02/16/1999 03:28 PM Senate STA

                    SB  42-1999 REVISOR'S BILL                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
JAMES CRAWFORD, Assistant Revisor of Statutes, Division of Legal                                                                
Services, gave the following description of SB 42.  Section 20                                                                  
repeals certain sections of statute that add a tract of land known                                                              
as "Cape Suckling" to the Yakataga State Game Refuge.  The sections                                                             
of statute were placed in Section 20 because, based on initial                                                                  
information from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), it                                                                  
appeared a litigation settlement agreement had made the sections                                                                
obsolete.  However, since SB 42 was introduced, updated information                                                             
about the settlement agreement has revealed that those sections are                                                             
dormant, not obsolete.  The Division of Legal Services no longer                                                                
recommends that those sections be repealed, but rather that Section                                                             
20 be removed from the bill.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. CRAWFORD stated the following corrections are not substantive.                                                              
Section 6 amends the definitional sections of Alaska's probate code                                                             
to correct an omission.  During the 1996 revision of the probate                                                                
code, the Uniform Probate Code (UPC) definition of "person" was                                                                 
omitted from the bill because it was assumed the Alaska Title 1                                                                 
definition of "person" was identical.  The UPC version specifically                                                             
mentions government and governmental subunits and agencies.                                                                     
Uniform Law Commissioner Art Peterson asked that Title 1 be updated                                                             
to include that phrase.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 080                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WARD asked Mr. Crawford if he agrees with Mr. Peterson's                                                                
recommendation.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. CRAWFORD replied he thinks the existing definition in Title 1                                                               
is broad enough to include government and governmental subunits and                                                             
agencies, but he recommends the change to allow the Alaska                                                                      
definition to track the UPC definition.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. CRAWFORD discussed Section 12, which amends AS 24.60.050,                                                                   
related to state programs and loans.  The amendment will reflect                                                                
the 1998 enactment of AS 24.60.105, which pertains to deadlines for                                                             
filing disclosures.  AS 24.60.050 relates to certain state programs                                                             
and loans that a legislator or legislative employee may participate                                                             
in without disclosure to the Select Committee on Legislative                                                                    
Ethics.  Subsection (d), the section proposed for amendment,                                                                    
relates to disclosure deadlines for programs and loans that do not                                                              
meet the standard today.  Last year, when the new section, AS                                                                   
24.60.105, was enacted, the bill contained a subsection (c) which                                                               
is identical to the amendment suggested today.  Both subsections                                                                
(c) and (d) had the same date reference.  The fact that subsection                                                              
(d) was not amended was an oversight.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 127                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GREEN asked if SB 42 has a Judiciary referral.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN WARD said it does not, but the committee can request one.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. CRAWFORD added when the overall revisor's bill was initially                                                                
presented to the Legislative Council, the Council decided to split                                                              
it into two bills.  The second bill was referred to the Judiciary                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GREEN moved to delete Section 20 from SB 42.  There being                                                               
no objection, the motion carried.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS moved CSSB 42(STA) out of committee with                                                                       
individual recommendations.  There being no objection, the motion                                                               
carried.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN WARD noted CSSB 42(STA) will move from committee with an                                                               
accompanying request for a Senate Judiciary Committee referral.