HB 333 BAR MEMBERSHIP:PUBLIC DEFENDER/ADVOCATE  REPRESENTATIVE SEAN PARNELL, sponsor of HB 333, stated the bill was suggested to his office by John Salemi, the Public Defender. HB 333 allows the Public Defender Agency and Office of Public Advocacy to employ a person for ten months who is waiting to pass the bar exam. The privilege is currently accorded to the District Attorney's Office, and according to Mr. Salemi, HB 333 will enable him to hold costs down and help in recruiting public defenders. Number 278 JOHN SALEMI, of the Public Defender Agency, stated HB 333 is a housekeeping matter. The Department of Law already has, by statute, the opportunity to hire recent law school graduates who are not yet members of the Alaska Bar Association. The statute was passed before either the Office of Public Advocacy or the Public Defender Agency was in existence. Including those two offices in statute will expand the pool of available applicants for public defender and OPA staff attorney positions. That will enable both offices to recruit qualified individuals especially for positions in rural or Bush offices as it is difficult to find an adequate number of applicants to consider for those positions. Expanding the pool of applicants to include recent law school graduates will help to keep costs down. Number 325 SENATOR GREEN moved HB 333 from committee with individual recommendations. There being no objection, the motion carried.