04/29/1997 03:12 PM House HES

 HB 155 - HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FEES & HEARINGS                              
                                                                               
 Number 0757                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN BUNDE announced the next item on the agenda was HB 155,              
 "An Act relating to hearings before and authorizing fees for the              
 State Commission for Human Rights; and providing for an effective             
 date."                                                                        
                                                                               
 Number 0808                                                                   
                                                                               
 PAULA HALEY, Executive Director, Human Rights Commission, testified           
 next via teleconference from Anchorage.  She said HB 155 is part of           
 a comprehensive approach to increased demand for the agency's                 
 services in the wake of diminishing resources.  The commissioner              
 and staff have determined that seeking additional resources in                
 these times is not enough and that an effort has to be made to meet           
 the demands.  In addition to budget requests, the commission has              
 revised their internal procedures, amended their regulations last             
 spring, are seeking to re-amend their regulations this spring and             
 are proposing this legislation.  All these things are being done in           
 the hopes that the commission can become more effective and cost              
 efficient in the business of enforcing civil rights.                          
                                                                               
 MS. HALEY said that HB 155 allows the commission to charge fees for           
 educational services and allows it to hold its hearings out of the            
 commission office, either in person or through teleconference                 
 participation.  It would also allow meetings to be recorded rather            
 than having them transcribed.  The savings and fees which might be            
 generated would be used for investigator overtime.  The Department            
 of Law determined that investigators were eligible for overtime and           
 this money is currently not budgeted.  The savings could allow some           
 temporary staff to assist in the case processing.                             
                                                                               
 MS. HALEY explained that HB 155 is part of the commission's efforts           
 to grapple with investigative delays resulting from the increased             
 demand on services and to save money and streamline the process.              
                                                                               
 Number 0908                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN BUNDE asked if there would be problems in the legal                  
 community with the change from transcription to recording.                    
                                                                               
 Number 0925                                                                   
                                                                               
 MS. HALEY stated that transcription is very expensive.  A                     
 transcript can make things easier as people can read more quickly             
 than they can listen.  A court reporter can cost anywhere from $800           
 to $1,000 a day.  She has not heard of any concerns about cutting             
 the transcription.  The commission would not be proceeding to                 
 criminal charges because their process is an administrative civil             
 process.                                                                      
                                                                               
 Number 0983                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN BUNDE described the possible inaccuracies of transcription           
 and cited the tape of the Constitutional Convention.                          
                                                                               
 Number 1009                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN BUNDE commended the attempt to reduce travel costs.                  
                                                                               
 Number 1026                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE PORTER made a motion to move HB 155 with individual            
 recommendations and zero fiscal note.  There being no objection, HB
 was moved from the House Health, Education and Social Services            
 Standing Committee.                                                           
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DYSON stated that he had served on the Human Rights            
 Commission up until the end of 1996.  He was part of the decision-            
 making process which brought this legislation forward, and it was             
 his idea to include subsection 4 on page 1.                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN BUNDE encouraged him to declare his conflict when this               
 bill came to the floor.