SB 163-DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:32:03 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEDMAN announced the consideration of SB 163.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:32:39 PM                                                                                                                    
DAN  SMITH,  Director,  Division  of  Measurement  Standards  and                                                               
Commercial    Vehicle   Enforcement,    Alaska   Department    of                                                               
Transportation and Public  Facilities, Juneau, Alaska, summarized                                                               
SB 163 as follows:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     The main  portion of  this bill  changes the  rules for                                                                    
     farmers operating farm vehicles  away from their farms.                                                                    
     The  present law  requires that  after  150 miles  from                                                                    
     their  farm, then  we would  regulate them  as a  motor                                                                    
     carrier of  either property, HazMat, whatever  the case                                                                    
     may be. This rule would  allow them to operate anywhere                                                                    
     in the  state and in a  big state like Alaska  where we                                                                    
     have  operations  from  Point MacKenzie  up  to  Delta,                                                                    
     that's a  long way  to go and  this would  provide some                                                                    
     relief  from  regulations  for drivers  of  those  farm                                                                    
     vehicles.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILSON  asked if  the continuous-driving  limitations for                                                               
commercial drivers would apply to the drivers of farm vehicles.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. SMITH replied that farmers would be exempt.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:34:24 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  EGAN moved  to report  SB  163, [version:  30-GS2597\A],                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:34:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  STEDMAN  announced  that there  being  no  objection,  the                                                               
motion carried.