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McGuire's Terrorism Bill Passes House
HB 350 Updates Homeland Security Laws Following Sept. 11

(JUNEAU) - The House unanimously passed House Bill 350 on Thursday, an omnibus homeland security bill updating state law to address the threats to public peace and safety in Alaska by real or maliciously false threats of terrorism.

"Since Sept. 11 we have seen all too clearly that we must take threats to our security very seriously," said Rep. Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage), sponsor of the bill. "House Bill 350 will give those responsible for homeland security in Alaska the legal tools they need to discourage false threats, and to punish actual attempts to practice terrorism in Alaska."

The bill accomplishes these goals by expanding and enhancing laws dealing with criminal mischief and terroristic threatening, laws with the most direct applicability to terrorism, McGuire said.

Under HB 350, it would be a class A felony punishable by up to 20 years' imprisonment to intentionally damage oil or gas pipelines and associated facilities; utilities such as water, power, gas or electrical distribution systems; or elements of the emergency responder system, such as EMTs, ambulances, police or firefighters, McGuire said. Any unsuccessful attempt to do so, or any attempt to damage airplanes or helicopters, would be a class B felony, punishable by 10 years in prison.

The bill would also raise terroristic threatening ? defined as making false reports prompting fear of serious bodily harm or evacuation of a building or area - from a class C to a class B felony. It would also make it a class C felony punishable by five years in prison to threaten damage to pipelines, utilities or transportation facilities, or to make a false report of releasing harmful chemical, biological or explosive agents into the air, water, food or cosmetics.

"More so than in most states, economic, social and governmental stability in Alaska depends on a wide-ranging network of industrial, commercial and transportation infrastructure that is at risk from terrorism," said McGuire, chair of the House Special Committee on Economic Development, Trade and Tourism. "These changes represent a significant strengthening of Alaska's legal bulwark against such threats."

HB 350 moves next to the Senate for consideration.

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