04/04/2013 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION

               SB 85-EXPERIMENTAL VEHICLE PLATES                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:36:11 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR EGAN  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
SB 85.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
BRITTANY HUTCHISON, Staff, Senator  Click Bishop, presented SB 85                                                               
on  behalf of  the  sponsor. She  explained  that the  difference                                                               
between the  CS and  the original  bill can be  found on  page 1,                                                               
lines 6,  7, and 11.  The wording was changed  to get rid  of the                                                               
words "cold weather,"  so that Alaska would welcome  all types of                                                               
vehicle testing.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN asked if she was working from version U.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. HUTCHISON said yes.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. HUTCHISON  continued to  relate the history  of the  need for                                                               
the bill.  She said for many  years, Alaska has been  marketed as                                                               
the  most  affordable,  accessible,  and  reliable  cold  weather                                                               
testing  spot in  the  world. Currently,  there  are no  statutes                                                               
regarding registration  for experimental vehicles.  Recently, the                                                               
Volkswagen Group  of America,  who has  been testing  vehicles in                                                               
Alaska since 2000, had to bring  their vehicles back for a second                                                               
round due  to stricter emission  regulations. When  they returned                                                               
to  Alaska,  the  DMV  notified  them that  they  would  have  to                                                               
register and title all of  their vehicles. The sponsor discovered                                                               
that a statute change was required  to fix the problem and worked                                                               
with the DMV and the Volkswagen Group to draft SB 85.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. HUTCHISON related that the bill  would allow the DMV to issue                                                               
an  experimental  vehicle  plate  to a  vehicle  manufacturer  or                                                               
distributer  for vehicle  testing.  The plates  are  good for  12                                                               
months and can be renewed twice for a total of 36 months.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EGAN requested a motion to adopt version U.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:39:09 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BISHOP moved  to  adopt the  work draft  CS  for SB  85,                                                               
labeled  28-LS0692\U, as  the working  document.  There being  no                                                               
objection, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
AMY ERICKSON,  Director, Division  of Motor  Vehicles, Department                                                               
of  Administration,  answered questions  related  to  SB 85.  She                                                               
confirmed that Volkswagen Group  approached the DMV several years                                                               
ago  to  register  their  vehicles,  but DMV  did  not  have  the                                                               
authority to register vehicles that  cannot be titled. The former                                                               
director of DMV allowed non-renewable  registration for one year.                                                               
She stated that DMV supports SB 85.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:40:23 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH  asked how DMV treats  large commercial trucks                                                               
that are brought to Alaska for testing.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BISHOP  asked  if  they   are  foreign  or  domestically                                                               
produced.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. ERICKSON explained  that some vehicles were  from Germany and                                                               
some from  Mexico. She  could not recall  whether there  were any                                                               
large trucks at the Volkswagen testing center.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BISHOP  clarified that most  of the Class A  trucks being                                                               
tested are  Navistar, an International Harvester  derivative, and                                                               
have been  on the  Haul Road for  two years. He  said he  has not                                                               
seen any other brands.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ERICKSON  said she  believes  the  legislation covers  those                                                               
trucks.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:42:53 PM                                                                                                                    
SHELLY  MELLOTT, Deputy  Director,  Division  of Motor  Vehicles,                                                               
Department  of Administration,  addressed the  previous question,                                                               
noting that  DMV has  not been  approached about  registering any                                                               
large  trucks;  however,  this  bill   would  allow  them  to  be                                                               
registered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JIM  DODSON, President  and CEO,  Fairbanks Economic  Development                                                               
Corporation,  testified  in favor  of  SB  85. He  described  the                                                               
affordability  and economic  impact  of cold  weather testing  in                                                               
Alaska. He said it is  a growing industry. He voiced appreciation                                                               
for the legislation.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:45:25 PM                                                                                                                    
ALLISON   AIRHART,  Attorney,   Volkswagen   Group  of   America,                                                               
testified in  support of SB 85.  She related that the  bill would                                                               
allow Volkswagen Group to continue with cold weather testing.                                                                   
She described the benefits of testing in Fairbanks.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:47:13 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH moved to report the CS for SB 85, labeled 28-                                                                
LS0692\U,  from committee  with  individual recommendations  [and                                                               
attached  zero  fiscal  note]. There  being  no  objection,  CSSB
(TRA)  was reported  from  the  Senate Transportation  Standing                                                               
Committee.