HB 8-POWERS OF ATTORNEY                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:52:24 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MCGUIRE  announced the consideration  of HB 8.  She relayed                                                               
that this  is the second  hearing, public testimony is  open, and                                                               
there is a proposed committee substitute.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:53:10 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COSTELLO moved to adopt  SCS CSHB 8, labeled 29-LS0055\L,                                                               
as the working document.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MCGUIRE  announced that  without  objection  version L  is                                                               
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:53:33 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY HUGHES,  Alaska State Legislature, sponsor                                                               
of  HB 8,  thanked  the  Chair for  bringing  the  bill back  for                                                               
consideration.  She described  HB 8  as a  top priority  for many                                                               
groups representing  seniors and noted  it is the  culmination of                                                               
three year's work.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:54:01 PM                                                                                                                    
GINGER BLAISDELL, Staff,  Representative Shelley Hughes, reviewed                                                               
the changes between version G and version L of HB 8.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 5, lines 2 and 10:                                                                                                    
          Change "seven" to "five".                                                                                             
     Page 5, line 13:                                                                                                           
          Change "five" to "three".                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Explanation:                                                                                                               
     Three  amendments change  the wait  times by  two fewer                                                                    
     days,  for  businesses  and financial  institutions  to                                                                    
     honor the Agent's  powers. When the Agent  is acting on                                                                    
     behalf of  the Principle in honesty,  reducing the wait                                                                    
     time  to   less  than  two  weeks,   could  reduce  the                                                                    
     possibility  for unforeseen  consequences.  A delay  to                                                                    
     recognize the  POA could result  in late  payments with                                                                    
     fees  and  can  cause   undue  stress  and  unnecessary                                                                    
     administrative burden on the Agent.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 7, lines 3-10:                                                                                                        
          Delete all material.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber remaining bill sections accordingly.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Explanation:                                                                                                               
     This amendment  is a conforming  amendment so  that the                                                                    
     Power  of   Attorney  language  adopted  in   this  Act                                                                    
     eliminates  duplicative language  that is  provided for                                                                    
     in  the   Recognition  of   Substitute  Decision-Making                                                                    
     Documents provisions in Section 27 (renumbered).                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 8, lines 7-13:                                                                                                        
          Delete: "Mark the box of "NO" that is opposite a                                                                      
     category  below to  indicate that  you  are not  giving                                                                    
     your agent or  agents the power in  that category. Mark                                                                    
     a box for every category. If  you do not mark either of                                                                    
     the boxes opposite  a category, or if you  mark both of                                                                    
     the boxes"                                                                                                                 
          Insert" "If you do not mark a box"                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Page 8, line 21 through Page 9, line 10:                                                                                   
     Remove the "NO" column                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 13, lines 23-26:                                                                                                      
          Delete: "(5) if the principal has failed to mark                                                                      
     either of the  "Yes" or "No" boxes  opposite a category                                                                    
     of  power, or  if  the principal  has  marked both  the                                                                    
     "Yes" or "No"  boxes opposite a category  of power, the                                                                    
     agent does not have the power in that category."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Explanation:                                                                                                               
     Three  amendments change  the statutory  form to  offer                                                                    
     only  a  "Yes" column  for  the  principal to  indicate                                                                    
     which  powers  are  to  be  given  to  the  agent.  The                                                                    
     amendments remove additional instruction on completing                                                                     
     the form to fit a single option response rather than a                                                                     
     "yes" - "no" option.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 38, lines 16-17:                                                                                                      
          Delete "Except as provided in AS 13.26.331, a"                                                                        
          Insert "A"                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Explanation:                                                                                                               
     This amendment  is a conforming  amendment so  that the                                                                    
     Power  of   Attorney  language  adopted  in   this  Act                                                                    
     eliminates  duplicative language  that was  provided in                                                                    
     Section 5.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:55:17 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  COGHILL   described  the  current  version   as  a  good                                                               
compromise.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COSTELLO  thanked  the  sponsor  for  working  with  the                                                               
committee to add protections for seniors.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:56:21 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COGHILL  moved to report the  Senate CS for CS  for HB 8,                                                               
labeled    29-LS0055\L,    from   committee    with    individual                                                               
recommendations and attached zero fiscal note.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE  announced that without objection,  SCS CSHB 8(JUD)                                                               
is reported from the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee.