ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE  May 1, 2023 1:18 p.m. DRAFT MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Sarah Vance, Chair Representative Jamie Allard, Vice Chair Representative Ben Carpenter Representative Craig Johnson Representative David Eastman Representative Andrew Gray Representative Cliff Groh MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE BILL NO. 129 "An Act relating to voter registration; and providing for an effective date." - HEARD & HELD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 129 SHORT TITLE: VOTER REGISTRATION SPONSOR(s): JUDICIARY 03/22/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/22/23 (H) STA, JUD 03/28/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120 03/28/23 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard 03/30/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120 03/30/23 (H) Heard & Held 03/30/23 (H) MINUTE(STA) 04/27/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120 04/27/23 (H) Moved CSHB 129(STA) Out of Committee 04/27/23 (H) MINUTE(STA) 04/28/23 (H) STA RPT CS(STA) 5DP 2AM 04/28/23 (H) DP: CARPENTER, C.JOHNSON, ALLARD, WRIGHT, SHAW 04/28/23 (H) AM: ARMSTRONG, STORY 05/01/23 (H) JUD AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120 WITNESS REGISTER JAKE ALMEIDA, Staff Representative Sarah Vance Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Presented CSHB 129(STA), on behalf of Representative Vance, prime sponsor. CAROL BEECHER, Director Division of Elections Office of the Lieutenant Governor Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on CSHB 129(STA). MICHAELA THOMPSON Division of Elections Office of the Lieutenant Governor Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on CSHB 129(STA). THOMAS FLYNN, Assistant Attorney General Department of Law Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on CSHB 129(STA). NOAH KLEIN, Attorney Legislative Legal Services Legislative Affairs Agency Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on CSHB 129(STA). ACTION NARRATIVE 1:18:41 PM CHAIR SARAH VANCE called the House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:18 p.m. Representatives C. Johnson, Gray, Allard, and Vance were present at the call to order. Representatives Carpenter, Eastman, and Groh arrived as the meeting was in progress. HB 129-VOTER REGISTRATION  1:19:12 PM CHAIR VANCE announced that the only order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 129, "An Act relating to voter registration; and providing for an effective date." [Before the committee was CSHB 129(STA)]. 1:19:58 PM JAKE ALMEIDA, Staff, Representative Sarah Vance, Alaska State Legislature, presented CSHB 129(STA), on behalf of Representative Vance, prime sponsor. He paraphrased the sponsor statement [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: House Bill 129 tackles Alaska's over-inflated voter rolls that are estimated to be around 113 percent! The challenge facing the Division of Elections to maintain current and accurate voter rolls is exacerbated by a highly transit population, automatic voter registration on the Permanent Fund Dividend application, and a current law that allows people to stay registered in the state as long as they have an "intent of returning." HB 129 addresses these concerns by requiring the director to send letters to confirm the address of all voters not domiciled in Alaska and an easier system to cancel voter registration. Furthermore, this bill adopts the best practices for verifying valid Alaskan voter status with multiple databases. Alaska is currently part of the ERIC system and does not have a 50-state data comparison in place to assure those voting in Alaska are domiciled in-state or are qualified to vote in our elections. This bill mandates adoption of a best practice voter registration system with a written maintenance schedule. The foundation of secure and trustworthy elections begins with accurate voter rolls. Over-registering voters makes our election system inaccurate and vulnerable to the actions of bad actors. Compromised data invites those with nefarious intent to exploit inactive voters and invites those who do not live in Alaska to influence our elections. HB 129 provides clear direction to help clean up our voter rolls to reflect a more accurate representation of the Alaskan electorate to build trust in our election system! MR. ALMEIDA noted that in the version before the committee, CSHB 129(STA), Section 1 had been re-written to exclude the word "domicile," which was used in the original version of the bill. 1:24:41 PM MR. ALMEIDA began a PowerPoint presentation, titled "HB 129 Voter Registration" [hard copy included in the committee packet]. He addressed Alaska's 106 percent voter registration rate on slide 2, which he related to a transient population, ambiguous "intent of retuning" language in Alaska Statutes, and permanent fund dividend (PFD) automatic voter registration. 1:25:30 PM REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asserted that to her knowledge, Alaska had a voter registration rate of 120 percent. She asked whether the 106 percent voter registration rate had been confirmed the by Division of Elections (DOE). MR. ALMEIDA directed the question to DOE. 1:26:43 PM CAROL BEECHER, Director, Division of Elections (DOE), Office of the Lieutenant Governor, deferred to Ms. Thompson. 1:27:00 PM MICHAELA THOMPSON, Division of Elections (DOE), Office of the Lieutenant Governor, offered to follow up with the requested information. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asked whether the question of Alaska's voter registration rate had been posed to the division in the past and questioned where the 120 percent figure came from. MS. THOMPSON did not know the answer. She said [Alaska's voter registration rate] was not a figure that was previously reported on. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD sought to confirm that DOE did not know the voter registration rate in the state of Alaska at present. MS. THOMPSON confirmed. