SB 173-SYNTHETIC DRUGS  2:02:03 PM CHAIR KELLER announced that the next order of business would be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 173(JUD), "An Act relating to a prohibition on the possession, offer, display, marketing, advertising for sale, or sale of illicit synthetic drugs." REPRESENTATIVE LYNN moved HCS CSSB 173, labeled 28-LS1242\Y, Strasbaugh, 4/15/14, as the working document. Hearing no objection, Version Y was before the committee. 2:02:33 PM EDRA MORLEDGE, Staff to Senator Kevin Meyer, Alaska State Legislature, noted that there were suggested changes regarding enforcement and penalties as well as a suggestion regarding listing all the known names of the synthetic drugs. She said she contacted the bill drafter, Kathleen Strasbaugh of Legislative Legal and Research Services, who provided a memo to the committee and gave her opinion that the enforcement and penalty section of SB 173 does not need to be changed. If it were changed to a civil penalty [instead of a violation], she explained, it would be necessary for the department to file a civil lawsuit in order to prosecute anyone. 2:03:55 PM MS. MORLEDGE said she requested that all of the [synthetic drug product] names be removed from bill, as the list will likely be outdated soon. She reminded the committee that there were two fiscal notes that were zeroed out from Public Defenders Agency and the Office of Public Advocacy that would need to be adopted with this version. CHAIR KELLER said he is disappointed that the list of names will not be in the law, but they are on the record. 2:04:46 PM REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER said he supports the bill. The products have made their way to rural Alaska, like Nome, he said, and someone told him how her son was affected by "spice" and how it wreaked havoc in his plans to move forward in his life. This issue came up at a rural Native conference, and his region has come out whole heartedly against these drugs, he declared. CHAIR KELLER thanked Ms. Strasbaugh for her second memo, which was well done. He closed public testimony. 2:06:05 PM REPRESENTATIVE LYNN moved to report the HCS of CSSB 173 (JUD), labeled 28LS-1242\Y, Strasbaugh, 4/15/14, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objections, HCS CSSB 173(JUD) moved out of the House Judiciary Standing Committee. 2:06:43 PM The committee took an at-ease from 2:06 p.m. to 2:08 p.m.