02/13/2014 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

         SB 124-EXTENDING COUNCIL ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:01:31 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DYSON announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
SB 124.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KEVIN  MEYER, Alaska  State Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,                                                               
sponsor  of  SB   124,  explained  that  the   bill  extends  the                                                               
termination date of  the Council on Domestic  Violence and Sexual                                                               
Assault  by eight  years to  June 30,  2022. He  said Legislative                                                               
Audit Division conducted an audit  and recommended the eight-year                                                               
extension. The  audit contains several recommendations  which are                                                               
in members' packets.  He opined that the audit  was pretty clean.                                                               
He  noted a  fiscal note  and said  the Council  receives funding                                                               
from many sources; state, federal, and interagency funds.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON referred  to the  recommendations and  asked whether                                                               
the "statutory responsibilities" require statutory changes.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER  thought the auditor  would address that  issue. He                                                               
said he did not believe statutory changes were necessary.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON noted  that "reauthorizing an extension"  is a common                                                               
occurrence and requires an audit.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
LAURIE  MORTON, Executive  Director,  State  Council on  Domestic                                                               
Violence and  Sexual Assault, Department of  Public Safety (DPS),                                                               
Juneau, Alaska,  provided information about the  State Council on                                                               
Domestic  Violence and  Sexual Assault.  She  reported that  this                                                               
past year over 9,300 people  sought services at domestic violence                                                               
and  rape  crisis  centers.  About 75  percent  were  victims  of                                                               
domestic  violence,  20  percent  victims of  sexual  assault,  3                                                               
percent  victims of  stalking, and  13 percent  victims of  other                                                               
violent crimes.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
She said  the Council receives  a federal grant from  the Victims                                                               
of Crime Act (VOCA) for  victims of "other violent crimes." About                                                               
79  percent  of those  who  sought  services  were women  and  17                                                               
percent  were men;  68 percent  were adults  and 28  percent were                                                               
children.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON questioned the percentage totals.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORTON  explained that  there were about  4 percent  of those                                                               
who sought services who did not identify their age or gender.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She continued  to say  that there is  much community  support for                                                               
the  programs. Over  3,000 people  donated over  78,000 hours  of                                                               
service in the past year.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
She related  that another  component of  the Council  is programs                                                               
for the  rehabilitation of  perpetrators -  Batterer Intervention                                                               
Programs. There  were 262 intakes  this past year with  84 people                                                               
completing  the  program.  One  of the  Task  Force  on  Domestic                                                               
Violence and  Sexual Assault's recommendations several  years ago                                                               
was to look at the  efficacy of batter intervention programs. The                                                               
Council  has entered  into  a memorandum  of  agreement with  the                                                               
Department  of  Corrections  in order  to  look  at  regulations,                                                               
revise the, and provide a  broader reach in Batterer Intervention                                                               
Programs.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:07:40 AM                                                                                                                    
MS.  MORTON pointed  out that  the  Council coordinates  programs                                                               
across  the  state, such  as  the  Sexual Assault  Response  Team                                                               
(SART).  Two week-long  trainings are  held for  SART each  year.                                                               
This year  training was also held  in the Mat-Su area,  funded by                                                               
the  legislature. The  Council receives  a  federal grant  called                                                               
Services,   Training,  Officers,   and  Prosecutors   (STOP)  for                                                               
training first responders.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
She  discussed  the Alaska  Victimization  Survey.  She said  Dr.                                                               
Andre Rosay conducted  the Survey first in  2010, which confirmed                                                               
that there was  a very high rate  - 58 percent -  of domestic and                                                               
sexual violence in  Alaska. The Study will be  replicated in 2015                                                               
and it is  hoped that prior-year numbers may  show some decrease.                                                               
She  noted  a  dashboard  that   collects  and  posts  data  from                                                               
departments and studies in one place.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:10:08 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DYSON  believed that the  committee will pass the  bill and                                                               
it will  pass both bodies.  He recognized the seriousness  of the                                                               
topic and  complimented Ms. Morton  on her efforts.  He requested                                                               
comments from committee members.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GIESSEL  voiced  concern  about two  findings  from  the                                                               
audit.  Number  2  has  to  with the  timely  posting  of  public                                                               
notices,  which  is  a  fundamental   role  of  the  Council  and                                                               
important to the public. Number 3  has to do with improving grant                                                               
awards and monitoring policies.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORTON  explained that the  public notice issue  is rectified                                                               
in  a way  that the  Council hopes  provides ample  time for  the                                                               
public to  be aware  of the  meetings. In  February of  each year                                                               
when the Council meets, it will  set the schedule of meetings for                                                               
the next  year, in  advance. Also, the  meeting schedule  will be                                                               
published all at  once on the Council's website.  Two weeks prior                                                               
to the meetings,  the Council will post them on  the state public                                                               
notice website and on the Council's website.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
She  indicated  that  there  were   a  series  of  vacancies  and                                                               
turnovers  that interfered  with  grant awards.  Now  there is  a                                                               
solid  staff, and  a  procedure has  been  established where  the                                                               
program coordinators meet  once a quarter, review  the files, and                                                               
complete  a  peer  review  of   each  other's  work  and  on-site                                                               
