05/11/2022 01:00 PM Senate FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 155                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  relating   to  court-appointed  visitors  and                                                                    
     experts;  relating  to the  powers  and  duties of  the                                                                    
     office of  public advocacy; relating to  the powers and                                                                    
     duties of  the Alaska  Court System; and  providing for                                                                    
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:20:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman relayed that it  was the second hearing for                                                                    
HB  155, and  the committee  had heard  public testimony  on                                                                    
April  25, 2022.  The committees   intention was  to have  a                                                                    
quick bill reintroduction, cover  the fiscal notes, and look                                                                    
to the will of the committee.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:20:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS  TUCK, SPONSOR, discussed  a high-level                                                                    
overview  of the  bill. He  explained  that the  bill was  a                                                                    
collaborative effort  between the Office of  Public Advocacy                                                                    
(OPA) and the  Alaska Court System to put  the Court Visitor                                                                    
Program into the  Court System rather than in  OPA. He spoke                                                                    
to FN 4,  which proposed about $104,700  in additional money                                                                    
going into the program. He  explained that the funding would                                                                    
provide  for an  additional  staff member  to  take care  of                                                                    
training.  He noted  that there  was an  increase in  cases,                                                                    
particularly   with  the   states    aging  population.   He                                                                    
commented  that  OPA  had been  reluctant  to  complete  the                                                                    
training, which was best done by the Court System.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator  von Imhof  discussed FN  3 from  the Department  of                                                                    
Administration,  which  reflected  a decrement  of  $854,400                                                                    
annually that was transferred to  FN 4, for the Alaska Court                                                                    
System.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator von  Imhof discussed FN  4, which reflected  a total                                                                    
of $960,600 annually to cover the program.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator von  Imhof MOVED  to report SCS  HB 155(JUD)  out of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal notes. There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SCS  HB 155(JUD)  was  REPORTED out  of  committee four  "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendations  and  with  one  "no  recommendation"                                                                    
recommendation, and  two previously published  fiscal impact                                                                    
notes: FN 3(ADM), FN 4(AJS).