03/19/2008 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 265                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
        "An      Act       relating         to      drivers'         licenses         and                                       
        identification cards issued to sex offenders and child                                                                  
        kidnappers."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair      Hoffman     MOVED     to   ADOPT    a  committee       substitute       for                                       
SB 265, work draft 25-LS1449\K.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman OBJECTED for discussion purposes.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:13:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TREVOR     FULTON,      STAFF,     SENATOR      LESIL    MCGUIRE,       presented      an                                       
overview      of   the   bill.      He   explained      that    the   bill    combines                                          
the     resources       of    the     Sex    Offenders        Registry       with     the                                       
database      of   the   Alaska     Permanent      Fund    Division      in   order    to                                       
get     out-of-compliance           sex     offenders       to    register.           Mr.                                       
Fulton     observed      that    there    is   a  ten   to   eleven     percent     non-                                        
compliance       rate    within     the   Sex   Offender      Registry.        The    aim                                       
of   the   bill    is   to   withhold     the    Permanent      Fund    Dividend      for                                       
those     non-compliant         sex   offenders.          He   asserted      that     the                                       
Committee       Substitute        adds    Sections       2-8,     which     allow     the                                       
private        sector        process        servers,         licensed         by      the                                       
Commissioner        of   Public    Safety,     to   submit     their    writs    to   the                                       
Permanent        Fund     Dividend       Division        electronically.              Mr.                                       
Fulton     explained       that     the    writs    are    court     orders     to    pay                                       
Permanent       Fund   Dividend      checks     to   the    applicant's       debtors.                                          
He   pointed      out   that    the    division      processes      over    35,000     of                                       
these     writs     annually,        each    one    submitted       in    person      and                                       
processed        manually,        adding       a    significant         workload       to                                       
Permanent       Fund     personnel.         Mr.    Fulton      proposed      that     the                                       
added     section      would      alleviate       some    of    the    workload       and                                       
expedite        the     entire      process,        allowing       private       sector                                         
process      servers      to   use    the   electronic        option     to   decrease                                          
the workload for division personnel.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair       Stedman      WITHDREW      his    OBJECTION.        There     being     NO                                       
OBJECTION, work draft 25-LS1499/K was adopted.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
           Senator      Elton    requested      further     clarification         of  the    fiscal                             
           notes.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
           9:18:41 AM                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
           PEGGY     BROWN,    EXECUTIVE       DIRECTOR,      ALASKA     NETWORK     ON  DOMESTIC                               
           VIOLENCE       AND    SEXUAL     ASSAULT,       testified       on   behalf      of   the                            
           bill      and    asserted        that     the     network,       which     represents                                
           nineteen-member           programs       throughout        the     state,     approved                               
           this    bill.    Ms.   Brown     elaborated      that    sex   offender      laws   have                             
           toughened       in    Alaska     and    SB   265    tries     to   firm    compliance                                
           issues     regarding       sex    offenders.         She   reported      that    SB   265                            
           would      be    beneficial        to    the    state      in    more     efficiently                                
           trading       information        in    the     Sex    Offender       Registry,        the                            
           Department       of   Public     Safety    and   the    Permanent      Fund   Dividend                               
           Division.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
           Co-Chair      Stedman      mentioned      the    Department       of   Public     Safety                             
           fiscal note for $38,000.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
           SB     265    was     HEARD      and    HELD     in     Committee       for     further                              
           consideration.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
           9:21:53 AM