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD requested that Ms. Thompson provide the information before the end of the bill hearing. MS. THOMPSON said she would try. 1:28:43 PM MR. ALMEIDA resumed the presentation on slide 3, titled "Division of Elections Shall Adopt Regulations," which listed the following components of the bill: annual review, review data breaches, compare eligible voters, specify databases, maintenance schedule, and registration cancelation. 1:29:24 PM MR. ALMEIDA continued to slide 4, titled "Annual Review," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: January of each year, the director shall examine the master register, and shall send a notice requesting address confirmation or correction to each voter The notice must explain to the voter that their registration will be inactivated unless they respond within 45 days. If a voter does not respond within 45 days, the director shall inactivate the voter's registration. 1:29:51 PM MR. ALMEIDA proceeded to slide 5, titled "Review Data Breaches," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Regulations must provide for review of the register for data breaches,... State officials said "outside actors" accessed the data through a flaw in the online voter registration system, which has since been patched. They were able to pull registered voters' names, dates of birth, state identification numbers, last four digits of Social Security numbers, addresses and party affiliations. (Party affiliations, names and addresses are already publicly available through the state's voter information database.) ADN article Dec. 3, 2020 1:30:45 PM MR. ALMEIDA advanced to slide 6, titled "Compare Eligible Voters," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Compare Persons eligible to vote in the state, • deceased voters • felons • not qualified to vote under AS 15.05 • persons registered to vote in another state 1:31:05 PM MR. ALMEIDA moved to slide 7, titled "Specify Databases," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: The regulations must specify records and databases for use in reviewing the master register; • USPS National Change of Address Database • Electronic Registration Information Center • DMV records • Department of Corrections • Property & Sales Tax Records • Social Security Records • Municipal Assessor Database • Social Security Administration Death Index • Alien Database by Homeland Security • Jury Duty Records 1:32:08 PM MR. ALMEIDA concluded on slide 8, titled "Maintenance Schedule," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: The director shall develop a written maintenance schedule and guideline manual for the system • provide a report on the system to the Legislature on the first day of session • inform a voter of the criteria to qualify as a voter and penalties for misconduct. 1:32:58 PM MR. ALMEIDA presented the sectional analysis for CSHB 129(STA), which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Section 1: Amends AS 15.07.130(a) to require the director to send a notice requesting address confirmation, to individuals who have taken actions to indicate a potential change in their residency in the state. Section 2: Amends AS 15.07.130(b) to allow the director to remove someone from the master register if they do not respond within 45 days to the notice mailed to them under (a) of section 1. Section 3: Amends AS 15.07.130(d) to ensure the division includes a postage prepaid and pre-addressed return card with the notice mailed out to the voter under (a) of section 1. It also outlines 4 sets of criteria that the notice must indicate. Section 4: Adds new sections to AS 15.07.130 that requires the division to adopt best practice regulations to ensure that multiple databases are used to cross check the master register utilizing multiple databases. Further requires best practice voter registration system and a written maintenance schedule. Section 5: Adds a new section to AS 15.07 that requires the director to develop a voter cancelation policy to enhance voter roll accuracy. Section 6: Uncodified effective date. 1:38:14 PM REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD expressed concern about "the 45 days" and asked whether certain individuals were exempt from that requirement. MR. ALMEIDA asked whether Representative Allard was referring to Section 2 of the bill. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD answered yes. She pointed out that 45 days may not be enough time for military personnel or people overseas to respond [to the notice mailed under Section 1 of the bill]. She asked for further insight into the requirement. MR. ALMEIDA deferred to Mr. Flynn. He noted that Ms. Beecher expressed no concern regarding the 45-day notice requirement in the previous committee of referral. 1:40:27 PM THOMAS FLYNN, Assistant Attorney General, Department of Law (DOL), clarified that the 45-day notice requirement was unchanged from existing statute. Whether the 45-day timeframe was reasonable, he added, was a policy decision for the committee. He noted that an inactivated voter's status would be reactivated by voting. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD opined that the 45-day notice requirement would need to be extended for snowbirds and people traveling overseas. She referred to slide 5 and questioned the definition of "patched," in addition to who breached the system and whether there were consequences. MR. ALMEIDA noted that slide 5 referenced the data breach that occurred two to three years ago. He directed the question to Ms. Beecher. 1:42:10 PM MS. BEECHER offered to follow up with the requested information. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD took issue with the term "outside actors," explaining that she preferred the word "hackers." Additionally, she sought clarification on out-of-state licenses and whether that would impact a person's status on the voter registration list. MR. ALMEIDA shared the example of snowbirds that hold out-of- state licenses and maintain their primary residency in Alaska. He pointed out that some states may require those individuals to obtain a driver's license if they choose to live there for more than 30 days. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD considered the example of a military member who moved to Alaska. She asked whether the individual would be required to obtain a driver's license after residing in the state for more than 30 days. She expressed concern that if a snowbird was required to obtain a driver's license in another state, that person would be automatically registered to vote in that state. 1:45:16 PM CHAIR VANCE directed attention to paragraph (2) beginning on page 1 of the bill, which required the division to send notice to voters who have not contacted the divisions or voted in the two years preceding the examination of the register; or voters who, in the two years preceding the examination of the register, had performed certain actions in other states, such as registering to vote in another state; receiving a driver's license from another state; or registering a vehicle in another state. If those voters do not respond to the notice within 45 days, the division would move them to the inactive voter registration list. She noted that a voter's inactive status could be reactivated by voting. Consequently, a person with a license in another state would not be automatically "booted" from the voter registration list. 1:46:55 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN shared a personal anecdote. He asked whether the sponsor would be amenable to exempting active-duty military members from some of the requirements [in Section 1 of the bill]. CHAIR VANCE sought insight on the current process for military members who reside overseas. MR. FLYNN shared his understanding that military members were not treated differently in terms of voter registration. He directed the question to the division. 1:49:45 PM MS. BEECHER did not know the answer. She deferred to Ms. Thompson. MS. THOMPSON stated that military members and overseas voters were federally exempt from needing an "intent to return," adding that these individuals were allowed to vote in the state where they last established residency. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked whether that answered Representative Eastman's question. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN answered no. He asked whether there was interest in creating an exemption for active-duty military members. CHAIR VANCE said she was open to discussing the suggestion with Legislative Legal Services. She noted that she added the ability to respond via email to "close the gap" on postcards lost in the mail and to modernize the process. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD expressed concern that exempting military members would "tangle things up" because the intent to return "filters into the PFD," which is correlated with the voter rolls. 1:51:58 PM REPRESENTATIVE GROH inquired about the current practice for [inactivating a voter on the voter registration list]. MS. BEECHER sought to clarify the question. She asked whether Representative Groh was referring to paragraph (3) on page 2 of the bill. REPRESENTATIVE GROH confirmed. He asked what actions were taken by the division in terms of "checking expiration." Further, he asked whether current practices already accomplished some of the bill's intent. MS. BEECHER detailed the division's current notification practices in addition to methods for examining the master register. She noted that currently, the division did not have access to the information required for subparagraphs (C)-(F) in paragraph (3). 1:55:50 PM REPRESENTATIVE GROH inquired about the process for obtaining the information. MS. BEECHER directed the question to Ms. Thompson. MS. THOMPSON replied that it depends on the data. Final statistics on deceased voters, for example, allowed for immediate removal from the list. Alternatively, when the division received information from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) system, a mailer was sent out to voters with the opportunity to respond. REPRESENTATIVE GROH questioned the difference between inactivating and revoking a voter's registration status. MS. THOMPSON explained that inactivate status was the result of a voter registering in another state. Revocation, she continued, occurred when a voter commits a felony crime of moral turpitude. REPRESENTATIVE GROH recalled a discussion about withdrawing Alaska from the ERIC system. He requested a more thorough explanation of ERIC and inquired about the state's current relationship with the organization. 1:58:48 PM MS. THOMPSON directed the question to Ms. Beecher. MS. BEECHER described ERIC as a "member organization" with 27 state participants. Every 60 days, Alaska, as a participating member, provided information from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the voter registration list. The data was then compiled by the ERIC system into lists of eligible but not registered voters; registered voters who were registered in another state; individuals who died in another state; and other information germane to Alaska. The data from ERIC was used by the division to update the state's voter registration list, she said. REPRESENTATIVE GROH sought clarification on whether Alaska intended to maintain its membership in ERIC. MS. BEECHER said the division was evaluating the efficacy of the ERIC system and looking to see what other states decide to do. She stated that at this time, no decision had been made. REPRESENTATIVE GROH referred to Section 5 of the bill, which created a process for the director to cancel registration. He suggested that if there were a process for voters to remove themselves, a form should be mailed to voters along with their voter packet. MS. BEECHER deferred to Ms. Thompson. MS. THOMPSON explained that the current postcard allowed voters to respond in writing, by email, or by phone. She noted that under current law, voters were allowed to cancel their registration in writing or by phone regardless of receiving an ERIC mailer. 2:02:04 PM REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asked how many voters were removed from the voter registration list in 2021. MS. BEECHER offered to follow up with the requested information. