02/26/2010 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

            HB 331 - YOUTH COURTS AND CRIMINAL FINES                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:09:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 331,  "An  Act  relating  to funding  for  youth                                                               
courts; and relating to accounting for criminal fines."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:10:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
T. TERRY HARVEY, Staff, Representative  Cathy Munoz, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  on behalf  of  the  sponsor, Representative  Munoz,                                                               
again  explained that  HB 331  offers a  means by  which Alaska's                                                               
youth courts  could be funded; specifically,  the bill authorizes                                                               
an appropriation  of a  portion of  the criminal  fines collected                                                               
[by the Alaska Court System (ACS)].   Youth courts provide a very                                                               
important alternative in Alaska's  juvenile justice system (JJS).                                                               
He  mentioned  that the  sponsor  is  amenable to  a  forthcoming                                                               
amendment intended to address members' concerns.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG began describing Amendment 1.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:11 p.m. to 1:12 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:12:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG  [made a  motion to adopt]  Amendment 1,                                                               
which would  add to page  1, line 10,  the words "up  to" between                                                               
the words "appropriate"  and "25"; the new language  on lines 10-                                                               
11 would then  in part read, "The legislature  may appropriate up                                                               
to 25 percent of the fines".                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG   proffered  that  Amendment   1  would                                                               
eliminate any possible misinterpretation of  the bill, in that it                                                               
would clarify  that any appropriation  under the bill  could also                                                               
be less 25 percent.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:14 p.m. to 1:17 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY, in  response to a question, acknowledged  that in his                                                               
youth, had  he been  able to  go before a  youth court,  it might                                                               
have benefited him.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:18:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIANA  PETERSON  questioned  how  many students  in  Alaska  have                                                               
participated in a youth court.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARVEY  relayed that  although  he  doesn't have  the  exact                                                               
number, he's heard that about  1,000 [students] have, adding that                                                               
the youth court program has been very well utilized in Alaska.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS  noted that youth  courts in Alaska have  an average                                                               
recidivism rate of 8 percent.   He offered his understanding that                                                               
for every misdemeanant juvenile who's  gone before a youth court,                                                               
the ACS  has saved about $10,000  and is therefore able  to focus                                                               
more on felony-level cases.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS  then removed his  objection to Amendment 1.   There                                                               
being no further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:21:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report  HB 331, as amended, out                                                               
of   committee   with    individual   recommendations   and   the                                                               
accompanying   fiscal  notes.      There   being  no   objection,                                                               
CSHB 331(JUD)  was reported  from  the  House Judiciary  Standing                                                               
Committee.