Alaska State Legislature

News From The House Majority

Ken Freeman, Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Legislation Seeks To Return Runaway's To Home

For Immediate Release: March 14, 1997 Contact: Rep. Pete Kelly (907) 465-2327

JUNEAU - Giving parents the authority to require their children to stay home is the intent of legislation passed by the Senate Friday. HB 45, sponsored by Representative Pete Kelly

(R-Fairbanks), takes away erroneous statutory authority allowing a minor to refuse to return home or accept available care.

"HB 45 attempts to address the first week or two of a runaway's experience when it is the most dangerous for them," said Kelly. "If we are going to help runaway's in that first week we have to know where they are. We can't know where they are if they control the decision of whether or not to return home," said Kelly.

"This bill takes that decision away from the minor and places in the hands of the parents and police. There is already a mechanism in place to move them into another safe environment if going home is not appropriate based on the police officer's judgment," said Kelly.

HB 45 provides a technical correction to legislation sponsored by Representative Pete Kelly last year which was combined with Senator Steve Frank's legislation on runaway's following the last legislative session. Kelly said when these two bills were combined a core piece of Senator Frank's legislation was lost. The provisions of HB 45 corrects that.

"When we read the paper and learn of juveniles committing crime, vandalism, or living on the streets, many times we ask ourselves, 'Where are the parents?'," said Kelly. "When you see youth out on the street late at night it is not just the parents who are at fault. State law, in many cases, gives these children veto power over their parent's decision for the minor's return home," said Kelly.

Senator Gary Wilken, who carried HB 45 in the Senate, said it is not appropriate for the state to give minors authority to refuse to accept available care.

"Under the provision of HB 45, when the police find a minor, they are required to return the minor to the minor's home, or to a shelter or location agreed to by the parent and minor," said Wilken.

Michael Corkill President of the Alaska Peace Officers Association (APOA) which supports the bill, said the APOA believes runaway's should not have the right of refusal or choice as to where they should live.

"We feel this decision should lie with the minor's parent, legal guardian, or, in remote cases, a peace officer," said Sergeant Corkhill.

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