Legislature(2013 - 2014)BARNES 124
02/19/2013 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB46 | |
| HB56 | |
| HB94 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 56 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 94 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 46 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 46-WAIVE CDL SKILL TEST FOR CERTAIN VETERANS
1:09:24 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 46, "An Act relating to regulations adopted by
the Department of Administration waiving the commercial motor
vehicle driving skills test for certain drivers with military
commercial motor vehicle experience."
1:09:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAN SADDLER, Alaska State Legislature, stated
that Alaskans who have honed their skills in the military
service to their country should have their skills recognized in
the civilian world. This bill would help Alaska's veterans get
jobs and Alaska's businesses to get very qualified drivers by
acknowledging military drivers already have safe driving skills.
More than 60,000 service members have held jobs involving truck
driving and many of Alaska's industries, such as construction,
oil field services, and tourism require commercial drivers'
licenses.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that in 2012, the federal government
passed a law allowing states to waive the road test skill, so
long as the military driver had recent experience and a clean
driving record. Under the federal law, drivers must still pass
their vision test, physical test, and meet other requirements.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has
encouraged states to allow these waivers. Thus far, 34 other
states have waived the skills test for military veterans and 10
are currently working on waivers. This bill would direct the
state Department of Administration (DOA) to adopt regulations in
accordance with the federal standards to allow the waivers in
Alaska. In short, HB 46 would mean jobs for veterans and
qualified drivers for Alaska's businesses. He noted letters of
support in members' packets. In response to Representative
Isaacson, he related the original bill is currently before the
committee and no changes were made when the bill came before the
House State Affairs Standing Committee.
1:12:30 PM
MARK SAN SOUCI, Regional Liaison Northwest, Department of
Defense State Liaison Office, Office of the Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense, stated that the heavy tractor and trailer
driving career in the military falls in the top ten of all
occupational specialties in the military and is the second
highest career choice in the United States Army with almost
eight percent skilled in this career field. Additionally, this
field is the second highest career choice in the U.S. Marine
Corps (USMC) with over five percent of Marines skilled in
operating these vehicles. He referred to a U.S. Department of
Labor Occupational Network Online Partnership report, which
forecasts that the truck driving field is one of the brightest
outlook fields with one of the faster than average job growth
estimates. The report estimated that between 20 to 28 percent
or 100,000 job openings would occur between 2010 and 2012. He
offered the Department of Defense's support for HB 46.
1:14:26 PM
LIZ GLOOSCHENKO, Business Manager, Alaska Trucking Association,
stated the ATA is a statewide organization representing the
interests of nearly 200 member companies.
MS. GLOOSCHENKO read from a prepared statement. She related
that one of the pressing problems in the industry today is to
find qualified drivers for the commercial vehicles that industry
uses to deliver freight. She said, "As you all know, "if you
got it, a truck brought it." The ATA spends a lot of time and
effort recruiting and retaining good drivers. The regulatory
bar has been raised in the past few years to further increase
the professionalism of drivers in the industry. She said, "When
someone says he or she is just a truck driver, they miss the
mark completely. Truck driving is a profession that requires a
great deal of in-depth knowledge of the regulations as well as
driving skills to navigate a large rig through our highway
system." Alaska has some of the best drivers in the nation, and
they become outstanding drivers through their driving training,
experience, and self-interest since these skills can save their
lives or the lives of others.
MS. GLOOSCHENKO said as an industry the ATA welcomes returning
veterans and appreciates this opportunity to support veterans,
as well as to help the industry. She related that these men and
women have had some of the best truck driving training available
and will bring to the industry recent hands-on experience in
driving big rigs. With proper certification as to a veteran's
experience, the ATA supports waiving the skills test for the
issuance of a commercial driver's license (CDL). A number of
other states have similar programs for their veterans and Alaska
should do no less. She said the ATA is proud to support
veterans and HB 46. She urged members to support the bill and
pass it from committee with "do pass" recommendations.
1:17:31 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON, after first determining no one else wished to
testify, closed public testimony on HB 46.
1:17:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON moved to report HB 46 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
note. There being no objection, HB 46 was reported from the
House Transportation Standing Committee.
The committee took an at-ease from 1:18 p.m. to 1:20 p.m.