2018-01-26                     Senate Journal                      Page 1833
SB 163                                                                                                                        
SENATE BILL NO. 163 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                               
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
          "An Act relating to commercial motor vehicles."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the Transportation and State                                                            
Affairs Committees.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
 Fiscal Note No. 1, zero, Department of Transportation and                                                                      
  Public Facilities                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Governor's transmittal letter dated January 25:                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Kelly:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18, of the Alaska                                                                   
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill relating to the definition of a                                                          
commercial motor vehicle.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is responsible                                                           
for the construction and maintenance of the state highway system.                                                               
With respect to commercial motor vehicles which use the state                                                                   
highway system, the Department is responsible for establishing                                                                  
weight, use, and size restrictions for vehicles, and for assuring                                                               
implementation of federal statutes or regulations relating to                                                                   
commercial motor vehicles. In order to assure continued alignment                                                               

2018-01-26                     Senate Journal                      Page 1834
with federal law, the bill would modify the existing definition of a                                                            
commercial motor vehicle to be consistent with federal law. This bill                                                           
would add provisions to address school buses and the type of covered                                                            
farm vehicle not designated as a commercial vehicle. This would ease                                                            
restrictions on persons who operate farm vehicles by freeing them to                                                            
drive beyond the current limitation, a 150-mile boundary, and reduce                                                            
use restrictions. In addition, a school bus used intrastate for the                                                             
transport of public pre-elementary, elementary, and secondary school                                                            
students to and from home and school would not be considered a                                                                  
commercial motor vehicle under this bill.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
I urge your prompt and favorable consideration of this bill.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Bill Walker                                                                                                                     
Governor