03/12/2009 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

HB 114-USE STATE TRANS FACILITY FOR DISASTER AID                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:08:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 114,  "An Act relating  to availability  of state                                                               
transportation  facilities  and   state-owned  or  state-operated                                                               
transportation modes  for delivering  compassionate aid  during a                                                               
disaster emergency."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:09:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON  made a  motion to  adopt HB  114, Version                                                               
26-LS0505\P, Kane, 3/10/09.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:09:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANA  STROMMEN, Staff,  Representative Jay  Ramras, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,   speaking  on   behalf   of   the  prime   sponsor,                                                               
Representative Jay Ramras, offered changes  to the bill since its                                                               
last  hearing.   She  explained  the Transportation  subcommittee                                                               
chaired  by  Representative  Munoz  reported  that  the  proposed                                                               
provision of HB  114 was removed from AS 26.23.020  and was added                                                               
as a  new section to AS  44.19 under the Office  of the Governor.                                                               
She  stated  that the  purpose  and  the  mechanism of  the  bill                                                               
remains the  same.   However, by removing  it from  AS 26.23.020,                                                               
the governor  would not need  to declare a disaster  before using                                                               
state  owned or  operated  transportation  modes when  delivering                                                               
compassionate  aid  at  the time  the  governor  determines  that                                                               
public  safety and  health conditions  in  an area  of the  state                                                               
require emergency  assistance.   This would provide  the governor                                                               
the  flexibility  not  to  declare  a  disaster.    Additionally,                                                               
subsection (b)  is amended  to remove  liability from  the state,                                                               
the ARRC  and subsequent officers,  agents, and employees  in the                                                               
event  of  injury  or  death  of  a  person  or  property  damage                                                               
resulting from providing assistance.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:11:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced  that there being no  objection, Version P                                                               
was before the committee.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHNSON  moved  to  report HB  114,  Version  26-                                                               
LS0505\P,  Kane,  3/10/09,  out   of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
There being  no objection,  CSHB 114(TRA)  was reported  from the                                                               
House Transportation Standing Committee.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:12:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:12 p.m. to 1:13 p.m.