03/23/2006 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

          SB 274-STATE FIREARM DISPOSAL AND INVENTORY                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GENE THERRIAULT announced SB 274 to be up for discussion.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:39:14 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  CHARLIE HUGGINS  moved to  adopt the  proposed committee                                                               
substitute  (CS),  Version  X  [labeled  24-LS1636\X,  Bannister,                                                               
3/22/06], as a work draft.   Without objection, it was so ordered                                                               
and Version X was before the committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:39:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRED DYSON, Alaska State  Legislature, sponsor of SB 274,                                                               
characterized Version X  as a much more polished  version that he                                                               
believes the  Department of Public  Safety (DPS),  the Department                                                               
of Administration,  and the attorneys  are comfortable with.   It                                                               
clarifies  there is  no liability  for  the state  to dispose  of                                                               
firearms.   For guns that  the general population  cannot legally                                                               
own, such as  sawed-off shotguns and fully  automatic weapons, it                                                               
makes provisions for  them to be sold  to a Class 3  dealer.  The                                                               
few weapons that are illegal to  own - such as those with defaced                                                               
serial numbers  - can be  disassembled, the illegal parts  can be                                                               
thrown away,  and the  remaining parts can  be made  available to                                                               
whoever wants them.   Furthermore, DPS must report  yearly to the                                                               
finance committee what firearms it traded in.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
[Due to technical  difficulties, there is no  audio recording for                                                               
the time period 3:41:06 PM to 3:43:18 PM.]                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:41:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR THERRIAULT referred to page  2, subsection (d), which talks                                                               
about  a part  of  a  surplus firearm.    He  asked whether  that                                                               
includes ammunition.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
WES  KELLER,  Staff  to  Senator Fred  Dyson,  pointed  out  that                                                               
"surplus firearm"  [page 3, line  3, in the  definitions section]                                                               
means a firearm or ammunition.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:43:23 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DYSON, in  response to Senator Huggins,  referred to page                                                               
2, line  2, saying this  makes it clear  that the state  is still                                                               
able to trade firearms in.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:44:06 PM                                                                                                                    
JAMES  HELGOE, Lieutenant,  Division  of  Alaska State  Troopers,                                                               
Department of  Public Safety, informed members  that DPS supports                                                               
the bill in its current  version, which gives DPS the flexibility                                                               
to dispose of firearms that come into state possession.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:44:52 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGGINS  moved to report  CS for  SB 274, Version  X [24-                                                               
LS1636\X,  Bannister,  3/22/06]  from committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations and attached fiscal  note(s).  Without objection,                                                               
CSSB  274(STA)  was  reported  from   the  Senate  State  Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee.