05/04/2001 09:00 AM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 172(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  relating to  an  annual  report by  the  court                                                                   
     system to the public and the legislature."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
DEB DAVIDSON,  STAFF, SENATOR DONLEY testified  in support of                                                                   
the  legislation. She  explained that  the legislation  would                                                                   
require an annual report from  the Alaska Court System to the                                                                   
legislature  and   the  public.  The  report   would  require                                                                   
information regarding  withheld pay  warrants as a  result of                                                                   
the  timeliness of  decisions,  travel by  the appellate  and                                                                   
supreme courts,  and information regarding the  time taken in                                                                   
decisions. She  acknowledged that much of the  information is                                                                   
already  provided  in  an  annual  report.  She  argued  that                                                                   
placing  the  requirements  in  law  would  assure  that  the                                                                   
reporting would  remain consistent.  She maintained  that the                                                                   
requirements do not  add an additional burden  to the court's                                                                   
resources.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHRIS  CHRISTENSEN,  DEPUTY ADMINISTRATIVE  DIRECTOR,  ALASKA                                                                   
COURT  SYSTEM testified  that  the Court  is  neutral on  the                                                                   
legislation. The Supreme Court  has provided an annual report                                                                   
since 1960.  He pointed  out that the  report is  the Supreme                                                                   
Court's annual  message on  judicial branch operations.  Much                                                                   
of  the  information  is currently  provided  in  the  annual                                                                   
report; some  of the information  is not currently  included.                                                                   
He noted  that the additional  information already  exists or                                                                   
would  be easy  to  obtain. He  stated  that the  information                                                                   
would  either be  added  to the  annual  report  or would  be                                                                   
placed in a supplemental form.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
In  response  to  a question  by  Representative  Croft,  Mr.                                                                   
Christensen   reviewed  items  that   are  required   by  the                                                                   
legislation. The current report  contains items 1, 2 and part                                                                   
of 3. The  report does not  contain information in item  4 or                                                                   
6.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative  John  Davies   questioned  how  much  of  the                                                                   
information not  contained in the annual report  is available                                                                   
in other sources. Mr. Christensen  noted that the information                                                                   
in number  4 is collected  and provided  on request.  Under 3                                                                   
the average,  mean, or minimum,  time periods  for individual                                                                   
judges  that  cases  are  dispose   is  not  collected.  Time                                                                   
standards  were  adopted last  year  and court  reports  will                                                                   
contain the information.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  John   Davies  expressed  concern   with  the                                                                   
attachment of standards to individual  judges. He pointed out                                                                   
that cases  take a  variety of time.  He questioned  if other                                                                   
data is  needed to consider the  impacts of the  total cases,                                                                   
in order not to be taken out of context.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Christenson agreed  that  cases and  caseloads vary.  He                                                                   
anticipated that  additional data  would be included  to keep                                                                   
the data in perspective.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster  MOVED to report CSSB 172  (FIN) out of                                                                   
Committee with  the accompanying fiscal note.  There being NO                                                                   
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
HCS CSSB 172 (JUD)  was REPORTED out of Committee  with a "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation  and with a previously  published fiscal                                                                   
note (#1 - CRT).