CSHB 63(FIN)-COUNCIL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: MEMBERS, STAFF  9:56:27 AM CHAIR MENARD announced the consideration CSHB 63(FIN). REPRESENTATIVE ANNA FAIRCLOUGH, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as sponsor, said Alaska has ranked number one in sexual assault in the nation for 28 out of the last 30 years. "We have some horrific numbers in this state ... when it comes to violence." The 25th legislature created a taskforce to relook at how Alaska delivered services to people who experience domestic violence and sexual assault. The taskforce created a report. She was chair of the taskforce and sponsor of the legislation. It had bipartisan and bicameral support. Senator Elton endorsed CSHB 63(FIN). REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said the bill changes the number of council members from seven to nine. It adds one new public member and a member from the Department of Corrections (DOC). The Department of Health and Human Services previously had the DOC under it. This will give the taskforce the opportunity to start talking about prevention as well as accountability, and go through the full spectrum about what happens to the victim and the perpetrator. The bill also requires one of the public members to be from a rural community, and the CS defines that community as having a population of 7,500 or less. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said the bill changes the term of office from two to three years because council members didn't get adequate training and only sometimes saw a budget once during their term. It will give them more historical perspective. There was great controversy in previous years in funding the council. There was concern that the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault is currently written in statute that the governor "shall" talk to the network and review nominations from the council. There is consensus to change that "shall" to "may". She encourages the governor to use the resources of the network, which is a membership program with 19 entities throughout Alaska. The bill clarifies that a public member can't be a state employee. When she was the executive director it seemed like everyone was a state employee. They were all doing a good job, but it didn't feel like there was a true public member. 10:02:16 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said many of the described changes are in Section 1 of the bill. Section 3 changes the quorum requirements. Section 4 changes the employment status of the council staff, except for the executive director, to nonexempt positions. Section 5 modifies the language in statute that deals with exempt employees. Section 6 adds a new subsection dealing with the appointment of a new member on the council. 10:03:44 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said there is a question if staff would have to take a pay decrease to move to nonexempt positions. She also doesn't know if the employees would have a waiting period for health insurance and if preexisting conditions will be covered. She has a conceptual amendment to strip that part of the bill and find out if she can rewrite it. It can also be worked on in committee. The taskforce supported the change because the council staff should not be exposed when governors change, because continuity is important. She doesn't want people to lose benefits or wages. "We were trying to secure their positions currently as they exist today, and let them have that nonexempt position." CHAIR MENARD said she could reschedule the bill for Thursday. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH suggested having the changes refer only to future employees, but that could create an inequity. SENATOR PASKVAN asked why the definition of "rural" is 7,500. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said the other body wanted Bethel to be considered a rural community. There are five different definitions of rural in state statute. That definition may increase the number of applicants to the council. CHAIR MENARD held HB 63 in committee.