05/03/2001 01:55 PM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 145(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     An Act  relating to regional  and village  public safety                                                                   
     officers;  relating  to  the expansion  of  the  village                                                                   
     public safety  officer program to include  the provision                                                                   
     of  probation  and  parole   supervision  services;  and                                                                   
     relating  to  retirement  benefits  for  village  public                                                                   
     safety officers.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR RICK HALFORD  explained that the bill would  do a lot                                                                   
of good with  a little bit of  money.  He spoke to  the pilot                                                                   
program  for Village  Public Safety  Officers (VPSO),  noting                                                                   
the success in dealing with the  probation/parole problem and                                                                   
getting people  back to  their own  communities.  He  advised                                                                   
that  the  bill  costs  a little  over  $1  million  dollars,                                                                   
however,  it   would  save  much  more  in   stopping  repeat                                                                   
offenders.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Halford outlined four parts of the bill:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     ·    Parole/probation supervision for VPSO's;                                                                              
     ·    Pay scale to accompany that responsibility;                                                                           
     ·    Career  path for regional  Public Safety  Officers;                                                                   
          and                                                                                                                   
     ·    Officers  eligible  for  the  State's  bottom  line                                                                   
          retirement system.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
He urged that the bill pass from Committee.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Mulder  requested comments  on Amendment #1  and #2.                                                                   
[Copies  on  File].    Senator  Halford  explained  that  the                                                                   
amendment  dealing with  the Internal  Revenue Service  (IRS)                                                                   
would  address  the  taxability  question in  regard  to  the                                                                   
system.     Current  Village   Public  Safety  Officers   are                                                                   
employees of the  regional non-profit system.   There are tax                                                                   
questions  whether they  are governmental  employees.   There                                                                   
are other exceptions within that  program and because of that                                                                   
language  should be  inserted  to address  any tax  problems.                                                                   
The second amendment stipulates  employee officers within the                                                                   
list  of  police  officers  for  the  State,  clarifying  the                                                                   
category which makes them distinct.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Mulder agreed  that the pilot  program would  allow                                                                   
VPSO's the  ability to  enhance the State's  probation/parole                                                                   
opportunities.   He  asked  if the  effort  was to  encourage                                                                   
career  opportunities.   Senator Halford  explained that  the                                                                   
turnover rate  is very high and  that the training  costs are                                                                   
high.    Eventually,  there  will   be  a  reduction  to  the                                                                   
Department of  Corrections budget,  as those people  will not                                                                   
be going back to  jail because they failed to  make it out of                                                                   
parole or were jobless.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster voiced appreciation  to the sponsor for                                                                   
the legislation.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
JOSIE STYLES, (TESTIFIED VIA TELECONFERENCE),  VILLAGE PUBLIC                                                                   
SAFETY  OFFICIER  (VPSO), PROGRAM  DIRECTOR,  BERING  STRAITS                                                                   
REGION, voiced  support for the  legislation.   She requested                                                                   
that members move the bill from Committee.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Recess:        2:05 P.M.                                                                                                        
Reconvened:    4:55 P.M.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MAJOR DOUGLAS NORRIS, (TESTIFIED  VIA TELECONFERENCE), ALASKA                                                                   
STATE  TROOPERS,  DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  SAFETY,  ANCHORAGE,                                                                   
testified  in support  of SB  145.   He noted  that the  bill                                                                   
addresses  State Troopers  needs  throughout the  State.   He                                                                   
offered to answer questions of the Committee.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CS  SB   145  (FIN)  was   HELD  in  Committee   for  further                                                                   
consideration.