05/14/1999 04:08 PM House RLS

HB 212-UNLAWFUL TRADE PRACTICES/ANTITRUST                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 0045                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN COWDERY announced that the only order of business before                                                               
the committee is HB 212(TITLE AM), "An Act relating to the                                                                      
confidentiality of certain information related to attorney general                                                              
investigations of unlawful trade practices and antitrust                                                                        
activities."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT moved that the committee adopt Amendment 1                                                                  
which would change the title and add some language in the body of                                                               
the bill.  This would alleviate some of the concerns that the                                                                   
proposed statute change in HB 212 would have an affect on the                                                                   
BP-ARCO merger.  The language in Amendment 1 would clearly indicate                                                             
that it does not.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Amendment 1 reads as follows:                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1 to read:                                                                                                    
     "An Act relating to unlawful trade practices; antitrust                                                                    
     activities other than mergers and acquisitions subject to                                                                  
     the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission; the                                                                      
     confidentiality of certain investigative records; and the                                                                  
     disclosure of certain testimony.."                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS noted that the title of HB 212 was amended                                                              
on the floor.  Therefore, that version, HB 212(TITLE AM), should be                                                             
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MARCO PIGNALBERI, Legislative Assistant for Representative Cowdery,                                                             
Alaska State Legislature, indicated that HB 212(TITLE AM) should be                                                             
forthcoming in draft, and that the title amendment as displayed in                                                              
BASIS is in the members' committee packet.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 0183                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER moved that the committee adopt HB 212(TITLE                                                               
AM) as the working draft before the committee.  There being no                                                                  
objection, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER informed the committee that nothing in the                                                                
bill itself was changed by that amendment, only the title was                                                                   
restricted.  The current amendment, Amendment 1, would only address                                                             
the title.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS said that she would like to see the wording                                                             
on the title amendment from the floor.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
The draft of HB 212(TITLE AM) was passed out to members.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER clarified that the version before the                                                                     
committee is version A.a 212(TITLE AM).                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN COWDERY asked if there were objections to Amendment 1.                                                                 
There being no objections, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS pointed out that there is another proposed                                                              
amendment.  Only the title amendment was adopted as Amendment 1.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT clarified that he was moving both amendments as                                                             
Amendment 1.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS requested that for clarity sake, the                                                                    
portion of the language referring to the BP-ARCO merger would be                                                                
Amendment 2.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT moved that the committee adopt Amendment 2                                                                  
which reads as follows:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 14 by adding a new sentence following the                                                                     
     phrase "or national basis." to read:                                                                                       
     This section does not apply to information obtained by                                                                     
     the attorney general with respect to a merger or                                                                           
     acquisition that is subject to the jurisdiction of the                                                                     
     Federal Trade Commission.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 0536                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER moved to report CSHB 212 out of committee                                                                 
with individual recommendations.  There being no objection, CSHB
(RLS) was reported out of committee.