Enrolled SB 261: Relating to the designation of traffic safety corridors; relating to the bail or fine for an offense committed in a traffic safety corridor and to separately accounting for such fines; relating to the license point penalty; relating to damage claims regarding a highway work zone; and providing for an effective date.
00Enrolled SB 261 01 Relating to the designation of traffic safety corridors; relating to the bail or fine for an offense 02 committed in a traffic safety corridor and to separately accounting for such fines; relating to 03 the license point penalty; relating to damage claims regarding a highway work zone; and 04 providing for an effective date. 05 _______________ 06 * Section 1. AS 19.10 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07 Sec. 19.10.075. Designation of traffic safety corridors; fines. (a) To promote 08 traffic safety, the department may designate a portion of a highway to be a traffic 09 safety corridor. The commissioner shall establish criteria for the designation and 10 continuation of traffic safety corridors. In establishing the criteria, the commissioner 11 may consider accident data and reports, the type and volume of vehicular traffic, 12 engineering and traffic studies, and other relevant factors. Before the department 13 designates a traffic safety corridor, the commissioner shall consult with the 14 commissioner of public safety and shall consult with other local, state, and federal
01 agencies with responsibility for traffic safety. A motor vehicle or traffic offense 02 committed in a traffic safety corridor is subject to a double fine as provided in 03 AS 28.40.070. The department shall erect signs designating traffic safety corridors and 04 alerting the public that motor vehicle and traffic offenses committed within a corridor 05 are subject to double fines. A claim for damages may not be made against the state or 06 its officers, employees, or agents for an act or omission relating to the designation of 07 and erection of signs regarding a traffic safety corridor. 08 (b) The legislature may appropriate 50 percent of the fines for offenses 09 committed in a traffic safety corridor imposed under AS 28.40.070 and collected and 10 separately accounted for by the state under AS 37.05.142, to the division of the 11 Department of Transportation and Public Facilities responsible for highway safety 12 planning, for highway safety programs. 13 * Sec. 2. AS 28.05.151(d) is amended to read: 14 (d) The supreme court, in establishing scheduled amounts of bail under this 15 section, and each municipality that establishes or has established a fine schedule under 16 this section shall provide that the scheduled amount of bail or fine, as applicable, for a 17 motor vehicle or traffic offense that is committed in a highway work zone or traffic 18 safety corridor shall be double the amount of the bail or fine for the offense if it had 19 not been committed in a highway work zone or traffic safety corridor. 20 * Sec. 3. AS 28.15.221 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 21 (c) The regulations adopted under (a) of this section shall include a two-point 22 addition to a licensee's assessed total if the licensee, while in a designated traffic 23 safety corridor, overtakes and passes another vehicle in a zone designated by a safety 24 control device that prohibits passing. 25 * Sec. 4. AS 28.40.070 is amended to read: 26 Sec. 28.40.070. Fines for offenses committed within highway work zones 27 and traffic safety corridors doubled. Whenever a person violates a provision of this 28 title or a regulation adopted under the authority of this title within a highway work 29 zone or traffic safety corridor, notwithstanding the amount of the fine or the 30 maximum fine set under this title, the fine, or maximum fine, is double the amount 31 provided in this title.
01 * Sec. 5. AS 28.40.070 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 02 (b) Fines imposed and collected under this section for offenses that are 03 committed in a traffic safety corridor shall be separately accounted for under 04 AS 37.05.142. 05 (c) Notwithstanding the requirements of (b) of this section and AS 37.05.142, 06 the Alaska Court System shall deposit fines collected under this section for offenses 07 committed in a traffic safety corridor in the general fund if the fine is collected at a 08 court location where separate accounting for traffic safety corridor fines is not 09 achievable. 10 (d) The administrative director of the Alaska Court System shall notify the 11 Department of Administration 12 (1) of court locations where separate accounting under (b) of this 13 section is not achievable; and 14 (2) when a court location identified under (1) of this subsection 15 becomes able to separately account for fines under (b) of this section. 16 * Sec. 6. AS 28.40 is amended by adding a new section to read: 17 Sec. 28.40.072. Prohibition of damage claims regarding highway work 18 zone signs. A claim for damages may not be made against the state or its officers, 19 employees, or agents for an act or omission relating to the designation of and erection 20 of signs regarding a highway work zone. 21 * Sec. 7. AS 28.40.100(a) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 22 (27) "traffic safety corridor" means a portion of a highway on which 23 signs have been erected designating that portion as a traffic safety corridor under 24 AS 19.10.075. 25 * Sec. 8. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).