evaluations. As a last step, she signs off on the grant awards.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON asked about the first audit item.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MORTON explained  that the  Council is  required to  consult                                                               
with the Department  of Health and Social Services  (DHSS) in the                                                               
development   of  policies   and  procedures   for  health   care                                                               
facilities in responding  to victims of domestic  violence. It is                                                               
the  responsibility of  DHSS to  do the  work. She  reported that                                                               
over the past  few years, before she was  the executive director,                                                               
there had not been a lot of work  done in that area. She said she                                                               
and  Commission  Streur  will  be  updating  and  revising  those                                                               
policies and procedures.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:13:17 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  thanked Ms. Morton  for her work.  He asked                                                               
whether  the fiscal  note of  $17.7 million  should be  larger or                                                               
smaller,  due to  the inability  to  measure the  success of  the                                                               
Council. He noted the extension is  for 8 years. He inquired what                                                               
a successful mission would look like in 8 years.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORTON  replied that fundamental  elements of  victim service                                                               
providers is  shelters and rape  crisis centers across  the state                                                               
that provide  safe places  for victims to  go. Keeping  the doors                                                               
open to  those facilities is  important. She said that  last year                                                               
the  legislature  provided  $250,000 for  emerging  programs  for                                                               
training people  who live in  a community without a  shelter, but                                                               
who can provide services to victims  where they live. In 8 years,                                                               
the  goal  is  to  see  more people  trained  as  victim  service                                                               
providers. Other  goals are better coordination  across the state                                                               
in  responding to  the crimes  and  a broader  array of  batterer                                                               
intervention programs.  She added  that it  is not  the Council's                                                               
responsibility to  take on the role  of courts or police,  but it                                                               
can play an integral part in the systems working together.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:16:26 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DYSON  requested more information  about the 16  percent of                                                               
males who were abused.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORTON offered to find out.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON commented  on  the number  of  male juvenile  sexual                                                               
assaults. He asked about trends over the years.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MORTON  said   she  has  not  seen  trends   in  victims  or                                                               
perpetrators;  they  continue  to  be   from  all  ages  and  all                                                               
ethnicities. She  noted she  has seen in  communities at  large a                                                               
willingness to  talk about the  problem and  to be willing  to do                                                               
something to stop it.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON agreed  that it  is better  climate for  victims. He                                                               
assumed  the increase  in numbers  might  be a  function of  more                                                               
reporting. He  thought that  Senator Wielechowski's  question was                                                               
skirting the edges of prevention.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:18:50 AM                                                                                                                    
MS. MORTON pointed  out that prevention is part  of the Council's                                                               
responsibility. In  2009 the legislature first  awarded money for                                                               
prevention.  Governor Parnell  increased that  amount each  year.                                                               
She  referred   to  the  Council's  annual   report  which  lists                                                               
prevention activities.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:19:39 AM                                                                                                                    
KRIS  CURTIS, Legislative  Auditor,  Legislative Audit  Division,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska;  reported on  the audit of  the State  Council on                                                               
Domestic  Violence and  Sexual  Assault. The  audit  of May  2013                                                               
concluded that  the Council  is serving  the public  interest and                                                               
its termination  date should be  extended. The report  provides a                                                               
summary  of  the  Council's  organization   and  function  and  a                                                               
description of  their funding sources.  The audit  concluded that                                                               
the  Council is  serving  the public's  interest  by funding  and                                                               
monitoring Alaska  domestic violence and sexual  assault response                                                               
programs  and   prevention  activities.  It  found   the  Council                                                               
effectively  served  as  the   central  coordinator  for  related                                                               
services  throughout  the  state. It  recommended  the  Council's                                                               
termination  date be  extended the  maximum eight  years provided                                                               
for in statute to June 30, 2022.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CURTIS  reported  that  the   audit  found  three  areas  of                                                               
operational   improvement;   the   Council  agreed   with   those                                                               
recommendations and  provided corrective  action. She  added that                                                               
there is  information about Council  expenses from FY  09 through                                                               
FY 12 and funding sources in the report.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON thanked Ms. Curtis for  her work. He said he expected                                                               
the bill would pass out of committee.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
VICKI  D'AMICO,   Executive  Director,  Sitkans   Against  Family                                                               
Violence,  Sitka, Alaska,  testified in  support of  SB 124.  She                                                               
spoke highly  of the Council's technical  assistant, support, and                                                               
help  with   adhering  to   regulations,  grant   reporting,  and                                                               
disbursement  of  funds. She  stressed  the  importance of  being                                                               
supported  by  an agency  that  is  dedicated to  victim  safety,                                                               
abuser accountability, and prevention.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
She shared  that Sitka  is one  of the sites  of the  world pilot                                                               
program  for  prevention.  She  said   she  has  seen  trends  of                                                               
involvement by  younger people in  the services and  less serious                                                               
injuries because victims are leaving their situations earlier.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:24:05 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DYSON  thanked Ms. D'Amico  for her work. He  closed public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GIESSEL SENATOR  moved  to report  SB  124, labeled  28-                                                               
LS1235\A,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached  fiscal  note.  There  being no  objection,  the  motion                                                               
carried.