Legislature(2017 - 2018)GRUENBERG 120

04/17/2018 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 204 DISABLED VET PLATES:CHIROPRACTORS CERTIFY TELECONFERENCED
Moved HCS SB 204(STA) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+= SB 196 APPROPRIATION LIMIT TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 196(FIN)(EFD FLD) Out of Committee
+ Approval of introduction of potential committee TELECONFERENCED
legislation
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
        SB 204-DISABLED VET PLATES:CHIROPRACTORS CERTIFY                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:18:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that the first  order of business                                                               
would  be  SENATE BILL  NO.  204,  "An  Act relating  to  special                                                               
registration  plates   for  vehicles   owned  by   veterans  with                                                               
disabilities."                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:18:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved to  adopt Amendment 1, 30-LS1474\A.1,                                                               
Martin, 3/9/18, which read as follows:                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1, following "Act":                                                                                         
          Insert "relating to a veteran's designation on an                                                                   
      identification card or a driver's license for Hmong                                                                     
     veterans and Lao veterans; and"                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, following line 3:                                                                                                  
     Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                         
        "* Section 1. AS 18.65.310(l) is amended to read:                                                                   
          (l)  At the request of the person, the department                                                                     
     shall provide  a veteran designation and  United States                                                                    
     flag replica on an  identification card identifying the                                                                    
     person  as a  retired veteran,  [OR] a  veteran of  the                                                                
     armed  forces of  the  United  States discharged  under                                                                    
     honorable  conditions,  or  a   Hmong  veteran  or  Lao                                                                
     veteran who  served in  military operations  in support                                                                
     of the  United States  in the  Kingdom of  Laos between                                                                
     February 28,  1961, and  May 15,  1975. The  department                                                                
     may not  charge a  fee solely  for the  designation. To                                                                    
     receive  a   veteran  designation,  the   person  shall                                                                    
     provide proof  of veteran status that  shows the person                                                                    
     is  retired,   was  [OR]  discharged   under  honorable                                                                
     conditions, or is  a Hmong veteran or  Lao veteran. The                                                                
     department  shall   consult  with  the   Department  of                                                                
     Military and  Veterans' Affairs to determine  the proof                                                                
     necessary to show  that a person is a  Hmong veteran or                                                                
     Lao  veteran.  With the  approval  of  the person,  the                                                                
     department shall  make available  to the  Department of                                                                    
     Military and Veterans' Affairs the  name and address of                                                                    
     a  person receiving  a veteran  designation under  this                                                                    
     subsection.  Notwithstanding (a)  of this  section, the                                                                    
     department may charge a fee  of $5 for replacement of a                                                                    
     valid  identification card  with  a new  identification                                                                    
     card with a veteran designation."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill section accordingly.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 16:                                                                                                 
     Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                         
        "* Sec. 3. AS 28.15.111(c) is amended to read:                                                                      
          (c)  At the request of an applicant, the                                                                              
     department  shall  provide  a veteran  designation  and                                                                    
     United  States flag  replica on  a license  identifying                                                                    
     the driver as a retired  veteran, [OR] a veteran of the                                                                
     armed  forces of  the  United  States discharged  under                                                                    
     honorable  conditions,  or  a   Hmong  veteran  or  Lao                                                                
     veteran who  served in  military operations  in support                                                                
     of the  United States  in the  Kingdom of  Laos between                                                                
     February 28,  1961, and  May 15,  1975. The  department                                                                
     may not  charge a  fee solely  for the  designation. To                                                                    
     receive a  veteran designation,  the driver  shall make                                                                    
     available proof  of veteran status that  shows that the                                                                    
     person is retired, was  [OR] discharged under honorable                                                                
     conditions, or is  a Hmong veteran or  Lao veteran. The                                                                
     department  shall   consult  with  the   Department  of                                                                
     Military and  Veterans' Affairs to determine  the proof                                                                
     necessary to show  that a person is a  Hmong veteran or                                                                
     Lao veteran.  With the approval  of the  applicant, the                                                                
     department shall  make available  to the  Department of                                                                    
     Military and Veterans' Affairs the  name and address of                                                                    
     a  driver receiving  a veteran  designation under  this                                                                    
     subsection. The department  may charge a fee  of $5 for                                                                    
     replacement  of a  valid driver's  license  with a  new                                                                    
     license  with  a  veteran  designation.  A  replacement                                                                    
     license with a veteran  designation issued for $5 under                                                                    
     this  subsection shall  retain the  expiration date  of                                                                    
