01/24/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

                 HB 146-REGULATION OF FIREWORKS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:13:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER  HB 146  announced that the  next order  of business                                                               
would  be HOUSE  BILL NO.  146,  "An Act  relating to  fireworks;                                                               
repealing restrictions  on the sale  of fireworks;  directing the                                                               
Department of  Public Safety to adopt  fireworks regulations; and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:14:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LLOYD NAKANO,  Director Alaska State  Fire Marshall,  Division of                                                               
Fire  and  Life  Safety,  Department   of  Public  Safety  (DPS),                                                               
explained that HB  146 would move rules pertaining  to the sales,                                                               
storage,  and  use  of  fireworks  from  statute  to  regulation,                                                               
thereby allowing  a more streamlined  and responsive  approach to                                                               
the state's management  of fireworks.  He said  the statutes have                                                               
not changed in several decades,  and that the changes would bring                                                               
state rules into  alignment with more modern  approaches found in                                                               
international fire codes and  national fire prevention standards.                                                               
He  explained  that,  under  HB  146,  the  department  would  be                                                               
required to  enact regulations  that establish  minimum standards                                                               
for the  sale, storage,  and use  of fireworks.   The  bill would                                                               
also  permit  the department  to  establish  fees for  fireworks,                                                               
firework permits,  and inspection  of where fireworks  are stored                                                               
and kept; however, it would not  authorize DPS to enter a private                                                               
residence where fireworks might be stored.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked who the  person is to talk to regarding                                                               
the  regulatory change  notice process.    He said  there is  not                                                               
enough information in  the notices for a member of  the public to                                                               
know what is going on,  whereas federal regulation change notices                                                               
are lengthy.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. NAKANO answered  that the regulation process  is developed by                                                               
the state Department of Law Regulations Office.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:18:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to report  HB 146 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 146 was reported out of the                                                               
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.