04/27/1995 02:30 PM Senate TRA

                                                                               
       HJR 41 JONES ACT EXEMPTION FOR BULK COMMODITIES                       
                                                                               
 Number 109                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN RIEGER introduced  HJR 41  as the next order of business             
 before the committee.                                                         
                                                                               
 JACK PHELPS, staff to Representative Williams, stated that the                
 Jones Act and the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 discriminate against            
 the State of Alaska.  The Jones Act contains a provision which                
 requires the movement of goods and people between U.S. ports to be            
 transported on vessels that are manufactured in the U.S. with U.S.            
 crews.  Mr. Phelps explained that Alaska becomes affected by the              
 Jones Act when Alaska ships Alaskan commodities between Alaskan               
 ports and the West Coast or Hawaiian ports.  HJR 41 was the result            
 of the interest of the growing coal industry in Alaska.  Currently,           
 Alaska would be non-competitive to foreign coal because of the                
 Jones Act.  HJR 41 requests that Congress create an exemption from            
 the Jones Act for bulk commodities being shipped from Alaska.  He             
 pointed out that other bulk commodities in Alaska could also be               
 positively affected by this resolution.  Quarried rock could be one           
 of those bulk commodities that could be positively affected.                  
                                                                               
 Number 147                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR moved that HJR 41 be moved out of committee with               
 individual recommendations.  Hearing no objections, it was so                 
 ordered.