Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205
02/19/2008 02:00 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB190 | |
| SB189 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 190 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 189 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 190-MINORS TRAVELING ALONE BY AIR
2:30:46 PM
CHAIR ALBERT KOOKESH announced SB 190 to be up for
consideration.
SENATOR GENE THERRIAULT, sponsor of SB 190, said the intent of
SB 190 is to provide protection for minor children by keeping
their parents or guardians in the loop when it comes to air
travel in the state of Alaska. He introduced this when a news
report revealed that an Alaskan female under the age of 18 was
able to obtain a ticket, board an aircraft and leave the state
without the consent or knowledge of her parent's. He stated:
In this age of child Internet predators and the
constant possibility that a young person may be
encouraged to travel to meet somebody who intends to
inflict harm upon them, the protections in SB 190 need
to be seriously considered. In researching the
regulations and policies of various air carriers,
there appears to be no clear and consistent ticket
travel policy for children between the ages of 13 and
18 years old. SB 190 seeks to establish such a policy
in a statute.
He pointed out that the original bill exemptions for minors
under the authority of the state agencies was not included, so
he encouraged the committee to look favorably on the amendment
the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) will propose
to correct this.
SENATOR THERRIAULT said even though the federal government is
the main setter of policy for operations of airports and
airlines in the U.S., he thought the issue warranted discussion
in the Alaska legislature so that parents might be a little bit
more in the loop and perhaps in control of their minor children
traveling.
2:33:50 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he was aware of any preemption
issues the airlines would have from federal rule. He was
wondering how this would actually work and if airline computer
systems have to be changed.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied the federal law is primarily directed
at asking for an ID when going through security and he thought
there might be some issues there, but he has tried to target the
point of receiving a ticket from the employee. He didn't know
what could be done about someone purchasing a ticket in cash or
on line.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked how "receiving a ticket" is defined.
He buys his tickets by credit card on line and when he gets to
the airport he goes to a kiosk to actually get his ticket.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied the best they can do is hope that a
kid doesn't have a credit card or that they have parental
permission.
SENATOR OLSON asked how he came up with the age of 17 as being
the break off point.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied that the drafter came up with the
federal government's parameters of having to show ID to get into
the secure part of the airport.
SENATOR OLSON asked what about kids going to college who are
under 17.
SENATOR THERRIAULT asked if they were going to college, why
wouldn't the parents give their permission. Most college bound
students are 17 or 18 years of age and would be past the
threshold for approval anyhow.
SENATOR OLSON asked how air taxi operators would be treated in
rural Alaska where the parents may not be in any kind of contact
with them.
2:40:17 PM
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied they would be covered under this
bill. A child coming home for Christmas from Mt. Edgecumbe, for
instance, would have parental approval. Small carriers would
have to check for parental approval at the time of ticket
purchase at the counter.
SENATOR OLSON said kids buying tickets with cash would always
say they have their parents' approval and asked if he had heard
of any opposition to this bill from the transportation sector.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied no one had contacted his office yet.
SENATOR OLSON asked what the penalty for the airlines is if they
don't do this.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied the bill doesn't talk about
penalties, but he's open to it.
SENATOR OLSON asked how many other states have adopted this type
of legislation.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied he was not aware of any.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked what type of photo ID is available
for 14 years olds and under.
SENATOR THERRIAULT answered school IDs and state IDs.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if an airline allows a 14 year old on
its plane, do they have any obligation to check the written
authorization from the parent to confirm it and if they don't do
that is the airline liable in some way if something happens to
the child.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied he didn't think there would be any
more liability than exists now.
2:44:04 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked what would happen in emergency
situations and could this requirement be waived for a medical
emergency when a minor doesn't have time to get consent from his
parents. He might be visiting with relatives, for instance.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied if he was visiting with a relative,
that relative could be the guardian. If the minor has to be
medivaced, he didn't know if the patient or the medical facility
purchased the ticket.
2:46:43 PM
SENATOR OLSON said this would be very cumbersome for air taxi
operators and either wanted to wait to from them or an
exemption. SENATOR OLSON said he had flown plenty of medivacs
and none of them paid in advance.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI agreed and said he thought the bill had
good intentions, but needed some work.
SENATOR THERRIAULT said he thought the committee might want to
consider an exemption for rural Alaskans traveling, since a lot
of children travel without their parents' permission there, and
he didn't know if luring children to a hub in Alaska was a
problem versus luring them out of state.
CHAIR KOOKESH asked if he intended to target young people trying
to leave the state of Alaska on the major airlines rather than
the small airlines that Senator Olson was talking about. He
didn't think it was a problem in rural Alaska and language in
the bill already said a young person traveling on a return
portion into the state is exempt.
SENATOR THERRIAULT said he would welcome language to address
that concern.
SENATOR COWDERY asked if the airlines have any position on this
bill.
CHAIR KOOKESH said he would ask the airlines between now and the
next hearing.
SENATOR COWDERY asked if that would include the ferry system and
the cruise ships.
CHAIR KOOKESH replied they weren't talking about boats; they
were talking about airline tickets specifically.
SENATOR COWDERY asked how the bill deals with the foreign
airlines.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied that it would affect any foreign
airlines coming to Alaska. He had some discussion with his staff
about ferries and cruise ships and decided that the separation
between the modes of transportation is if his teenager snuck out
of the house at mid-night he could be in Florida by the time he
woke up in the morning. If he got on a ferry, he wouldn't get
too far by the next morning.
SENATOR THERRIAULT asked if staff was going to work on a CS,
because he wanted them to consider the issue of minors in state
custody.
CHAIR KOOKESH set SB 190 aside and work on some of the issues.
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