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD opined that the division seemed unprepared for this meeting. She asked what would happen if an Alaskan voter voted in another state. MS. BEECHER shared her understanding that a registered voter was allowed to vote in another state as long as he/she did not vote in Alaska [in the same election]. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD rephrased the question. She considered a scenario in which a voter voted in both Alaska and another state in the same election and asked how the division would respond. MS. BEECHER said generally, the division would contact or be contacted by the other state, which would initiate an investigation to determine whether the act was criminal. REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD remarked, "I have a whole list of names to give you from the municipality." 2:04:25 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRAY cited AS 15.07.130 and sought to clarify what language was being added by the proposed legislation. 2:05:10 PM The committee took an at-ease from 2:05 p.m. to 2:13 p.m. 2:13:12 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRAY observed that many of the statutory changes were small. He asked how the bill would change [AS 15.07.130] in a substantive way. 2:14:01 PM NOAH KLEIN, Attorney, Legislative Legal Services, Legislative Affairs Agency (LAA), shared his understanding that the sponsor gave a sectional analysis, which he proceeded to summarize. 2:16:06 PM MR. ALMEIDA noted that the language on page 1, line 6 of the bill would most likely need to be changed, as the [National Voter Registration Act] did not allow states to send a single notice of nonforwardable mail. For that reason, "nonforwardable" on page 1, line 6, would likely need to be amended to "forwardable" to comply with federal law. 2:17:13 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN referred to page 1, line 4 of the bill, and asked whether discretion would be given to the director to send additional notices. MR. KLINE acknowledged that under current law, discretion was provided regarding the timing of the notice. He clarified that the language was not providing discretion for the director to send notice for additional reasons. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN asked which of the requirements beginning on page 2, line 3 were coming from federal law versus [the legislature's] "own ideas as a state." MR. KLINE declined to speak on policy decisions. He said he was not aware of the list including specific requirements in federal law. 2:20:07 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked how the division would receive the information outlined on page 2, lines 3-14 of the bill. MS. BEECHER replied that ERIC offered DMV data and voter registration information from participating states. In other instances, DOE might be informed by the voters themselves. Additionally, ERIC provided data from the National Change of Address Program, she said. Otherwise, the division did not have a method for receiving data on voters who registered vehicles in other states; received public assistance in another state; served on a jury trial in another state; or obtained a hunting or fishing license in another state. REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked whether DOE would need to find a way to obtain that information should the bill pass. CHAIR VANCE answered yes, adding that she was currently discussing it with the division. She described [subparagraphs (A)-(G)] as "markers to close the gap on people who are no longer residents in the state that may be voting." She explained that she was considering different governmental databases as a means for collecting reliable information on people that should no longer be on Alaska's voter rolls. REPRESENTATIVE GRAY is whether DOE was being mandated to query other states for the information [on page 2, lines 3-14]. CHAIR VANCE replied that the list would provide the division with the authority to contact voters and potentially change their status to inactive on the voter registration list. REPRESENTATIVE GRAY offered a personal anecdote, sharing that he had never notified a state after moving. He expressed concern that the verification process could be a drain on resources. MR. ALMEIDA highlighted the "or" on page 2, line 2. 2:25:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN asked whether anything in federal law gave American citizens the right to be registered to vote in two different states simultaneously. MR. ALMEIDA said he was not aware of that. CHAIR VANCE did not know the answer. 2:27:53 PM MR. FLYNN said he was not aware of any requirement in federal law. As a general rule, he added, states manage their own voter list subject to federal laws. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN referred to page 2, line 5, and asked whether anything would prevent Alaska from obstructing a voter's eligibility due to voter registration in another state. MR. FLYNN cited AS 15.05.010(4), which prohibits voters from being registered to vote in another jurisdiction. He shared his understanding that the division would cancel a voter's registration upon notification of such behavior. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN understood the bill language to suggest that a voter's registration would not be automatically cancelled for voting in another state. He asked whether there was "utility in keeping [voters] in the mix." MR. ALMEIDA directed the question to DOE. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN clarified his question, asking why the state would choose to place a voter on inactive status, as opposed to complete removal from the voter registration list upon registering to vote in another state. 2:31:19 PM MS. BEECHER deferred to Mr. Flynn. MR. FLYNN said it depends on how the division obtains the information. He differentiated between suspicions of a voter moving, as opposed to formally receiving the information from another state. In the first instance, a voter would be triggered for list maintenance per [AS 15.07.130]. