04/20/2023 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

            SB  95-LICENSE PLATES: SPECIALTY ORGANIZATIONS                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:17:55 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   KAWASAKI    reconvened   the   meeting   and   announced    the                                                         
consideration   of SENATE  BILL  NO. 95  "An Act  relating  to special                                                          
request    specialty    organization    registration     plates;    and                                                         
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:18:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KELLY MERRICK, District L, speaking as sponsor of SB 95,                                                                
introduced the legislation speaking to the following sponsor                                                                    
statement.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Each  year,  the  Legislature  is  tasked  with approving  a                                                               
     specialty   plate   for   the  various   organizations   and                                                               
     nonprofits   that  request  plates.  As  of now,  there  are                                                               
     at   least   forty-two    license   plates   that   can   be                                                               
     purchased at the Division of Motor Vehicles.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Since  2003,  the Legislature   has passed  nine bills  that                                                               
     authorized   specialty   license  plates.   In  some  cases,                                                               
     multiple   pieces  of  specialty   plate  legislation   were                                                               
     rolled   into   one   bill.  For   example,   in   the  27th                                                               
     Legislature,   four bills  were  rolled into  one  bill that                                                               
     authorized six different plates.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Senate    Bill   95   was    introduced    to   remove   the                                                               
     Legislature    from  approving   specialty   plates.   Under                                                               
     this  legislation,   responsibility   would  be turned  over                                                               
     to  the  Division   of  Motor  Vehicles.  Streamlining   the                                                               
     process for both the legislature and the (DMV).                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     The   division   would  adopt   regulations   to  allow  for                                                               
     issuance   of  specialty  plates  sponsored  by  tax  exempt                                                               
     organizations   based  within the  state  or Departments  of                                                               
     the state, or a municipality within the state.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:19:38 PM                                                                                                                    
KERRY CROCKER, Staff, Senator Kelly Merrick, Alaska State                                                                       
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented the sectional analysis                                                                   
for SB 95.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section   1:  Creates   a  new   subsection   in  the  Motor                                                             
     Vehicle    statutes,   AS   28.10   181,  to   require   the                                                               
     Division   of Motor  Vehicles  (DMV)  to  adopt  regulations                                                               
     allowing   for  the  issuance   of  specialty  organization                                                                
     license   plates  sponsored  by  charitable  and  government                                                               
     organizations within Alaska.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Section   2: Adds  a  new paragraph   to AS  28.10.421  that                                                             
     sets   the  fees  for  new  plates   and  allows  for  other                                                               
     fees.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section   3:  Provides  an  effective  date  of  January  1,                                                             
     2024                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI   commented   that  it was  an  efficiency   bill                                                         
and he appreciated the sponsor bringing it forward.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KAWASAKI  agreed  that  it  created  efficiency   and  was  good                                                         
government.  He  asked the  sponsor  to comment  on the  license  plate                                                         
she brought to the meeting.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:21:39 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MERRICK  explained  that she  brought  the specialty  license                                                          
plate  her  mother used  on  all her  vehicles.  It  had  her initials                                                          
that spelled the word CAR.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:22:29 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI  opened  public  testimony  on  SB  95; finding   none,                                                         
he closed public testimony.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
He noted who was available to answer questions.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI   asked  whether   DMV  had  a position   or  any                                                         
thoughts on how to improve the bill.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:23:10 PM                                                                                                                    
JEFFREY   SCHMITZ,  Director,   Division  of   Motor  Vehicles  (DMV),                                                          
Department   of  Administration   (DOA),  Anchorage,   Alaska,  stated                                                          
that  DMV  was  neutral  on  SB  95 and  he  had  no  comments  on  the                                                         
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:23:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI held  SB 95 in  committee  for future  consideration.