03/20/2007 01:00 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION

               HB 102-PASSING STATIONARY VEHICLES                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:39:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOOKESH  announced that the  committee would be  holding SB
  for future  consideration. He  then  announced HB  102 to  be                                                               
under consideration.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL,  sponsor of  HB 102,  said that  the bill                                                               
was inspired by an encounter  with a constituent. The current law                                                               
doesn't  designate  a  clear  procedure   for  pulling  over  for                                                               
emergency vehicles, so the bill cleans up current law.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY  said that enforceability is  an obvious problem,                                                               
and asked if the bill fully addresses the problem.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL said  that  he worked  with policemen  to                                                               
form the  bill, and that  it covers the different  procedures for                                                               
single- and double-lane highways.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
DANIEL HOFFMAN, Chief  of Police for the City  of Fairbanks, said                                                               
that  the  basic problem  is  the  way  the initial  statute  was                                                               
written; it provided  an unclear choice between  slowing down and                                                               
moving over. The current bill  will allow slowing down if there's                                                               
no option to move into another lane and stop.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  OLSON asked  if the  bill only  applies to  municipal or                                                               
state roads, or all roads.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL  said that it  applies to all  roads where                                                               
safety  is an  issue, thus  all roads  where safety  officers can                                                               
enforce law.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON  said that North  Slope Borough roads  aren't state                                                               
or municipality  roads, and  asked how they  would fit  under the                                                               
law.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL replied  that anywhere  where there  is a                                                               
police force, the law can be enforced.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COWDERY  asked   how  the  bill  would   function  in  a                                                               
particular situation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL replied that  if pulling into a particular                                                               
lane  wasn't safe,  then  slowing down  and  proceeding would  be                                                               
allowed.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOFFMAN said that the bill  only applies to roads with two or                                                               
more lanes in the same direction.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL referenced  lines  four to  seven of  the                                                               
bill to show how the bill treats smaller roads.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:47:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOOKESH  said that  he  intended  to  move the  bill  from                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY made a motion to move HB 102 from committee with                                                                
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There                                                                   
being no objection, the motion carried.