Legislature(2023 - 2024)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/17/2024 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB151 | |
| SB259 | |
| SB118 | |
| SB236 | |
| SCR10 | |
| SB183 | |
| SB189 | |
| SB205 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 268 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 270 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 151 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 259 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 118 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 236 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SCR 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 183 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 189 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 205 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SENATE BILL NO. 151
"An Act establishing the Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Persons Review Commission; relating to
missing and murdered indigenous persons; relating to
the duties of the Department of Public Safety; and
providing for an effective date."
9:03:06 AM
Co-Chair Stedman relayed that the committee first heard SB
151 on March 21, and would be adopting a committee
substitute.
Senator Merrick MOVED to ADOPT proposed committee
substitute for SB 151, Work Draft 33-LS0052\H (C. Radford,
4/11/24).
Co-Chair Stedman OBJECTED for discussion.
9:04:16 AM
KEN ALPER, STAFF TO SENATOR DONNY OLSON, explained that the
bill set up a task force and commission, and dedicated
public safety resources to the issue of Missing and
Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP).
9:05:03 AM
ALMERIA ALCANTRA, STAFF TO SENATOR DONNY OLSON, discussed a
Summary of Changes document (copy on file):
Change #1 Adds mandatory reporting to National Missing
and Unidentified Persons System database within 60
days after a first report is filed with local or state
law enforcement.
Change #2 Makes the Missing and murdered Indigenous
Persons Review Commission permanent, rather than
sunsetting in 2027. Additional language is added to
establish three-year terms, a limit on members being
able to serve two consecutive terms, and structure for
the term length for the initial appointees.
Change #3 The commissions' report now recurs every
three years. Change #4 Tightened the language to
ensure that work of the commission is not subject to
subpoena. This is to protect the confidentiality of
the commission and the privacy of victims and
families.
Change #5 Adds clarifying language that commission
members can be involved in cases in their normal
employment that were reviewed by the commission.
Change #6 The submission date for the DPS report on
investigative resources was moved from January 1, 2026
to 2027.
We have also provided the committee with a memo from
Legislative Legal Services addressing issues of
confidential documents used by the commission.
9:06:15 AM
Co-Chair Stedman WITHDREW his OBJECTION. There being NO
further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Co-Chair Stedman asked Ms. Alcantra to provide a brief
overview of the bill for the public.
Ms. Alcantra explained that the bill would put two MMIP
investigators in state statute, create the MMIP Review
Commission, require a report from the commission every
three years, and require DPS to perform a needs assessment
to determine what was needed by the department to properly
address the significant problem of Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Persons.
Co-Chair Stedman asked why the bill was necessary.
Ms. Alcantra explained that the issue of MMIP had been
longstanding in the state and had never been properly
addressed. She cited that there were hundreds of cases
throughout the state. She said that the commission created
by the legislation would be tasked with creating a cohesive
way of combating the problem by coordinating the efforts of
the public, media sources, and law enforcement, to combat
the problem of MMIP in the state.
Mr. Alper pointed out that there was a memo from the
Division of Legal and Research Services (copy on file). The
memo spoke of confidentiality issues surrounding the
commission and the protection of private information.
9:09:23 AM
Co-Chair Stedman OPENED public testimony.
SHYLENA LIE, MANILAQ CRISIS CENTER, KOTZEBUE (via
teleconference), spoke in support of the bill. She
explained that the center was a hub for 11 outlying
villages. She shared that according to a 2022 Census, Nana
Alaska Native Regional Corporation had reported 7,682
people, 80 percent of which were Alaska Native.
9:11:04 AM
Co-Chair Stedman CLOSED public testimony.
9:11:18 AM
Senator Bishop thanked the sponsor and his staff for
bringing the bill forward.
Senator Wilson MOVED to report CSSB 151(FIN) out of
Committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was
so ordered.
CSSB 151(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with five "do
pass" recommendations and with one new fiscal impact note
from the Department of Public Safety.