SB 202-PROHIBIT STATE SPENDING FOR REAL ID ACT  CHAIR FRENCH announced the consideration of SB 202. 1:34:43 PM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI noted the previous hearings, and said an issue that's come up is whether or not the bill will impact the Division of Motor Vehicle's (DMV) ability to continue to do best practices. He suggested that his staff member explain how other states with similar provisions have confronted the issue. CHAIR FRENCH remarked that this goes to his concern about whether the bill gives clear direction to the court and others should a suit result due to the implementation of the law. The question is whether DMV will know what it can and cannot spend money on, and whether a judge looking at a suit brought under this statute will know what money can and cannot be spent on. GEORGE ASCOTT, staff to Senator Wielechowski explained that Montana, Washington, and Maine all passed legislation rejecting Real ID. None of those states indicated that doing so prevented them from conducting best practices, regardless of whether the practices coincidentally complied with some aspect of Real ID. Officials from each state seemed somewhat surprised at the suggestion that this would be an issue. In fact, they saw the legislation as reinforcing the state's ability to make its own decisions. Mr. Luckhaupt, the drafter of this legislation, agrees that under this legislation the administration could continue to conduct and implement best practices as long as it wasn't done specifically to comply with Real ID. Thus, he said, there is no need to amend SB 202. CHAIR FRENCH summarized that he spoke with three states and the legislative drafter all of whom said that this legislation has not and would not prevent continued efforts to make driver's licenses secure. 1:38:52 PM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI added that some of those states have the most secure driver's licenses in the country. Those states were aiming to prevent the sharing of their databases with other states, which is what this bill does. That sharing exposes citizens to substantial security risk, he said. CHAIR FRENCH said his concerns are satisfied. SENATOR HUGGINS referred to an issue that came up in Fairbanks and Anchorage with respect to not using state money for enforcing federal immigration provisions, and asked if there might be similar unintended consequences with this bill. 1:40:43 PM MR. ASCOTT relayed that, based on the recommendations of the 911 Commission, Maine is considering implementing a residency requirement to obtain a driver's license or an ID card. It's one of the few states that doesn't already have that requirement and although it would comply with Real ID, state officials don't foresee any problem. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI added that it's already against the law for illegal immigrants to get an Alaska driver's license. "In our opinion, this will not impede the state's ability to deal with illegal immigrants in any way," he said. CHAIR FRENCH found no further questions, comments, or observations and asked for a motion. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI motioned to report SB 202 from committee with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note. CHAIR FRENCH announced that without objection, SB 202 is moved from Senate Judiciary Standing Committee. At ease from 1:42:19 PM to1:43:03 PM