Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120

03/29/2022 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= HB 142 PFD ELIGIBILITY TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= HB 271 AIDEA: MEMBERSHIP; RESPONSIBILITIES TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HB 251 BD OF TRUSTEES OF THE AK PERM. FUND CORP. TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
*+ HB 203 MISCONDUCT INVOLVING WEAPONS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
              HB 203-MISCONDUCT INVOLVING WEAPONS                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:36:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that the final  order of business                                                               
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 203,  "An Act establishing the offense of                                                               
misconduct involving weapons in the sixth degree."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:36:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:37:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ADAM   WOOL,  Alaska  State   Legislature,  prime                                                               
sponsor,  introduced   HB  203.    He   paraphrased  the  sponsor                                                               
statement  [included  in the  committee  packet],  which read  as                                                               
follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Firearms   hold   significant   social   and   cultural                                                                    
     importance  to Alaskans.  Across  the  state, 64.5%  of                                                                    
     residents  report  owning  guns, ranking  Alaska  third                                                                    
     among  all  states  in per  capita  firearm  ownership.                                                                    
     Whether  for   personal  protection,   subsistence,  or                                                                    
     recreational hunting, the value  that Alaskans place on                                                                    
     keeping   and   utilizing  firearms   is   substantial.                                                                    
     Furthermore, most gun owners  across the country report                                                                    
     putting  a high  value  on  responsible ownership.  For                                                                    
     example, 95% of gun owners  say it is essential to talk                                                                    
     to  their children  about gun  safety, and  66% of  gun                                                                    
     owners believe  it is essential  for their  firearms to                                                                    
     be kept in a locked place  when there are minors in the                                                                    
     home.  HB 203  promotes secure  storage of  firearms in                                                                    
     order to protect children and  teens while preserving a                                                                    
     lifestyle held dear by many Alaskans.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Despite a  large percentage  of Alaskans  reporting gun                                                                    
     ownership and  declaring a desire  for gun  safety, our                                                                    
     state has notably high  rates of firearm-related injury                                                                    
     and death.  Alaska's firearm death  rate is  the second                                                                    
     highest in  the nation  and nearly double  the national                                                                    
     average  (23 per  100,000  compared to  12  in the  U.S                                                                    
     generally). Guns  are also the  leading cause  of death                                                                    
     for  children and  teens in  Alaska. An  average of  22                                                                    
     children  per year  are killed  due to  firearm-related                                                                    
     mortality, and  59% of these  deaths are  gun suicides.                                                                    
     In 2019,  nearly half of  high school  students (48.9%)                                                                    
     reported that  they could easily  access a  loaded gun,                                                                    
     and  a  further  one-fourth  of  high  school  students                                                                    
     across   the    state   (25.3%)    reported   seriously                                                                    
     considering  suicide  within  the past  year.  Overall,                                                                    
     firearm  suicide  in Alaska  is  more  than double  the                                                                    
     national  average,  with  68% of  Alaska's  gun  deaths                                                                    
     caused by  suicide. Securely storing firearms  has been                                                                    
     shown to combat these  startling figures, and to reduce                                                                    
     both    self-inflicted   and    unintentional   firearm                                                                    
     morbidity and  mortality. Additionally,  secure storage                                                                    
     is  affordable  and  easily  implemented,  while  still                                                                    
     offering firearm  owners with quick and  easy access to                                                                    
     guns for their personal and property protection needs.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     HB 203  will incentivize secure storage  of firearms by                                                                    
     creating  a violation  for improperly  storing firearms                                                                    
     so they cannot be accessed  by anyone not authorized to                                                                    
     use them, including children. This  bill adds weight to                                                                    
     the  responsibility that  should  be  paramount to  gun                                                                    
     owners  to  keep kids  safe.  HB  203 does  not  impose                                                                    
     invasive measures on  the public. Practically speaking,                                                                    
     this bill  implements a retroactive  fine in  the event                                                                    
     that guns are  not securely stored by  an adult firearm                                                                    
     owner  and lead  to improper  use by  anyone prohibited                                                                    
     from owning a  firearm. If a minor  child or prohibited                                                                    
     person accesses  a firearm  because it  wasn't securely                                                                    
     stored and causes injury, the  firearm owner can face a                                                                    
     criminal penalty and a fine.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Please join me in supporting  House Bill 203 to promote                                                                    
     responsible  and  safe  gun  ownership  through  secure                                                                    
     storage of firearms in Alaska.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
ASHLEY  CARRICK, Staff,  Representative Adam  Wool, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  on behalf  of Representative  Wool, prime  sponsor,                                                               
provided  a  PowerPoint  presentation,  titled  "HB  203;  secure                                                               
storage  of  firearms"  [hard  copy  included  in  the  committee                                                               
packet].   She provided a  brief overview of the  presentation on                                                               
