03/18/2010 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

           HB 262-MOTORCYCLE/SCOOTER AWARENESS MONTH                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:34:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P.  WILSON announced that  the next order of  business would                                                              
be HOUSE BILL  NO. 262, "An Act  establishing the month  of May as                                                              
Motorcycle Awareness Month."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:34:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WES KELLER,  Alaska State  Legislature, asked  his                                                              
staff to present HB 262.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
JIM  POUND,   Staff,  Representative  Wes  Keller,   Alaska  State                                                              
Legislature,  on  behalf  of  Representative   Wes  Keller,  prime                                                              
sponsor of HB 262,  explained that HB 262 would make  the month of                                                              
May  motorcycle awareness  month.   He  related  that many  states                                                              
have  adopted the  month  of May  as motorcycle  awareness  month,                                                              
primarily  since  it the  month  when  motorcycles begin  the  use                                                              
roadways.   It is an  awareness campaign  aimed as a  reminder for                                                              
automobile and  truck drivers to use  extra caution.  It  also has                                                              
to  do  with  establishing  an  annual  advertising  campaign  for                                                              
heightened awareness.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG offered  that he  is a strong  supporter                                                              
of  the bill.    He said  he is  also  a motor  scooter  fan.   He                                                              
related  that visibility  is a  problem for  motorcycles and  also                                                              
for  motor scooters  and  asked  if the  sponsor  would object  to                                                              
expanding the bill to include motor scooters.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. POUND said the sponsor would not object.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN stated that he supports the bill.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER,  in response  to  Representative  Johansen                                                              
stated  that   he  came  to  the   state  on  a   Harley  Davidson                                                              
motorcycle.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PETERSEN offered  his strong  support for  HB 262.                                                              
He thought  he had asked  to cosponsor the  bill.  He  stated that                                                              
his  brother is  a motorcycle  rider.   He has  also lost  several                                                              
friends  to  motorcycle  accidents  so  he is  interested  in  the                                                              
safety aspects  of HB 262.  It  is important to make  people aware                                                              
that motorcycles are back on the road.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:38:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  POUND, in  response to  Representative  T. Wilson,  explained                                                              
that  considerable  funding  for   motorcycle  safety  is  federal                                                              
funding provided to  the Alaska Highway Safety Office  (AHSO).  He                                                              
explained that  the motorcycle  safety courses  and the  "Learn to                                                              
Ride"  program are  provided  from  the same  funds.   In  further                                                              
response to Representative  T. Wilson, he said he was  not sure of                                                              
the amount of money.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:39:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MUNOZ  offered  her  support  for  HB  262.    She                                                              
learned  through this  bill process  that Juneau  has the  highest                                                              
per  capita motorcycle  ownership  in the  country.   She  related                                                              
that  one issue  the motorcycle  drivers  expressed concern  about                                                              
was  the  mandatory  headlight   law,  which  may  be  harmful  to                                                              
motorcycles since  motorcyclists currently use headlights.   Their                                                              
concern is "they  may be lost in  a sea of lights" if  a mandatory                                                              
requirement for  headlights passed; that motorists  may not notice                                                              
the motorcycles.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  POUND  pointed   out  that  most  new  motorcycles   have  an                                                              
automatic headlights  ignition switch.   He  tended to  agree that                                                              
the vehicles  that motorcycles  tend to  disappear a little  more.                                                              
He  stated  that he  cannot  argue  with  the importance  to  have                                                              
automobiles visible as well.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:41:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG  made   a  motion  to  adopt  Conceptual                                                              
Amendment 1.   He stated  that in  every place motorcycle  appears                                                              
in the bill, including  lines 1, 4, 5, 8, and 9  to add the phrase                                                              
"motor scooter".   There being no objection,  Conceptual Amendment                                                              
1 was adopted.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:42:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAN  MCCRUMMEN, Alaska  Bikers Advocating  Training and  Education                                                              
(ABATE),  stated that  ABATE,  consists of  about  90 members  who                                                              
provide training  to promote  safe driving.   He pointed  out that                                                              
nationwide  May  is  awareness   month.    In  Alaska,  the  ABATE                                                              
organization  promotes safe  motorcycling and  to reminds  drivers                                                              
motorcycles  are on  the roadway.   He  urged members  to pass  HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:43:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BOYD  MCPHIEL,  Legislative  Affairs  Coordinator,  Alaska  Bikers                                                              
Advocating  Training and  Education (ABATE),  urged the  committee                                                              
to pass  the bill.   He has worked  for 20 years  on proclamations                                                              
to raise  awareness to vehicles  that motorcycles are on  the road                                                              
in  greater numbers.   He  supported adding  motor scooters  since                                                              
they  do apply.   He  invited Representative  Gruenberg and  other                                                              
members to  partake in  one of the  rider education  courses ABATE                                                              
sponsors.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:45:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P.  WILSON, after  first determining no  one else  wished to                                                              
testify, closed public testimony on HB 262.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PETERSEN  moved to  report  CSHB  262(TRA) out  of                                                              
committee  with individual  recommendations  and the  accompanying                                                              
fiscal  note.    There  being  no  objection,  CSHB  262(TRA)  was                                                              
reported from the House Transportation Standing Committee.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:46:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 2:46 p.m. to 2:47 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:47:21 PM