Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
04/29/2025 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SJR12 | |
| HB186 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SJR 12 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 186 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 29, 2025
1:01 p.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Ashley Carrick, Co-Chair
Representative Ted Eischeid, Co-Chair
Representative Genevieve Mina
Representative Kevin McCabe
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Elexie Moore
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Cathy Tilton
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 12(TRA)
Urging the United States Congress and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to address outages of National Data
Buoy Center stations.
- MOVED CSSJR 12(TRA) OUT OF COMMITTE
HOUSE BILL NO. 186
"An Act relating to the use of apprentice labor in public
construction projects; and relating to a report on the use of
apprentice labor in public construction projects."
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SJR 12
SHORT TITLE: NOAA BUOY OUTAGES
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) DUNBAR
02/26/25 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/26/25 (S) TRA
03/20/25 (S) TRA AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/20/25 (S) Heard & Held
03/20/25 (S) MINUTE(TRA)
03/25/25 (S) TRA AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/25/25 (S) Moved CSSJR 12(TRA) Out of Committee
03/25/25 (S) MINUTE(TRA)
03/26/25 (S) TRA RPT CS 3DP SAME TITLE
03/26/25 (S) DP: BJORKMAN, KIEHL, TOBIN
04/04/25 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
04/04/25 (S) VERSION: CSSJR 12(TRA)
04/07/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/07/25 (H) TRA
04/15/25 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/15/25 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
04/22/25 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/22/25 (H) Heard & Held
04/22/25 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
04/29/25 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
BILL: HB 186
SHORT TITLE: APPRENTICE LABOR IN PUBLIC PROJECTS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) CARRICK
04/11/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/11/25 (H) TRA, L&C
04/24/25 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/24/25 (H) Heard & Held
04/24/25 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
04/29/25 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR FORREST DUNBAR
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, gave an overview of CSSJR
12(TRA).
GRIFFEN SUKKAEW, Staff
Representative Ashley Carrick
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of Representative Carrick, prime
sponsor, answered questions on HB 186.
ANDY MILLS, Legislative Liaison, Special Assistant to the
Commissioner
Office of the Commissioner
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on HB 186.
ALICIA AMBERG, Executive Director
Associated General Contractors of Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided public testimony in opposition to
HB 186.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:01:52 PM
CO-CHAIR TED EISCHEID called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. Representatives Stutes,
Mina, Carrick, and Eischeid were present at the call to order.
Representatives Moore and McCabe arrived as the meeting was in
progress.
SJR 12-NOAA BUOY OUTAGES
1:02:53 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID announced that the first order of business
would be CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 12(TRA), Urging the
United States Congress and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to address outages of National Data Buoy Center
stations.
1:03:21 PM
SENATOR FORREST DUNBAR, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, gave a review of the proposed committee substitute (CS)
for SJR 12(TRA). He stated that it would request the federal
government to maintain the weather buoys, as pieces of critical
infrastructure in the state. He stated that the proposed
resolution specifically addresses the Seal Rocks Buoy at the
Hinchinbrook Entrance, as this is critical for the oil industry.
1:04:46 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID opened public testimony on SJR 12. After
ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify, he
closed public testimony.
1:05:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE stated that he would like to propose an
amendment; however, he expressed the understanding that the
deadline has passed.
1:06:12 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 1:06 p.m. to 1:08 p.m.
1:08:36 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK moved to report CSSJR 12(TRA) out of committee,
with individual recommendations and the attached zero fiscal
note. There being no objection, CSSJR 12(TRA) was reported out
of the House Transportation Standing Committee.
1:09:02 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 1:09 p.m. to 1:12 p.m.
HB 186-APPRENTICE LABOR IN PUBLIC PROJECTS
1:12:43 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 186, "An Act relating to the use of
apprentice labor in public construction projects; and relating
to a report on the use of apprentice labor in public
construction projects."
1:13:03 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK, as prime sponsor, provided a brief recap of HB
186. She stated that the proposed legislation would ensure,
when practicable, construction contracts valued at $2.5 million
or more, administered by the Department of Administration (DOA)
and the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
(DOT&PF), must attempt to have at least 15 percent of the labor
performed by registered apprentices. She stated that the
purpose of the proposed legislation is twofold: increase the
number of apprentices used in the state and allow for data
gathering on these apprenticeships. She suggested that this
would promote apprentices to work and stay in the state for the
long term.
