05/08/2023 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

            HB 181-STATE COMMISSION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:13:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced  that the final order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 181,  "An Act renaming  the State  Commission for                                                               
Human  Rights  the  Alaska State  Commission  for  Civil  Rights;                                                               
relating  to  removal  of  commissioners   of  the  Alaska  State                                                               
Commission for Civil Rights; relating  to reports from the Alaska                                                               
State Commission for Civil Rights;  relating to the definition of                                                               
'employer' for  the purposes of  the Alaska State  Commission for                                                               
Civil Rights; and relating to local civil rights commissions."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:14:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARPENTER  moved   to  adopt  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  for  HB  181,  Version  33-LS0651\U,  Bergerud,                                                               
5/8/23, as the work draft.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD objected.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE invited Mr. Corbisier  to give an overview of Version                                                               
U,  as  recommended by  the  Alaska  State Commission  for  Human                                                               
Rights (ASCHR).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:14:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROB CORBISIER,  Executive Director,  Alaska State  Commission for                                                               
Human  Rights (ASCHR),  gave an  overview of  the changes  in the                                                               
proposed  CS for  HB  181,  Version U,  on  behalf  of the  House                                                               
Judiciary  Standing Committee,  sponsor  by  request, chaired  by                                                               
Representative Vance.  In Section  3, a provision designating the                                                               
statewide   assessment  as   a  separate   report  was   removed.                                                               
Additionally,  Representative  Allard's  request  for  electronic                                                               
delivery was  included.  He  explained that Section 4  created an                                                               
affirmative  defense for  an employment  claim of  discrimination                                                               
for    religious    corporations,    associations,    educational                                                               
institutions, or societies, as well  as employees hired to engage                                                               
in activities  that are ecclesiastical, spiritual,  or religious.                                                               
Section   7  changed   the  definition   of  employer,   per  the                                                               
commission's  resolution.   All remaining  sections aligned  with                                                               
the previous version of the bill.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
5:17:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote  was taken.   Representatives  Groh, Carpenter,                                                               
Eastman, and Vance  voted in favor of adopting  CSHB 181, Version                                                               
33-LS0651\U,   Bergerud,  5/8/23,   as  the   work  draft.     No                                                               
representatives  voted  against it.    Therefore,  Version U  was                                                               
adopted by a vote of 4-0.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced that the bill would be held over.