03/25/1993 03:00 PM House HES

  HCR 10:  FEDERAL AID-HIGHWAY FUNDING/DRUG ENFORCEMENT                        
                                                                               
  Number 061                                                                   
                                                                               
  JEANNE SMITH, AIDE TO REP. RICHARD FOSTER, PRIME SPONSOR OF                  
  HCR 10, testified on his behalf.  She read a sponsor                         
  statement, which is on file in the committee room.  In                       
  summary, the statement said that the federal government                      
  would begin withholding federal highway funds if the state                   
  did not by April 1, 1993, either adopt laws requiring a six                  
  month driver's license revocation for persons convicted of                   
  drug offenses, or have both the governor and legislature                     
  certify and resolve to be opposed to the federal requirement                 
  for such state laws.  The amount at risk was $9.6 million                    
  for FY94 and FY95, which would increase to $19.2 million in                  
  each year thereafter.  She said the Alaska House and Senate                  
  had several pieces of comprehensive legislation to address                   
  local problems.  She noted a committee substitute (CS) had                   
  the approval of both bodies.                                                 
                                                                               
  Number 110                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. BUNDE stated that it was the first time the House                       
  Health, Education and Social Services (HESS) Committee had                   
  seen the CS version of the resolution.  He invited Ms. Smith                 
  to begin a section-by-section discussion of a CSHCR 10.                      
                                                                               
  Number 115                                                                   
                                                                               
  MS. SMITH said the title had been changed to reflect the                     
  state's right to determine and impose sanctions on drivers,                  
  but to delete elements of the title dealing with                             
  certification of the legislature's opposition to the federal                 
  requirement.                                                                 
                                                                               
  Number 123                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIR TOOHEY asked if the bill required the state to impose                  
  sanctions.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Number 125                                                                   
                                                                               
  MS. SMITH answered no, but it allowed the state to retain                    
  that option.  She proceeded with the discussion of the                       
  changes, saying that the second change deleted a section                     
  indicating that revocation of driver's licenses has not                      
  shown to be a successful deterrent.  She said the deletion                   
  was acceptable to the federal government.  She said the                      
  third difference was in language to indicate that the state                  
  opposed the federal requirement to revoke driver's licenses                  
  and not necessarily such laws themselves.                                    
                                                                               
  Number 149                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. BUNDE invited further public testimony and, hearing                     
  none, closed public testimony.  He invited comments and                      
  discussion from the committee.                                               
                                                                               
  REP. BRICE moved passage of HCR 10 with individual                           
  recommendations.                                                             
                                                                               
  REP. KOTT objected.                                                          
                                                                               
  REP. OLBERG asked whether it would not be better to adopt                    
  the CS version of the bill first.                                            
                                                                               
  REP. KOTT withdrew his objection.                                            
                                                                               
  REP. BRICE moved passage of CSHCR 10 with individual                         
  recommendations.                                                             
                                                                               
  Number 174                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIR TOOHEY said the committee would be remiss in forgoing                  
  $20 million in federal highway funds, as long as the state                   
  cold protect its rights.                                                     
                                                                               
  Number 180                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. BUNDE said the state wanted both to encourage people to                 
  face their drug problems and to allow the state to maintain                  
  its ability to function.                                                     
                                                                               
  MS. SMITH said the legislature was not against considering a                 
  license suspension law, but it would be in its own best                      
  interest to do that at the state level so that the federal                   
  government could not later say the state was not in                          
  compliance.                                                                  
                                                                               
  Number 195                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. BUNDE asked for objections to the motion and, hearing                   
  none, declared CSHCR 10 passed with individual                               
  recommendations.                                                             
                                                                               
  REP. BUNDE brought HB 244 to the table.