Legislature(2013 - 2014)BUTROVICH 205
04/10/2014 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB378 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 378 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 10, 2014
1:34 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Dennis Egan, Chair
Senator Fred Dyson, Vice Chair
Senator Hollis French
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Anna Fairclough
Senator Click Bishop
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 378(TRA)
"An Act relating to motor vehicle registration; relating to
drivers' licenses; relating to instruction permits; relating to
commercial motor vehicles and commercial motor carriers; and
providing for an effective date."
- MOVED CSHB 378(TRA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 378
SHORT TITLE: MOTOR VEHICLES: REGISTRATION, COMMERCIAL
SPONSOR(s): TRANSPORTATION BY REQUEST
03/19/14 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/19/14 (H) TRA
03/20/14 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/20/14 (H) Heard & Held
03/20/14 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/25/14 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/25/14 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
03/27/14 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/27/14 (H) Moved CSHB 378(TRA) Out of Committee
03/27/14 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/28/14 (H) TRA RPT CS(TRA) 6DP
03/28/14 (H) DP: LYNN, FEIGE, ISAACSON, GATTIS,
KREISS-TOMKINS, P.WILSON
04/08/14 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
04/08/14 (H) VERSION: CSHB 378(TRA)
04/09/14 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/09/14 (S) TRA
04/09/14 (S) FIN REFERRAL ADDED AFTER TRA
WITNESS REGISTER
BECKY ROONEY
Staff to Representative Peggy Wilson
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified for the sponsor that the
administration asked for HB 378 to be introduced.
AMY ERICKSON, Director
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Department of Administration (DOA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions about HB 378.
DANIEL SMITH, Director
Division of Measurement Standards & Commercial Vehicle
Enforcement
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions about HB 378.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:34:13 PM
CHAIR DENNIS EGAN called the Senate Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:34 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Dyson, French, and Chair Egan.
HB 378-MOTOR VEHICLES: REGISTRATION, COMMERCIAL
1:35:18 PM
CHAIR EGAN announced HB 378 to be up for consideration [CSHB
378(TRA), version 28-LS1541\P, was before the committee].
1:35:35 PM
BECKY ROONEY, staff to Representative Peggy Wilson, sponsor of
HB 378, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said the
administration asked for this bill to be introduced. She
explained that it brings the Alaska Commercial Drivers' License
(CDL) statutes into compliance with federal regulations set in
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Manual. Being out of compliance
could result in the federal government decertifying Alaska's CDL
program. This would jeopardize Alaska's federal funding by up to
$34 million federal.
1:37:05 PM
In addition, this would prevent the Division of Motor Vehicles
(DMV) from issuing, upgrading or renewing any CDL or CDL permit.
The new requirement raises the CDL age for instructional permits
from 17 to 18 for 180 days with a renewal option of 180 more
days. It was previously valid for two years, but nonrenewable.
MS. ROONEY said HB 378 will allow the DMV to refuse or revoke a
registration for a motor carrier or a commercial vehicle that
does not meet federal safety standards. Additionally, a CDL
permit will be disqualified in the same manner as a CDL for a
driver operating a vehicle while noncompliant with the same
safety regulations for out of service, or if that person is
convicted of manslaughter or negligent homicide while driving a
motor vehicle.
Texting while driving will also be made a serious CDL violation.
Language was changed to clarify that registration fees charged
for vehicles over 10,000 pounds are charged at commercial rates.
The current fee schedules are not being changed, just clarified.
She said the DMV has coordinated all these changes with the
Alaska Truckers Association.
1:38:40 PM
AMY ERICKSON, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV),
Department of Administration (DOA), said Ms. ROONEY did an
excellent overview and asked if there were questions.
SENATOR FRENCH asked about the texting provision.
MS. ERICKSON noted that it is in Section 12 of the bill [AS
28.35.161].
1:40:14 PM
SENATOR DYSON asked on page 2, line 19, where it says the
applicant is a "commercial motor carrier prohibited from
operating" if that means he is not an individual.
MS. ERICKSON said she didn't understand the question, but it
applies to the carrier, which is a company.
SENATOR DYSON said that answers his question.
SENATOR FRENCH asked for an example of where that would apply.
1:41:51 PM
DANIEL SMITH, Director, Division of Measurement Standards &
Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Department of Transportation and
Public Facilities (DOTPF), Anchorage, Alaska, explained there
are four general instances in which the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA) will order a motor carrier to
cease interstate operations. When they have an unsatisfactory
safety rating from the FMCSA, or when after exhausting all due
options the motor carrier fails to pay federal fines levied from
the FMCSA, or when a motor carrier is determined to be an
imminent hazard, or after failing a new entrant audit.
SENATOR DYSON referenced page 7, line 23, where it says a 14-
year-old can get an instruction permit renewed once, but once a
license is issued to drive a specific type of vehicle the driver
is not eligible to obtain an instructional permit for that class
of vehicle unless five years has passed. He observed that this
is not like a traditional learner's permit.
MS. ERICKSON said in this case it is a non-commercial permit and
the five-year waiting period is the term of a license. She said
the statute doesn't allow DMV to issue a permit for a license
someone have already held. This is in the bill because DMV
encountered a woman who had a CDL and subsequently had a brain
injury and was out of practice for many years. The statute
didn't allow DMV to issue her a permit because she'd already
held that class of license. This way when five years has passed
she can get another learner's permit in that class.
1:45:04 PM
SENATOR DYSON referenced page 1, line 9, and asked how a person
gets placed out of service.
1:45:33 PM
MR. SMITH answered that a driver could be placed out of service
under many different circumstances: by simply stopping at an
open weigh station and saying he is unable to safely operate the
vehicle (because of a medical fitness issue). That driver will
be placed out of service until he is safe to operate the
vehicle. A commercial vehicle operator can be placed out of
service for an imminent hazard such as carrying an unsecured
load.
1:47:12 PM
SENATOR DYSON moved to report CS for HB 378(TRA), version \P,
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal notes. There were no objections and CSHB 378(TRA) passed
from the Senate Transportation Standing Committee.
1:47:36 PM
At ease from 1:47 to 1:48 p.m.
1:48:25 PM
CHAIR EGAN, seeing no further business, adjourned the Senate
Transportation Standing Committee meeting at 1:48 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 378 Sponsor Statement ver P.pdf |
STRA 4/10/2014 1:30:00 PM |
HB 378 |
| HB 378 Sectional Analysis Ver P.pdf |
STRA 4/10/2014 1:30:00 PM |
HB 378 |
| HB378 Support Letter Thompson.pdf |
STRA 4/10/2014 1:30:00 PM |
HB 378 |
| HB378-DOA-DMV-03-19-2014.pdf |
STRA 4/10/2014 1:30:00 PM |
HB 378 |
| HB378-DOT-MSCVE-3-19-14.pdf |
STRA 4/10/2014 1:30:00 PM |
HB 378 |
| SB 211 2nd response to Ketchikan Ready-Mix.pdf |
STRA 4/10/2014 1:30:00 PM |
SB 211 |