AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE, noted that the committee would find the bill
familiar.
DAVID DUNSMORE, STAFF, SENATOR SCOTT KAWASAKI, explained
the changes from the original version to the current
version of the bill. He read from the Summary of Changes
HB 129 version S to CS HB 129 version R" (copy on file). He
stated the Senate State Affairs Committee had added several
provisions that had previously found in other legislation.
The following provisions were added from previous
legislation:
• Requires DOE to develop procedures for risk limiting
audits (SB 138)
• Allows voters to update their registration within 30
days of an election (SB 138)
• Requires DOE to develop a cybersecurity program (SB 1)
(SB 138)
• Allow ballot curing (SB 1) (SB 19) (SB 138)
• Repeals witness signature requirement for absentee
ballots (SB 138)
• Prevent special needs ballots from being rejected
because of poll worker or representative errors (SB
138)
• Requires disclosure statement form campaign related
deepfakes (SB 177)
• Allow campaign legal funds (SB 246)
2:45:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SARAH VANCE, SPONSOR, introduced the
legislation. She said that the bill was intended to "clean
up" the state's voter registration rolls.
Senator Bishop asked about Section 13 of the bill. He
wondered whether there had been any problems reported from
the voter registration data breach several years ago.
Representative Vance replied that 113,000 Alaska's data had
been breached. She could not speak of any malfeasance due
to the breach.
2:49:00 PM
JAKE ALMEIDA, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE SARAH VANCE, added that
a letter was sent to all Alaskans who had had their
information compromised. He shared that his personal data
had been breached.
Senator Bishop asked whether Mr. Almedia had had any issues
from his data being breached.
Mr. Almeida replied in the negative.
Senator Wilson commented that most data breaches that
happened in the state was for the purpose of falsely
applying for the Permanent Fund Dividend.
Representative Vance said that the purpose of the bill was
to instill voter confidence and retain the integrity of the
system.
Senator Kiehl felt that removing name from the rolls after
only two years was a substantial change. He wondered
whether people would have to continually renew their name
on the roll every two years.
Representative Vance replied that it would pertain to
people who had not voted or maintained communication with
the division. She said that if a person was moved to
inactive status all they would need to do is vote and they
would be moved back to active status.
Senator Kiehl appreciated the forwardable status flier but
questioned the shift from two general election to every
other year.
Mr. Almeida offered a timeline on how the process would
work. He shared that current law provided 8 years before a
person would be removed from the voter rolls due to
inaction. The bill would change that to 6 years, at which
time a mailer would be sent. If the mailer was not
responded to then the person would be inactivated and
removed from the rolls.
Co-Chair Olson OPENED public testimony.
Co-Chair Olson CLOSED public testimony.
2:55:11 PM
Senator Wilson asked a question about Section 23. He
wondered about "deepfakes" and the definition given on page
15, line 20, that stated that deepfake did not apply to
satire or parody.
Mr. Dunsmore stated that the State Affairs Committee
Chair's Office was working on potential refinements on the
deepfakes section. He understood that the intent was to
require disclosure for communication that the satire or
parody was not intended to be taken as a legitimate
political advertisement.
Senator Wilson referred to page 15, line 29, which
discussed manipulated images or audio. He asked whether any
filtered picture of a candidate could be considered a
deepfake.
Mr. Dunsmore believed that the intent was not to include a
"normally filtered image."
2:59:31 PM
AT EASE
3:00:45 PM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Olson HANDED the GAVEL to Senator Bishop.
Senator Wilson revealed that there would be new language
coming before the committee. He expressed concern for
deepfake imagery and though that the language in the
section should be more specific.
Senator Bishop wondered about page 10, line 1. He asked
Representative Vance what the process would be if an audit
of an election resulted in a problem.
Representative Vance replied that the risk limiting audits
had not been part of the original bill. She wondered what
kind of problem Co-Chair Bishop was referring to.
Senator Bishop wondered what the risks were that the audit
would be needed.
Mr. Dunsmore stated that the risk limiting audits were
intended to identify and issues that could lead to an
incorrect result in an election.
Senator Wilson thought that the division currently did a
random sampling of ballots to test for anomalies.
Senator Bishop agreed.
Representative Vance said that the random precinct audits
did currently occur in each district. She said that the
risk limiting audits were completely different from the
current practice.
3:04:28 PM
Senator Bishop REOPENED public testimony.
3:06:20 PM
MIKE SHOWER, SELF, JUNEAU, spoke to the legislation and
answered questions from the committee.
Senator Bishop CLOSED public testimony.
CSHB 129(JUD) was heard and HELD in Committee for further
consideration.
(3:10:30)
RECESS TO THE CALL OF THE CHAIR