     the license it replaces."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:19:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX explained  that Amendment  1 relates  to a                                                               
veteran's  designation on  an identification  card or  a driver's                                                               
license  for Hmong  veterans and  Lao veterans.   She  noted that                                                               
previously,  a  bill  was  heard   relating  to  this  issue  and                                                               
unfortunately, that bill stalled in  the Senate "so I'm hoping to                                                               
help it along."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:19:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP requested  clarification that the department                                                               
will be able  to issue these and not have  to have the disability                                                               
designation.     Especially  since  this  legislation   is  about                                                               
allowing medical  professionals to issue disability  placards, so                                                               
is Amendment 1 outside of that scope, he asked.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX answered  that  it is  outside the  scope,                                                               
although Legislative Legal and Research  Services advised that it                                                               
fits within the single subject rule.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  removed his  objection.    There being  no                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:21:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  moved to adopt Amendment  2, 30-LS1474\A.2,                                                               
Martin, 4/6/18, which read as follows:                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1, following "Act":                                                                                         
          Insert    "relating    to   registration    plates                                                                  
     celebrating the arts; and"                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, following line 3:                                                                                                  
     Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                         
        "* Section 1. AS 28.10.161(b) is amended to read:                                                                   
          (b)  Every passenger vehicle registration plate,                                                                      
     except as specifically  provided in AS 28.10.181, shall                                                                    
     have displayed on [UPON] it                                                                                            
               (1)  one of the following designs: [EITHER]                                                                  
               (A)  the Alaska flag design, consisting of                                                                       
     the Alaska flag, the  traditional colors of yellow-gold                                                                    
     and blue, and the slogan "The Last Frontier"; [OR]                                                                         
               (B)  the bear design, consisting of a                                                                            
     standing grizzly bear  in the center of  the plate; the                                                                    
     bear   design  shall   be   modeled   after  the   1976                                                                    
     bicentennial plate without the bicentennial symbol; or                                                                 
               (C)  the design celebrating the arts chosen                                                                  
     by  the  commissioner  through  consultation  with  the                                                                
     Alaska  State Council  on  the  Arts; the  commissioner                                                                
     shall choose  a new  design for the  plates celebrating                                                                
     the arts  every four years and  discontinue issuance of                                                                
     the previous design;                                                                                                   
               (2)  the registration number assigned to the                                                                     
     vehicle for which it is issued;                                                                                            
               (3)  the name of this state, which may be                                                                        
     abbreviated; and                                                                                                           
               (4)  the registration year number or                                                                             
     expiration  date for  which time  it is  validated; the                                                                    
     registration  year number  or  expiration  date may  be                                                                    
     part of  the license plate  or contained on  a suitable                                                                    
     sticker  or  tab  device   issued  by  the  department;                                                                    
     however, only one  sticker or tab device  may be issued                                                                    
     for each pair of plates,  and the sticker or tab device                                                                    
     must be affixed to the rear plate."                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill section accordingly.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 16:                                                                                                 
     Insert new bill sections to read:                                                                                          
        "* Sec. 3. AS 44.27.080(a) is amended to read:                                                                      
          (a)  The council shall hold a competition every                                                                       
     four  years   to  select  a  design   for  the  vehicle                                                                
     registration  [SPECIAL REQUEST]  plate celebrating  the                                                                
     arts  under   AS 28.10.161(b)(1)(C)  [AS 28.10.181(u)].                                                                
     The council  shall select  a panel  of judges  to judge                                                                    
     the submissions  for the contest and  shall include the                                                                    
     previous design  winner on the  panel. The  panel shall                                                                    
     select  the  top  submissions, and  the  council  shall                                                                    
     conduct a  public vote to  determine the winner  of the                                                                    
     competition. The  council shall use the  winning design                                                                    
     when    consulting    with    the    commissioner    of                                                                    
     administration        under       AS 28.10.161(b)(1)(C)                                                                
     [AS 28.10.181(u)].                                                                                                         
        *  Sec.  4. AS 28.10.181(u),  28.10.421(d)(15),  and                                                                  
