04/16/2011 11:00 AM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 15(JUD)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  relating  to penalties  for  certain  alcohol                                                                    
     offenses  involving  persons  under  21  years  of  age                                                                    
     committed   by   certain   sex   offenders   or   child                                                                    
     kidnappers."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
11:11:32 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KEVIN   MEYER,  SPONSOR,   introduced  SB   15.  He                                                                    
summarized that  the bill increased  the penalty  related to                                                                    
purchasing alcohol  for minors by sex  offenders. He related                                                                    
findings  that people  were buying  alcohol  for minors  for                                                                    
sexual  favors and  some were  registered sex  offenders. He                                                                    
identified  the high  correlation  between  alcohol use  and                                                                    
sexual assault. He  noted that the bill had been  heard in a                                                                    
number  of   other  committees  and   received  considerable                                                                    
testimony. There were a number  of legal questions that were                                                                    
handled  by  the  Department of  Law  (DOL).  Senator  Meyer                                                                    
commented that  three to four registered  sex offenders that                                                                    
provided alcohol to minors were apprehended each year.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara wondered  whether  the legal  questions                                                                    
had been  resolved. Senator Meyer  responded that  the legal                                                                    
questions were resolved by DOL.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze OPENED and CLOSED public testimony.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough   discussed  the   two  indeterminate                                                                    
fiscal  notes. She  noted the  indeterminate fiscal  note by                                                                    
the  Department  of  Law (DOL).  The  department  could  not                                                                    
quantify the  fiscal impact of  changing a misdemeanor  to a                                                                    
felony.   Senator   Meyer    confirmed   the   fiscal   note                                                                    
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair Fairclough asked for  clarification on the second                                                                    
indeterminate   fiscal   note   from   the   Department   of                                                                    
Corrections (DOC).                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTINE  MARASIGAN, STAFF,  SENATOR MEYER,  recounted that                                                                    
the original  DOC fiscal  note for SB  15 was  "quite high".                                                                    
The   fiscal  note   was  subsequently   reduced  after   an                                                                    
examination of  relevant data over  a ten year  period. Upon                                                                    
further  examination, the  Senate Finance  Committee changed                                                                    
the fiscal note  to indeterminate based on  the DOL analysis                                                                    
of the unknown number of possible convictions.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair Fairclough MOVED to report  CS SB 15 (JUD) out of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CS SB  15 (JUD)  was REPORTED  out of  committee with  a "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation and  with previously  published fiscal                                                                    
notes: FN 2 (LAW), FN 4 (SFC/COR).                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
11:18:26 AM                                                                                                                   
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:20:37 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED