REP. PORTER said the next order of business was HB 313. Number 010 REP. PETE KOTT, Prime Sponsor of HB 313, presented the committee with a committee substitute and testified that the legislation's original intent extended to judges the opportunity to impose the suspended imposition of sentencing to 90 days, but as it currently stands, you can only suspend imposition of sentence up to the amount of time a person would actually be serving. The Committee Substitute (CS) allows for probation to go up to one year. Number 127 REP. PORTER said he intends to support the bill because it provides some options not currently available to the system, and the only correction he would make is changing 5th degree to 3rd degree on weapons misconduct. Number 130 MARGO KNUTH, Criminal Division, Department of Law, explained to the committee that there is now a 5th degree weapons offense and it is a misdemeanor offence and it starts off with higher offenses than the state used to have. Number 160 REP. NORDLUND asked if HB 315 would allow for an SIS to go beyond what an original sentence was. Number 173 REP. KOTT replied yes; under a Class B misdemeanor an individual would get 90 days in jail, so this allows a judge to extend that period of probation up to one year, and it is up to judicial discretion. Number 192 REP. PORTER said it has been pointed out that Anchorage and other urban communities that have problems with criminal behavior is really a result of an inebriate problem, and this would allow a court to sentence an SIS for a lengthy period of treatment as opposed to just disorderly conduct, which often is a drinking problem. Number 199 REP. GREEN asked if the additional extension of probation (inaudible). Number 192 REP. PORTER replied that the judge will issue a suspended imposition of sentence for a certain length of time, and HB 313 allows that time to go up in the judge's opinion if there is a reason for it. Number 252 MS. KNUTH said because it will be applied to new offenses that are committed as long as it is a reasonable time period, and the legislature can set whatever time period it wants, and what is happening is the original sentencing is still there, but it stays at risk for a longer time period. MS. KNUTH continued, saying judges have asked for this amendment because right now they are not granting SIS's for these minor offenses because they don't feel they can trust a person to know if it's taken in 10 or 90 days, so they will impose the sentence which gives them a much longer time period and in effect they feel that they have been harsher than they should be. She said judges would like to be able to grant an SIS, which is a liberal and useful thing to do, but only if there is enough security build into it. Number 324 REP. PHILLIPS MOVED CSHB 313(JUD). Hearing no objection, it was so moved. CSHB 313(JUD) WAS MOVED OUT OF COMMITTEE WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS.