SB 150-DMVA COMMISSIONER MEMBER OF CDVSA  9:10:51 AM CHAIR STOLTZE announced the consideration of SB 150 and moved to adopt Amendment 1, labeled 29-GS2797\A.2: AMENDMENT 1 OFFERED IN THE SENATE TO SB 150 Page 1, line 2, following "Assault": Insert "; and relating to the duties of the  Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault" Page 2, following line 13: Insert a new bill section to read:  "* Sec. 3. AS 18.66.050 is amended to read: Sec. 18.66.050. Duties of the council. The council shall (1) Hire an executive director, and the executive director may hire staff; the executive director is in the exempt service under AS 39.25.110 and staff members are in the classified service under AS 39.25.100; (2) Elect one of its members as presiding officer; (3) In consultation with authorities in the field, develop, implement, maintain, and monitor domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention programs, including educational programs, films, and school curricula on the cause, prevention, and treatment of domestic violence and sexual assault; (4) Coordinate services provided by the Department of Law, the Department of Education and Early Development, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Military  and Veterans' Affairs, and other state agencies and community groups dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention, and provide technical assistance as requested by those state agencies and community groups; (5) Develop and implement a standardized data collection system on domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention; (6) Conduct public hearings and studies on issues relating to violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault, and on issues relating to the role of crisis intervention and prevention; (7) Receive and dispense state and federal money and award grants and contracts from appropriations for the purpose to qualified local community entities for domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention programs; (8) Oversee and audit domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention programs that receive money under this chapter; (9) Provide fiscal and technical assistance to plan, organize, implement, and administer domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention programs; (10) Make an annual report to the governor on the activities of the council, plans of the council for new services and programs, and concerns of the council, including recommendations for legislation necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter; the council shall notify the legislature that the report is available; (11) Adopt regulations in accordance with AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) to carry out the purposes of this chapter and to protect the health, safety, well-being, and privacy of persons receiving services financed with grants or contracts under this chapter; (12) Consult with the Department of Health and Social Services in the formulation of standards and procedures for the delivery of services to victims of domestic violence by health care facilities and practitioners of healing arts and personnel in those facilities as required in AS 18.66.300; (13) Consult with the Alaska Police Standards Council and other police training programs in the state to develop training programs regarding domestic violence for police officers and for correction, probation, and parole officers; (14) Consult with public employers, the Alaska Supreme Court, school districts, and prosecuting authorities who are required by AS 18.66.300 - 18.66.310 to provide continuing education courses in domestic violence to employees." SENATOR COGHILL objected for discussion purposes. 9:11:02 AM DANIEL GEORGE, Staff, Senator Stoltze, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained that Amendment 1 catches an oversight to add the commissioner for the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (DMVA) to the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA). SENATOR COGHILL removed his objection. CHAIR STOLTZE announced that no further objection was heard and Amendment 1 was adopted. 9:12:25 AM CHAIR STOLTZE moved to adopt Amendment 2, labeled 29-GS2797\A.1: AMENDMENT 2 OFFERED IN THE SENATE TO SB 150 Page 2, line 7, following "affairs": Insert "who shall serve ex officio as a nonvoting  member of the council" SENATOR COGHILL objected for discussion purposes. MR. GEORGE said two letters were presented to the committee that addressed Amendment 2. They were from the commissioner of DMVA and the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. SENATOR COGHILL commented that the amendment would make the DMVA commissioner an ex officio, non-voting member for CDVSA. CHAIR STOLTZE explained that the purpose for ex officio status was not to alter CDVSA's public balance as well as keep the fiscal note from occurring on the bill. He said a sensitivity existed to not have an outnumbering of government officials over public members. CHAIR STOLTZE opened public testimony. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if Commissioner Hummel supported Amendment 2 for SB 150. 9:13:59 AM LAURIE HUMMEL, Commissioner, Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA), Anchorage, Alaska, replied that she opposed making commissioners non-voting members on the administration's own boards, commissions and councils. