Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205
02/15/2007 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB41 | |
| SB15 | |
| SB49 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| SB 41 | |||
| = | SB 15 | ||
| = | SB 49 | ||
SB 15-BOARD OF MARINE PILOTS
CHAIR KOOKESH announced SB 15 to be up for consideration.
2:02:48 PM
SENATOR THERRIAULT, sponsor of SB 15, explained that the bill
extends the Board of Marine Pilots by eight years, to 2015. When
dealing with sunset dates he typically defaults to the auditors'
recommendation. He noted that the packets distributed to the
committee should contain the auditors' report and that Pat
Davidson, Legislative Auditor, was available to respond to
questions. He said the "audit shop" had been watching a number
of issues related to the operation of the board including random
drug testing of marine pilots.
SENATOR COWDERY asked if an eight year extension was standard.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied that extensions were shorter in the
past, but the legislature decided that the frequency of the
sunset dates was shorter than it needed to be. The suggestion
was that the sunsets should be extended.
2:06:42 PM
RICK URION, Director of the Division of Corporations, Business,
and Professional Licensing for the Department of Commerce,
Community, & Economic Development (DCCED), stated his support
for SB 15. The Board of Marine Pilots has completed its audit
period, and all suggestions that the auditors made were
appropriately addressed. The board provides a valuable service
and it ought to be continued, he stated.
ALBERT CLOUGH, Deputy Commissioner of the DCCED and Chair of the
Marine Pilots Board, stated that the board fully supports
extending the sunset date, but it has no opinion on the length
of the extension.
CHAIR KOOKESH asked Pat Davidson to discuss the length of the
extension.
PAT DAVIDSON, Auditor for the Division of Legislative Audit
(DLA), relayed that several years ago the suggested extension
time for boards and commissions changed from four years to eight
years. The sunset notion relates to whether or not a board or
commission should remain in existence, but when there is a 4
year rotation only operational efficiencies are addressed to the
exclusion of continuation issues.
MS. DAVIDSON said the DLA recommended a six year extension for
the Board of Marine Pilots. However, a concern was that the
board membership includes marine pilots, industry, and public
members, and there have been issues related to marine pilots and
the Executive Branch Ethics Act and less directly with industry
members. The result is that there is not a sufficient balance
between industry and marine pilots.
She said that the division conducted a survey of pilots and
industry members and found that both wanted the board to remain
involved in rate setting, so a six-year extension was suggested
so that the division would be able to look back and see if some
of the rate-setting issues were resolved.
2:11:00 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the audit division supports an
eight-year extension.
MS. DAVIDSON replied that that it recommended the shorter
extension but that it is the legislature's decision.
SENATOR COWDERY asked her to expand upon the audit's
recommendations.
MS. DAVIDSON said there were three operational issues: random
drug testing, the administration and sample pool of which should
be improved; the issue of vacant positions which led to delayed
investigations; and competency in performance monitoring and
peer review which the survey showed to be ineffective.
2:14:28 PM
SENATOR THERRIAULT said he was comfortable with the auditors'
six-year recommendation.
SENATOR OLSON asked if an amended bill would impact the fiscal
note.
SENATOR THERRIAULT answered that it likely would not, as the
fiscal note only accounts for five years.
SENATOR OLSON asked if audits were done by the auditory staff or
contracted out.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied that most audits are done in-house.
CHAIR KOOKESH moved to adopt Amendment 1, changing the extension
of the Board of Marine Pilots from eight years to six years.
There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.
CHAIR KOOKESH closed public testimony and asked the committee
for final comments.
SENATOR OLSON asked if the marine pilots had weighed in on the
issue of six versus eight years.
CHAIR KOOKESH said there had been a discussion with the pilots
and he didn't hear any objection.
2:18:14 PM
SENATOR OLSON motioned to report SB 15, as amended, from
committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal
note(s). There being no objection, CSSB 15(TRA) moved from
committee.
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