Legislature(2005 - 2006)
04/19/2005 02:59 PM House TRA
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB268 | |
| HB259 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 19, 2005
2:59 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jim Elkins, Co-Chair
Representative Carl Gatto, Co-Chair
Representative Bill Thomas
Representative Woodie Salmon
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Vic Kohring
Representative Mark Neuman
Representative Mary Kapsner
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 268
"An Act relating to overtaking and passing certain stationary
vehicles."
- MOVED HB 268 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 259
"An Act relating to covered or enclosed loads."
- MOVED CSHB 259(TRA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 268
SHORT TITLE: OVERTAKING/PASSING STATIONARY VEHICLES
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) RAMRAS
04/14/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/14/05 (H) TRA, JUD
04/19/05 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
BILL: HB 259
SHORT TITLE: TRUCK LOAD REQUIREMENTS
SPONSOR(S): TRANSPORTATION
04/07/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/07/05 (H) TRA, FIN
04/12/05 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
04/12/05 (H) Scheduled But Not Heard
04/19/05 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
WITNESS REGISTER
BRANDON MAITLEN, Legislative Intern
to Representative Jay Ramras
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 268 on behalf of Representative
Ramras, sponsor.
NONA WILSON, Legislative Liaison
Office of the Commissioner
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered information on HB 259.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CO-CHAIR CARL GATTO called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 2:59:41 PM. Representatives
Gatto, Elkins, Thomas, and Salmon were present at the call to
order.
HB 268 - OVERTAKING/PASSING STATIONARY VEHICLES
CO-CHAIR GATTO announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 268 "An Act relating to overtaking and passing
certain stationary vehicles."
3:00:15 PM
BRANDON MAITLEN, Legislative Intern to Representative Jay
Ramras, Alaska State Legislature, said on behalf of
Representative Ramras that HB 268 is a tool to keep tow truck
drivers and animal control workers safe.
3:01:08 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked about including the community service
patrol who have flashing lights and pick up inebriated patients.
"They are not officially ambulances," he said.
3:01:55 PM
MR. MAITLEN said that could be a committee substitute or future
legislation.
CO-CHAIR GATTO suggested that Mr. Maitlen speak to his boss
about adding community service patrols to the bill. He said he
assumes private ambulances would be covered.
3:03:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS moved to report HB 268 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the zero fiscal note. There
being no objection, HB 268 was reported from the House
Transportation Standing Committee.
HB 259 - TRUCK LOAD REQUIREMENTS
3:03:41 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 259 "An Act relating to covered or enclosed
loads." [Although no formal motion was made, the committee
appeared to be referring to a proposed committee substitute (CS)
for HB 259 (TRA), Version 24-LS0833\Y, which was included in
members' packets.]
CO-CHAIR GATTO, speaking as co-chair of the House Transportation
Standing Committee, sponsor of HB 259, said much of the bill is
housekeeping. He noted that there is intense building activity
in Anchorage, and there are numerous uncovered gravel trucks.
The loads cannot extend higher than six inches, he said, but it
always does. At high speeds the gravel flies off the truck, and
he said, "It is almost impossible to get through a year without
a cracked windshield." Existing language requires loads to be
contained or confined, but legally that may just mean confined
but not covered. The bill changes the language from "contained
or confined" to "covered or enclosed". He clarified that
pickups that weigh 9200 pounds or less are exempted. There are
exemptions for sanders, he noted, and asked if trucks filled
with snow would also be exempted.
3:07:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS suggested the committee clarify the bill
by adding the words, "excluding snow".
3:08:04 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO suggested that such an amendment would add
"excluding snow" after "rock," on page 1, line 5.
3:08:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS made a motion to adopt the foregoing as
Amendment 1.
3:08:50 PM
NONA WILSON, Legislative Liaison, Department of Transportation &
Public Facilities (DOT&PF), said DOT&PF's eight-yard dump trucks
are convertible, able to haul gravel in the summer and snow in
the winter. So there wouldn't be a reduction in the fiscal note
by excluding snow.
3:11:37 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked whether there were objections to Amendment
1. There being none, Amendment 1 was adopted.
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS made a motion to adopt Amendment 2 as
follows:
Page 1, line 13, after "highway."
Insert "The requirements of this section do not apply
to communities which are not connected by continuous
state or federal highways to Anchorage or communities
of less than 5,000 population unless specifically
adopted by local or state traffic control plans."
3:12:29 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO, characterizing Amendment 2 as perfectly drafted
totally understandable, asked whether there were any objections
to Amendment 2. There being no objection, Amendment 2 was
adopted.
3:12:48 PM
MS. WILSON said covered loads are usually only needed when a
vehicle is overloaded. She noted that trash flies out of
smaller vehicles.
3:14:44 PM
MS. WILSON said the DOT&PF owns and operates 228 eight-yard dump
trucks, and a fully automatic cover is $2,300. There would be
an expenditure of $525,000 initially, she stated.
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS asked about the rural exclusion.
MS. WILSON said those trucks will be subtracted.
3:15:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS said truckers in smaller communities tend
to clean the debris up.
3:15:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SALMON asked if there have to be covers over dump
trucks.
CO-CHAIR GATTO said yes.
REPRESENTATIVE SALMON asked if a dump truck would need a cover.
CO-CHAIR GATTO described automatic covers.
MS. WILSON said there are also manual tarps that cost $1,600.
3:17:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS noted that there are local ordinances to
cover litter in a truck.
CO-CHAIR GATTO said dump fees are higher for uncovered trash.
3:18:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS moved to report [the proposed CS for HB
259, Version 24-LS0833\Y, as amended,] out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, CSHB 259(TRA) was reported from the
House Transportation Standing Committee.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at
3:18:55 PM.
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