slide 2.   Slide 3  featured newspaper articles  that illustrated                                                               
the  impacts of  gun violence,  highlighting youth  accidents and                                                               
suicide deaths in particular.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:47:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CARRICK  continued  to  slide   4,  which  read  as  follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM: GUN VIOLENCE PREVALENCE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
          Nationally,  suicide   constitutes  most   of  the                                                                    
     firearm  deaths in  the U.S.,  even though  just 5%  of                                                                    
     self-harm episodes,  including both  non-suicidal self-                                                                    
     injury and attempted suicide, involve firearms.                                                                            
          Firearms are known for  their high lethality, with                                                                    
     an  82.5-92%  lethality   for  suicide  attempts  using                                                                    
     firearms.                                                                                                                  
          As many as 80% of  people considering suicide give                                                                    
     notice   of   their   intentions   beforehand,   making                                                                    
     intervention possible in many cases.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:48:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CARRICK  continued  to  slide   5,  which  read  as  follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM: GUN VIOLENCE IN ALASKA                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
          Firearms  are  the  leading  cause  of  death  for                                                                    
     children and teens in Alaska.                                                                                              
          Alaska has  the second-highest  rate of  gun death                                                                    
     in  the U.S.  Alaska's gun  suicide rate  is more  than                                                                    
     double the  national rate. 68%  of Alaska's  gun deaths                                                                    
     are firearm suicides.                                                                                                      
          Suicides make up two-thirds  of all firearm deaths                                                                    
     in Alaska,  and three  in five  suicides in  Alaska are                                                                    
     committed using a firearm.                                                                                                 
          In 2019, there were  117 firearm suicide deaths in                                                                    
     Alaska, including 17 children and teens (ages 0-19).                                                                       
          12,380   children  live   with  unlocked,   loaded                                                                    
     firearms in Alaska.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:49:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARRICK proceeded to slide 6, which read as follows                                                                         
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM: YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
          An average  of 22 children  and teens die  from to                                                                    
     accidental or intentional shootings each year.                                                                             
          25%   of  Alaskan   high   school  students   have                                                                    
     considered  suicide  in the  past  year  and a  further                                                                    
     19.7% reported an attempted suicide.                                                                                       
          Among  high  school   students  in  Alaska,  37.5%                                                                    
     reported that  they could access  a loaded gun  in less                                                                    
     than an hour.                                                                                                              
          59%  of  youth  gun  deaths are  suicides  and  an                                                                    
     additional 26% are homicides.                                                                                              
          Other  health disparities  exist  in gun  violence                                                                    
     and youth suicide attempts.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:50:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARRICK advanced to slide 7, which read as follows [original                                                                
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     PRIORITIZING  RESPONSIBLE  GUN OWNERSHIP:  OPINIONS  OF                                                                    
     GUN OWNERS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
          Gun  owners  do  NOT  want  to  see  these  tragic                                                                    
     incidents occur.                                                                                                           
          Across  the  state,   64.5%  of  residents  report                                                                    
     owning guns,  ranking Alaska third among  all states in                                                                    
     per capita firearm ownership.                                                                                              
          Most gun owners across  the country report putting                                                                    
     a high value on  responsible ownership. For example:95%                                                                    
     of  gun owners  say it  is essential  to talk  to their                                                                    
     children about gun safety                                                                                                  
          66%  of gun  owners  believe it  is essential  for                                                                    
     their firearms to be kept  in a locked place when there                                                                    
     are minors in the home.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:51:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARRICK turned to slide 8, which read as follows [original                                                                  
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     PRIORITIZING  RESPONSIBLE GUN  OWNERSHIP: SAFE  STORAGE                                                                    
     OPTIONS                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Secure storage or safety devices include:                                                                                
          Devices that  are designed to prevent  the firearm                                                                    
     from  being  operated  without first  deactivating  the                                                                    
     device.  Examples: Cable  locks  that  block a  firearm                                                                    
     cartridge from being fired or  trigger locks that allow                                                                    
     loading,  but  which  prevent the  trigger  from  being                                                                    
     pulled.                                                                                                                    
          Examples:  Cable   locks  that  block   a  firearm                                                                    
     cartridge from being fired or  trigger locks that allow                                                                    
     loading,  but  which  prevent the  trigger  from  being                                                                    
     pulled.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
          Devices that  are incorporated into the  design of                                                                    
     the  firearm to  prevent  operation of  the firearm  by                                                                    
     anyone   without  access   to   the  device.   Example:                                                                    
     Personalized   "smart   guns"   that  only   allow   an                                                                    
     authorized user to access the gun.                                                                                         
          Examples:  Personalized  "smart  guns"  that  only                                                                    
     allow an authorized user to access the gun                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
          A safe,  gun safe,  gun case,  lock box,  or other                                                                    
     device that  is designed to  be unlocked only  by means                                                                    
     of a key, combination, or other similar means.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:52:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARRICK continued to slide 9, which read as follows                                                                         
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     EFFICACY OF SECURE STORAGE: STATE BY STATE COMPARISONS                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
          Currently,  33 states  have  some  type of  secure                                                                    
     storage law.                                                                                                               
          Compared  to  states  with no  child-access  laws,                                                                    
     states with the strongest secure  storage laws saw a 44                                                                    
     percent reduction in  children hospitalized for firearm                                                                    
     injuries related to unintentional shootings.                                                                               
          A  2020  study found  a  59  percent reduction  in                                                                    
     unintentional firearm  deaths among children ages  0 to                                                                    
     14 in the  states with the most  stringent child access                                                                    
     prevention laws.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:53:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARRICK proceeded to slide 10, which read as follows                                                                        
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     EFFICACY OF SECURE STORAGE: REDUCING YOUTH MORTALITY                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          One  study  found  that   young  children  who  go                                                                    
     through  a weeklong  gun  safety  training program  are                                                                    
     just  as  likely  as  children   with  no  training  to                                                                    
     approach or play with a handgun when they find one.                                                                        
          It is impossible to predict  the behavior of every                                                                    
     child who may be invited  into your home, and difficult                                                                    
     to  be  assured  of  your  child's  safety  in  another                                                                    
     person's  home   when  there  are   unsecured  firearms                                                                    
     present.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:54:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARRICK advanced to slide 11, which read as follows                                                                         
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     WHAT HB 203 DOES:MISCONDUCT CHARGES                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Misconduct involving weapons in the sixth degree:                                                                      
          Keeping a firearm  in your home that  is not under                                                                    
     the  direct  control  of  an  authorized  person.  See:                                                                    
     Section 3 (a) (1)                                                                                                          
          Keeping  a firearm  that the  owner or  authorized                                                                    
     person knows  or reasonably  should know  is accessible                                                                    
     by a prohibited person. See: Section 3 (a) (2)                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Misconduct involving weapons in the fourth degree:                                                                     
          If section  3 is violated and  a prohibited person                                                                    
     has  used a  firearm to  commit  a crime  or to  injure                                                                    
     themselves or another. See: Section 2                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:55:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARRICK turned to slide 12, which read as follows [original                                                                 
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     WHAT HB 203 DOES: KEY TERMS                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Direct control is  where the owner or  possessor of the                                                                  
     firearm is:                                                                                                                
          Close  enough to  preventanotherperson who  is not                                                                    
     an authorized person from obtaining the firearm OR                                                                         
          The  firearm is  in  the  person's own  residence,                                                                    
     either alone  or with only authorized  persons who also                                                                    
     live in the  residence and who are not  minors, and the                                                                    
     residence is secure.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Authorized Person: A person authorized  by the owner or                                                                  
     possessor of  afirearm to temporarily carry  or control                                                                    
     the firearm.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Prohibited Person:  Minors, convicted felons,  or those                                                                  
     with  other  Federal  or   State  restrictions  on  gun                                                                    
     ownership.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARRICK concluded on slide 13, which provided a list of                                                                     
stakeholders that submitted letters of support for HB 203.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:56:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARA SUMADI,  Associate Director of State  Affairs, Everytown for                                                               
Gun Safety, expressed her support for  HB 203.  She reported that                                                               
Alaska was  a national outlier  in terms of firearm  deaths among                                                               
children, which  could largely be  prevented.  Firearms  were the                                                               
first  leading cause  of death  among children  and teens  in the                                                               
state;  further,  Alaska had  the  highest  rate of  gun  suicide                                                               
deaths among young  people in the country and  the second highest                                                               
rate  of  injuries and  deaths  caused  by a  child  accidentally                                                               
shooting  themselves  or someone  else.    She acknowledged  that                                                               
