SENATE BILL NO. 81 "An Act relating to the office of victims' rights; and providing for an effective date." 9:03:15 AM SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, SPONSOR, introduced the legislation. 9:05:21 AM JEFF STEPP, STAFF, SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, addressed the Sectional Analysis (copy on file): Section 1 amends AS 24.65.060, which sets the salary range for the victims' advocate, to add the new subsection (l) under AS 39.27.011 created by the passage of HB 226 in 2022. That new subsection reads: (l) The amounts set out in the salary schedule contained in (a) of this section are increased by 15 percent for positions within the Department of Law, the public defender agency, and the office of public advocacy that require admission to the practice of law in this state as a condition of employment, positions in the division of legal and research services within the Legislative Affairs Agency and any nonunion positions in the executive branch that require admission to the practice of law in this state as a condition of employment, and the chief administrative law judge and administrative law judges of the office of administrative hearings under AS 39.25.120(c)(20). Section 2 amends AS 24.65.070(c) to place OVR staff attorneys on the new salary schedule under AS 39.27.011(a) and (l) created by the implementation of HB 226. Section 3 makes the Act effective immediately under AS 01.10.070(c), which says, "The actual effective date and time of an Act having an immediate-effective-date provision is 12:01 a.m., Alaska Standard Time, on the day after it is signed by the governor or on the day after the governor's veto is overridden or on the day after expiration of the period allowed for gubernatorial action by art. II, Sec. 17 of the Alaska Constitution. 9:07:32 AM KATHY HANSEN, INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF VICTIMS' RIGHTS (via teleconference), spoke in support of the legislation. 9:10:34 AM Co-Chair Olson noted that the fiscal note was from Legislative Affairs. 9:10:49 AM JESSICA GEARY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, discussed the fiscal note attached to the bill. 9:11:50 AM MEGAN WALLACE, CHIEF COUNSEL, LEGISLATIVE LEGAL SERVICES, ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE, stated that she was available for questions. Co-Chair Olson wondered how the oversight worked with increases for some but not others. Ms. Wallace replied that the increases associated with HB 226 came into the bill late in session via an amendment. Co-Chair Olson OPENED public testimony. 9:13:30 AM HERMAN MORGAN, SELF, ANIAK (via teleconference), spoke to issues in rural Alaska. Co-Chair Olson asked what the testimony had to do with the bill. Mr. Morgan stated that the parents of victims had suffered. Co-Chair Olson CLOSED public testimony. 9:20:04 AM Ms. Gray-Jackson explained that there were notes that stated that $75,000, so the attorneys had received an increase. SB 81 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration.