03/04/2021 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

           SB 7-STATE TROOPER POLICIES: PUBLIC ACCESS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:32:50 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER  announced the  consideration of  SENATE BILL  NO. 7                                                               
"An  Act requiring  the Department  of Public  Safety to  publish                                                               
certain  policies and  procedures  on  the department's  Internet                                                               
website."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
He noted who was available to answer questions.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:33:28 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  ELVI  GRAY-JACKSON,  Alaska State  Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, sponsor  of SB 7  introduced the legislation  reading the                                                               
following into the record:                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     First, I would  like to thank the  hard-working men and                                                                    
     women peace  officers and office staff  who provide the                                                                    
     services that  protect lives and welfare  of the people                                                                    
     within Alaska's  communities.  Thank  you all  for your                                                                    
     service.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     The recent  casualties surrounding civilians  has drawn                                                                    
     even greater  attention to  issues around  policing and                                                                    
     police  to community  relationships. This  moment seems                                                                    
     to have  created real  momentum to  address one  of the                                                                    
     longest standing injustices in society.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     During  last summer  and  into the  Fall,  my office  -                                                                    
     along with  Senator Begich's  office -  worked together                                                                    
     to develop a series of  bills. These bills were drafted                                                                    
     by Legislative Legal as a  bill packet that our offices                                                                    
     refer to  as TPIP-  Turning Pain  into Progress.   TPIP                                                                    
     was crafted  after the national  8 Can't  Wait campaign                                                                    
     which  is  eight  specific   policies  that  have  been                                                                    
     proven,  with data,  to reduce  police  violence by  as                                                                    
     much as 72 percent,  when implemented. I recognize that                                                                    
     the national  campaign can't  and shouldn't  be applied                                                                    
     to a  place as unique  as Alaska. Therefore, I  spent a                                                                    
     great deal of time  talking to stakeholders and gaining                                                                    
     input throughout  the process  of drafting  these bills                                                                    
     to  ensure  that  the proposal  would  be  fitting  for                                                                    
     Alaska. I am pleased to  say that I have engaged public                                                                    
     safety  agencies   to  include  the   Anchorage  Police                                                                    
     Department,  Anchorage  Police  Employees  Association,                                                                    
     Public Safety  Employees Association, and  the National                                                                    
     Organization  of   Black  Law   Enforcement  Executives                                                                    
     during the  process. Because of my  proactive approach,                                                                    
     I   am   confident   in   moving   forward   with   the                                                                    
     implementation  of public  safety  policy changes  that                                                                    
     will benefit  both the citizens  of Alaska and  our law                                                                    
     enforcement officers.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON deferred to her staff to present the                                                                       
sponsor statement and sectional analysis.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:35:42 PM                                                                                                                    
DELANEY THIELE, Staff, Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, Alaska State                                                                  
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented the sponsor statement for                                                                
SB 7.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     SB7 "An  Act requiring the Department  of Public Safety                                                                    
     to  publish  certain  policies and  procedures  on  the                                                                    
     department's Internet website."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     This bill  would require that the  Department of Public                                                                    
     Safety  publish  on   their  website  the  department's                                                                    
     current policies and procedures  related to the conduct                                                                    
     of  peace   officers  employed  or  regulated   by  the                                                                    
     department.  The  duty  of  the  Department  of  Public                                                                    
     Safety   is  to   ensure  public   safety  within   our                                                                    
     communities and,  as such, the  public must be  able to                                                                    
     easily access the current  policies and procedures that                                                                    
     requires peace officers regulated  by the department to                                                                    
     adhere to.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:36:21 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. THIELE presented the sectional analysis for SB 7.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1:  Amends AS 44.441.020 to  add the Department                                                                  
     of  Public Safety  shall publish  on their  website the                                                                    
     current policies and procedures  related to the conduct                                                                    
     of  peace   officers  employed  or  regulated   by  the                                                                    
     department.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER asked if the members had questions or comments.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:37:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COSTELLO asked if there was any objection to the bill.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON answered  that she  worked diligently  with                                                               
all the  agencies and revised  the bill to include  the feedback.                                                               
She said she did not believe  there was any objection to the bill                                                               
at this time.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COSTELLO asked  what  feedback she  received  and how  she                                                               
changed the bill to respond to the feedback.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON  replied there wasn't much  feedback because                                                               
both  the Department  of Public  Safety (DPS)  and the  Anchorage                                                               
Police  Department   (APD)  already   have  their   policies  and                                                               
procedures online.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER asked if the  Alaska State Troopers had any feedback                                                               
or concerns with the bill.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON  replied her  office worked with  the Public                                                               
Safety  Employees Association  (PSEA),  which  the Troopers  fall                                                               
under, and their  questions were answered. She did  not hear from                                                               
them  again  and  she  assumes   that  they  have  no  additional                                                               
concerns.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER asked Ms. Breager if she had any comments on SB 7.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:39:42 PM                                                                                                                    
RANDI BREAGER, Special Assistant  to the Commissioner, Department                                                               
of Public Safety, Anchorage,  Alaska, expressed appreciation that                                                               
the  sponsor proactively  worked  with the  department to  answer                                                               
their  questions on  the  bill package.  She  confirmed that  DPS                                                               
policies already  are public. She  noted that the  department did                                                               
advise  the  sponsor that  the  Alaska  Police Standards  Council                                                               
(APSC) falls  under DPS,  but they have  no authority  to require                                                               
local  police agencies  to publish  their policies.  However, she                                                               
believes that  most agencies would  comply since the  law defines                                                               
these records as public and available to request.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:40:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER asked for confirmation  that this policy is for more                                                               
than just troopers,  but it will not apply  to jurisdictions that                                                               
are not under DPS direct supervision or authority.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. BREAGER answered yes; their  assessment is that DPS would not                                                               
have the  authority to require  other departments to  comply. The                                                               
Alaska   Police   Standards    Council   (APSC)   regulates   the                                                               
certification of  police officers  but not police  departments so                                                               
DPS  would have  to work  with individual  police departments  to                                                               
encourage them to publish their policies.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:41:29 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER  asked if it  was her  intent that by  regulation or                                                               
policy  decision of  the administration  APSC  could publish  the                                                               
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON replied that was the intent.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:42:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER held SB 7 for future consideration.