2006-02-01                     House Journal                      Page 2398
HB 417                                                                                            
HOUSE BILL NO. 417 by the House Rules Committee by request of                                       
the Governor, entitled:                                                                             
                                                                                                    
     "An Act relating to the designation of traffic safety corridors;                               
     relating to the bail or fine for an offense committed in a traffic                             
     safety corridor and to separately accounting for such fines; and                               
     providing for an effective date."                                                              
                                                                                                    
was read the first time and referred to the Transportation, Judiciary,                              
and Finance Committees.                                                                             
                                                                                                    
The following fiscal note(s) apply:                                                                 
                                                                                                    
1.  Zero, Dept. of Public Safety                                                                    
2.  Fiscal, Dept. of Transportation & Public Facilities                                             
                                                                                                    
The Governor's transmittal letter dated January 31, 2006, follows:                                  
                                                                                                    
"Dear Speaker Harris:                                                                               
                                                                                                    
Under the authority of art. III, section 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I                          
am transmitting a bill relating to the designation of traffic safety                                

2006-02-01                     House Journal                      Page 2399
corridors; and relating to the bail or fine for an offense committed in a                           
traffic safety corridor and to separately accounting for such fines.                                
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                    
This bill would authorize the Department of Transportation and Public                               
Facilities to designate a portion of a highway to be a traffic safety                               
corridor by posting signs at the beginning and end of the corridor.  The                            
designation would be made to promote traffic safety in that area.                                   
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                    
The Alaska Supreme Court and each municipality would be required                                    
to provide that the scheduled amount of a fine or bail for a motor                                  
vehicle or traffic offense in a traffic safety corridor would be double                             
the amount of the fine or bail if the offense had not been committed in                             
a traffic safety corridor.                                                                          
                                                                                                    
The provisions of AS 28.05.151(d) and AS 28.40.070 currently                                        
provide for double fines or bail for motor vehicle or traffic offenses in                           
areas designated as highway work zones.  These provisions would be                                  
amended by adding references to traffic safety corridors.                                           
                                                                                                    
The bill also would provide for separate accounting for fines collected                             
for traffic safety corridor offenses, and for appropriation of 50 percent                           
of those collected fines to the Department of Transportation and Public                             
Facilities, highway safety planning agency, for highway safety                                      
programs.                                                                                           
                                                                                                    
The bill would have an immediate effective date so that traffic safety                              
corridors could be designated as soon as possible.                                                  
                                                                                                    
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                            
                                                                                                    
                                Sincerely yours,                                                    
                                /s/                                                                 
                                Frank H. Murkowski                                                  
                                Governor"