05/03/2004 02:08 PM Senate TRA

                  HB 272-MOTOR VEHICLE DEALERS                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
The committee took up HB 272.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  LINDA SYLVESTER,  Staff to  Representative Bruce  Weyhrauch,                                                               
testified  that  the compromise  reached  has  been to  take  out                                                               
Section 1 of the  bill and replace it with - on page  7, line 3 -                                                               
instructions to the Department of  Law to continue monitoring and                                                               
investigating the  consumer complaint issues  on the sale  of new                                                               
cars being  sold as used cars.   New cars were  converted to used                                                               
cars;  they  essentially  had  low-mileage,  brand  new,  but  no                                                               
manufacturer's certificate  of warranty.  The  sponsor's point is                                                               
that the sale of those  vehicles comes under [indisc.] automobile                                                               
dealer franchiser law.  If  the attorney general continues to see                                                               
this  as  a  problem,  he  can   bring  the  issue  back  to  the                                                               
Legislature, to deal with at another time.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SYLVESTER  said  the  bill deals  with  clean-up  and  minor                                                               
housecleaning  issues that  arose  from  the omnibus  legislation                                                               
that was  passed in 2002,  HB 182.   At that  time Representative                                                               
Lisa  Murkowski  worked  extensively with  Representative  Andrew                                                               
Halcro and  developed that omnibus  legislation with  Ed Sniffen.                                                               
All parties spoke  in support of that portion  of the legislation                                                               
last year.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT moved to adopt  the committee substitute (CS),                                                               
version  S  [labeled  23-LS0975\S,  Bannister,  4/30/04]  as  the                                                               
working document before the committee.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR COWDERY asked  if there was any objection.   There being                                                               
none, it was so ordered.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT asked if the text  to be deleted on page 4 was                                                               
from the previous bill.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SYLVESTER said  the  text  was from  [HB  182], the  omnibus                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON asked if anybody was in opposition to the bill.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SYLVESTER  responded  that last  year  there  were  comments                                                               
opposing Section  1.  Those  individuals spoke in support  of the                                                               
bill itself.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON asked who expressed opposition.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. SYLVESTER  said the  main individual  was Mr.  Lieberger (ph)                                                               
from Anchorage  who owns a  used car dealership, and  Mr. Allpine                                                               
(ph)  who   is  a  member   of  the  Alaska   Automobile  Dealers                                                               
Association.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee  took a  brief at-ease, at  the request  of Senator                                                               
Olson.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR COWDERY asked for the will of the committee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT moved  to report  SCS CSHB  272 (TRA)  out of                                                               
committee with individual recommendations and zero fiscal note.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR COWDERY,  upon hearing  no objections, announced  it was                                                               
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business  to come before the committee, he                                                               
adjourned the meeting at 2:16 p.m.