SENATOR TAYLOR introduced CSHB 113(FIN) (CHARITABLE & TELEPHONIC SOLICITING/SALES) as the next order of business. JUDY MATHIS, staff to Representative Ron Larson, who is prime sponsor of HB 113, related that Jim Forbes, an Assistant Attorney General in Anchorage, was the drafter of the legislation and that he would present a brief overview on the legislation. JIM FORBES explained that the legislation covers two different types of fraud which are telemarketing and charitable solicitation fraud. Mr. Forbes said based on FBI and Federal Trade Commission estimates, Alaskans may be losing in the neighborhood of $20 million a year to a specific type of telemarketing process the bill targets. Alaska is one of the very few states that doesn't have any type of regulations on the subject. It has been found that the telemarketers target elderly people and rural Alaskans, in particular. Number 201 SENATOR LITTLE asked how the legislation would affect legitimate nonprofit organizations in the state who would normally conduct a telephonic fund raising campaign. JIM FORBES said the legislation requires that anybody who solicits or expects to raise more than $5,000 in a single year to register with the Department of Law. It is the department's intent, through regulations, to make that registration process as painless as possible, and they hope to be able to roll it in to the requirement that they renew their corporate status every two years with the corporation's commission. Number 235 SENATOR TAYLOR asked for the pleasure of the committee. SENATOR HALFORD moved that the CSHB 113(FIN) be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.