there was a tradition of  responsible gun ownership in Alaska and                                                               
that  many gun  owners stored  their firearms  securely; however,                                                               
she cited a  national survey that showed that an  average of over                                                               
50  percent  of   gun  owners  did  not   practice  safe  storage                                                               
practices; further, the  survey estimated that 1 in  5 gun owning                                                               
households  with children  in the  home stored  at least  one gun                                                               
loaded  and   unlocked.     She  emphasized   that  unintentional                                                               
shootings  by children  could be  prevented  by following  secure                                                               
storage practices.  She urged the passage of HB 203.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
5:01:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EASTMAN  inquired  about the  statistics  in  the                                                               
sponsor statement and requested the citations.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CARRICK  said the  youth-related  statistics  came from  the                                                               
Youth Risk  Behavioral Survey (YRBS) conducted  by the Department                                                               
of  Health  and  Social  Services (DHSS)  on  a  biannual  basis.                                                               
Additional statistics  came from the Centers  for Disease Control                                                               
and  Prevention (CDC)  and other  state  and national  resources.                                                               
She offered to follow up with the specific citations.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN  inquired about  the difference  between a                                                               
crime that's preventative versus a crime that's punishing.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL acknowledged that  violation of the law would                                                               
be penalized; however,  he said the intent was  to normalize safe                                                               
behavior.   He  explained that  the penalty  would be  a monetary                                                               
fine capped at $500 for the  first violation.  He reiterated that                                                               
the goal was to modify behavior rather than incarcerate people.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:04:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY inquired about  effective practices in other                                                               
states.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOOL  deferred  to   Mr.  Dougherty,  a  district                                                               
attorney  in Colorado  where a  secure storage  law was  recently                                                               
passed.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:05:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MICHAEL   DOUGHERTY,  District   Attorney,  District   Attorney's                                                               
Office, confirmed that the Colorado  General Assembly had enacted                                                               
House Bill  1106 in July  2021, which addressed the  safe storage                                                               
of firearms;  however, it  was too  early to  deem the  program a                                                               
success.  Nonetheless, he stated  that the legislation had raised                                                               
awareness about  the importance of  safely securing  firearms, in                                                               
part due  to the public  awareness campaign that was  carried out                                                               
prior to the passage of the bill.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  asked whether there were  challenges to the                                                               
safe storage law.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. DOUGHERTY said there had not been any challenges.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY asked  whether  Colorado  enacted the  same                                                               
misdemeanor penalties that were proposed in HB 203.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR.  DOUGHERTY conveyed  that in  Colorado, unlawful  storage was                                                               
assigned a Class 2 Misdemeanor,  which could result in jail time,                                                               
fines  of  up to  $1,000,  or  both; however,  incarceration  was                                                               
extremely unlikely, he said.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:09:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CLAMAN  asked  whether  Colorado  had  considered                                                               
treating the unlawful storage violation with a civil fine.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. DOUGHERTY said  there were no conversation about  making it a                                                               
civil violation.   He shared his belief that because  the goal of                                                               
reducing teen suicides and unintentional  shootings was a serious                                                               
one,  the  consequences  should be  serious  too;  therefore,  he                                                               
opined  that  criminal   law,  as  opposed  to   civil  law,  was                                                               
appropriate                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
5:11:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TARR expressed her interest  in the inclusion of a                                                               
public   service  announcement   and  educational   campaign  and                                                               
inquired about the funding component  that advanced those efforts                                                               
in Colorado.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.   DOUGHERTY  offered   to  follow   up  with   the  requested                                                               
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:13:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that HB 203 was held over.                                                                       

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 251 Supporting Document - Term Length Comparison.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 251
HB 203 Backup Support Letter LWV 01.10.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Sectional Version A 03.29.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Bill Version A.PDF HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Sponsor Statement 03.29.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Backup Support ABHA 02.25.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Backup Support ACT 03.10.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Backup Support Faith Leaders 02.24.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Backup Support JAMHI 02.28.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Backup Support Letter Academy of Pediatrics 2022.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Backup Support Letter ALPHA 2022.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Backup Support Letter ANS Grand Camp 2021.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Fiscal Note DPS-DET-03-26-22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Fiscal Note LAW-CRIM-CJL-3-25-22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Fiscal Note DOC-IDO-03-26-22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 PPT Presentation 03.29.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Emails of Opposition as of 03.28.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 203 Emails of Support as of 03.28.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 203
HB 271 Fiscal Note DCCED-AIDEA-03-18-22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 271
HB 271 Additional Information - Letter of Clarification_AIDEA_03.25.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 271
HB 251 Additional Info - APFC Board of Trustees Consideration of HB 251 - 03.29.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 251
Work Draft CS for HB 142 Version W 03.28.22.pdf HSTA 3/29/2022 3:00:00 PM
HB 142