HB 131: "An Act establishing the Alaska Community and Public Transportation Advisory Board and relating to a long-range community and public transportation plan; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 131 01 "An Act establishing the Alaska Community and Public Transportation Advisory Board 02 and relating to a long-range community and public transportation plan; and providing 03 for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 44.42 is amended by adding new sections to article 1 to read: 06 Sec. 44.42.085. Comprehensive long-range community and public 07 transportation plan. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the Alaska 08 Community and Public Transportation Advisory Board, shall 09 (1) prepare a comprehensive long-range plan for the development and 10 improvement of coordinated community and public transportation; and 11 (2) revise and update the plan at intervals determined by the 12 commissioner. 13 (b) The department shall submit the comprehensive long-range plan and 14 revisions and updates of the plan to the governor and the legislature.
01 Sec. 44.42.090. Alaska Community and Public Transportation Advisory 02 Board. (a) The Alaska Community and Public Transportation Advisory Board is 03 established in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. 04 (b) The board consists of 13 members. Each member shall be a resident of the 05 state. The board is composed of the following members: 06 (1) the commissioner of transportation and public facilities or the 07 commissioner's designee; 08 (2) the commissioner of the health and social services or the 09 commissioner's designee; 10 (3) the commissioner of labor and workforce development or the 11 commissioner's designee; 12 (4) the chair of the board of trustees of the Alaska Mental Health Trust 13 Authority or the chair's designee; 14 (5) the state co-chair of the Denali Commission established under P.L. 15 105-277, 42 U.S.C. 3121 note, or the state co-chair's designee; 16 (6) three members with expertise in the transportation needs of senior 17 citizens, persons with disabilities or special circumstances, individuals of low income, 18 or transit-dependent individuals; 19 (7) one member who represents municipalities that operate modes of 20 public transportation; 21 (8) one member who represents nonprofit organizations that operate 22 modes of public transportation; 23 (9) one member who represents transportation providers that receive 24 federal funding available to Indian tribes, including financing provided under 23 25 U.S.C. 204(j) and 49 U.S.C. 5311(c); and 26 (10) two members of the public at large. 27 (c) The members described in (b)(6) - (10) of this section shall be appointed 28 by the governor, and the governor shall provide for appropriate geographic 29 distribution of members to the extent possible. 30 (d) The members of the board listed in (b)(6) - (10) of this section serve 31 staggered three-year terms. If a vacancy arises on the board, the governor shall, within
01 30 days after the vacancy arises, appoint a person to serve the balance of the unexpired 02 term. A person appointed to fill the balance of an unexpired term shall serve on the 03 board from the date of appointment until the expiration of the term. 04 (e) Board members serve at the pleasure of the governor. In addition, a 05 majority of the membership of the board may petition the governor to remove a 06 member listed in (b)(6) - (10) of this section if that member misses more than two 07 meetings in a calendar year and has not been previously excused. 08 (f) The members of the board shall select a chair and a vice-chair from among 09 the members of the board each year. The vice-chair presides over meetings in the 10 absence of the chair. A majority of the members of the board constitutes a quorum. A 11 vacancy in the board does not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the powers 12 and perform all the duties of the board. 13 (g) The board shall meet at least three times each year. Meetings may be 14 called by the chair or by a majority of the members of the board. At least one meeting 15 each year must be attended by the board members in person, but all other meetings 16 may be conducted by teleconference. All meetings are open to the public unless an 17 executive session is called based on the criteria in AS 44.62.310(b). 18 (h) Members of the board do not receive a salary but are entitled to per diem 19 and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 20 (i) The Department of Law shall provide all legal services for the board. 21 (j) The department shall provide staff for the board. 22 Sec. 44.42.095. Powers, duties, and functions of the Alaska Community 23 and Transportation Advisory Board. (a) The Alaska Community and Transportation 24 Advisory Board may issue reports and recommendations and shall, in cooperation 25 with the department, prepare and submit to the department and the governor for 26 review a strategic plan that includes the mission, objectives, initiatives, and 27 performance goals for coordinated community and public transportation in the state. 28 (b) The board shall analyze community and public transportation services in 29 the state and make recommendations for improved agency coordination and 30 combining of services to achieve cost savings in the funding and delivery of 31 community and public transportation services. The board shall assess the community
01 and public transportation needs of Alaskans and recommend means for the removal of 02 barriers that prevent coordination of services to meet those needs. 03 (c) The board shall annually review funding available to state, federal, and 04 local government agencies and private entities that administer or support community 05 and public transportation services and recommend to the governor and the legislature 06 changes to improve effective use of that funding. 07 (d) The board may establish volunteer regional or local advisory committees. 08 The purpose of the advisory committees is to provide recommendations to the board to 09 address concerns of the regions and local areas of the advisory committee members. 10 (e) The board may receive information from the department as the board 11 considers necessary to carry out its duties. 12 * Sec. 2. AS 44.42.085(a), as enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, is amended to read: 13 (a) The commissioner [, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ALASKA 14 COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD,] shall 15 (1) prepare a comprehensive long-range plan for the development and 16 improvement of coordinated community and public transportation; and 17 (2) revise and update the plan at intervals determined by the 18 commissioner. 19 * Sec. 3. AS 44.42.090 and 44.42.095 are repealed December 31, 2016. 20 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 21 read: 22 INITIAL APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ALASKA COMMUNITY AND 23 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD. (a) Notwithstanding AS 44.42.090(d), 24 added by sec. 1 of this Act, and AS 39.05.055, members described in AS 44.42.090(b)(6) - 25 (10) who are appointed initially to the Alaska Community and Public Transportation 26 Advisory Board shall be appointed by the governor to terms as follows: 27 (1) two members shall serve one-year terms; 28 (2) three members shall serve two-year terms; and 29 (3) three members shall serve three-year terms. 30 (b) The governor may designate a member of the Governor's Coordinated 31 Transportation Task Force, created by Administrative Order No. 254, who is serving as a task
01 force member on the day before the effective date of this Act, as a member of the initial 02 Alaska Community and Public Transportation Advisory Board under (a) of this section if the 03 member meets the requirements in AS 44.42.090, added by sec. 1 of this Act. Nothing in this 04 subsection prevents the governor from appointing members to the board who do not serve on 05 the Governor's Coordinated Transportation Task Force. 06 * Sec. 5. Section 2 of this Act takes effect January 1, 2017. 07 * Sec. 6. Except as provided in sec. 5 of this Act, this Act takes effect immediately under 08 AS 01.10.070(c).