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