05/06/1997 04:15 PM Senate TRA

                                                                               
           HB 222 ABANDONED,WRECKED,OR JUNK VEHICLES                          
                                                                              
 Number 280                                                                    
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN WARD  announced that  CSHB 222(TRA)am  was the next order of        
 business before the committee.                                                
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG , Prime Sponsor, explained that HB 222 would         
 provide local governments with an extra tool in which to dispose or           
 impound wrecked or junked vehicles.  Representative Rokeberg                  
 emphasized that ability only refers to vehicles on public property,           
 except without the consent of the owner - for example a parking               
 lot.  A number of vehicles are abandoned on the streets and                   
 highways which is a problem with regard to safety and traffic.                
 Often, such vehicles are not properly registered and are difficult            
 to trace.  For example in the Municipality of Anchorage, there are            
 more than 1,000 vehicles each year that must be dealt with which              
 result in a cost of $126,000.  HB 222 provides for the expedited              
 removal of junk vehicles from streets and rights-of-way.  HB 222              
 would also provide a reduction in the holding time and processing             
 time for junk vehicles from 30 days to 15 days.  HB 222 would                 
 assist in reducing the number of junk vehicles which are sold                 
 through auction and often end up back on the streets.  HB 222 would           
 also allow that titled, but not registered vehicles could be                  
 auctioned.  HB 222 would allow municipalities to establish                    
 ordinances to deal with junked vehicles.  Representative Rokeberg             
 informed the committee that the Municipality of Anchorage, the City           
 & Borough of Ketchikan, the Alaska Municipal League, and the Alaska           
 Tow Truck Association support HB 222.                                         
                                                                               
  SENATOR GREEN  asked if this is in a municipality.   REPRESENTATIVE          
 ROKEBERG  replied yes.  Representative Rokeberg explained that                
 HB 222 makes some changes to existing state statute which has                 
 hindered the municipality's ability to deal with junked vehicles.             
 This legislation was requested by the Municipality of Anchorage and           
 a number of recommendations were dealt with from the City & Borough           
 of Ketchikan.                                                                 
                                                                               
  SENATOR HALFORD  wanted to ensure that the new definition of "junked         
 vehicle" did not describe the car Senator Halford drove everyday.             
  REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG  pointed out that a vehicle cannot be left           
 in a public right-of-way for longer than 24 hours.  Representative            
 Rokeberg noted that the committee packet included a letter from a             
 Ketchikan attorney which indicates that in Ketchikan people seem to           
 like to do car repairs on the side of the road.  Those people move            
 their car two feet forward one night and two feet backward the next           
 in order that the car is not considered unattended.  Therefore, the           
 language "reasonably appears to be abandoned" was added to                    
 accommodate that situation.  Representative Rokeberg believed that            
 Senator Halford should not have a problem with his vehicle unless             
 the vehicle had broken glass.                                                 
                                                                               
  SENATOR HALFORD  said that what is being done with HB 222 is not a           
 problem, however Senator Halford wanted to ensure that the                    
 definition did not apply to anything else.   REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG          
 said that was not his understanding.                                          
                                                                               
  SENATOR GREEN  moved to report CSHB 222(TRA)am out of committee with         
 individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes.  Without            
 objection, it was so ordered.