03/14/2023 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 81                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the  office of victims' rights; and                                                                    
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:03:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   ELVI   GRAY-JACKSON,   SPONSOR,   introduced   the                                                                    
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:05:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEFF STEPP, STAFF, SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, addressed the                                                                     
Sectional Analysis (copy on file):                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1  amends AS 24.65.060,  which sets  the salary                                                                    
     range  for  the  victims'  advocate,  to  add  the  new                                                                    
     subsection  (l)  under  AS  39.27.011  created  by  the                                                                    
     passage of HB 226 in 2022.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     That new subsection reads:                                                                                                 
     (l)  The  amounts  set  out   in  the  salary  schedule                                                                    
     contained in  (a) of this  section are increased  by 15                                                                    
     percent  for positions  within the  Department of  Law,                                                                    
     the public  defender agency, and  the office  of public                                                                    
     advocacy that require admission  to the practice of law                                                                    
     in this  state as a condition  of employment, positions                                                                    
     in the  division of legal and  research services within                                                                    
     the  Legislative   Affairs  Agency  and   any  nonunion                                                                    
     positions   in  the   executive  branch   that  require                                                                    
     admission to  the practice  of law in  this state  as a                                                                    
     condition of  employment, and the  chief administrative                                                                    
     law judge  and administrative law judges  of the office                                                                    
     of administrative hearings under AS 39.25.120(c)(20).                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section  2 amends  AS 24.65.070(c)  to place  OVR staff                                                                    
     attorneys  on   the  new   salary  schedule   under  AS                                                                    
     39.27.011(a) and  (l) created by the  implementation of                                                                    
     HB 226.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3 makes the  Act effective immediately under AS                                                                    
     01.10.070(c),  which says,  "The actual  effective date                                                                    
     and time  of an Act having  an immediate-effective-date                                                                    
     provision is  12:01 a.m., Alaska Standard  Time, on the                                                                    
     day after  it is signed by  the governor or on  the day                                                                    
     after the governor's  veto is overridden or  on the day                                                                    
     after   expiration   of    the   period   allowed   for                                                                    
     gubernatorial action by art. II,  Sec. 17 of the Alaska                                                                    
     Constitution.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:07:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHY   HANSEN,  INTERIM   EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR,   OFFICE  OF                                                                    
VICTIMS' RIGHTS  (via teleconference),  spoke in  support of                                                                    
the legislation.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:10:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson   noted  that  the  fiscal   note  was  from                                                                    
Legislative Affairs.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:10:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JESSICA  GEARY,  EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR,  LEGISLATIVE  AFFAIRS,                                                                    
discussed the fiscal note attached to the bill.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:11:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEGAN  WALLACE, CHIEF  COUNSEL, LEGISLATIVE  LEGAL SERVICES,                                                                    
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE, stated  that she was available for                                                                    
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson  wondered  how  the  oversight  worked  with                                                                    
increases for some but not others.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Wallace  replied that the  increases associated  with HB
 came into the bill late in session via an amendment.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson OPENED public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:13:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HERMAN MORGAN,  SELF, ANIAK  (via teleconference),  spoke to                                                                    
issues in rural Alaska.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson asked  what the testimony had to  do with the                                                                    
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Morgan stated that the parents of victims had suffered.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:20:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Gray-Jackson  explained  that  there  were  notes  that                                                                    
stated  that  $75,000,  so the  attorneys  had  received  an                                                                    
increase.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB  81  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.