03/19/2014 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

         HCR 15-TASK FORCE ON UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:23:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.  15, Relating to the continuation                                                               
of the Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft Systems.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:24:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY  HUGHES, Alaska State  Legislature, stated                                                               
that  the  resolution  will  allow the  Task  Force  on  Unmanned                                                               
Aircraft Systems  to continue.   The task  force was  formed last                                                               
year  and primarily  addressed privacy  and law  enforcement use.                                                               
She  described   the  technology   as  emerging   technology  and                                                               
anticipated other issues will surface  and HCR 15 would allow the                                                               
task force  to continue  to operate.   The task  force's approach                                                               
has been to address problems as  they arise.  She said resolution                                                               
also will change the membership.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:26:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REINBOLD  made a  motion  to  adopt Amendment  1,                                                               
labeled 28-LS1190\U.2, Strasbaugh, 3/4/14.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1:                                                                                                            
          Delete "the continuation of"                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 22:                                                                                                 
     Insert a new paragraph to read:                                                                                            
               "(2)      the   commissioner   of   commerce,                                                                    
    community,    and   economic    development   or    the                                                                     
     commissioner's designee;"                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following paragraph accordingly.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 23:                                                                                                           
          Delete "one"                                                                                                          
          Insert "three"                                                                                                        
          Delete "member"                                                                                                       
          Insert "members"                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 24, following "representatives":                                                                              
          Insert ", two of whom shall be participants in                                                                        
         the unmanned aircraft system industry who have                                                                         
     experience operating unmanned aircraft systems"                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 13, following "systems":                                                                                      
          Insert "to encourage development of the private                                                                       
     sector unmanned aircraft system industry"                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:26:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KONRAD JACKSON,  Staff, Representative  Kurt Olson,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  stated  that  that  Amendment 1  was  developed  in                                                               
conjunction with  the sponsor  and other  members.   He explained                                                               
the idea  is to  make the  Task Force  on Unmanned  Aircraft more                                                               
commerce friendly.   Amendment 1  adds the commissioner  of DCCED                                                               
or the commissioner's designee to the  task force.  It would also                                                               
add   two  additional   public   members   to  encourage   public                                                               
participation.  He referred to  lines 18-19 of Amendment 1, which                                                               
require two public members who  have experience piloting unmanned                                                               
aircraft.  He also referred to  lines 22-23 of Amendment 1, which                                                               
encourages the task force to  develop the private sector unmanned                                                               
aircraft system industry in the state.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON  removed his  objection.    There being  no  further                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:28:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JANE DALE,  Legislative Affairs, Alaska Air  Carriers Association                                                               
(AACA), stated  that ACCA has  supported the work the  Task Force                                                               
on Unmanned  Aircraft has done  to clarify privacy issues  and to                                                               
further the  integration of the  unmanned aircraft  systems (UAS)                                                               
into the  system.  As  they become  part of the  aviation culture                                                               
and further commerce  in Alaska, the AACA  supports the extension                                                               
of the UAS task  force to 2017.  The ACCA  also supports adding a                                                               
seat  for the  ACCA's  membership  on the  task  force since  its                                                               
membership currently  encounters the craft in  national airspace.                                                               
The  U.S.  Department of  the  Interior  (DOI) recently  received                                                               
Federal  Aviation Administration's  (FAAs) approval  for unmanned                                                               
air system  use that streamlines  past procedures  for operation.                                                               
She  related that  University  of Alaska  (UA)  is operating  UAS                                                               
under the  auspices of research  and this past year  launched the                                                               
first commercial  endeavor.  These successes  come with concerns,                                                               
conflicts,  and potential  issues from  traditional air  carriers                                                               
operations so air carriers would  appreciate participating in the                                                               
task  force  to  research  and make  recommendations  to  resolve                                                               
issues.  She thanked members for the opportunity to testify.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:30:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON,  after first  determining  no  one else  wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HCR 15.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON  jested that  he hoped by  the end  of task                                                               
force at least one legislator will know how to operate the UAS.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:31:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD moved  to report HCR 15,  as amended, out                                                               
of   committee   with    individual   recommendations   and   the                                                               
accompanying fiscal  note.  There  being no objection,  the CSHCR
 (L&C) was reported from  the House Labor and Commerce Standing                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:31:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:31 p.m. to 3:34 p.m.