04/20/2023 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

           HB 124-LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: COMM. DRIVERS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:27:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCABE announced that the  final 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."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:28:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JULIE  COLOUMBE,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime sponsor,  stated that HB  124 would repeal  the requirement                                                               
that  a  person hold  a  driver's  license  for one  year  before                                                               
applying for a  commercial driver's license (CDL).   She said she                                                               
considers  HB 124  a "workforce  bill,"  in that  the bill  helps                                                               
people start their CDL training faster.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:28:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE  pointed out that the  section that contains                                                               
the  one-year  requirement also  states:    "or meets  experience                                                               
qualifications  established  by  the   department".    She  asked                                                               
Representative Coloumbe if  she has insight on  that provision in                                                               
statute.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COLOUMBE deferred to her staff, Daniel Robbins.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
DANIEL ROBBINS,  Staff, Representative Julie Coloumbe,  on behalf                                                               
of  Representative Coloumbe,  prime sponsor  of HB  128, answered                                                               
that there have been no  other qualifications developed regarding                                                               
experience.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:30:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCKAY  raised  concern  with  language  barriers,                                                               
specifically  whether  individuals  coming from  other  countries                                                               
understand  English  well  enough   to  get  an  Alaska  driver's                                                               
license.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COLOUMBE  answered that language barriers  are not                                                               
addressed under HB 124.  She  shared that there are some language                                                               
barriers,  but  people  with  such barriers  use  phone  apps  as                                                               
translators.   She said it would  be up to the  people giving the                                                               
training as to whether the  person could communicate clearly, and                                                               
that  if there  is too  much of  a language  barrier, the  person                                                               
would not be able to undergo the training.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:31:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. ROBBINS  shared that  since the  start of  the Russia-Ukraine                                                               
conflict, he has had family members  come to Alaska, and they are                                                               
doing fine  despite English not  being their first language.   He                                                               
stated that the language barrier shouldn't be an issue.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:32:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCABE referenced  comment from the previous  hearing of HB
, in that the person  must undergo four checkpoints, the first                                                               
of which is  attaining the driver's license, and that  one of the                                                               
first  requirements of  the license  is that  the person  must be                                                               
able to  speak and  understand enough English  to read  signs and                                                               
follow police  officer instructions.   He said that HB  124 could                                                               
aid  in  "filling the  gaps"  that  are  coming  in the  CDL  and                                                               
operator areas.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCABE opened public testimony on HB 124.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:33:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATI  CAPOZZI, President,  Alaska Chamber,  said that  the Alaska                                                               
Chamber ("the  Chamber") is in  support of  House Bill 124.   She                                                               
said  the Chamber  was founded  in 1953  and is  Alaska's largest                                                               
statewide business  advocacy organization.   She stated  that the                                                               
Chamber's mission  is to promote  a healthy  business environment                                                               
in  Alaska.   She reported  that the  Chamber has  more than  700                                                               
members  and represents  businesses of  all sizes  and industries                                                               
from  across the  state, representing  58,000 Alaska  workers and                                                               
$4.6 billion in wages.  She  shared that the Chamber has a formal                                                               
policy position to support workforce  development to increase the                                                               
number  of  qualified  employees  needed  to  fill  positions  in                                                               
resource industries, and  that HB 124 would eliminate  one of the                                                               
many  barriers  to entry  for  individuals  seeking a  career  in                                                               
trucking and transportation.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CAPOZZI said the Federal  Motor Carrier Safety Administration                                                               
(FMCSA)  recently implemented  its  entry  level driver  training                                                               
(ELDT) program, which  establishes "minimum training requirements                                                               
for entry-level commercial motor  vehicle operators."  She stated                                                               
that  this program  was  a  result of  years  of engagement  with                                                               
safety  organizations, industry,  and  other  stakeholders.   She                                                               
explained that  ELDT provides a  checklist of over  100 different                                                               
skills, inspection, and knowledge  requirements an applicant must                                                               
prove to be  proficient in before they are allowed  to test for a                                                               
CDL.   In  considering these  new requirements,  she stated,  the                                                               
requirement  of  holding of  a  regular  driver's license  for  a                                                               
calendar  year  is   a  redundant  barrier  to   entry  into  the                                                               
transportation industry.   She relayed  that the  Chamber members                                                               
know firsthand how vital trained  and licensed CDL drivers are to                                                               
the  Alaska  economy, not  only  in  the resource  industry,  but                                                               
across all industry sectors that  rely on transportation of goods                                                               
and services.   She reiterated that the Chamber  supports HB 124,                                                               
in  that it  is straightforward  and good  for business,  and she                                                               
urged passage of the bill.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:36:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TETYANA  ROBBINS, CEO,  Ukraine Relief  Program, said  that since                                                               
May 2022, the Ukraine Relief  Program has provided transportation                                                               
and  support to  over 1,000  Ukrainians that  have fled  the war.                                                               
She stated that  Ukrainian refugees are coming  to Alaska because                                                               
"they are  trying to  stay alive."   She  said that  an important                                                               
phase of the operation is  employment, and that, in reviewing the                                                               
professional  skills  of  the  refugees  coming  to  Alaska,  the                                                               
program  discovered that  many of  the  refugees have  experience                                                               
driving  busses  and  heavy  equipment.     She  said  there  was                                                               
excitement  in  seeing  500  open  positions  available  for  CDL                                                               
licensed drivers; however,  Alaska's statute is out  of sync with                                                               
federal law, forcing  the Ukrainians to wait a  year before being                                                               
able  to apply  for a  CDL.   She  said  she'd hate  to see  such                                                               
professionals leave the  state or switch industries.   She stated                                                               
that  passage of  HB 124  would help  fill the  vacancies in  the                                                               
transportation industry and  help new arrivals to  Alaska work in                                                               
their chosen field.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:38:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MCCABE,  after ascertaining  there  was  no one  else  who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 124.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:39:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE moved  to report  HB 124  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 124 was reported out of the                                                               
House Transportation Standing Committee.