Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
02/27/2025 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB26 | |
| Presentation: Department of Corrections Overview | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 35 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 26 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 26-STATEWIDE PUBLIC & COMMUNITY TRANSIT PLAN
8:05:31 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 26, "An Act relating to the duties of
the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities; and
relating to a statewide public and community transit plan."
8:05:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GENEVIEVE MINA, Alaska State Legislature, as
prime sponsor, presented HB 26. She paraphrased the sponsor
statement [included in the committee packet], which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities (DOT&PF) stewards the state's
transportation system as the lead body in developing
the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
(STIP). HB 26 aims to support and secure accessible
transportation options for all Alaskans by improving
DOT&PF's public engagement process and broadening the
study of transportation options across the state.
First, HB 26 seeks to improve DOT&PF's public
engagement process in statewide transportation
planning. Sufficient collaboration with local and
regional entities is federally required to secure
funding for transportation and infrastructure
projects. HB 26 codifies this federal requirement by
specifying that DOT&PF must coordinate with public,
Tribal, and community transit programs in their
development of Alaska's comprehensive, long-range,
intermodal transportation plan (e.g., STIP). In this
case, these transit programs refer to programs such as
Nome's Tribal Transit Program, Juneau's Capital
Transit, Tok's Interior Alaska Bus Line, and
Anchorage's People Mover.
Second, HB 26 expands DOT&PF's responsibility to study
alternative transportation options by including rural
and remote areas. DOT&PF is statutorily responsible
for studying alternative means of transportation in
Alaska, but they are currently only required to study
urban areas. Alternative transportation methods, such
as public transportation, are essential for those
without a car and who cannot drive. According to a
2022 DOT&PF report on The Economic Value of Public
Transit in Alaska, Alaskan communities benefit from
transit due to increased business sales, reduction of
road congestion, less air pollution, and better travel
times.
Public transit is often the only transportation option
for Alaskans with disabilities, low-income Alaskans,
youth, and the elderly. Securing federal funding and
improving access to public and community transit is
essential to connect all Alaskans to their jobs and
communities. HB 26 improves the annual study,
reporting, and development of Alaska's multimodal
transportation network.
8:09:35 AM
REMINGTON PURNELL, Staff, Representative Genevieve Mina, Alaska
State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Mina, prime
sponsor, presented the sectional analysis for HB 26 [included in
the committee packet], which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
Section 1. AS. 44.42.020(a):
Amends subsections (3) and (4) in the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities' planning duties
to "study alternative means of improving
transportation" and "develop a comprehensive, long-
range, intermodal transportation plan for the state"
by including public, tribal, and community transit
programs.
Amends subsection (5) to the Department's duty to
study alternative modes of transportation by adding
rural and remote areas to its scope, and requiring
coordination with local governments and tribal
entities in this process.
Adds subsection (17) which creates a new duty for the
Department to develop a statewide public and community
transit plan in coordination with local, community,
and tribal entities.
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT sought questions from committee members.
8:10:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX referred to the zero fiscal note and asked
what the bill plans to accomplish.
8:11:37 AM
ANDY MILLS, Legislative Liaison, Department of Transportation &
Public Facilities (DOT&PF), said the fiscal note describes
activities that the department already conducts, such as the
long-range transportation plan, area transportation plans, and
the statewide transit plan. He added that department staff
already have federal directives to consider all modes, so the
fiscal note reflects that these activities are largely being
accomplished already.
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT opened invited testimony.
8:14:10 AM
PATRICK REINHART, Executive Director, Governor's Council on
Disabilities & Special Education, Department of Health (DOH),
gave invited testimony during the hearing on HB 26. He
emphasized the importance of public and community transportation
to people with disabilities and expressed his hope that the bill
would encourage a renewed focus on these issues. He spoke to
several problems facing the council, such as fewer numbers of
applicants and the failure to consider the influx of rural
transportation funds for starting new programs. He also
suggested that DOT&PF share information with impacted agencies
and partners, which in years past, was done via annual
conference.
8:19:08 AM
MILLIE RYAN, Board President, Alaska Mobility Coalition, gave
invited testimony during the hearing on HB 26. She emphasized
the importance of public transportation to many Alaskans and
applauded the bill for integrating community transportation into
the department's duties and for developing a five-year plan for
expanding transportation across the state.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX pointed out that DOT&PF had stated that it's
already doing this work, and asked what the bill would change.
MS. RYAN acknowledged that the department's plans make reference
to community transportation and transit; however, there's no
specific plan that looks at community transportation in detail
and considers how to coordinate and expand the availability of
opportunities with community partners and providers. She shared
a personal anecdote about her experience in Oregon.
8:22:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HALL asked about the timeline for Section 17,
which creates a new duty for the department to develop a
statewide public and community transit plan in coordination with
local, community, and Tribal entities.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA deferred to Mr. Mills.
8:24:07 AM
MR. MILLS said different plans span different timeframes
dependent on the federal regulations. In general, there are 5-
year plans on the short side, as well as 10-year and 20-year
plans. He referred to AS 40.42, noting that many of the
articulated duties in HB 26 lack timeframes, and one would defer
to the federal program to set a timeframe or renew it as
frequently as needed.
8:26:09 AM
CO-CHAIR MEARS observed that the cost of owning a vehicle has
increased, which may increase the broader need for transport.
She asked whether data supports this observation.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA referred to a report conducted by DOT&PF in
May 2022 about the economic value of public transit in Alaska;
however, she was unsure whether it included statistics on the
cost of personal vehicles.
