04/04/2002 08:06 AM House STA

HB 509 - ALASKA CHILDREN'S TRUST LICENSE PLATES                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 1363                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL  announced that the  final order of  business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 509,  "An Act  relating to  Alaska children's                                                               
trust registration plates; and providing for an effective date."                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 1302                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
AMY  ERICKSON, Staff  to  Representative  Lisa Murkowski,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  presented HB 509 on  behalf of Representative                                                               
Murkowski,  sponsor.   She  explained that  HB  509 makes  Alaska                                                               
children's trust  license plates  available to any  commercial or                                                               
non-commercial  passenger  vehicle,  truck, bus,  van,  or  motor                                                               
home.  The  original version included motorcycles,  which was not                                                               
the intent of  the sponsor.  The motorcycle plates  are too small                                                               
to  accommodate   the  standard-sized  plate,  so   the  proposed                                                               
committee   substitute   excludes    motorcycles   and   includes                                                               
commercial and non-commercial vehicles.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COGHILL  moved to  adopt  CSHB  509, version  22-LS1641\C,                                                               
Ford,  4/1/02,  as   the  working  document.     There  being  no                                                               
objection, Version C was before the committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 1244                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. ERICKSON  told the  committee that the  bill makes  one minor                                                               
change to Alaska Statute to  allow the Alaska children's trust to                                                               
market trust plates to commercial  motor vehicle owners.  Current                                                               
statutes only  allow owners of  non-commercial vehicles  to apply                                                               
for the plates.  This mirrors  the structure of the University of                                                               
Alaska plates  program.  The  small change in statute  will allow                                                               
the  trust to  respond  positively to  requests  by industry  and                                                               
private business to purchase the  plates for their fleet vehicles                                                               
and to  market sales to  an additional 56,000 vehicle  owners who                                                               
support  the  mission and  activities  of  the Alaska  children's                                                               
trust.  This  could boost the trust by  $5,650,000 for prevention                                                               
of neglect  and child abuse.   There is a one-time-only  $100 fee                                                               
for the plates.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ERICKSON explained  that the  trust was  established by  the                                                               
legislature in  1988, and  it is a  savings account  dedicated to                                                               
funding  community-based projects  to eliminate  child abuse  and                                                               
neglect.     The  trust  fund  grows   through  gifts,  bequests,                                                               
corporate     and    individual     contributions,    legislative                                                               
appropriations,  federal funds,  sales of  heirloom marriage  and                                                               
birth certificates, and the children's  trust plates.  Passage of                                                               
HB 509 will  greatly expand the children's  trust savings account                                                               
and the ability to fund  projects through grants.  She encouraged                                                               
the committee's support.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 1115                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MARY MARSHBURN, Director, Division  of Motor Vehicles, Department                                                               
of Administration,  testified via  teleconference.   She informed                                                               
the  committee that  there are  no costs  associated with  HB 509                                                               
because the  plates are already  on hand.  She  expressed support                                                               
for the proposed committee substitute.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 1068                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
GLENN GODFREY,  Commissioner, Department of Public  Safety; Board                                                               
Member,  Alaska Children's  Trust, testified  via teleconference.                                                               
He added  his support to this  bill.  Any support  for additional                                                               
funding  to help  protect Alaska's  children  is appreciated,  he                                                               
said.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 1031                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JAMES  moved  to  report CSHB  509  [version  22-                                                               
LS1641\C,  Ford,   4/1/02]  out  of  committee   with  individual                                                               
recommendations and  the attached  fiscal note.   There  being no                                                               
objection,  CSHB 509(STA)  was reported  out of  the House  State                                                               
Affairs Standing Committee.