HB 291-EXTENDING COUNCIL ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  4:25:04 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 291, "An Act extending the termination date of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; and providing for an effective date." 4:25:36 PM REPRESENTATIVE TARR, prime sponsor of HB 291, provided an explanation of changes [hard copy included in the committee packet] in the proposed committee substitute (CS), Version G, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Following feedback from our partners, we have included several changes to HB 291: Section 1: This section amends AS 18.66.020 to expand the public membership of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA) to include a representative from an Alaska Native Organization. This section also allows for the governor to consult specifically with the Alaska Native Womens Resource Center during the appointment process. The Alaska Native Womens Resource Center (AKNWRC) and the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA) also will submit a list of recommended appointees to the governor. o This section also creates a new subsection (7) under AS 18.66.020(a) to include another new member to the CDVSA, the CEO of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (or their designee). This ensures that there is a balance between the governmental and public members of this council. Section 2: This section amends AS 18.66.020(d) in order to add a definition for Alaska Native organization,which is based on federal statute (43 USC 1601 et seq and 25 USC 5304). There are also numbering changes to reflect the newly-added definition. Section 3: This section extends the length of the CDVSA to June 30, 2028. Section 4: This section states that this Act takes effect immediately. 4:30:11 PM REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked, "How can we fill this specific need in a way that does not specifically identify a race or ethnicity in this policy?" She said she understood the need to have Alaska Native representation on the council; nonetheless, she believed that the proposed language was problematic. 4:31:36 PM DIANE CASTRO, Executive Director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, sought to confirm that Representative Vance was suggesting to replace the term "Alaska Native" with a broader term. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE requested insight into the deliberation process for choosing the term "Alaska Native." She said she was struggling with the idea of prescribing a specific race for the eligibility criteria. 4:33:12 PM MS. CASTRO reported that Alaska Native women experience the highest rates of domestic violence in Alaska; therefore, she believed it was unequitable to create a council to address these issues with white urban people. She acknowledged that the intent of the original language, which designated a "rural" position, was meant to capture Alaska Native representation; however, the position was currently filled with someone from Kenai, which didn't meet that intent. She opined that working with Alaska Native partners was critical to ensure that their voices were being heard. 4:36:33 PM MS. CASTRO, in response to a follow-up question from Representative Vance, opined that specifically designating a position for Alaska Native representation would show Alaska Native women that their voices were important. Additionally, she opined that without specifying "Alaska Native" in the appointment requirements, Alaska Native representation would be left to chance. 4:39:53 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN recalled that Ms. Castro had stated that the rural position was being filled by someone from Kenai. He asked why the statute wasn't being followed in that regard. MS. CASTRO believed it was an oversight REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN directed attention to page 1, lines 7-8 of the proposed CS, Version G, which identified that one of the public members shall be from a rural area, and another of whom shall be an Alaska Native representative. He pointed out that one person could fill both requirements. MS. CASTRO said ideally, the board would have regional representation. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN concluded that the intent was to secure representation from both rural and urban Alaska Native organizations. He asked if that was correct. MS. CASTRO said not necessarily. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN inquired about the definition of "Alaska Native organization" and asked whether a person of a different ethnicity could qualify as the Alaska Native representative. MS. CASTRO explained that tribal organizations hired many different races, so technically, the Alaska Native member could be someone that may not be Alaska Native. Nonetheless, she said the intent was to fill that seat with an Alaska Native person. 4:44:25 PM REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 291, labeled 32-LS1425\B, Radford, 2/16/22, Version G, as the working document. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN objected. 4:45:03 PM A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Tarr, Story, Claman, and Kreiss-Tomkins voted in favor of adopting the proposed CS for HB 291. Representatives Eastman, Kaufman, and Vance voted against it. Therefore, Version G was adopted as the working document by a vote of 4-3. 4:45:52 PM REPRESENTATIVE VANCE clarified that she was in support of having Alaska Native representation on the council; however, she maintained her concern about prescribing a position based on race. 4:48:21 PM REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN directed attention to page 1, line 9, which provided that the governor may consult with the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA) and the Alaska Native Women's Resource Center (ANWRC), as well as page 1, lines 12-13, which provided that the ANDVSA and ANWRC shall submit a list to the governor of recommendations. He suggested changing the "may" on line 9 to "shall", because if the organizations were required to submit a list of recommendations, the governor should be required to consult with them, he opined. 4:49:12 PM REPRESENTATIVE TARR explained that the "shall" on line 13 would create the responsibility for the organizations to submit names for recommendation, whereas the "may" in question would allow the governor to hold a consulting roll whilst still making his/her own decision on the appointments. MS. CASTRO agreed. 4:51:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN asked how the selection process accounted for competency, as opposed to being solely based on geography. REPRESENTATIVE TARR noted that the topic came up when determining the prescriptiveness of the bill language. She acknowledged that there was not specific language that addressed the board members' competency or experience. 4:54:32 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opined that in this case, the members' competency was dependent on the governor and the legislature's ability to identify competent people. REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN emphasized the importance of considering ideal skillsets. 4:56:20 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN inquired about the addition of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority's CEO and asked whether it was included by request. MS. CASTRO answered no. She pointed out that the beneficiaries of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (AMHTA) were also many of the same people that ANDVSA worked with. CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS asked whether AMHTA supported this language. MS. CASTRO shared her understanding that AMHTA Health Trust Authority was supportive. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN requested documents that confirmed AMHTA's support. 5:00:25 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that HB 291 was held over.