8:28:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND asked for the bill sponsor's thoughts on
commuter rail options and how it might bring more attention to
what, right now, has been a citizen's advocacy process that
struggles to get standing in the broader transportation
planning.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA speculated that commuter rails may fall
under "alternative modes" and deferred the question to Mr.
Mills.
MR. MILLS agreed the "alternative modes" is broad enough and
would allow the department to look at a range of options without
being limited by statute, which is beneficial for planning
purposes, and would allow new modalities to be incorporated as
technology advances.
REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND asked how these proposed changes might
strengthen the discussion about the Alaska Marine Highway System
(AMHS) and its integration as a transportation solution in rural
communities.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA shared her belief that AMHS is separate from
the definition of "transit planning."
MS. PURNELL agreed that AMHS is not included in the definition.
MR. MILLS confirmed that the planning authority for AMHS falls
under a different section of state statute.
8:33:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND commented that with the separation of
boards and funding, the importance of AMHS to the transportation
infrastructure of Alaska is missed. He suggested that the bill
could be a vehicle for elevating the importance of transit to
rural coastal communities and the necessity of AMHS.
8:35:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX said planning seems to be constrained by
federal funding. He asked whether the legislature should
consider including nonprofit organizations in the conversation.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA affirmed that public engagement with
nonprofits, such as the Alaska Mobility Coalition (AMC), and
other entities, like the Governor's Council on Disabilities and
Special Education, should be included. She cited page 3, lines
7-9, which stated that the development of a statewide transit
plan is done in cooperation with public community transit
operators, local government, communities, and Tribal entities.
She added that the inclusion of relevant stakeholders would be
considered a friendly amendment.
8:37:53 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked why the bill is needed.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA said to ensure that Alaska is modernizing
DOT&PF's responsibilities to reflect Alaskans' needs. She added
that the state would not want the department's positive work on
transit planning to go away if leadership or federal
requirements were to change.
MR. REINHART agreed on the importance of codifying DOT&PF's
planning efforts in statute to ensure that there are reasonable
expectations around the development of a public transit if
leadership were to change.
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked how the bill would interface with
Tribal transportation plans.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA shared her understanding that the department
is federally required to coordinate with Tribal planning
organizations in its long-range transportation planning efforts,
such as the development of the Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP). She deferred to Mr. Mills for
further explanation.
8:42:00 AM
MR. MILLS confirmed that there is a "three C policy"
collaboration, coordination, and consultation that's federally
required of the department with regard to STIP. He added that
there is also a Tribal team in many areas of the department for
Tribal consultation on projects and planning activities.
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked which highway number is assigned to
AMHS.
MR. MILLS answered M5 and M11. He emphasized that many
communities make a firm assertion that AMHS is a highway system
falling under Title 19, so as to avoid any exclusion of vehicle
transport on vessels. The department experienced pushback when
testing a supplemental service, which he likened to a bus
service because it only transported passengers, reinforcing the
philosophical viewpoint that AMHS is an extension of the road
system.
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Chapman how to best partner with
Tribes and whether the bill would change or augment anything
with regard to that government-to-government relationship.
8:45:41 AM
JUDY CHAPMAN, Deputy Director, Division of Statewide Planning,
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF),
reiterated that Tribes are engaged with regularly through
consultation opportunities and monthly conference calls. She
said the intent is to fully engage with Tribes and involve them
in the statewide and transit planning processes as they are a
valuable stakeholder.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether there are jurisdictional
issues that should be taken into consideration.
MR. MILLS responded that DOT&PF actively works on projects with
local nonprofit organizations (NPO) whose jurisdiction is
codified in federal regulation. With regard to transit
planning, conversations are had with the community transit grant
recipients, but these local governments have their own
committees on local transportation improvement plans (TIP), much
like the STIP for the state. He said he is not aware of any
jurisdictional issues.
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that HB 26 would be held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 26 Version A Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/18/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/20/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 26 |
| HB 26 Version A.pdf |
HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/18/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/20/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 26 |
| HB 26 Version A Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/18/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/20/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 26 |
| HB 26 Fiscal Note - DOT - PDSP 2.21.25.pdf |
HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/18/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/20/2025 8:00:00 AM SCRA 5/15/2025 1:30:00 PM |
HB 26 |
| HB 26 Testimony — Received as of 2.25.25.pdf |
HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/18/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/20/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 26 |
| HB 26 Research - CFR, Title 23, Chapter I, Subchapter E, § 450.218, Subsections (a)-(f).pdf |
HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/18/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/20/2025 8:00:00 AM SCRA 5/15/2025 1:30:00 PM |
HB 26 |
| HB 26 Research - 2024 AMC Legislative Priorities.pdf |
HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/18/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/20/2025 8:00:00 AM SCRA 5/15/2025 1:30:00 PM |
HB 26 |
| HB 26 Research - 2022 DOT&PF Study - Economic Value of Public Transit in Alaska.pdf |
HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/18/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/20/2025 8:00:00 AM SCRA 5/15/2025 1:30:00 PM |
HB 26 |
| Department of Corrections Overview 1.28.2025.pdf |
HCRA 2/13/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM |
Department of Corrections |
| Department of Corrections Follow-up 1.28.25 HCRA Meeting 2.7.25.pdf |
HCRA 2/13/2025 8:00:00 AM HCRA 2/27/2025 8:00:00 AM |
Department of Corrections |