05/12/2022 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

        HB 268-DRIVER'S LICENSE RENEWAL:MILITARY MEMBERS                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:28:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER  announced the consideration  of HOUSE BILL  NO. 268                                                               
am "An Act relating to driver's license renewal."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
He asked Representative Merrick to introduce the bill.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:29:12 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE KELLY  MERRICK, Alaska State  Legislature, Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, sponsor  of HB  268, stated  this legislation  came about                                                               
after a  military member from Eagle  River experienced difficulty                                                               
renewing  his  driver's  license  when  he  needed  to  after  he                                                               
received  orders to  be stationed  in  Germany. Existing  statute                                                               
allows  a driver's  license  to  be renewed  within  one year  of                                                               
expiration.  However,  Germany  required  him  to  have  a  valid                                                               
driver's license for the full two years of his stay.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HB 268 will  allow members of the military and  their families to                                                               
renew their  driver's license within  two years of  expiration if                                                               
they are stationed or on orders to be stationed abroad.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER asked Ms. Hazelton to present the sectional.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:30:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SORCHA  HAZELTON,  Staff,  Representative Kelly  Merrick,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature,  Juneau,   Alaska,  presented  the  sectional                                                               
analysis for HB 268 on behalf of the sponsor.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1 amends AS 28.15.101(a) to allow the renewal                                                                    
      of a driver's license within two years of expiration                                                                      
     for a member of the military and their family members                                                                      
      if the military member is deployed abroad, stationed                                                                      
     abroad, or under orders to be deployed abroad.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2 adds a definition of military to Title 28.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
In response to a question  from the Chair, Ms. Hazelton confirmed                                                               
the fiscal note for HB 268 was zero.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HOLLAND asked whether amending  the statute to within two                                                               
years  of expiration  of  the license  for  military members  and                                                               
their  families  was  sufficiently  broad  to  cover  other  duty                                                               
stations abroad, not just Germany.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. HAZELTON replied  that HB 268 was less about  the duration of                                                               
the  license  after  it's  renewed  and more  about  the  time  a                                                               
military member and their family  are able to renew their license                                                               
before it expires.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HOLLAND  said he appreciates  the bill but  wonders about                                                               
catering too much to the military.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER asked Mr. Schmitz if  he had any response to Senator                                                               
Holland's question.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:33:00 PM                                                                                                                    
JEFFREY  SCHMITZ,  Director,  Division of  Motor  Vehicle  (DMV),                                                               
Department  of Administration  (DOA),  Anchorage, Alaska,  stated                                                               
that DMV had been unable to  confirm what had been reported about                                                               
the license  requirements for military members  being deployed or                                                               
stationed in Germany. He said this seems to be an isolated case.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:34:06 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HOLLAND  said he worries  about changing the  statute for                                                               
what could be just one service member.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MERRICK agreed  that the  bill probably  wouldn't                                                               
apply to very  many service members, but since Alaska  has one of                                                               
the largest  military communities  of any  state, she  thought it                                                               
was appropriate to  help resolve issues service  members may have                                                               
when and however possible.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HOLLAND stated that he will support the bill.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER said he agrees  with Senator Holland's point about a                                                               
single member  bill, but  it can  be a  life altering  event when                                                               
that  one  person  has  that particular  problem.  He  relayed  a                                                               
personal experience of  being pulled over and  nearly arrested in                                                               
England for driving  with the wrong plates on his  car. He stated                                                               
support for the bill as a way  to make life easier for members of                                                               
the  military and  their families  who have  a problem  that they                                                               
didn't cause.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:37:05 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER asked the sponsor if she had any closing comments.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MERRICK thanked the  Chair and Senator Holland for                                                               
their  service to  the country  and  expressed hope  that HB  268                                                               
would help service members who may encounter this problem.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:37:36 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER held HB 268 in committee.