03/11/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

             HB 254-PROHIBIT PORNOGRAPHY TO MINORS                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:56:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE HOUSE BILL NO.  254, "An Act relating to                                                               
liability for  publishing or  distributing pornography  to minors                                                               
on the Internet."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:57:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT  moved to  report HB  254 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK objected.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:57:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease at 4:57 p.m.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:58:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK said  she believed with the  intent of the                                                               
bill; however,  the bill  contains loopholes  or gaps  that could                                                               
lead to poor outcomes.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS  agreed that the  concept of the bill  is a                                                               
good one,  but the committee  has heard  little on the  merits of                                                               
the legislation  and how it  would work in  the real world.   For                                                               
that reason, he said he would  not support moving the bill out of                                                               
committee at this time.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said he supports  the underlying effort of                                                               
the  bill, but  he would  like  to know  more about  commercially                                                               
available age  verification.  Nonetheless,  he said he  would not                                                               
stand in the way of the bill's advancement.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK  noted  that  she  had  asked  about  the                                                               
commercially  available options  for verification,  to which  the                                                               
sponsor's  office responded  with  a list  of private  companies.                                                               
She said  she looked  into the  top 5 or  10 companies  that were                                                               
listed  and found  potential security  issues  that could  impact                                                               
Alaskans' identities.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
5:01:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A  roll call  vote  was taken.    Representatives Prax,  Saddler,                                                               
Wright,  and Ruffridge  voted  in  favor of  moving  HB 254  from                                                               
committee.  Representatives Carrick  and Fields voted against it.                                                               
Therefore,  HB  254 was  reported  out  of  the House  Labor  and                                                               
Commerce Standing Committee by a vote of 4-2.