Legislature(2007 - 2008)BARNES 124
04/03/2007 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB184 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 184 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
April 3, 2007
1:06 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bob Roses, Chair
Representative Nancy Dahlstrom
Representative Anna Fairclough
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Jay Ramras
Representative Robert L. "Bob" Buch
Representative Scott Kawasaki
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 184
"An Act relating to a commemorative troops license plate; and
providing for an effective date."
- MOVED CSHB 184(MLV) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 184
SHORT TITLE: COMMEMORATIVE TROOPS LICENSE PLATE
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) ROSES
03/12/07 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/12/07 (H) MLV, STA, FIN
03/20/07 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/20/07 (H) Heard & Held
03/20/07 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
03/22/07 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
03/22/07 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
03/27/07 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/27/07 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
04/03/07 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
MARTIN BOIRE, Executive Director
Support Our Troops, Inc. (SOT)
Ormond Beach, Florida
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
184.
PAT CARTER, Volunteer Lobbyist
For Support Out Troops, Inc.
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
184.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR BOB ROSES called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:06:11 PM.
Representatives LeDoux, Dahlstrom, Ramras, Fairclough, and Roses
were present at the call to order. Representatives Kawasaki and
Buch arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 184-COMMEMORATIVE TROOPS LICENSE PLATE
1:07:04 PM
CHAIR ROSES announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 184, "An Act relating to a commemorative troops
license plate; and providing for an effective date."
1:07:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report HB 184 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal
note.
CHAIR ROSES asked for discussion on the bill.
1:07:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI remarked:
I don't like the idea that this money is going out of
state, first. I have some concerns about whether
this, in fact, dedicates funds. I don't know much
about the organization but I know that several
thousand organizations, in fact, sprung up directly as
a result of [the terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001]. I think that the money should go to service
men and women and their families, I'd like to find
another way to make sure that this revenue stays
within the state of Alaska.
1:08:49 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH recalled that previous testimony
established that the money did stay in Alaska, and she asked for
additional testimony from the witnesses to support that fact.
1:09:25 PM
MARTIN BOIRE, Executive Director, Support Our Troops, Inc.
(SOT), informed the committee that SOT policy specifies that the
plate revenues from the sale of licenses of any state will be
spent to benefit the troops and families of that state. In
addition, the majority of the overhead administrative costs will
also be spent in Alaska to encourage sales of the license plate
and other SOT endorsed products.
1:12:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI referred to the Alaska state
constitution which prohibits the dedication of funds. He opined
that a problem with the bill may arise if the state were to
discontinue the appropriation of funds to the commemorative
license plate program.
MR. BOIRE responded that future problems can be addressed and
solved.
CHAIR ROSES restated the question for clarification. Each year
the Alaska State Legislature must appropriate an amount of money
equal to what has been collected by the sale of the license
plates. The question will arise he said, if a future
legislature refuses to appropriate those funds.
MR. BOIRE answered that SOT did not have a policy on this
question.
1:14:57 PM
PAT CARTER, Volunteer Lobbyist, Support Out Troops, Inc., opined
that a future legislature, when withholding the appropriation,
would also state the basis for its decision. In this case, SOT
will respond with corrective action and if its response were
unsatisfactory, the money will transfer to the general fund.
1:16:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS expressed his confidence in the
administration of the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and
stated that he would purchase a commemorative license plate.
1:17:52 PM
CHAIR ROSES closed public testimony.
1:18:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved Amendment 1, 25-LS0621\M.1,
Luckhaupt, 3/15/07, that read:
Page 1, line 1, following "plate":
Insert "and to license plates available to
disabled veterans"
Page 1, following line 3:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Section 1. AS 28.10.181(d) is amended to read:
(d) Vehicles owned by veterans with
disabilities, including persons disabled in the line
of duty while serving in the Alaska Territorial Guard,
or other persons with disabilities. Upon the request
of a person with a disability that limits or impairs
the ability to walk, as defined in 23 C.F.R. 1235.2,
the department shall (1) register one motor vehicle in
the name of the person without charge; and (2) issue a
specially designed registration plate that displays
(A) recognition of the disabled veteran if the
applicant's disability originated from the applicant's
service with the Alaska Territorial Guard or the armed
forces of the United States; (B) the international
symbol of accessibility (the wheelchair logo); and (C)
if the applicant is a veteran, the Alaska and United
States flags and red, white, and blue colors. A person
who is not otherwise qualified under this subsection,
but who meets the qualifications of a disabled veteran
under AS 29.45.030(i), may register one motor vehicle
without charge, and the department shall issue a
specially designed registration plate that displays
recognition of the disabled veteran that does not
display the international symbol of accessibility and
does not carry with it special parking privileges. A
disabled veteran who otherwise qualifies for a
registration plate under this subsection may elect to
receive, at no charge, a plate under (p) or (q) of
this section for which the person is otherwise
qualified that does not display the international
symbol of accessibility and does not carry with it
special parking privileges. For purposes of this
subsection, proof of disability may be provided by a
person licensed as a physician or physician assistant
under AS 08.64 or as an advanced nurse practitioner
under AS 08.68."
Page 1, line 4:
Delete "Section 1"
Insert "Sec. 2"
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM then moved to adopt Conceptual
Amendment 1 to Amendment 1 to delete "at no charge" from page 1,
line 23.
CHAIR ROSES objected for discussion purposes.
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM explained that the amendment would
allow qualified veterans to choose a veteran's commemorative
plate that does not contain the disabled symbol or designate
special parking privileges. This change is in response to
requests from veterans who wish to choose other special
designations for their commemorative license plates. She noted
that neither the Conceptual Amendment 1, nor Amendment 1 make
any other changes to HB 184.
1:21:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH requested clarification regarding the
portion of Amendment 1 that deletes "Section 1".
CHAIR ROSES said, "Just the "Section 1."
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM clarified that this is a renumbering
change.
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH remarked:
The point that I was going to make, even if the words
are there, is it's two separate items, one is how the
department is ... I just was wondering why we're
deleting Section 1, as far as the numbering and
rolling it into Section 2, is that correct?
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM replied that Legislative Legal and
Research Services advised that this was proper.
CHAIR ROSES suggested correcting the format through a Conceptual
Amendment.
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said that staff had answered her
concern and she withdrew her question.
1:23:16 PM
CHAIR ROSES removed his objection to the amendment. There being
no further objection, Amendment 1, as amended, was adopted.
1:23:26 PM
CHAIR ROSES called for discussion on HB 184, as amended.
1:23:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report HB 184, as amended, out
of committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, CSHB
184(MLV) was reported from the House Special Committee on
Military and Veterans' Affairs.
1:24:03 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 1:24 p.m.
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