1:13:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE questioned how HB 186 would work with
collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
CO-CHAIR CARRICK deferred the question to her staff. She stated
that there are union and nonunion apprenticeships available in
the state, and the proposed legislation would provide an
incentive for both.
1:15:13 PM
GRIFFEN SUKKAEW, Staff, Representative Ashley Carrick, Alaska
State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Carrick,
responded that building trades do not specifically participate
with the state for collective bargaining purposes.
1:15:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE, in follow up, commented that the letters
of support for the proposed bill are from the building trades;
however, there are no supporting documents from contractors or
engineers. He asked whether the bill would be an additional 15
percent to what is already required in CBAs for apprenticeship
labor.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK expressed the understanding that a baseline
requirement would be set, but it would not be on top of what is
currently required by CBAs. She added that the proposed
legislation would be setting a "ground floor" percentage for
trades that do not already have this. She noted that there is a
letter of support from operating engineers, and there will be
forthcoming letters of support from contractors. She
acknowledged that some private contractors have mixed support
for the proposed legislation. She emphasized that the proposed
bill would be to the "extent practicable". In response to a
follow-up question concerning ineffective apprenticeship
programs, she stated that the proposed legislation would address
the hiring of apprentices, but if they are not capable of doing
the job, individuals should be treated as in any other job and
let go. She acknowledged that there are gaps in workforce
training in the state, and she suggested that this should be
addressed; however, the proposed legislation would not do this.
1:19:18 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MOORE commented that the Matanuska-Susitna
Borough has a similar policy with apprenticeship requirements;
however, it is not effective. She questioned how the proposed
statewide process would be different.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK replied that HB 186 would set a percentage
"floor across the state," and it would not add on top of any
existing requirements.
REPRESENTATIVE MOORE, in follow-up, questioned where the amount
of $2.5 million for the threshold came from.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK replied that the threshold had been established
in Administrative Order (AO) 278 [in 2015]; however, this AO was
rescinded. She explained that the proposed legislation would be
reinstituting AO 278.
1:21:43 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID expressed the understanding that the 15
percent requirement for apprenticeships would just be a target.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK expressed agreement. In response to a follow-
up question on the results of AO 278, she deferred to her staff.
1:22:29 PM
MR. SUKKAEW responded that during the previous meeting there had
been a similar question concerning any results of the recension
of AO 278. After the meeting, the Department of Labor and
Workforce Development (DLWD) reported that no such data on the
outcome exists, as the information was not trackable. He
indicated that a reporting requirement was added to the proposed
legislation.
1:23:48 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE questioned the number of state contracts
with DOT&PF that are less than $2.5 million.
1:24:15 PM
ANDY MILLS, Legislative Liaison, Special Assistant to the
Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner, Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities, replied that after doing
the analysis on the proposed legislation, it was found that
almost all DOT&PF projects in the state would be over the $2.5
million threshold.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE, in follow up, expressed the opinion that
$2.5 million is a "dated" figure. He questioned what [the
middle-ground cost] would be for department projects, where 50
percent of project cost would be higher than this amount and 50
percent would be lower.
MR. MILLS expressed the understanding that roughly $10 million
to $20 million would be [the middle-ground cost]. He noted that
the Associated General Contractors of Alaska (AGC) has concern
that the number of apprentices on job sites could increase the
required oversite positions needed for safety. In turn, this
would affect the finite dollars available for jobs, resulting in
fewer projects. He stated that the department does not have
insight on the impact, but AGC has articulated this concern. He
suggested that the threshold could alleviate some of its
concerns.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE, in clarification, reiterated that if
there are too many apprentices because of the size of the
project, more supervisors would be needed, and this would negate
any savings from hiring the apprentices, as opposed to hiring
journeymen.
