04/16/1996 02:20 PM House FIN

  SENATE BILL 86                                                               
                                                                               
       "An   Act  relating  to  issuance  of  special  request                 
       commemorative gold rush motor vehicle license plates."                  
                                                                               
  CAMDEN TOOHEY, STAFF,  SENATOR BERT  SHARP, stated that  the                 
  purpose of SB 86 would be  to commemorate the period between                 
  1994 and 2004 as the Alaska Gold Rush Centennial Decade with                 
  the issuance  of a  new motor  vehicle license  plate.   The                 
  Commissioner of the Department of  Public Safety (DPS) would                 
  design the  license plate  in consultation  with the  Alaska                 
  Gold   Rush  Centennial   Task  Force   and   license  plate                 
  manufacturer.                                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
                                2                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Mr. Toohey continued, the legislation  had been requested by                 
  the Alaska  Gold  Rush Centennial  Task  Force  representing                 
  twenty-five Alaskan communities  and parts  of Canada.   The                 
  Gold Rush Task Force was established to coordinate statewide                 
  celebrations of the  100th anniversary  in order to  promote                 
  the understanding of  the importance of the  "Gold Rush Era"                 
  in Alaska's history and to enhance tourism opportunities.                    
                                                                               
  He  added that  the 18th  Alaska  Legislature passed  SB 407                 
  which changed the  standard plate to  the Gold Rush  license                 
  plate but Governor Hickel vetoed the bill because it removed                 
  the two plate requirement.                                                   
                                                                               
  TOM GARRETT, DIRECTOR,  DIVISION OF  TOURISM, DEPARTMENT  OF                 
  COMMERCE  AND ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  (DCED),  spoke  to  the                 
  tourism promotion as  it related  to the  Gold Rush  license                 
  plate.  Gold Rush is going to become the predominating theme                 
  affecting all  tourism promotions  for the  next few  years.                 
  The Department is working closely  with the Yukon government                 
  in  the promotion and marketing of the theme.  He noted that                 
  the Administration is supportive of the legislation.                         
                                                                               
  Representative Mulder  asked  if there  had been  discussion                 
  which would make the design a ten year temporary plate.  Mr.                 
  Toohey stated there  had not  been discussion, although  the                 
  purpose of the legislation  would be to extend the  ten year                 
  celebration  to  2004.  Representative  Mulder  inquired  if                 
  Senator Sharp would be opposed to reinstating the yellow and                 
  blue license  plate after  ten years.   Mr.  Toohey did  not                 
  think that Senator Sharp would oppose that concept.                          
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Hanley inquired  if everyone  would be required  to                 
  replace their license plates.   Mr. Toohey stated they would                 
  not.  The plate will take about a year to design and will be                 
  ready to put on cars in  the beginning of 1998.  There  will                 
  be a  phase in  of the new  plate when  the yellow  and blue                 
  stock  is   depleted;   then  the   Department  will   start                 
  distributing the new  theme plate.   That plate will be  for                 
  vehicles newly registered or for  those others that want  to                 
  change over their plates at a $5 dollar charge.                              
                                                                               
  JUANITA HENSLEY, CHIEF,  DRIVER SERVICES, DIVISION OF  MOTOR                 
  VEHICLES, DEPARTMENT OF  PUBLIC SAFETY (DPS), noted  that it                 
  was the intent of the Department to issue a specified number                 
  of plates and that replacement plates would not be required.                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Hanley questioned  the fiscal  note reference to  a                 
  10% vendor price  increase.  Ms.  Hensley responded that  it                 
  was anticipated that the new  contract because of additional                 
  graphics, would  cost 10% more.   Co-Chair Hanley  asked the                 
  cost of the "vanity"  plates.  Ms. Hensley replied  that the                 
                                                                               
                                3                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  "vanity" plates cost substantially more per plate, although,                 
  the "recovery" cost  exceeds the  cost of each  plate.   The                 
  Gold Rush plate would be a  general issue plate; the current                 
  contract  cost  would  be approximately  $2.68  each  set of                 
  plates.                                                                      
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Foster asked what  had happened to all  the designs                 
  provided in  the  contest  sponsored  two years  ago.    Ms.                 
  Hensley explained that  contest had produced the  two vanity                 
  plates.                                                                      
                                                                               
  Representative  Brown  suggested  that the  language  should                 
  clearly define the intent that everyone was not required  to                 
  have a new Gold Rush plate.                                                  
                                                                               
  Representative  Brown  MOVED  a  conceptual amendment  which                 
  clarified  that the change would be  a "transition" and that                 
  the Department would  replace the  existing plates with  the                 
  new design. There being NO OBJECTION, it was adopted.                        
                                                                               
  Representative  Mulder MOVED  a  conceptual amendment  which                 
  would allow for a  plate to convert back to  its traditional                 
  blue and gold after the year 2004.  He understood that would                 
  make the legislation a temporary  law.  Representative Brown                 
  recommended  that both  of  these statements  be  displayed,                 
  providing a transitional amendment.   She suggested that the                 
  bill be HELD until the draft was returned.                                   
                                                                               
  Representative Mulder  thought that perhaps  the legislation                 
  would   benefit   from  a   sunset   clause  in   for  2004.                 
  Representative Mulder WITHDREW THE MOTION for the conceptual                 
  amendment.  There being NO OBJECTION, it was withdrawn.                      
                                                                               
  Mr. Toohey stated  that the  concept of reverting  to a  new                 
  plate  in the year of 2004  had been discussed in the Senate                 
  Finance Committee.                                                           
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Hanley  noted that the transitional  language would                 
  be drafted and that the bill  would be HELD in Committee for                 
  further consideration following review of the draft.                         
                                                                               
  CS  SB   86  (FIN)  was   HELD  in  Committee   for  further                 
  consideration.