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN restated his question. He questioned whether a voter would be removed from the voter registration list if the division found out that he/she was registered to vote in another state. MR. FLYNN said if the division was told by the voter that he/she was registered to vote in another state, DOE could take that person at their word. Alternatively, the list maintenance process would be triggered if DOE was informed by ERIC that a voter had moved. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN clarified that he was talking about registering to vote in another state - not moving to another state. MR. FLYNN shared his understanding that the voter would be removed from the voter registration list if the division was informed that he/she had registered to vote in another state. 2:33:46 PM REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asked how many new voters [registered to vote] in the state of Alaska since 2016 to present day. Additionally, she asked how many voters the state had lost since 2016. MS. BEECHER offered to follow up with the requested information. 2:34:40 PM REPRESENTATIVE GROH asked how much it costs Alaska to maintain its membership in ERIC. MS. BEECHER stated that Alaska paid dues each year to be an ERIC member. Further, the type of data compilation and how the state acted on it also added to the membership cost. REPRESENTATIVE GROH sought to confirm that membership in ERIC costs each member state $26,000. He suggested that the cost was worthwhile for the division to continue to receive data from other states. CHAIR VANCE clarified that the bill was not advocating for the state to withdraw from ERIC. Instead, the bill was advising the use of additional government databases to fill the gaps in information. 2:38:02 PM REPRESENTATIVE C. JOHNSON asked whether Alaska had same-day registration. MS. BEECHER confirmed that people were allowed to register on election day for a presidential election; however, she shared her belief that there was a 30-day timeframe for state elections. MS. THOMPSON confirmed that same-day registration was allowed for presidential elections. For all other races, voters must be registered to vote 30 days prior to election day. REPRESENTATIVE C. JOHNSON considered the example of an Arizonian who was traveling to Alaska and asked whether that individual would be required to register in Alaska to vote in the presidential election. MS. THOMPSON replied that the traveler would need to request an absentee ballot. 2:40:20 PM REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD sought to confirm that same-day registrants were only allowed to vote for the president and asked whether those individuals received a different ballot. MS. THOMPSON explained that if an individual were to vote at the polling place and he/she was not on the voting register, that person would vote a question ballot. The question ballot would be sent to the Question Review Board, which would determine that the individual had not been registered by the 30-day registration deadline, making the presidential race the only eligible portion of the ballot. She termed this type of ballot a "partial count ballot." 2:41:40 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRAY sought to confirm that a person could reactivate his/her inactive status by voting. MR. FLYNN answered yes. He described inactive status as a pre- cancellation status, which could be reactivated by contacting the division or attempting to vote. REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked whether a person could reactivate his/her voter registration in Alaska by voting after obtaining a hunting license or registering a vehicle in another state, for example. MR. FLYNN replied yes, as none of those actions would disqualify a person's status as an inactive voter. REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked why nonforwardable mail was unfavorable. MR. ALMEIDA reiterated that the [National Voter Registration Act] of 1993 required last notices to be forwardable. Consequently, Section 1, subsection (a) of the bill was in violation of that law, so "nonforwardable" would need to be changed to "forwardable." REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked why the notice was nonforwardable to begin with. CHAIR VANCE clarified that under current law, the first notice was nonforwardable and the second notice was forwardable. REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked why the first notice was nonforwardable. MR. FLYNN explained that the first notice was nonforwardable because the notice must be returned as undeliverable before the division can send the second notice. The "two-notice scheme," he said, requires the undeliverable aspect that nonforwardable mail provides. 2:45:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN suggested sending one forwardable notice, rather than "[going] through the process, particularly for those things that are eventually going to be returned as unforwardable." MR. FLYNN pointed out that Representative Eastman was criticizing the current statutory scheme. He explained that the undeliverable aspect would no longer be part of the requirement to remove an individual from the voter rolls with the forthcoming amendment, which would change "nonforwardable" to "forwardable" to comply with federal law. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN questioned whether the ballots provided at polling locations were the same as same-day registration ballots. For example, he asked whether there was a "presidential only" ballot. 2:48:15 PM MS. THOMPSON stated that for absentee voting, the "federal only" ballot offered only the federal races for those individuals residing permanently overseas. REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN recalled the existence of a ballot that only allowed voters to vote on the ballot measures. He asked whether that was accurate. MS. THOMPSN replied that the "ballot measure only" ballot existed under the old party primary system. 2:49:45 PM CHAIR VANCE announced that CSHB 129(STA) would be held over. 2:51:04 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:51 p.m.