04/18/2009 10:00 AM Senate FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 141                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act   relating  to   the  Interstate   Compact  for                                                                   
     Juveniles; relating to the  State Council for Interstate                                                                   
     Adult and Juvenile Offender  Supervision; amending Rules                                                                   
     4  and  24(b),  Alaska Rules  of  Civil  Procedure;  and                                                                   
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     HB 141  was REPORTED out  of Committee with a  "do pass"                                                                   
     recommendation and with one  previously published fiscal                                                                   
     impact  note  from  Department   of  Health  and  Social                                                                   
     Services and  one previously published zero  fiscal note                                                                   
     from Department of Corrections.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
11:08:20 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
AMANDA MORTENSON, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL                                                                                 
     This  bill would  enact the new  Interstate Compact  for                                                                   
     Juveniles into  law. This would replace  the old compact                                                                   
     which was  created in 1955.  The purpose of  the Compact                                                                   
     is to ensure  the supervision of juvenile  offenders and                                                                   
     the  return of  runaways, escapees  and absconders.  The                                                                   
     Compact  provides the procedural  means to  regulate the                                                                   
     movement  of juveniles who  are under court  supervision                                                                   
     across   state  lines.   The   Association  of   Compact                                                                   
     Administrators estimates  that the Interstate Compact on                                                                   
     Juveniles  is  used in  20,000  to 30,000  transfer  and                                                                   
     supervision cases annually.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     The  new  Compact  ensures  that all  states  will  have                                                                   
     identical  language in their  statutes which  would help                                                                   
     with  compliance   issues.  The  new   Compact  provides                                                                   
     procedures  for   enforcement  which  the   old  Compact                                                                   
     lacked.  The  Interstate   Compact  for  Juveniles  also                                                                   
     provides for the collection  of standardized information                                                                   
     and information sharing systems.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     This is  a chance for  the states  to have the  means to                                                                   
     deal  with state  problems and  enforce state  solutions                                                                   
     without having any federal  intervention. 35 states have                                                                   
     already passed  this compact.  If Alaska chooses  not to                                                                   
     enact  this Compact the  state would  have to  deal with                                                                   
     every other  state on a  case-by-case basis  which would                                                                   
     cost  the  state  more  money  than  it  would  cost  to                                                                   
     implement the Compact.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     The  compact provides  for  the safety  of the  juvenile                                                                   
     offender  and the state  as a  whole. The importance  of                                                                   
     this compact  cannot be overstated. This  legislation is                                                                   
     necessary  to ensure the  public safety and  security of                                                                   
     Alaskans.  It  will  help ensure  that  Alaska  receives                                                                   
     notification  about  juveniles   who  are  relocated  or                                                                   
     traveling  to Alaska before  they arrive here,  and will                                                                   
     expedite Alaska's ability to send juveniles from here                                                                      
     to other jurisdictions.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANTHONY NEWMAN,  DIVISION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE,  DEPARTMENT OF                                                                   
HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, complimented  the legislation. He                                                                   
informed  that  the  bill  ensures   that  Alaskan  juveniles                                                                   
travelling  in  and  out  of   state  will  receive  required                                                                   
supervision.  Passing  the bill  ensures  that  staff at  the                                                                   
Division  of Juvenile  Justice avoid  costly and  inefficient                                                                   
work.  Without  the  compact,  Alaska would  be  required  to                                                                   
develop agreements  specific to each case each  time juvenile                                                                   
supervision is sought.  With the  legislation comes a guiding                                                                   
agreement with the  36 other states that have  passed similar                                                                   
legislation. The legislation ensures  that juveniles who have                                                                   
committed dangerous  offences are accounted for  and have the                                                                   
supervision  required  when leaving  or  entering Alaska.  He                                                                   
concluded that the bill was an  important step toward helping                                                                   
the division manage  these juveniles effectively  and to help                                                                   
ensure public safety in Alaska.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:11:41 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CAROLE    BRENCKLE,    ATTORNEY,    KENAI    testified    via                                                                   
teleconference in support of HB  141. She echoed Mr. Newman's                                                                   
support and compliments.  She noted that delay  of the bill's                                                                   
passage would be costly to the state.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman mentioned  the  zero fiscal  note from  the                                                                   
Department of  Commerce and the  fiscal impact note  from the                                                                   
Department of Health and Social  Services for $45 thousand in                                                                   
general funds. The  funding for the note is  scheduled in the                                                                   
supplemental budget.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman MOVED  to report  HB 141  out of  Committee                                                                   
with individual  recommendations and the  accompanying fiscal                                                                   
notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HB  141  was REPORTED  out  of  Committee  with a  "do  pass"                                                                   
recommendation  and  with  one  previously  published  fiscal                                                                   
impact  note from Department  of Health  and Social  Services                                                                   
and   one  previously   published  zero   fiscal  note   from                                                                   
Department of Corrections.