     AS 44.27.080(b) are repealed."                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL objected.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:21:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  explained that  Amendment  2  adds to  the                                                               
standard license  plates, in  addition to  the plain  yellow that                                                               
DMV  currently offers,  as well  as the  bear design  that former                                                               
Representative Peggy  Wilson added  to the "artistic  license" of                                                               
the Alaska State  Council on the Arts designs.   A new design for                                                               
the  plates  celebrating  the  arts will  take  place  through  a                                                               
statewide competition  every four years  and will be voted  on by                                                               
Alaskans, he advised.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:21:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH  commented that he  does not have  a problem                                                               
with Amendment  2 and asked  whether DMV has a  reviewing process                                                               
to make certain  there is "not so much clutter  on the plate that                                                               
the license  is unintelligible."   He  further asked  whether DMV                                                               
has  the right  of refusal  when making  a judgement  call as  to                                                               
whether the plate is sufficiently visible to law enforcement.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  responded  that  that  process  and  those                                                               
safeguards do exist  in the DMV and  it has the final  say in its                                                               
reviews.  The plates go  through the process of meeting technical                                                               
minimums for visibility and spacing, he said.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:22:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL  referred to the three  background plates and                                                               
asked how  DMV distinguishes (audio  difficulties) whether  it is                                                               
additional writing  together with the  background of the  flag or                                                               
bear.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  responded  that  there are  two  types  of                                                               
plates,  the  standard  plates   a  person  receives  with  their                                                               
registration  and there  are the  specialty plates,  such as  NRA                                                               
specialty plates, and so forth.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOOL  asked whether  "these  would  be the  three                                                               
standards ones."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  answered   that  Representative  Wool  was                                                               
correct,  and  commented,  "which   usually  relate  to  specific                                                               
constituencies and demographics" such as veterans and so forth.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:23:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOOL  removed  his  objection.   There  being  no                                                               
objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:23:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony on SB 204.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:24:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANIEL  HOLD,  Chiropractor, advised  that  he  has practiced  in                                                               
Juneau for  over 20 years, he  spent 8 years on  the Alaska Board                                                               
of Chiropractic Examiners, he is  a veteran, and he supports this                                                               
legislation.  He stressed that  this legislation is important for                                                               
the  patients wherein  they  are not  required  to have  "someone                                                               
else" write  a prescription for  the placard.  Veterans  are seen                                                               
in his  clinic and the chiropractors  prepare disability ratings,                                                               
he added.  This legislation, he  reiterated, is in line with past                                                               
practices but  unfortunately chiropractors were deleted  from the                                                               
list of  providers authorized to  procure the placards  for their                                                               
patients.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:25:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP  asked how it came  about that chiropractors                                                               
were removed from the list, and when were they removed.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
DOCTOR HOLD responded  that he was unsure how it  came about, but                                                               
chiropractors  were  removed within  the  last  couple of  years.                                                               
Forty-plus   years   previously,   chiropractors  were   on   the                                                               
authorized list, he said.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:25:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL  asked Doctor  Hold whether  he was  aware of                                                               
abuses, in general,  wherein people took advantage  or borrowed a                                                               
tag, placed  it on their  mirror, and used  it for a  VIP parking                                                               
pass.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DOCTOR HOLD answered that he  was sure that probably happens with                                                               
anyone, but  chiropractors issue the placards  strictly for their                                                               
temporarily or permanently disabled patients.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS,  after  ascertaining   no  one  wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on SB 204.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:26:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX  moved  to  report  SB  204,  labeled  30-                                                               
LS1474\A,   as  amended,   out  of   committee  with   individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no objection,  SB 204(STA) moved  out of the House  State Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB204 Sponsor Statement 04.06.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 204
SB204 ver A 04.06.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 204
SB204 Fiscal Note ADM 04.06.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 204
SB204 Letters of Support 1 04.06.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 204
SB204 Letters of Support 2 04.06.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 204
SB204 Letters of Support.pdf HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 204
SB204 Supporting Document 5.11.2018.pdf HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 204
SB196 Sponsor Statement v. O.A 4.2.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 196
SB196 Sectional Analysis v. O.A 4.2.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 196
SB 196 v. O.A 4.2.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 196
SB196 Summary of Changes v.O.A 4.2.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 196
SB196 Fiscal Note OMB 4.2.18.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 196
SB 196 - NFIB Support 4.2.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/12/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 196
SB 196 Graph 4.2.2018.pdf HSTA 4/10/2018 3:15:00 PM
HSTA 4/17/2018 3:15:00 PM
SB 196