03/20/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 31                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the duties of the Department of                                                                        
     Administration; creating an address confidentiality                                                                        
     program; and providing for an effective date."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:02:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman invited Senator Kiehl  and his staff to the                                                                    
table to present the bill.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JESSE KIEHL,  SPONSOR, introduced  the legislation.                                                                    
The  bill created  an  address  of confidentiality  program,                                                                    
which would  help individuals stay  safe. Alaska was  one of                                                                    
six states without the program.  He explained the details of                                                                    
the proposed program. The bill  did not allow anyone who was                                                                    
a registered sex  offender to participate in  the program to                                                                    
obscure  their   address.  He  thanked  the   Department  of                                                                    
Administration (DOA), with its  reevaluated fiscal note that                                                                    
significantly reduced  the cost  of running the  program. He                                                                    
noted  that   his  staff  could  provide   a  more  detailed                                                                    
sectional if the committee wanted.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Kaufman  asked  for further  detail  regarding  the                                                                    
reduction of the fiscal note.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl  replied that  it was  most important  look at                                                                    
the  subscription  rates.  He stated  that  when  one  first                                                                    
looked  at the  program it  could seem  that everyone  would                                                                    
sign up, but that was not  the case. The option would not be                                                                    
helpful  to a  person with  a social  media account.  It was                                                                    
limited  application to  people who  feared for  their lives                                                                    
and the  lives of their  families. The program was  based on                                                                    
programs with many years of experience in other states.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman noted individuals available for questions.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:08:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman moved to invited testimony.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RANDY  MCLELLAN,  PRESIDENT,  ALASKA  CORRECTIONAL  OFFICERS                                                                    
ASSOCIATION (via  teleconference), noted he also  worked for                                                                    
the Department of Corrections.  The correctional officer was                                                                    
concerned about a potentially  violent offender paying their                                                                    
home  a visit  while the  officer was  at work,  putting the                                                                    
officer's   family  in   danger.   He   shared  a   personal                                                                    
experience. He  had worked in  a pretrial facility  where an                                                                    
offender  had  threatened him  and  his  family on  a  daily                                                                    
basis. The  offender had stated  he would bail out  soon and                                                                    
would pay  the officer's family  a visit. He relayed  it was                                                                    
something to  take seriously  and he  had taken  measures to                                                                    
protect his  personal information. He thanked  the committee                                                                    
for its time.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:13:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LAUREE MORTON,  DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ALASKA NETWORK  ON DOMESTIC                                                                    
VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT  (ANDVSA), provided detail about                                                                    
the organization, which supported  the legislation. She read                                                                    
from prepared  remarks. She stated that  violence frequently                                                                    
escalated at  one of  the most  dangerous times  for victims                                                                    
was when they attempted to  leave and remarked on situations                                                                    
where protective  orders were  not in  the best  interest of                                                                    
the victim. She remarked  that providing information through                                                                    
the protective  order put  the victim  at greater  risk. She                                                                    
believed   the  option   under  the   bill  would   be  used                                                                    
occasionally.  She  relayed  that 85  percent  of  completed                                                                    
homicides were stalked. She thanked the committee.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:16:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  asked  Co-Chair  Stedman  to  review  the                                                                    
fiscal notes.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman reviewed  the  fiscal  note OMB  component                                                                    
2333 from the Department of  Administration in the amount of                                                                    
$203,000 in  the first  year and  increasing to  $206,000 in                                                                    
the  out  years.  The  other fiscal  notes  were  zero  from                                                                    
Department of Public Safety OMB component 521, 2325, 520.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman asked  for any  closing comments  from the                                                                    
sponsor.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl thanked the committee  for its time and looked                                                                    
forward to advancing it in the future.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SB  31  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.