04/15/2022 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 291                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination date of the Council                                                                      
     on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; and providing                                                                     
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:33:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick indicated it was  the second hearing for HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:33:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
JAMES  KERR, PETERSBURG  POLICE DEPARTMENT,  PETERSBURG (via                                                                    
teleconference),  spoke in  support  of HB  291. He  thought                                                                    
supporting victims  of domestic violence and  sexual assault                                                                    
played a  significant role in  public safety in  Alaska, and                                                                    
the bill would  fund programs that aimed to do  so. The bill                                                                    
provided  a high  standard of  training  to law  enforcement                                                                    
agencies   investigating   domestic  violence   and   sexual                                                                    
assault.   Frontline  personnel   needed   to  be   properly                                                                    
supported  in order  to keep  up  to date  on standards  and                                                                    
protocols. He  urged members  to use  their power  to extend                                                                    
the  Council   on  Domestic  Violence  and   Sexual  Assault                                                                    
(CVDSA).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:36:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARALYN  TABACHNICK,  DEPUTY  DIRECTOR, AWARE,  JUNEAU  (via                                                                    
teleconference),  spoke in  support of  HB 291.  She thought                                                                    
that  the  funding and  services  that  CDVSA provided  were                                                                    
critical for  agencies, law enforcement, and  survivors. The                                                                    
council was  a tremendous resource for  funding agencies and                                                                    
provided valuable  and technical assistance. Earlier  in the                                                                    
year,  Aiding Women  in Abuse  and Rape  Emergencies (AWARE)                                                                    
experienced  a landslide  that impacted  its structure,  and                                                                    
CDVSA  provided  significant  help  in  the  aftermath.  She                                                                    
shared  the  important  work CDVSA  was  doing  in  domestic                                                                    
violence  and   sexual  assault  prevention  as   well.  The                                                                    
training  and resources  provided  by CDVSA  was broad,  the                                                                    
approach was thorough, and the  knowledge was extensive. She                                                                    
urged members to pass the bill.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:39:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz  MOVED  to report  CSHB  291(STA)  out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  291(STA) was  REORTED out  of committee  with six  "do                                                                    
pass"   recommendations   and    one   "no   recommendation"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with  one previously  published  fiscal                                                                    
impact note: FN1(DPS).                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:40:01 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:41:52 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED