03/27/2007 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

                                                                                                                                
9:09:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 108(L&C)                                                                                             
     "An Act extending the termination date for the Board of                                                                    
     Marine Pilots; and providing for an effective date."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the first hearing for  this bill in the  Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  announced his intent  to report this  bill from                                                               
Committee at this hearing unless  concerns were raised to warrant                                                               
additional consideration.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KURT  OLSON,  Chair,  House  Labor  and  Commerce                                                               
Committee, sponsor of this legislation,  testified that this bill                                                               
would extend the  term of the Board of Marine  Pilots to June 30,                                                               
2013.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:10:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ELEANOR WOLFE,  Staff to Representative  Kurt Olson,  informed of                                                               
those present to respond to questions.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:11:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RICK  URION, Director,  Division of  Corporations, Business,  and                                                               
Professional  Licensing, Department  of  Commerce, Community  and                                                               
Economic Development, encouraged passage  of this bill. The Board                                                               
had  completed its  audit process.  Recommendations  made in  the                                                               
audit  report regarding  corrections to  drug testing  procedures                                                               
had been implemented.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:11:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dyson noticed the audit  recommended that the Legislature                                                               
should   consider  "clarifying   statutes"  pertaining   to  drug                                                               
testing.  He asked  what measures  had been  taken to  accomplish                                                               
this.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:12:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Urion explained  that questions  were  raised about  whether                                                               
"enough people were  being tested". Corrections had  been made to                                                               
ensure that the "appropriate number of people" would be tested.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dyson  understood  the   recommendation  to  extend  the                                                               
mandatory drug  testing to include  trainees and  apprentices and                                                               
asked if statutory changes had been considered.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:13:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Urion  responded that  these members had  been added  "in the                                                               
mix"  to  receive random  drug  testing.  He was  unsure  whether                                                               
statutory changes would be necessary.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:13:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dyson   next  asked   about  the   audit  recommendation                                                               
concerning  investigative  functions,  which were  not  occurring                                                               
during long  absences of investigative personnel.  Some accidents                                                               
were not investigated until six months after occurring.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:13:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Urion  knew of one  such incident.  A change in  staffing was                                                               
deemed to be  the cause. A vacancy occurred and  when filled, the                                                               
new investigator was  unaware that the case had  existed. No harm                                                               
resulted from this delay.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:14:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dyson  asked if  such vacancy occurred  in the  future if                                                               
action was taken to ensure that  the duties would be delegated to                                                               
another position.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Urion assured that the  current chief investigator was better                                                               
apprised of the cases.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:14:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson assumed that the  drug tests were administered to a                                                               
"random consortium".                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Urion affirmed.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:15:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  asked how  often a member  was tested  and whether                                                               
the tests were of urine or blood.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Urion was unsure of the details of the testing procedures.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:15:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  asked  if  this  applies  to  all  marine  pilots                                                               
including those employed by the Alaska Marine Highway System.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Urion  replied marine pilots  employed by the State  were not                                                               
included. This Board governs those  marine pilots affiliated with                                                               
private enterprise.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:15:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Olson  asked   the   number  of   violations  and   the                                                               
disciplinary actions taken in the past year.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:15:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Urion  told of one case  that had been ongoing.  Otherwise he                                                               
estimated the number of cases to be three.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:16:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  commented that  the  fiscal  note appeared  in                                                               
order.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:16:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman offered a motion to report the bill, 24-                                                                       
LS0445\C, from Committee with individual recommendations and                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There was no objection and CS HB 108(L&C) was REPORTED FROM                                                                     
COMMITTEE, with fiscal note #2 from the Department of Commerce,                                                                 
Community and Economic Development.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:16:59 AM