02/20/2017 01:30 PM House JUDICIARY

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                       February 20, 2017                                                                                        
                           3:44 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Matt Claman, Chair                                                                                               
Representative Zach Fansler, Vice Chair                                                                                         
Representative Chuck Kopp                                                                                                       
Representative Lora Reinbold                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins                                                                                          
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux                                                                                                 
Representative David Eastman                                                                                                    
Representative Louise Stutes (alternate)                                                                                        
Representative Charisse Millett (alternate)                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 106                                                                                                              
"An Act allowing appropriations to the civil legal services fund                                                                
from court filing fees."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HB 106 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 106                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES FUND                                                                                          
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) FANSLER                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
02/06/17       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/06/17       (H)       JUD, FIN                                                                                               
02/15/17       (H)       JUD AT 1:30 PM GRUENBERG 120                                                                           
02/15/17       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
02/15/17       (H)       MINUTE(JUD)                                                                                            
02/20/17       (H)       JUD AT 1:30 PM GRUENBERG 120                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
NO WITNESSES TO REPORT                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:44:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MATT  CLAMAN called the House  Judiciary Standing Committee                                                             
meeting  to order  at 3:44  p.m.  Representatives Fansler,  Kopp,                                                               
Reinbold, and Claman were present at the call to order.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                HB 106-CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES FUND                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:45:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 106, "An  Act allowing appropriations to the civil                                                               
legal services fund from court filing fees."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:46:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN, after  ascertaining no one wished  to testify, said                                                               
he would not reopen public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:46:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FANSLER  summarized  his previous  testimony  and                                                               
reminded the  committee that  HB 106 is  merely a  mechanism that                                                               
sets forth  a process  in which the  legislature can  designate a                                                               
portion  of the  funds received  from  court fees  to the  Alaska                                                               
Legal Services Corporation (ALS).   He related that this bill, in                                                               
no manner, forces future legislatures  to appropriate these funds                                                               
because  each  year  the  funds would  be  at  the  legislature's                                                               
discretion  to  appropriate  anywhere  from zero  dollars  to  25                                                               
percent.  He  further reminded the committee that ALS  was set up                                                               
to  provide  civil  representation  for  all  Alaskans  with  the                                                               
greatest need.  He explained  that beneficiaries include: elders,                                                               
veterans, children,  and those with  the most need.   The funding                                                               
does  not  go to  criminal  cases,  abortion related  litigation,                                                               
representation  of  undocumented  immigrants except  where  human                                                               
trafficking is involved, class  actions, prisoners, eviction from                                                               
public housing due to illegal drug  use, or cases where a private                                                               
attorney  would  take the  case  on  a  contingency fee  basis  -                                                               
meaning no tort liability, he stressed.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
There  are numerous  offices throughout  the state  assisting low                                                               
income Alaskans  with invaluable services and,  he commented, ALS                                                               
"does a lot  with a little."   He then stated he  considers it an                                                               
honor to work with ALS as a pro bono attorney.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:50:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD asked whether Representatives Claman and                                                                
Fansler were pro bono attorneys for ALS.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN confirmed that he, also, performs pro bono work for                                                                
ALS.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:50:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP  moved to report HB  106, Version 30-LS0397\A                                                               
out  of   committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  the                                                               
accompanying  fiscal notes.   There  being no  objection, HB  106                                                               
passed out of the House Judiciary Standing Committee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:52:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:52 p.m.