03/30/2017 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

           HB 82-RESTRICTED OFF HWY DRIVER'S LICENSE                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:07:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL announced that the  only order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  82, "An  Act relating  to vehicle  registration;                                                               
relating  to off-road  system  restricted noncommercial  drivers'                                                               
licenses; relating  to off-highway commercial  drivers' licenses;                                                               
relating  to  off-road system  eligible  areas;  and relating  to                                                               
motor vehicle liability insurance."                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:07:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE    JONATHAN     KREISS-TOMKINS,    Alaska    State                                                               
Legislature, as  prime sponsor of  HB 82,  said that he  would be                                                               
speaking today  regarding questions  from a previous  hearing [on                                                               
3/28/17].   He shared that the  first response was to  a question                                                               
from Representative  Sullivan-Leonard to Alaska  Municipal League                                                               
(AML)  [asking  if  there  were]  any  outstanding  questions  or                                                               
concerns  from any  off-highway communities.   He  said that  the                                                               
short answer to that question is no.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:08:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BERETT  WILBER,  Staff, Representative  Jonathan  Kreiss-Tomkins,                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature,  on behalf  of Representative  Kreiss-                                                               
Tomkins, prime  sponsor of HB 82,  stated that at the  request of                                                               
Representative  Neuman, she  followed up  with the  Department of                                                               
Public Safety (DPS)  to make sure there was no  history of safety                                                               
complaints  from off-highway  qualifying communities.   She  said                                                               
that  she also  followed  up on  a  question Representative  Kopp                                                               
asked about  communities that  were large in  size but  were also                                                               
off the  state road  system.   She noted  that she  provided each                                                               
member a  sheet that has  a list of  the follow up  questions and                                                               
responses [included in committee packet].                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:09:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  WOOL asked  Ms.  Wilber  to share  the  questions.   He                                                               
offered  his understanding  that  Representative Kopp's  question                                                               
was regarding on-road  communities that may qualify  due to their                                                               
traffic counts.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:10:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP said  that he wondered how  the proposed bill                                                               
would  affect the  larger off-road  system communities  and those                                                               
that have big  surges of vehicles.  He said  that the Division of                                                               
Motor  Vehicles (DMV)  actually looked  at those  communities and                                                               
the particular  one he was  thinking of has  a DMV office,  so in                                                               
that instance drivers are required  to register vehicles and have                                                               
regular drivers  licenses.   He said  that only  four communities                                                               
would be added under the  proposed bill:  Seldovia, Kake, Angoon,                                                               
and Hydaburg.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:11:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN  complimented Representative Kreiss-Tomkins                                                               
and his staff for the use of the follow-up question hand-out.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL said that Ms.  Wasserman is available for questions                                                               
but  in  response  to Representative  Kopp's  question,  just  as                                                               
Representative Kreiss-Tomkins said, AML's response was no.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:11:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHY  WASSERMAN,  Executive  Director, Alaska  Municipal  League                                                               
(AML), said  that HB 82 would  be a tool to  allow communities to                                                               
more easily  take care of  their citizens.  She  claimed personal                                                               
knowledge of  the issue  from growing up  in a  small off-highway                                                               
community  herself.   She said  unless small  communities have  a                                                               
Village   Public  Safety   Officer  (VPSO)   there  is   no  real                                                               
enforcement.   She opined that  it seems  silly to have  rules in                                                               
the books if they can't be enforced.   She shared that it is very                                                               
expensive to get in and out of small, remote communities.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:12:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NEUMAN asked  Ms.  Wasserman  about what  smaller                                                               
communities do when there is  a dangerous driver in the community                                                               
who possibly  damages people  or property.   He  inquired whether                                                               
the community could call in a  VPSO or an Alaska State Trooper to                                                               
address the hazardous driver.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  WASSERMAN responded  that especially  if  there is  property                                                               
damage, a community can call in a trooper.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NEUMAN said  that  he was  just  curious how  the                                                               
aforementioned situation would be handled.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. WASSERMAN  shared her personal experience  living in Pelican,                                                               
Alaska where there were a few  lousy drivers.  She explained that                                                               
in the  small, off-highway communities  there usually  isn't that                                                               
much  roadway to  get in  to too  much trouble.   She  added that                                                               
everyone knows everyone and people  just don't go around speeding                                                               
down the road.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NEUMAN  offered  his understanding  that  smaller                                                               
communities tend to take care of themselves.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:14:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL  said that the  off-highway system has  been around                                                               
for quite a while and there have appeared to be few issues.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:15:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND  moved to report  HB 82 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no  objection, CSHB 82(STA) was reported from                                                               
the House Transportation Standing Committee.