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI pointed out that the concern was an imbalance would occur with her appointment. He asked if Commissioner Hummel agreed that the concern was valid. COMMISSIONER HUMMEL voiced that she was concerned about an imbalance and recommended that an additional public member be added to the board. CHAIR STOLTZE asked if the administration proposed adding a public member when introducing the bill. COMMISSIONER HUMMEL replied that she did not believe there was a discussion. 9:16:40 AM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI pointed out that CDVSA's current membership already had five commissioners and four public members. He asked if the committee wanted to add more public members. CHAIR STOLTZE commented that SB 150 was not his bill, but added that he did not want to further promote CDVSA's imbalance. He opined that the administration could have offered alternatives for the imbalance. SENATOR HUGGINS commented that the bill was a prime example of being careful before asking for something where the state's price tag for doing business was driven up. 9:18:22 AM JAYNE ANDREEN, President, Alaska Public Health Association, Douglas, Alaska, testified in opposition to Amendment 2 and voiced her support for a balanced board. She shared her history of serving on CDVSA's board and discussed the importance of having a balanced board. She set forth that public members have an important voice whose primary role is serving as a coordinating entity. 9:20:50 AM CHAIR STOLTZE noted that each commissioner has a strong voice and could serve as ex-officio members. He suggested that all commissioners should be ex officio. He stated that Amendment 2 was the most cost effective way to not disrupt the balance and make sure that the public votes were at least at par. He noted that fiscal notes for board costs have been appropriately scrutinized and opined that the cost for adding another member would be better served going to victims' services. 9:22:13 AM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI pointed out that SB 150 would make the CDVSA board 6-commissioners and 4-public members. He said there was a reluctance to spend more money on additional public members. He asked Ms. Andreen if she would support an imbalanced board. MS. ANDREEN replied that she would support adding another public member. CHAIR STOLTZE commented that the 2014 gubernatorial race involved DMVA discussions by the governor where arrests would be made. He opined that the attorney general's office has had a muted response to DMVA. SENATOR MCGUIRE asked if there was anything in CDVSA's meetings that prevented any commissioner or lawmakers from addressing the council. 9:25:30 AM LAUREE MORTON, Executive Director, Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Juneau, Alaska, answered no. She specified that CDVSA's meetings were open to the public with stated comment periods. She revealed that CDVSA has issue-specific days where guest speakers were invited. SENATOR MCGUIRE asked if there has been an instance where a request to attend was denied. 9:27:14 AM MS. MORTON answered no, not during her tenure since 2011. SENATOR MCGUIRE opined that SB 150 was a solution in search of a problem. She stated that she did not think politicizing CDVSA was appropriate. She set forth that she did not support the amendment. CHAIR STOLTZE explained that the amendment was offered as kind of a placeholder to facilitate a discussion. He remarked that he was comfortable with sending SB 150 forward to Senator McKinnon in the Senate Finance Committee. SENATOR MCGUIRE replied that she was not comfortable with the power imbalance created by the amendment. She requested that the SB 150 be held in committee. CHAIR STOLTZE stated that the bill would be held for the administration to address the committee's issues. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked Ms. Morton to comment on SB 150 and Amendment 2. MS. MORTON replied that the council was neutral on the bill and would accept the decision. She revealed that state members absorb costs within their own departments to participate and the council provides cost for public members that would amount to an approximate $2,500 fiscal note. She set forth that both costs and balance were important. CHAIR STOLTZE asked Mr. Christensen from the University of Alaska to address the committee. He inquired if there was a problem with sexual assault and domestic violence on the university's campuses. 9:32:49 AM CHRIS CHRISTENSEN, Associate Vice President of State Relations, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, replied that there were issues with violence on the university campus. He detailed that rates tended to be lower than rates in the general population, but the university was very concerned. He explained that the university aggressively focuses on following Title IX rules as well. CHAIR STOLTZE asked if there was a problem whether revealed or hidden regarding sexual assaults on campuses. MR. CHRISTENSEN replied that there was a problem. He specified that some problems were stranger-on-stranger violence that was found in the rest of the state and some were dating-related violence where alcohol and drugs were a significant part. CHAIR STOLTZE opined that sexual assaults on campuses was not raised in the campaign and were really concealed because the university does not want to talk about it. He asserted that a university person should be on be a member on the CDVSA board. CHAIR STOLTZE announced that SB 150 would be held in committee. [Amendment 2 was pending.]