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Senate Judiciary Committee adopts CS for SB 207, adds 48-hour notice and expands family protections
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee adopted a committee substitute for SB 207 that inserts a 48-hour waiting period before forcible turnover of a dwelling, expands the definition of "immediate family," removes certain fee provisions, and adds a cap tied to one month's fair market rent. The committee reported the bill out with individual recommendations.
The Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee on May 1 adopted a committee substitute (version H) for Senate Bill 207, a property-possession measure that revises notice and service procedures and expands who qualifies as an "immediate family member" for certain possession requests.
Senate staff attorney Serena Heckamiller summarized the major edits included in the CS: removal of a prior requirement that a requester pay a fee for service, insertion of a new requirement that after a verified request the person serving notice "shall serve the occupant with notice to vacate and deliver possession of the dwelling unit to the owner within 48 hours," and the addition of a cap described in the CS as "an amount not to exceed three times the value of one month of fair market rent for the dwelling unit." The CS also expands the definition of "immediate family member" to include domestic partners, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews and deleted a former section 8 of the bill.
"Section 1 ... after a request has been verified under subsection d of this section, the owner, agent, a peace officer shall serve the occupant with notice to vacate and deliver possession of the dwelling unit to the owner within 48 hours," Heckamiller told the committee while walking through line edits.
Sponsor Senator Bjorkman said he appreciated the additions for extended family protections and said the 48-hour waiting period was an "interesting development" that merited committee consideration. After discussion, Senator Kiel moved that the committee report out the CS for SB 207 with individual recommendations and any attached or forthcoming fiscal notes. Chair Klayman recorded no objections and the bill moved from committee.
The committee noted fiscal notes may be attached later; the report out was taken by unanimous consent. The bill will proceed with the committee's recommendations and any fiscal documentation as it moves through the legislative process.
