03/28/2023 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 12                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act relating  to  confidentiality of  information;                                                                    
     relating   to  the   duties   of   the  Department   of                                                                    
     Administration;  creating  an  address  confidentiality                                                                    
     program; and providing for an effective date."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:11:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JESSE KIEHL,  SPONSOR, introduced  the legislation.                                                                    
He stated  the bill  created an address  protection program.                                                                    
He  remarked that  Alaska was  the only  state that  did not                                                                    
have an address protection program.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:15:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ELLA  ADKINSON, STAFF,  SENATOR JESSE  KIEHL, discussed  the                                                                    
Sectional Analysis (copy on file):                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Sec. 1: Puts the program in the Department of                                                                              
     Administration.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Sec. 2: Creates the program.                                                                                               
          (b)  requires a  Post Office  Box as  a substitute                                                                    
          mailing  address for  enrollees and  instructs the                                                                    
          department  to forward  mail  to participants.  It                                                                    
          charges    the    department    with    protecting                                                                    
          confidentiality   and   requires  regulations   to                                                                    
          govern enrollment and withdrawal.                                                                                     
          (c)  describes  eligible  participants  as  people                                                                    
          sheltered by  a protective  order or  qualifies by                                                                    
          other  department  standards,   along  with  their                                                                    
          parents,   guardians,   children,  and   household                                                                    
          members.  It   also  admits  peace   officers  and                                                                    
          correctional officers.                                                                                                
          (d)requires  state   and  municipal   agencies  to                                                                    
          accept the P.O. Box.                                                                                                  
          (e) describes the eligibility period.                                                                                 
          (f) forbids the department from charging a fee.                                                                       
          (g)  allows   access  to   confidential  addresses                                                                    
          subject to a search warrant.                                                                                          
          (h)    establishes   penalties    for   unlawfully                                                                    
          revealing a protected individual's address.                                                                           
          (i) defines certain terms.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Sec. 3: Establishes a transition period for the                                                                            
     department to adopt regulations to implement the                                                                           
     program.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Sec. 4: Lets the department begin its regulation                                                                           
     process immediately. Sec. 5: Sets an effective date of                                                                     
     Jan. 1, 2024 for the rest of the bill.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson wondered about the five year requirement                                                                         
before renewing the program.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl replied that it  was a standard provision that                                                                    
provided an  extensive period of  protection, at the  end of                                                                    
which  an  enrollee can  decide  whether  to remain  in  the                                                                    
program.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson asked whether the enrollee would then remain                                                                     
in the program indefinitely.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl replied in the affirmative.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson wondered why there was not a fee assigned                                                                        
for the peace officers on active duty.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl  replied that  it followed  standard practice,                                                                    
and was  not aware of any  state that charged a  fee for the                                                                    
service.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson  queried the process  to remove  oneself from                                                                    
the list.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl replied that the  department would provide the                                                                    
process by regulation.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson wondered how successful  the program had been                                                                    
in getting to the end goal in other states.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl replied that  generally, participants in other                                                                    
states  were   satisfied  with  their  involvement   in  the                                                                    
program.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Merrick  wondered  who might  unlawfully  reveal  a                                                                    
protected individual's address.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Kiehl stated  that the  bill was  written to  cover                                                                    
most areas where it might happen.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:21:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LAUREE   MORTON,  ADVOCACY   INITIATIVES  DIRECTOR,   ALASKA                                                                    
NETWORK ON  DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND  SEXUAL ASSAULT,  spoke in                                                                    
support  of  the  bill.  She  shared  some  history  of  the                                                                    
program.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson  wondered how  the  bill  would protect  the                                                                    
children.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Morton replied that the  victim's children would also be                                                                    
enrolled in the program.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Kiehl agreed  that the  household members  would be                                                                    
included in the program.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:25:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson wondered  what would  happen  if the  parent                                                                    
died, and the child wanted to reconnect.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl  replied that it  would probably fall  under a                                                                    
child custody issue.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:26:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KIRT  STAGE-HARVEY,   ALASKA  PEACE   OFFICERS  ASSOCIATION,                                                                    
JUNEAU  (via  teleconference),  spoke   in  support  of  the                                                                    
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:29:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ALI  PEDERSHOARE,   ACTING  DIRECTOR,  DIVISION   OF  SHARED                                                                    
SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF  ADMINISTRATION, introduced herself.                                                                    
She explained the fiscal note.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Olson   queried   the   number   of   anticipated                                                                    
participants.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Pedershoare   replied  that  the  model   in  the  bill                                                                    
following Arizona's modeling.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson  wondered  how  many  participants  were  in                                                                    
Arizona's program.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Pedershoare replied  that  Arizona  currently had  2072                                                                    
participants.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:31:39 AM                                                                                                                    
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9:32:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson OPENED public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:33:01 AM                                                                                                                    
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9:33:30 AM                                                                                                                    
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9:33:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAMELA  SAMASH,  ALASKA  COMMISSION ON  AGING,  NENANA  (via                                                                    
teleconference),  testified in  support of  the legislation.                                                                    
She shared a story about stalking within her family.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:36:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson wondered how  the municipal property searches                                                                    
would work within the legislation.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl replied that the  public records request would                                                                    
return with the state address.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson  stressed that an internet  search would show                                                                    
the property owner.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Kiehl  responded  that  many  municipalities  would                                                                    
remove  a person's  name from  a property  owner search.  He                                                                    
agreed  that  it   would  be  a  good  idea   to  work  with                                                                    
municipalities. He  remarked that  the person might  need to                                                                    
create a trust to own their property.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wilson  looked  at  Section  2.  He  wondered  what                                                                    
department  was referenced,  and  whether it  referred to  a                                                                    
long-term or short-term protective order.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl replied that either  protective order could be                                                                    
applied,   and  the   department  was   the  Department   of                                                                    
Administration (DOA).                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:40:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Wilson  wondered   whether  there   could  be   an                                                                    
examination  of   long-term  versus   short-term  protective                                                                    
orders.  He also  asked whether  there could  be involvement                                                                    
with the Department of Public Safety (DPS).                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Kiehl replied  that  he had  worked  with DPS,  and                                                                    
settled on DOA because of the Central Mail Services.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Adkison  furthered that  expanding the  regulation aside                                                                    
from protective orders, such as  referrals, but only whether                                                                    
the department could take on more victims.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wilson   stressed  that   DOA  did  not   seem  the                                                                    
appropriate  department   to  set  the  standards   for  the                                                                    
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SB  12  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:43:10 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:45:25 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED