04/05/2010 11:00 AM Senate JUDICIARY

                       SB 292-PAWNBROKERS                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
11:06:09 AM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR  FRENCH announced  the consideration  of SB  292. He  noted                                                               
that the sponsor prepared a  committee substitute (CS) to address                                                               
concerns that were expressed about electronic records.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
JOSH  TEMPEL,  staff  to  Senator Huggins,  sponsor  of  SB  292,                                                               
thanked  the committee  for  its  input and  making  a good  bill                                                               
better. He  highlighted the changes  made in  the CS. On  page 2,                                                               
line 14,  some language was  removed because it  addressed second                                                               
hand and  thrift stores. On  page 4,  line 8, the  description of                                                               
pledged property is now limited  to serial numbers, model numbers                                                               
or  other numbers  on the  item.  Page 4,  lines 15-27  addresses                                                               
electronic records and it is  language that this committee passed                                                               
several years ago. It says:                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     (b) A  register may  be contained  in a  book or  in an                                                                    
     electronic format,  except that  the register  for pawn                                                                    
     transactions  must be  in an  electronic format  if the                                                                    
     pawnbroker  is located  in a  municipality  that has  a                                                                    
     population of more than 5,000.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR FRENCH  commented that 5,000 is  a good cutoff point.  In a                                                               
large city like  Anchorage it's difficult to keep on  top of what                                                               
pawnbrokers  have in  their stores,  whereas in  smaller towns  a                                                               
police officer can readily identify new property in a pawnshop.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  TEMPEL  said  the  final  change  addresses  Senator  Egan's                                                               
concerns. On page 12, line  27, the language describing municipal                                                               
regulation was clarified  to reflect the sponsor's  intent to set                                                               
this statute as a minimum and to allow maximum local control.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR FRENCH asked for a motion to adopt the CS.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI moved  to  adopt the  work draft  committee                                                               
substitute (CS) for  SB 292, labeled 26-LS1487\T,  as the working                                                               
document.  There being  no objection,  version T  was before  the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR FRENCH  found no  questions or discussion  and asked  for a                                                               
motion to move the bill from committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:09:39 AM                                                                                                                   
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  moved to report  CS for SB 292,  version T,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal  note(s). There  being no  objection, CSSB  292(JUD) moved                                                               
from the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee.