04/28/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

           HB 124-LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: COMM. DRIVERS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:54:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 124, "An  Act relating to commercial motor vehicle                                                               
drivers'  license requirements;  and providing  for an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:54:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JULIE  COULOMBE,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime sponsor, introduced  HB 124.  She stated that  HB 124 would                                                               
repeal  the   provision  in  the   statutes  which   requires  an                                                               
individual  to  hold a  driver's  license  for  a year  prior  to                                                               
applying for a commercial driver's  license (CDL).  She explained                                                               
that the  provision was created  in 1985, long before  modern CDL                                                               
training was  available.   She argued  that it  is a  barrier for                                                               
young  people  wishing  to enter  the  profession  of  commercial                                                               
driving, and safety  regulations and training are  at the highest                                                               
level.  She added that  new federal regulations have standardized                                                               
the requirements to hold CDL.   She noted that the state is short                                                               
on commercial drivers,  and that the bill would  help reduce this                                                               
shortage.   She acknowledged that HB  124 is a companion  bill to                                                               
SB 123.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:58:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANIEL  ROBBINS,  Staff,  Representative Julie  Coulombe,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  on behalf  of Representative  Coulombe, prime                                                               
sponsor, gave  the sectional analysis  for HB 124  [copy included                                                               
in  the  committee  packet]  which   read  as  follows  [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Sec 1.    Amends  AS 28.33.100(a) to  remove subsection                                                                
     (2)  which  requires  an  applicant  for  a  Commercial                                                                    
     Driver's  License  to  have  held  a  regular  driver's                                                                    
     license for at least one  year before beginning the CDL                                                                    
     certification process.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Sec 2. - Sets January 20, 2024, effective date.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:58:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOEY CRUM, President and CEO,  Northern Industrial Training, LLC,                                                               
stated that the company trains  individuals from across the state                                                               
to become  commercial drivers,  earning their CDL.   He  said the                                                               
proposed  legislation would  remove  barriers  to the  commercial                                                               
driving industry.   He noted that  he has seen young  people lose                                                               
interest  in  becoming  commercial  drivers  upon  learning  that                                                               
training  would  not  begin  immediately.   He  argued  that  new                                                               
federal  regulations would  ensure  the safety  of drivers,  even                                                               
without the  requirement of holding  a standard  driver's license                                                               
for a  year.  He  said that CDL  applicants are required  to pass                                                               
driving and  written tests  administered by  federally registered                                                               
training providers.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:02:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER asked  when the  new federal  regulations                                                               
went into effect.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. CRUM answered  February 7, 2022.  In response  to a follow-up                                                               
question,  he  said  that  there  is no  published  data  on  the                                                               
effectiveness of the new regulations.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:02:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK  asked  whether CDL  training  in  Alaska                                                               
includes winter-specific conditions.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  CRUM answered  that CDL  standards  are set  by the  federal                                                               
government,  and  the  state  of   Alaska  has  not  imposed  any                                                               
additional requirements.   He added  that a CDL driver  earning a                                                               
license  in a  state  such  as Florida  would  be  able to  drive                                                               
commercially in  Alaska; however,  Alaska based  trainers provide                                                               
winter specific training.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:05:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOE  MICHEL,  Executive  Director, Alaska  Trucking  Association,                                                               
stated that  the Alaska Trucking  Association is in  full support                                                               
of HB 124.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:05:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER   questioned  whether  the   new  federal                                                               
regulations have improved safety.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. MICHEL  answered that no  data has been published,  but prior                                                               
to the  regulations being  put in place,  no formal  training was                                                               
required to  earn CDL.  In  response to a follow-up  question, he                                                               
said that data is being collected,  and the process is being done                                                               
by the federal government.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:07:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TETYANA  ROBBINS,  CEO,  Ukraine   Relief  Program,  stated  that                                                               
Ukraine Relief Program aids Ukrainians  who have fled the ongoing                                                               
war between  Russia and Ukraine.   She  said that the  bill would                                                               
help  proved  Ukrainians who  have  come  to Alaska  find  stable                                                               
employment, as many have previous commercial driving experience.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:09:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on HB 124.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:09:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANIEL ROBBINS, representing  self, stated that he is  the son of                                                               
Tetyana  Robbins, and  they are  both Ukrainian  immigrants.   He                                                               
expressed  support for  the bill,  noting that  it would  provide                                                               
employment opportunities to Ukrainian immigrants.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:10:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SUMNER,  after ascertaining  there  was  no one  else  who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 124                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:11:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 4:11 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:15:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to report  HB 124 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HB 124 was reported  from the                                                               
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.