Legislature(2023 - 2024)BUTROVICH 205

04/28/2023 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY

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Audio Topic
01:31:50 PM Start
01:32:28 PM HB75
01:39:05 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
*+ HB 75 OWNER & CONTRACTOR CONTROLLED INSURANCE TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 75(L&C) Out of Committee
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+= SB 70 OWNER & CONTRACTOR CONTROLLED INSURANCE TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled but Not Heard
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              SENATE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                         April 28, 2023                                                                                         
                           1:31 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Matt Claman, Chair                                                                                                      
Senator Jesse Kiehl, Vice Chair                                                                                                 
Senator James Kaufman                                                                                                           
Senator Löki Tobin                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Cathy Giessel                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 75(L&C)                                                                                 
"An Act relating to coverage for additional insureds under owner                                                                
and contractor controlled insurance programs; and providing for                                                                 
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSHB 75(L&C) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 70                                                                                                              
"An Act relating to coverage for additional insureds under owner                                                                
and contractor controlled insurance programs; and providing for                                                                 
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     - SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB  75                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: OWNER & CONTRACTOR CONTROLLED INSURANCE                                                                            
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
02/15/23       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/15/23       (H)       L&C                                                                                                    
02/20/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
02/20/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
02/20/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
03/01/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
03/01/23       (H)       <Bill Hearing Canceled>                                                                                
03/13/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
03/13/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
03/13/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
03/15/23       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
03/15/23       (H)       Moved CSHB 75(L&C) Out of Committee                                                                    
03/15/23       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
03/17/23       (H)       L&C RPT CS(L&C) 5DP 2NR                                                                                
03/17/23       (H)       DP:  WRIGHT,  PRAX, SADDLER,  RUFFRIDGE,                                                               
                         SUMNER                                                                                                 
03/17/23       (H)       NR: FIELDS, CARRICK                                                                                    
04/17/23       (H)       L&C CS ADOPTED Y39 N1                                                                                  
04/26/23       (H)       TRANSMITTED TO (S)                                                                                     
04/26/23       (H)       VERSION: CSHB 75(L&C)                                                                                  
04/28/23       (S)       JUD AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
LORI WING-HEIER, Director                                                                                                       
Division of Insurance                                                                                                           
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development                                                                     
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION  STATEMENT: Introduced  CSHB  75(L&C)  and provided  the                                                             
sectional analysis.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:31:50 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MATT CLAMAN called the  Senate Judiciary Standing Committee                                                             
meeting to order  at 1:31 p.m. Present at the  call to order were                                                               
Senators Kaufman, Kiehl, Tobin and Chair Claman.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
         HB  75-OWNER & CONTRACTOR CONTROLLED INSURANCE                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:32:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR CLAMAN  announced the  consideration of  CS FOR  HOUSE BILL                                                               
NO. 75(L&C) "An Act relating  to coverage for additional insureds                                                               
under  owner and  contractor controlled  insurance programs;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
He noted  that this was  the first  hearing and asked  Lori Wing-                                                               
Heier to introduce the bill.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:32:47 PM                                                                                                                    
LORI WING-HEIER,  Director, Division of Insurance,  Department of                                                               
Commerce,   Community,  and   Economic  Development,   Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska, introduced  CSHB 75 (L&C). She  provided background about                                                               
the legislation and noted that it  is the companion to SB 70. She                                                               
mentioned  a provision  in Title  21 addressing  insurance, which                                                               
provides   that  owners   and   general   contractors  of   large                                                               
construction  projects  (projects  greater than  $50  million  in                                                               
value with  a defined limit  and a  set location) are  allowed to                                                               
purchase  a  master  insurance   program.  The  master  insurance                                                               
program names  all subcontractors  working on the  site including                                                               
workers'    compensation,    general   liability,    professional                                                               
liability, and  environmental liability. She shared  that smaller                                                               
projects typically  require the  owner to  view a  certificate of                                                               
insurance.  The  master  program  is  often  less  expensive  and                                                               
eliminates subrogation because there is only one policy.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  WING-HEIER spoke  about past  discussions  related to  large                                                               
construction  projects.  She  informed  the  committee  that  she                                                               
reviewed the  statutes with  an attorney  from the  Department of                                                               
Law. The attorney  informed her that the current  statute did not                                                               
allow for  additional insureds. She  clarified that  a contractor                                                               
who is  not named  as the  additional insured  will be  forced to                                                               
charge  the owner  for additional  insurance  under the  existing                                                               
statute.  She stated  that the  proposed legislation  attempts to                                                               
correct  the Title  21  provision. She  added  that CSHB  75(L&C)                                                               
pertains to owner-controlled,  or contractor-controlled insurance                                                               
programs.  The  contractors  and  subcontractors,  regardless  of                                                               
tier, can be  named as additional insureds on  the owner's master                                                               
program if required by contract.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:35:40 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR CLAMAN requested the sectional analysis.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:35:49 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. WING-HEIER presented the sectional analysis for HB 75.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1 AS 21.36.475(b) is amended to:                                                                                 
     (4)  insurance policies  endorsed to  name one  or more                                                                    
     persons as  additional insureds if  naming a  person as                                                                    
     an  additional   insured  is  a  term   required  by  a                                                                    
     contract; this  paragraph does not  apply to  an owner-                                                                    
     controlled  or contractor-controlled  insurance program                                                                    
     for a major construction project.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2 Adds a new section to the uncodified law of                                                                    
     the State of Alaska.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3 Provides for an immediate effective date                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN  noted that until  recently, these  larger contracts                                                               
were routinely approved  with the existing statutes.  He asked if                                                               
the  proposed  change   was  because  of  a   Department  of  Law                                                               
attorney's new opinion.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. WING-HEIER replied in the affirmative.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN commented on following the advice of counsel.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:36:48 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KIEHL  asked what  role the  division plays  in approving                                                               
insurance for a project.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. WING-HEIER  replied that  the division  reviews the  value of                                                               
the  project, the  defined  location, and  a  set timeframe.  She                                                               
added that cost overruns or  extensions are not always considered                                                               
problematic,  but   the  timeframe   must  be   established.  She                                                               
clarified that the  division does not advise the  owner about the                                                               
type or quality of the  insurance purchased. The insurance simply                                                               
must meet the intent of the statute with the three provisions.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:37:36 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  CLAMAN  opened public  testimony  on  CSHB 75(L&C).  After                                                               
ascertaining  that  no  one  in  the room  or  online  wished  to                                                               
testify, he  closed public  testimony. He looked  to the  will of                                                               
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KIEHL  moved to  report  CSHB  75(L&C), work  order  33-                                                               
GH1009\B,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN  found no  objection and  CSHB 75(L&C)  was reported                                                               
from the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:39:05 PM                                                                                                                    
There being  no further  business to  come before  the committee,                                                               
Chair Claman  adjourned the  Senate Judiciary  Standing Committee                                                               
meeting at 1:39 p.m.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 75 version B 3.17.2023.PDF SJUD 4/28/2023 1:30:00 PM
HB 75
HB 75 Transmittal Letter 2.14.2023.pdf SJUD 4/28/2023 1:30:00 PM
HB 75
HB 75 Sectional Analysis version B.pdf SJUD 4/28/2023 1:30:00 PM
HB 75
HB 75 Summary of Changes version A to version B.pdf SJUD 4/28/2023 1:30:00 PM
HB 75
HB 75 Fiscal Note DCCED-DOI 2.8.2023.pdf SJUD 4/28/2023 1:30:00 PM
HB 75