Alaska 2023 2023-2024 Regular Session

Alaska House Bill HB238 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 05/07/2024

                     
HB0238C -1- SCS CSHB 238(JUD) 
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33-LS1101\S 
 
 
 
 
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 238(JUD) 
 
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA 
 
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION 
 
BY THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE 
 
Offered:  5/7/24 
Referred:  Rules  
 
Sponsor(s):  REPRESENTATIVES JOSEPHSON, Craig Johnson, Fields, Allard, Galvin, Wright, Schrage, 
Ortiz, Saddler, Cronk, Tomaszewski 
A BILL 
 
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED 
 
"An Act relating to criminal mischief in the third degree; and providing for an effective 1 
date." 2 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3 
   * Section 1. AS 11.46.482(a) is amended to read: 4 
(a)  A person commits the crime of criminal mischief in the third degree if, 5 
having no right to do so or any reasonable ground to believe the person has such a 6 
right,  7 
(1) with intent to damage property of another, the person damages 8 
property of another in an amount of $750 or more;  9 
(2) the person recklessly creates a risk of damage in an amount 10 
exceeding $100,000 to property of another by the use of widely dangerous means; or  11 
(3)  the person knowingly  12 
(A)  defaces, damages, or desecrates a cemetery or the contents 13 
of a cemetery or a tomb, grave, or memorial regardless of whether the tomb, 14    33-LS1101\S 
SCS CSHB 238(JUD) -2- HB0238C 
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grave, or memorial is in a cemetery or whether the cemetery, tomb, grave, or 1 
memorial appears to be abandoned, lost, or neglected;  2 
(B)  removes human remains or associated burial artifacts from 3 
a cemetery, tomb, grave, or memorial regardless of whether the cemetery, 4 
tomb, grave, or memorial appears to be abandoned, lost, or neglected; 5 
(C)  defaces or damages real property that 6 
(i)  has a place of religious education or worship 7 
located on it; and 8 
(ii)  if leased or used by a religious organization and 9 
is part of a larger property, is the part of the property leased or 10 
used by the religious organization, including the access to the entry 11 
of that part of the property; or 12 
(D)  defaces or damages tangible personal property that has 13 
religious significance and is used by a religious organization or displayed 14 
for educational purposes. 15 
   * Sec. 2. AS 11.46.482(b) is amended to read: 16 
(b)  It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution under (a)(3) of this section that 17 
the defendant, at the time of the offense, was  18 
(1) an employee of the cemetery and was engaged in an authorized 19 
activity on behalf of the cemetery; [OR]  20 
(2)  authorized by law or state permit to engage in the conduct; or 21 
(3) an employee of a religious organization or the owner or 22 
operator or employee of the owner or operator of real property or tangible 23 
personal property under (a)(3)(C) or (D) of this section, and was engaged in an 24 
authorized activity on behalf of the religious organization or the owner or 25 
operator of the real property or tangible personal property.  26 
   * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 27