02/02/2016 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

                    SB 9-ELECTION PAMPHLETS                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:17:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
SENATE BILL  NO. 9,  "An Act repealing  the authority  to include                                                               
certain  material   from  a  political  party   in  the  election                                                               
pamphlet."                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[Before the committee was the  proposed committee substitute (CS)                                                               
for  SB 9,  Version 29-LS0244\W  Bullard, 12/9/15,  adopted as  a                                                               
work draft on 1/26/16.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:18:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHUCK  KOPP,   Staff,  Senator   Peter  Micciche,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  testifying on  behalf  of  Senator Micciche,  prime                                                               
sponsor,  directed   attention  to   a  new   proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)   for  SB  9,  [Version   29-LS0244\N,  Bullard,                                                               
2/1/16],  which  he  said  takes  into  account  the  information                                                               
security  standard that  is recognized  as best  practice in  the                                                               
industry  for transmission  of  [confidential voter  registration                                                               
records].   He  said  Representative Keller  had  brought to  the                                                               
sponsor's  attention  that   it  would  be  good   to  have  that                                                               
[information] stated  in the law  to demonstrate that  Alaska not                                                               
only wants  to adhere to the  best practice of data  security but                                                               
also  to   emphasize  the  confidentiality  of   the  data  being                                                               
transmitted under  the section.   Mr. Kopp stated that  the prime                                                               
sponsor agrees with the new language entirely.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHUCK  KOPP,  in  response  to Chair  Lynn,  clarified  that  the                                                               
additional portion  of the language mentioning  the data security                                                               
standard, is on page 2, lines 24-27, of Version N.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:20:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER  moved  to adopt  the  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute (CS)  for SB 9, Version  29-LS0244\N, Bullard, 2/1/16,                                                               
as a work draft.  There  being no objection, Version N was before                                                               
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:20:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. KOPP explained that current  statute provides that anyone who                                                               
registers  to vote  may  access any  one of  a  number of  online                                                               
abilities to  register.  The proposed  legislation would regulate                                                               
the confidentiality of how data  can be released by the division.                                                               
On page 2, lines 17-27, of  Version N, language has been added to                                                               
allow the  sharing of voter registration  information with states                                                               
that have organized  together for the purpose  of verifying voter                                                               
registration  information  -   a  state-led  and  state-regulated                                                               
initiative - and includes the  aforementioned language that would                                                               
set best practices for industry security with respect to data.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:21:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG  alluded to a previous  discussion [with                                                               
the sponsor] about an amendment  regarding the election pamphlet,                                                               
and  he stated  his understanding  that the  prime sponsor  would                                                               
prefer that [such an amendment] not be added to this bill.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. KOPP responded that [Representative Gruenberg] was correct.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:22:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER  clarified the new language  proposed under                                                               
Version N would  add that "the information  security standards of                                                           
the International  Organization for  Standardization;" has  to be                                                           
in place  "or a published  information security standard  used by                                                           
the  State   of  Alaska  and   approved  by  the   Department  of                                                           
Administration".  He believed it  to be an elegant sideboard that                                                           
needed  to   be  included  in  [the   proposed  legislation]  and                                                               
appreciated the sponsor's willingness to put it in.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:22:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   GRUENBERG  requested   a   description  of   the                                                               
International Organization  for Standardization and  its security                                                               
standards be put on the record.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:23:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN   LINBECK,  Executive   Director,  Electronic   Registration                                                               
Information  Center   (ERIC),  offered  that   the  International                                                               
Standards   Organization  (ISO)   sets  standards   for  business                                                               
practices around  the world.   The organization has  an extensive                                                               
set  of standards  for  businesses and  agencies  that store  and                                                               
protect private data  with regard to security of  data.  Auditors                                                               
use  these standards  to audit  a data  center.   It is  the most                                                               
common  and respected  standard  and consists  of  many pages  of                                                               
requirements  and  standards  that   those  protecting  data  are                                                               
required to follow.  It is considered the industry standard.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG  thanked Mr. Linbeck  and Representative                                                               
Keller for their testimony.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:25:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  PETER  MICCICHE,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as  prime                                                               
sponsor, expressed  his support of  SB 9  and its merits,  and he                                                               
expressed his  appreciation for  the committee's  improvements to                                                               
the  proposed legislation  as  he believes  the  security of  the                                                               
confidentiality   of   the   records  is   extremely   important,                                                               
especially as [Alaska] participates in a national database.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:25:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STUTES asked  for  what  purpose the  information                                                               
going into the national database would be used.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MICCICHE  replied that  the information  actually doesn't                                                               
go  into a  national  database.   Alaska's  information would  be                                                               
processed using a  national database to determine  that the voter                                                               
rolls  are  secure  and  people  are  not  registered  elsewhere.                                                               
Alaska's information, however, would remain secure.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:26:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  KOPP  reiterated that  this  database  is state-led,  state-                                                               
organized,  and  state-controlled;  there is  no  link  with  any                                                               
federal or national database.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:27:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN, after  ascertaining no one wished  to testify, closed                                                               
public testimony on CSSB 9.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:27:16 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER  moved  to  report  CSSB  9,  Version  29-                                                               
LS0244\N,  Bullard,  2/1/16,  out of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no  objection, CSSB  9(STA)  was reported  from  the House  State                                                               
Affairs Standing Committee.