04/03/2014 08:30 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 293                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to motor vehicle registration plates;                                                                     
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:53:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHERE KLEIN,  STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY  WILSON, discussed                                                                    
the legislation.  She explained that the  bear license plate                                                                    
was originally  the state's  bicentennial license  plate and                                                                    
was  recognized in  the Lower  48  as an  iconic "symbol  of                                                                    
Alaska."  She  cited  a recent  carinsurance.com  pole  that                                                                    
discovered that Alaska's plain yellow  license plate was the                                                                    
least  favored  of  all  states.  The  legislation  provided                                                                    
residents the  option of obtaining  the bear plate  as their                                                                    
primary license  plate. She referenced  a discussion  with a                                                                    
past commissioner  of the Department of  Public Safety (DPS)                                                                    
who explained that  the bear was chosen in  1975 because the                                                                    
bear  represented  a  commonality  for  all  Alaskans.  Bear                                                                    
habitat was found throughout the  entire state. She reported                                                                    
that the legislation changed words  in statute for specialty                                                                    
license plates  for "active"  and "former"  firefighters and                                                                    
EMTs. The  bill removed the  words "active" and  "former" so                                                                    
that all  firefighters; volunteer, paid, former,  or retired                                                                    
had the opportunity  to be recognized for  their service and                                                                    
it decreased the years of  service requirement for former or                                                                    
retired firefighters and EMTS from  ten years to five years.                                                                    
The cost of the license plate would be $30.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Neuman suggested  that the  license plate  could                                                                    
more easily identify a person as medical personnel.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Holmes appreciated  the bill.  She expressed                                                                    
support for the  bill. She clarified that the  intent of the                                                                    
legislation was  to provide two  official license  plates at                                                                    
the cost of $30.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Klein replied in the affirmative.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson discussed  the fiscal  note from  the                                                                    
Department of  Administration (DOA)  FN1 (ADM).  She relayed                                                                    
that  $3.2 thousand  was appropriated  in  FY 15  and was  a                                                                    
zero note in the out years.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
AMY   ERICKSON,  DIRECTOR,   DIVISION  OF   MOTOR  VEHICLES,                                                                    
DEPARTMENT  OF ADMINISTRATION,  responded to  Representative                                                                    
Holmes'  question regarding  cost.  She  commented that  the                                                                    
legislation would not change the  fees and the bear would be                                                                    
an alternate primary plate.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Holmes  shared   that  people   she  polled                                                                    
preferred  the look  of the  original license  plate calling                                                                    
the design  "retro." She requested that  the department keep                                                                    
the original design.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson  MOVED to REPORT CSHB  293(STA) out of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  293(STA) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation  and  with  one  previously  published                                                                    
fiscal impact note: FN1 (ADM).