MR. MILLS expressed the understanding that within current
contractual agreements, there is a requirement for a certain
ratio of journeymen to apprentices; therefore, as the number of
apprentices go up, additional oversight would be needed. He
affirmed that the bill could have such an effect. He reasoned
that having more apprentices would create a larger workforce in
the future. He continued that after DOT&PF's analysis of HB
186, the enforcement mechanism remained in question. He opined
that this would happen "downstream" from the contract process.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE commented that he spoke with a contractor
representative this week, and he expressed the understanding
that currently there are not many apprentices available. He
suggested that the issue may not be the underutilization of
apprentices, but the need to attract people to the trades.
1:29:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MOORE commented on issues in the department with
the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) and
questioned whether the proposed bill would "affect the overall
morale" in the department. She suggested that HB 186 "may be a
little bit of an overreach, adding more and more onto this
plate." She questioned his perspective on this.
MR. MILLS, [not commenting on the department], expressed the
understanding that there would be an opportunity for AGC members
to give testimony. Anecdotally, he expressed the understanding
that additional requirements perceived or not, might influence a
contractor's decision whether to bid.
1:30:45 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK acknowledged that there is not an enforcement
mechanism in the proposed bill; however, the data gathering
mechanism on apprenticeship labor would help the state
understand the labor market. She suggested that using the data
could allow for an enforcement mechanism at a later time. Per
the proposed legislation, she opined that statute language would
guide the industries' decisions, and contractors would strive to
meet the goals.
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID questioned whether there is a current target
percentage number for apprentices on job sites.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK replied that some CBAs, municipalities, and
private contractors set goals, but these would not be uniform
across the state. She added that the proposed legislation would
set a floor for the number of apprenticeships.
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID expressed appreciation for numerical targets.
1:33:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE questioned whether the department would
have apprenticeship targets with the labor unions it deals with.
MR. MILLS expressed uncertainty concerning these targets. He
stated that he would follow up to the committee with this
information.
1:34:04 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID opened public testimony on HB 186.
1:34:56 PM
ALICIA AMBEG, Executive Director, Associated General Contractors
of Alaska, on behalf of AGC, testified in opposition to HB 186.
She stated that, while AGC strongly supports apprenticeship
programs as a means to develop skilled construction workers, it
does not believe this mandate would strengthen or solidify
Alaska's construction workforce. She stated that for decades
contractors and unions have collaborated to train apprentices to
meet the market demands. She stated that the utilization of
apprentices is driven by business needs, safety considerations,
and workforce development goals. She expressed the opinion that
contractors are already "greatly" incentivized to use
apprentices, when safe and practicable, as it reduces cost and
supports future labor needs. She discussed the efforts
contractors and others have made to grow apprenticeship
programs.
MS. AMBEG argued that by broadly mandating apprentice
utilization, some variables would be disregarded, such as the
type and scope of projects, subcontractors, and locations. It
could also increase cost, delay schedules, and create safety
challenges, especially in remote locations. She maintained that
the proposed bill would undermine the collective bargaining
process, and with "its one-size-fits-all approach," it could
force the use of less experienced workers. She concluded that,
given the already complex landscape of labor and construction
requirements in Alaska, it is unclear why the state would pursue
an "aspirational mandate" without clear evidence of need.
1:37:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA questioned the percentage of labor hours for
apprentices in AGC contracts.
MS. AMBERG expressed uncertainty on the exact number. She
stated that many of the contracts with DOT&PF have requirements;
however, she pointed out that many subcontractors have less
traditional pathways for training its workforce.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA, in follow up, noted the use of the bill's
language "when practicable" in AGC's letter of opposition. She
asked what would prohibit AGC in the proposed bill from bidding
on state contracts.
MS. AMBERG responded with the concern that AGC is already
adhering to the policy of using apprentices, when practicable,
on job sites. She stated that other states with these mandates
have related that contractors are limited when making the
decisions for projects, noting that employee safety is an issue.
In response to a follow-up question concerning what would limit
AGC's flexibility, she stated that the concern is whether the
proposed legislation is a necessity, as it would be adding a
requirement to an already complex process, and contracts already
address the requirement. She expressed concerns about the
possibility of changes to HB 186.
1:40:35 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID closed public testimony.
[HB 186 was held over.]
1:41:32 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:41
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 186 AGC Opposition Letter.pdf |
HTRA 4/29/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 186 |
| HB 186 opposition Knik Construction.pdf |
HTRA 4/29/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 186 |