03/07/2024 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

             SB  12-ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:17:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW announced that the only  order of business would be CS                                                               
FOR SENATE  BILL NO. 12(JUD), "An  Act relating to the  duties of                                                               
the   Department   of   Administration;   creating   an   address                                                               
confidentiality program; and providing for an effective date."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:17:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WRIGHT   moved  to   adopt  the   proposed  House                                                               
Committee Substitute (HCS) for CSSB 12(JUD), Version 33-                                                                        
LS0162\H,  C.  Radford,  3/6/24 ["Version  H"],  as  the  working                                                               
document.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:18:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:18:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BUDDY  WHITT, Staff,  Representative  Laddie  Shaw, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  described an  unintended  issue brought  up by  the                                                               
bill sponsor.   He  explained that  if the bill  were to  pass as                                                               
currently written, registered sex  offenders and child kidnappers                                                               
may  apply for  the address  confidentiality program.   He  noted                                                               
that the  Department of  Public Safety  said the  applications by                                                               
sex offenders  and child kidnappers  would be accepted  and their                                                               
process would not change.  He  said that a court case could occur                                                               
as a result.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. WHITT  explained that the  proposed CS makes  one substantive                                                               
change on  page 2,  line 27  through page 3,  line 8,  which adds                                                               
language that says that individuals  who are required to register                                                               
as sex  offenders or  child kidnappers are  not eligible  for the                                                               
address confidentiality program.  The  other change is moving the                                                               
effective date to  January 1, 2025.  Amendments  can be discussed                                                               
and  debated at  the next  meeting to  decide whether  to include                                                               
protection  for  sex  offenders  are  also  victims  of  domestic                                                               
violence  and  may need  access  to  the address  confidentiality                                                               
program.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:22:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR JESSE KIEHL, Alaska State  Legislature, thanked the chair                                                               
and his  staff for  addressing the  unintended loophole  that the                                                               
Department of Public Safety brought to his attention.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:23:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK asked  why the  effective date  was moved                                                               
out an extra year.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:23:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KIEHL stated  that the old effective date  was January 1,                                                               
2024.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:23:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK  asked  why  the effective  date  is  not                                                               
immediate.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KIEHL   explained  the  department  may   need  time  to                                                               
implement the program.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:24:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARPENTER asked  how the  address confidentiality                                                               
program  is  different from  a  mail  forwarding service  already                                                               
available.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KIEHL  said  cost  is   a  factor  for  people  who  are                                                               
experiencing  violence and  mail  forwarding is  expensive.   The                                                               
address confidentiality  program through the bill  incurs no cost                                                               
to  the  victim.   The  bill  provides full  confidentiality  for                                                               
physical address.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:25:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHAW  removed  his  objection.   There  being  no  further                                                               
objection, Version H was before the committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW announced that SB 12 was held over.