2:03:28 PM CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 121(L&C) am "An Act relating to release of information in individual workers' compensation records; and providing for an effective date." This was the first hearing for this bill in the Senate Finance Committee. Co-Chair Stedman announced his intention to report the bill from Committee at this hearing. 2:03:59 PM Co-Chair Hoffman offered a motion to adopt SCS CS HB 121, 25- LS0501\M, as a working document. There was no objection and HB 121, Version "M" was ADOPTED as a working document. 2:04:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY WILSON, sponsor of the bill, testified it would address workers' privacy, and prevent identity theft and discrimination in the workplace. Currently, names, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, social security numbers and other identifying information of workers who had filed workers' compensation claims could be obtained from the Division of Workers' Compensation by any requestor. This was not acceptable given the increasing incidences of identity theft. 2:05:47 PM Senator Thomas asked if the provisions of this legislation would "treat" the workers' compensation system differently than the Alaska Permanent Fund and other systems that hold identifying information. 2:06:03 PM Representative Wilson answered it would not. 2:06:18 PM Senator Olson asked about opposition to the bill. 2:06:23 PM Representative Wilson told of members of the House of Representatives expressing support for continuing to allow access to names and addresses of those who filed a workers' compensation claim. Senator Olson asked the reason. Representative Wilson understood the intent was to allow attorneys to access names and addresses of those workers. She had confirmed that the provisions of this bill would continue to allow attorneys involved in litigation on a claim to access the identifying information. 2:07:00 PM Senator Huggins clarified that access to the information would not be allowed without the worker's permission. 2:07:14 PM Representative Wilson indicated in the affirmative. 2:07:19 PM Senator Elton asked whether this legislation would impede child support enforcement efforts to compile employment records for the purpose of collecting child support payments. 2:07:35 PM Representative Wilson was unsure. 2:07:38 PM CLIFF STONE, Staff to Representative Peggy Wilson, testified that the language of subsection (b)(1) of AS 23.30.107 amended in Section 1 on page 1, line 14 provided that the prohibition would not apply to "… a governmental agency …". Therefore, the identifying information could be shared with another State agency. Typically, the information shared was limited to names and addresses; social security numbers were released only for the purpose of identifying a specific "John Q. Smith". 2:08:22 PM Senator Elton assumed that all governmental agencies could secure the workers' compensation information, including for example the child support enforcement agency of the State of Washington. Mr. Stone affirmed. AT EASE 2:08:56 PM / 2:09:10 PM Co-Chair Stedman announced the bill would be HELD in Committee.