05/11/1998 04:05 PM Senate L&C

                                                                               
              HB 12 - IMMUNITY FOR EQUINE ACTIVITIES                           
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN called the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee                  
meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. and announced HB 12 to be up for                 
consideration.                                                                 
                                                                               
MR. DARWIN PETERSON, Aide to Representative Gary Davis, said HB 12             
was introduced to provide some protection and an increased degree              
of immunity from civil liability lawsuits for operators of                     
commercial recreational activities and for municipalities that                 
engage in skating and cycling parks.  He reviewed the two sections             
of the bill for the Committee.                                                 
                                                                               
MR. PETERSON said the Alaska Municipal League supports this                    
legislation because a lot of communities want to open up skate                 
board and cycling parks, but are reluctant to do so because of the             
liability.                                                                     
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN asked if the bill still included equine activities              
as it had when introduced.                                                     
                                                                               
MR. PETERSON said it was broadened to include all outdoor                      
commercial recreational activities.                                            
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN asked who changed the bill.                                     
                                                                               
MR. PETERSON answered that the House passed the version that                   
included commercial recreational activities and municipalities.  It            
was amended on the House floor to include municipalities.                      
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN asked what changed in Senate Transportation.                    
                                                                               
MR. PETERSON answered there was one amendment on page 1, line 5                
where they deleted, "persons who operate" and inserted "operators              
of" to provide conformity throughout the whole legislation, so a               
municipality could be covered for all activities, like rock                    
climbing.                                                                      
                                                                               
Number 70                                                                      
                                                                               
MR. KEVIN RITCHIE, Alaska Municipal League, said this has been a               
priority issue for the Municipal League and the Conference of                  
Mayors for a number of years.                                                  
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN asked if anyone was opposed to this bill.  There was            
no indication of any.                                                          
                                                                               
SENATOR KELLY moved to pass SCSCSHB 12(TRA) from Committee with                
individual recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so            
ordered.