04/19/2004 08:07 AM Senate JUD

          HB 285-ELECTRONIC  TRANSACTIONS & SIGNATURES                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  VANESSA  TONDINI,  staff to  Representative  Lesil  McGuire,                                                               
sponsor of HB  285, informed members that HB 285  would adopt the                                                               
Uniform  Electronic  Transactions  Act   (UETA),  a  uniform  law                                                               
promulgated  by  the Uniform  Law  Commissioners  in 1999  in  an                                                               
effort to prepare state law  for the electronic commerce era. The                                                               
objective  of  UETA  is  to establish  the  legal  equivalent  of                                                               
electronic records and signatures  with paper writings and manual                                                               
signatures to remove barriers to  electronic commerce and give an                                                               
electronic  signature   the  same   legal  effect  as   a  manual                                                               
signature.  UETA is  not an  attempt to  create a  new system  of                                                               
legal  rules  for the  electronic  marketplace  and it  does  not                                                               
change any  current substantive  rules of  law, such  as contract                                                               
law, fraud  or agency law. It  is simply a framework  that allows                                                               
for  regulation and  acceptance  if both  parties  choose to  use                                                               
electronic communication. If this framework  is not set up on the                                                               
state  level, the  federal e-sign  law will  apply. UETA  is much                                                               
more comprehensive than the federal  law. To date, 45 states have                                                               
adopted  UETA so  it is  time that  Alaska join  the rest  of the                                                               
nation in adopting UETA.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  FRENCH stated  support for  CSHB  285(JUD), as  it is  a                                                               
straightforward bill.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OGAN  said although he  is uncomfortable  with electronic                                                               
signatures, he  believes this bill  may provide  more protections                                                               
for the consumer.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT  moved  CSHB  285(JUD)  from  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and its attached zero fiscal notes.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEEKINS  announced  that with  no  objection,  the  motion                                                               
carried. He then adjourned the meeting at 10:13 a.m.