HB 317: "An Act relating to maintenance of transportation facilities in wildland urban interface zones."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 317 01 "An Act relating to maintenance of transportation facilities in wildland urban interface 02 zones." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 44.42.020(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) The department shall 06 (1) plan, design, construct, and maintain all state modes of 07 transportation and transportation facilities and all docks, floats, breakwaters, buildings, 08 and similar facilities; 09 (2) study existing transportation modes and facilities in the state to 10 determine how they might be improved or whether they should continue to be 11 maintained; 12 (3) study alternative means of improving transportation in the state 13 with regard to the economic costs of each alternative and its environmental and social 14 effects;
01 (4) develop a comprehensive, long-range, intermodal transportation 02 plan for the state; 03 (5) study alternatives to existing modes of transportation in urban areas 04 and develop plans to improve urban transportation; 05 (6) cooperate and coordinate with and enter into agreements with 06 federal, state, and local government agencies and private organizations and persons in 07 exercising its powers and duties; 08 (7) manage, operate, and maintain state transportation facilities and all 09 docks, floats, breakwaters, and buildings, including all state highways, vessels, 10 railroads, pipelines, airports, and aviation facilities; 11 (8) study alternative means of transportation in the state, considering 12 the economic, social, and environmental effects of each alternative; 13 (9) coordinate and develop state and regional transportation systems, 14 considering deletions, additions, and the absence of alterations; 15 (10) develop facility program plans for transportation and state 16 buildings, docks, and breakwaters required to implement the duties set out in this 17 section, including but not limited to functional performance criteria and schedules for 18 completion; 19 (11) supervise and maintain all state automotive and mechanical 20 equipment, aircraft, and vessels, except vessels and aircraft used by the Department of 21 Fish and Game or the Department of Public Safety; for state vehicles maintained by 22 the department, the department shall, every five years, evaluate the cost, efficiency, 23 and commercial availability of alternative fuels for automotive purposes, and the 24 purpose for which the vehicles are intended to be used, and convert vehicles to use 25 alternative fuels or purchase energy efficient vehicles whenever practicable; the 26 department may participate in joint ventures with public or private partners that will 27 foster the availability of alternative fuels for all automotive fuel consumers; 28 (12) supervise aeronautics inside the state, under AS 02.10; 29 (13) implement the safety and financial responsibility requirements for 30 air carriers under AS 02.40; 31 (14) inspect weights and measures;
01 (15) at least every four years, study alternatives available to finance 02 transportation systems in order to provide an adequate level of funding to sustain and 03 improve the state's transportation system; 04 (16) allot space to and manage space in state buildings for the various 05 departments according to need and available space; 06 (17) develop a program for prioritizing maintenance of 07 transportation facilities in wildland urban interface zones. 08 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 09 read: 10 REPORT ON PRIORITIZING MAINTENANCE OF TRANSPORTATION 11 FACILITIES IN WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE ZONES. The Department of 12 Transportation and Public Facilities shall implement a plan for prioritizing maintenance of 13 transportation facilities that support communities in wildland urban interface zones that are 14 only accessible by one route. The department shall solicit input from and consult with local 15 municipalities, community organizations, metropolitan planning organizations, regional 16 transportation planning organizations, and service areas to develop a prioritized list of state- 17 maintained roads and highways in these areas for annual wildfire season preparation, facility 18 maintenance, and treatment of fuel loads. Not later than December 20, 2026, the department 19 shall submit a written report on the plan that includes the department's prioritization 20 methodology and the prioritized list of state-maintained roads and highways to the senate 21 secretary and the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the 22 report is available.