04/25/1997 01:06 PM House JUD

 CSSB 112(JUD) - MARRIAGE LICENSING FUNCTIONS                                
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN GREEN announced the next order of business was CS for                
 Senate Bill No. 112(JUD), "An Act relating to marriage licenses;              
 and transferring responsibility for marriage licensing from                   
 judicial officers to the state registrar of vital statistics."                
                                                                               
 Number 1773                                                                   
                                                                               
 DOUG WOOLIVER, Administrative Attorney, Office of the                         
 Administrative Director, Alaska Court System, presented CSSB
(JUD).  The court system had asked that this bill be introduced;           
 it is part of a plan to move away from the court system some                  
 functions that are not judicial.  He advised that the bill was                
 jointly written with the registrar of Vital Statistics; that agency           
 is taking over vital statistics duties from the court system.  The            
 court has already transferred most vital statistics functions to              
 that agency, as well as the personnel that go along with those                
 duties.  However, transferring the marriage license function must             
 be done by statute because under the statute, judges issue marriage           
 licenses.  This bill allows Vital Statistics to issue marriage                
 licenses.                                                                     
                                                                               
 MR. WOOLIVER explained that in most courts, as a matter of                    
 practicality, court employees will still be issuing the marriage              
 licenses.  However, they will do so as the local registrars for               
 Vital Statistics.  But in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, there              
 are Vital Statistics offices that will issue marriage licenses.               
                                                                               
 Number 1868                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ETHAN BERKOWITZ asked whether this makes it more               
 difficult to obtain a license.                                                
                                                                               
 MR. WOOLIVER said it should make it easier in Anchorage, Fairbanks            
 and Juneau, at least, because there will be one location to obtain            
 the license and record it.  Currently, a person must go to the                
 court to obtain a marriage license and to Vital Statistics to                 
 record it.  Elsewhere, it would remain the same; the local                    
 magistrate or clerk of court would perform the function, but under            
 the auspices of Vital Statistics rather than as a judicial                    
 function.                                                                     
                                                                               
 Number 1922                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE made a motion to move CSSB 112(JUD) from                 
 committee with individual recommendations.  There being no                    
 objection, CSSB 112(JUD) was moved from the House Judiciary                   
 Standing Committee.