Legislature(2003 - 2004)

03/19/2003 01:32 PM Senate JUD

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                                                                                                                                
          SB   2-PARENT LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE BY CHILD                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON,  sponsor of  SB 2,  informed members he  introduced                                                              
this legislation  at the request  of several school  districts and                                                              
the Alaska  Association of School  Boards (AASB).  It  removes the                                                              
liability  limit of  $10,000 for  acts  of vandalism.  He said  he                                                              
originally viewed this  legislation as a simple matter,  but as he                                                              
began  "stumbling  around  in  the legal  woods,"  he  stepped  on                                                              
several other issues he was unaware of.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 03-9, SIDE B                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
SENATOR DYSON  informed members  that if  version S  of SB  2 were                                                              
adopted,  it  would  be  used  as  a  partial  revisor's  bill  to                                                              
eliminate  some of  the  ambiguities  in the  law.  It would  also                                                              
establish that  a court  should pursue the  minor that  did damage                                                              
before  pursuing  the  parent.   It  also  clarifies  that  foster                                                              
parents,  subsidized  legal  guardians,  and  subsidized  adoptive                                                              
parents are  not held liable for  the actions of  the behaviorally                                                              
challenged children  for which they have accepted  responsibility.                                                              
He  asked  that the  committee  adopt  version  S as  the  working                                                              
document.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT  moved to  adopt  version  S of  SB  2 as  the                                                              
working document.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON explained the changes in version S as follows:                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
   · Section 1 deletes the $10,000 limit on parental liability                                                                  
     in existing law                                                                                                            
   · Section 2(c) exempts the legal guardian from liability                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON  said that  provision created  a lot of  discussion.                                                              
He misspoke  at the  first hearing  when he  said legal  guardians                                                              
would not be  liable for the actions  of a child who  was actually                                                              
a ward  of the state.   Subsequently he  found two cases  that are                                                              
contradictory.   Section  2(c) will  set that  matter straight  in                                                              
statute. The  Division of  Family and  Youth Services  (DFYS) does                                                              
not  have insurance,  but  the  state  does have  risk  management                                                              
insurance  to  provide  protection. He  continued  explaining  the                                                              
changes in version S.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
   · Section 3 clarifies that legal guardians are held harmless.                                                                
     Subsection  (b) specifies that  parents who  adopt a  hard to                                                              
     place child  are also held harmless. Most  of those adoptions                                                              
     are subsidized  because the children are likely  to end up in                                                              
     an institution  or group home if the adoptive  parents do not                                                              
     get help.                                                                                                                  
   · Subsection (d)(2) is new and clarifies that action may be                                                                  
     taken against the child.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DYSON said  that since  he  introduced the  bill, he  has                                                              
received a  number of calls asking  him why the law will  go after                                                              
the parent and not  the child who did the damage.  The Division of                                                              
Legal Services  told him  that one  could go  after the  child and                                                              
the  child's  assets,  including  dividends,  until  the  debt  is                                                              
satisfied. He said  he is very pleased with the  latest version of                                                              
the  bill  as it  accomplishes  several  things  that need  to  be                                                              
addressed  and   provides  a  clear   trail  for   holding  people                                                              
accountable.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT  asked if this language ties  the exemption for                                                              
the legal  guardian  to state placed  children  only or whether  a                                                              
family member  who acts  as a  legal guardian,  such as  an uncle,                                                              
would be exempt.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BRAD THOMPSON,  Director of  Risk  Management, Department  of                                                              
Administration (DOA),  said that Senator Therriault's  question is                                                              
answered  in  existing   statute,  AS  13.26.070.   It  reads,  "A                                                              
guardian  is  not  liable  to  third  persons  by  reason  of  the                                                              
parental  relationship for  acts  of the  ward." That  is the  law                                                              
Senator Dyson  is trying to correct  because it conflicts  with AS                                                              
34. He  does not  believe it  is restricted  to guardians  through                                                              
the state's activity.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH  said Senator Therriault's  question brings  up the                                                              
most interesting  policy call this  legislation makes,  that being                                                              
that  it   exempts  guardians  trying   to  "do  good,"   such  as                                                              
grandparents.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELLIS said  he understands  denying a  student loan  to a                                                              
child involved  in a bad act until  the debt is made  good, but he                                                              
asked  for  an  explanation  of  how a  child's  assets  would  be                                                              
attached.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON said  he assumes that is within  the court's purview                                                              
to decide  what is  appropriate.  He expects  it would most  often                                                              
apply to a teenage minor who might own a car.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS  asked if the  child would  be required to  pay back                                                              
100 percent  of the  debt owed  before benefiting  from a  student                                                              
loan or any other state benefit.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON replied  it is best to leave those  decisions to the                                                              
court.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT  said  he worked  on  the  original  statutory                                                              
language and  at that time he heard  from quite a few  parents who                                                              
said  that the  state wouldn't  let them  control their  children,                                                              
but the  state would  hand them  the bill for  damage done  by the                                                              
children.  Those parents  cautioned they  would use  section  2 of                                                              
the  statute so  that  when  the children  went  to  a movie,  the                                                              
parents  would call  the police  and report them  as runaways.  He                                                              
asked if Senator Dyson has heard similar comments.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON  said he hasn't  but a similar  bill is  working its                                                              
way  through   the  House.     In   testimony  before   the  House                                                              
committees,  people have  said that  the  first recourse  is to  a                                                              
homeowner's  policy, and  if the  $10,000 limit  is removed,  some                                                              
homeowners'  policies may  increase.  He also  heard from  parents                                                              
who said  the state  would not  protect them  when their  children                                                              
are  abusive, but  wants  to take  everything  they  own if  their                                                              
children do damage elsewhere.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  FRENCH noted  that a judge  might not  read the  recovery                                                              
against  the minor  provision  to mean  that  the entire  judgment                                                              
must be put on  the minor so the court would  have to collect from                                                              
the parents.   He  questioned whether  the bill  should contain  a                                                              
provision that  says the  liability is  joint and severable.  That                                                              
way, the  court would proceed against  both in tandem,  and if the                                                              
minor has easily recoverable assets, those would be taken first.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:40 p.m.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELLIS  asked if  the  committee  has information  on  the                                                              
largest dollar amount of an act of youth-induced vandalism.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON  said he received  some information from  his school                                                              
district  and  believes  the  amount   was  between  $300,000  and                                                              
$400,000.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELLIS  said  he participated  in  discussions  about  the                                                              
original  legislation when  the amount was  increased from  $2,000                                                              
to $10,000. This  proposal is to have no limit. He  said he agrees                                                              
with  Senator Dyson  that  he resents  paying  for other  people's                                                              
children  who are out  of control,  but he  encouraged members  to                                                              
seriously  consider the  consequences  of  changing the  liability                                                              
limit amount from $10,000 to no limit.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DYSON  told  members  the   House  version  of  the  bill                                                              
contains  a $25,000  limit and  he  believes this  issue would  be                                                              
dealt  with in  conference  committee. He  said  all that  parents                                                              
have is  classic bankruptcy  protection that  allows them  to keep                                                              
equity in their home.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEEKINS  said he hates to  see any family come to  that, but                                                              
he  hates  to  burden  the  public   with  the  activities  of  an                                                              
unsupervised  child.     He  said  this  bill   would  provide  an                                                              
incentive for  parents to  know whom their  children are  with and                                                              
where they are.  SB 2 was held in committee.                                                                                    

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