HOUSE BILL NO. 351                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating to submission of fingerprints by                                                                           
     applicants for a concealed handgun permit; and                                                                             
     providing for an effective date.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
KAREN LIDSTER,  STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE JOHN  COGHILL, directed                                                                   
comments  to the  House Judiciary  Committee  version of  the                                                                   
bill.   She  noted that  because of  changes to  the way  the                                                                   
Department of  Public Safety processes fingerprint  cards, it                                                                   
is now  possible to notify  the Alaska Automated  Fingerprint                                                                   
Identification   System    and   the   Federal    Bureau   of                                                                   
Investigation (FBI) from one card.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The  proposed  bill  would  amend   the  requirements  in  AS                                                                   
18.65.700(a)(4), submitting two  sets of fingerprint cards to                                                                   
submitting one  set for individuals applying  for a concealed                                                                   
handgun  permit.     The  bill   changes  the   FBI  approved                                                                   
fingerprint  card to  a format  approved  by the  Department.                                                                   
The changes  will provide  a savings in  cost and  effort for                                                                   
fingerprinting  the   format  of  the  cards,   allowing  the                                                                   
Department latitude  to change the fingerprint  cards and not                                                                   
requiring another future bill.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:50:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                    th                                                                          
Vice-Chair  Stoltze remembered  that  during  the 18   Alaska                                                                   
Legislature, another HB 351 was  passed, sponsored by Senator                                                                   
Jeannette  James,  the  original   concealed  weapons  permit                                                                   
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer  pointed out the  zero impact in  the proposed                                                                   
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Stoltze  directed   comments  to  finger-printing                                                                   
bullets.   He hoped to see  that incorporated if it  does not                                                                   
deter to  bullet imprinting.   He assumed  that was  a "back-                                                                   
door" approach to controlling and banning ammunitions.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:52:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer believed that HB  351 would save State revenue                                                                   
by moving from two sets of fingerprints  to one.  Ms. Lidster                                                                   
said yes.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
PUBLIC TESTIMONY CLOSED                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:53:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Chenault  inquired  if  the  Department  of  Public                                                                   
Safety supports the bill.  Ms.  Lidster acknowledged they do.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Hawker   discussed   concerns   in   issuing                                                                   
concealed  gun  permits.    He  noted  a  classification  for                                                                   
outstanding  concealed handgun  permits called  "nix-exempt".                                                                   
That status allows  the holder both the repercosity  in other                                                                   
states and a prequalification  for purchasing a fire arm.  In                                                                   
order to achieve  that status on a concealed  handgun permit,                                                                   
the person  must be signed-off  by a  law enforcement  agency                                                                   
as  if purchasing  a  firearm.   He  pointed  out that  those                                                                   
checks no longer happen and as  a result, the State of Alaska                                                                   
has been unable to issue nix-exempt checks.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker continued,  many people in the fire arm                                                                   
community are upset that the service  is no longer available.                                                                   
The FBI  has created  frustration in  the State's ability  to                                                                   
offer it.   He hoped to  see a legislative fix;  he requested                                                                   
the sponsor work on the issue.   Representative Hawker warned                                                                   
of serious  consequences for  Alaskan's individual  rights to                                                                   
keep and bear arms.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:56:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze  MOVED to  REPORT CS HB  351 (JUD)  out of                                                                   
Committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  with  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal notes.  There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CS HB  391 (JUD)  was reported  out of  Committee with  a "do                                                                   
pass"  recommendation  and  with  a  new  zero  note  by  the                                                                   
Department of Corrections and  zero note #1 by the Department                                                                   
of Public Safety.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:57:37 PM